How This 23-Year-Old College Dropout Makes 6 Figures Per Month From His Lifestyle Blog

Daniel Friedman has all the time had a powerful, entrepreneurial spirit. And though he completed highschool early and went to school, he ended up dropping out and beginning a weblog. As he was a teen, and he needed to assist different teenagers, Modern Teen was born.

His website was not at all an in a single day success. He plugged away at it for years and watched it develop very slowly.

At present he helps teenagers and school college students around the globe change into higher individuals and earns 6 figures per 12 months.

Maintain studying to seek out out:

• His different entrepreneurial tasks
• Why he created his web site
• How large his staff is now
• The place his revenue comes from
• How a lot site visitors his website will get
• How a lot time he spends on his weblog
• His prime advertising technique
• His ideas on web optimization
• His method to key phrase analysis
• How he creates content material
• His favourite sources and instruments
• His greatest problem
• His biggest accomplishment
• His primary mistake
• The recommendation he would give different entrepreneurs

Meet Daniel Friedman

Hello, I’m Daniel! I’m from Los Angeles, California, and have been residing right here ever since I used to be born. I grew up with nice mother and father, however I used to be additionally raised to be very unbiased and educate myself the way to do most issues.

In the long run, I most well-liked that method of studying. Independence can educate you numerous, particularly once you’re youthful.

I graduated highschool early on the age of 16 and went straight to school. College was by no means for me, and I ended up leaving school early, earlier than I acquired a level.

Entrepreneurship was all the time part of me, although. From promoting duct tape wallets and operating lemonade stands to promoting music software program on Instagram, I used to be all the time getting cash with out a conventional job.

Now I spend my days running a blog from wherever I need!

Once I’m not running a blog, I’m normally enjoying volleyball, tennis, electrical guitar, writing, exploring new meals in LA, or touring the world whereas I work from my pc!

Why He Created His Web site

Once I was round 17 years previous, my solely aim was to be the perfect model of myself attainable. 

Whether or not that was by figuring out, following a skincare routine, being financially sensible, educating myself, or growing wholesome habits, I used to be all the time on the hunt for enchancment.

And since a lot of that data on-line was geared in the direction of adults of their 30s, it was onerous to seek out that data as a teen.

By the point I turned 18, I had amassed a lot data and discovered to make the most of that data as a teen and school scholar.

I needed a strategy to compile that data into one place in order that others might use it as properly. That’s after I got here up with the thought to create a weblog that was geared in the direction of youngsters turning into the perfect variations of themselves attainable.

Modern Teen was born out of the need to prepare my very own concepts right into a reader-friendly outlet.

At first, it grew to become a pastime with none intention of getting cash (till I lastly realized that I might).

So I took $120 to pay for internet hosting, a theme design for the weblog, and a safety plugin that every one lasted 1 calendar 12 months.

I’d come residence from class every single day and write a brand new publish within the hopes that somebody would discover worth in it.

For the primary 18 months of running a blog, I didn’t see a single penny of earnings, however typically that’s what enterprise is all about. Pushing by on the entrance finish to reap the advantages afterward down the street.

At present, I’ve 2 writers, 1 editor, and myself working collectively to create new content material and hold Fashionable Teen operating easily.

After operating the weblog for over 5 years, it was simply the perfect choice I’ve ever made in my life to date!

We produce round 12 new posts per thirty days with the assistance of my staff and replace our web optimization and Pinterest strategies repeatedly to remain updated.

On prime of that, I not too long ago began a weblog with a accomplice/good friend referred to as Manly and Modern the place we talk about self-improvement suggestions for males.

Moreover, I contribute weekly as a contract author to a finance weblog referred to as This On-line World as one other strategy to share my ardour for enterprise and produce one other stream of revenue.

How A lot He’s Incomes

Within the final 12 months, my running a blog revenue for Fashionable Teen has ranged from $6,000 to $12,000 per thirty days.

The weblog was not too long ago hit by a Google replace, which dropped views within the final month or 2, however all ought to get better by the point January rolls round.

In essentially the most up-to-date month (October 2023), the weblog made $9,866.33 in income from 3 primary sources:

• Mediavine Advert Income = $5,966.26
• Amazon Affiliate Income = $3,650.07
• Paid Sponsored Posts = $250.00

This stage of earnings is pretty constant for me now with Fashionable Teen, however it took me round 4 years to get to this stage.

The opposite weblog (Manly and Fashionable) remains to be in improvement however has earned me round $300-$500 per thirty days for my half of possession.

Writing for This On-line World has offered a terrific facet stream of revenue at round $1,000-$1,200 per thirty days.

As for site visitors, Fashionable Teen will get over 300,000 month-to-month web page views in latest instances, however the common is nearer to 200,000-250,000 pageviews during the last couple of years.

Listed below are some extra stats to try for 2023 (some particulars usually are not absolutely correct in comparison with Google Analytics, however they’re shut sufficient)…

I spend round 3-5 hours per day on common for Fashionable Teen. That comes out to round 18-30 hours per week.

I spend the remainder of my time engaged on different web sites like Manly and Fashionable or writing content material for This On-line World.

I even have quite a lot of hobbies like tennis, volleyball, electrical guitar, and writing which I prefer to commit my time to after I can.

His Prime Advertising Technique

Whereas this reply is a bit unconventional, I’ve to say that my #1 advertising technique is consistency and authenticity.

With out these 2 issues, my total enterprise would crumble.

I believe one thing that lots of people don’t speak about a lot within the running a blog world is the truth that Google is searching for respected sources to place on the prime.

Typically Google sucks at doing that job, however as a rule, it finds a strategy to give authority to blogs that publish constantly and supply actual perception into any subject.

Certain, you’ll be able to rent individuals to put in writing absolutely anything or make the most of AI to mass-produce content material for a brand new weblog.

Nonetheless, you’ll begin to really feel the backlash in feedback from different individuals, in pageview drops, and in your general web optimization technique.

However for a extra sensible reply, right here’s a method I like to make use of usually for brand spanking new content material concepts and updating previous posts.

Google Search Console provides you the power to see what key phrases customers are trying to find to land in your website. Typically you won’t have that key phrase in any respect throughout the publish or title. 

Take into account including it a couple of times to assist that search construct authority even sooner on your website.

The Significance of web optimization

web optimization at present accounts for over 85% of Fashionable Teen’s site visitors, so it is large for staying related and persevering with to develop at a gentle charge!

My web optimization technique consists of some small (however insanely necessary) issues that I implement into the weblog:

• Performing key phrase analysis with instruments like Semrush and Ahrefs
• Competing in subjects that I do know I can rank for primarily based on my authority and fame
• Implementing sub-keywords inside posts that cowl the complete key phrase/phrase in its entirety
• Being certain so as to add picture alt textual content to assist Google discover my posts by pictures as properly
• Evaluating key phrases to different rivals to see the place I’m lacking content material and the way I can enhance my present posts
• Updating posts repeatedly with necessary adjustments and up-to-date data

And when you’ve got writers/editors that work with you, I extremely suggest you’ve gotten talks with them repeatedly and educate them web optimization in the event that they don’t comprehend it already. 

It makes the technique a lot simpler once they perceive the way it all works!

Key phrase Analysis

I conduct most of my key phrase analysis with Semrush. They’ve sources just like the key phrase magic instrument and aggressive searches that enable me to maximise the quantity of content material concepts I can discover.

I’ll normally seek for keyphrases that I have already got authority in (akin to “teen outfits” or “teen hairstyles”) and work my method by Semrush’s tools to discover associated concepts which have a comparatively simple rating issue.

The opposite necessary facet of my technique is aggressive analysis, which helps me fill within the gaps of lacking content material that my competitors might have and I don’t.

It’s each good and dangerous that I’m in a bizarre area of interest that doesn’t have an excessive amount of comparable competitors. 

On the one hand, I get to reap the benefits of all of the lacking content material that wasn’t there earlier than. Alternatively, it’s onerous to provide you with new content material concepts when rivals don’t actually publish what you publish.

Both method, I repeatedly check out my prime 5 best websites and export a key phrase sheet to my pc with the highest concepts that they’re rating for in an effort to write comparable/higher content material.

Hyperlink Constructing

To me, hyperlink constructing was all the time about being genuine and letting hyperlinks construct themselves. I understood that this technique may result in a slower progress charge when beginning out, however it was one thing I couldn’t initially do with out feeling responsible.

To today, it’s nonetheless onerous for me to make the most of any link building strategy, so I can’t say I’m a lot of an professional in hyperlink constructing to this point.

I’ve experimented with just a few websites that assist with hyperlink constructing and have tried out social media sources like Reddit and Quora to construct some authority in these areas.

Quora helped a bit bit, however it was by no means something drastic that made me need to proceed it.

Daniel’s Content material Creation Course of

We at present produce round 12 new weblog posts per thirty days on Fashionable Teen. 

Right here’s how I’m going about getting content material reside:

• Conduct key phrase analysis so as to add to my lengthy checklist of key phrase concepts
• Pull 10-15 recent keyphrases from the checklist for any given month
• Create outlines round every keyphrase with phrase depend limits, formatting, and some other mandatory notes
• Ship these outlines to my writers in a folder 
• They ship again absolutely written posts which can be prepared for evaluate
• These posts get despatched to my editor for including pictures, altering spacing and format to suit the weblog
  theme, and making minor web optimization adjustments the place mandatory
• These edited posts await me within the WordPress dashboard, the place I take a ultimate look and make any adjustments which can be wanted
• Then these posts get printed on Fashionable Teen

Right here’s an instance of what an overview may seem like to present you an thought:

His Electronic mail Record

My e mail checklist is definitely my greatest weak level in the mean time. And that’s as a result of I used to be by no means per it.

I’ve constructed a small email list of round 3,000 subscribers during the last 5 years by together with a pop-up kind that exhibits up midway by each publish on the weblog.

I used to ship emails a bit extra incessantly, however now it’s one thing I hardly ever deal with.

Nonetheless, engaged on emails is on the prime of my checklist of objectives for 2024. 

So, I’m hopeful to see what sort of new site visitors and audience-building it could carry to the desk subsequent 12 months!

His Favourite Assets

I drowned myself in books, podcasts, YouTube channels, and blogs after I first began out as an entrepreneur, and particularly after I began my weblog.

A few of my favourite sources embrace:

• The E-Delusion Revisited: A e-book that helped me discovered the way to automate my enterprise
• Blue Ocean Technique: A e-book that helped me separate myself from the competitors
• Find out how to Win Buddies and Affect Folks: A e-book on bettering your socialization abilities (additionally transfers properly to speaking to readers on a weblog)
• Valuetainment: YouTube channel with tons of sources and suggestions for entrepreneurs 
• Create and Go: A weblog for running a blog that gave me quite a lot of perception into getting began with little funding

His Go-To Instruments

The three most helpful instruments I take advantage of as an entrepreneur are:

My Planner: With out this instrument, my life crumbles into one million items. For me, the extra data I can get out right into a planner, the much less data needs to be caught in my head. It helps relieve my stress, set up my schedule, and hold me shifting ahead with new tasks/duties.

Google Search Console: Having the ability to monitor my efficiency with Fashionable Teen whereas additionally with the ability to view standard searches for my website in Google Search Console is invaluable. It makes updating previous posts a lot simpler as properly.

Semrush: This instrument accounts for 80% of my success with Fashionable Teen. With out it, I can’t proceed to create new items of content material that can really rank. Plus, monitoring my web optimization efficiency over time is extremely easy this fashion.

His Greatest Problem

The one factor that all the time shocked me after I was studying different peoples’ running a blog success tales was how a lot they have been making and the way shortly they have been capable of make that a lot cash.

The cruel reality that I noticed for myself was that running a blog isn’t that simple and it’s not constant in any respect.

My greatest problem was attempting to show a weblog right into a constant enterprise. Oftentimes, that’s simply not attainable.

I grinded for 60 hours per week to start with to jumpstart Fashionable Teen and I didn’t make a single penny for the primary 18 months in enterprise.

There have been tons of instances that I needed to give up.

I even had a tough part of horrible nervousness that made it unimaginable to get any work finished for few months, not to mention get off the bed.

I didn’t end school and put all the pieces I had into making this weblog work. In any other case, I’d be caught in a horrible place in life.

5 years later, it’s my favourite factor about my life and I couldn’t be happier with how all the pieces ended up!

Daniel’s Best Accomplishment

My most necessary accomplishment needs to be the feedback I obtain from different teenagers once they inform me their life has modified for the higher due to my recommendation.

There’s no feeling extra rewarding than that.

So many teenagers and school college students have benefited from my guides in class, health, style, and extra.

It jogs my memory of why I began running a blog within the first place and the way a lot I want I had these sources for myself after I was a teen attempting to enhance myself.

On prime of that, with the ability to create a 6-figure enterprise by 23 years previous with out a school diploma has all the time been a dream of mine and I’m proud to say that I’ve achieved it!

What He Needs He Knew When He Began

There are just a few necessary issues I want I knew after I began:

1. I want I discovered web optimization instantly after beginning (my weblog might’ve grown a lot sooner)
2. Reaching out to different bloggers in your area of interest/age vary is a good thought to be taught shortly
3. Don’t be afraid to speculate money and time into one thing you consider in
4. Similar to having a job after which beginning your personal enterprise with what you’ve discovered, go write for an additional weblog you’re enthusiastic about and acquire some expertise on the facet
5. Your psychological and bodily well being isn’t solely extra necessary than your online business, however your online business will profit dramatically from a wholesome life-style anyway
6. As harsh because it sounds, most individuals don’t care who you’re or what you want and don’t like. They need you to supply worth for them to allow them to go on about their day. In different phrases, keep away from utilizing “I, me, and my” once you’re writing and use extra “you, your, you’re” in your content material. 

His Principal Mistake

My greatest mistake was not driving the wave of momentum after I was given the possibility.

Typically, your online business goes to do rather well one month or your weblog goes to get considerably extra site visitors.

These moments make you’re feeling like you’ll be able to sit again and chill out and watch the numbers climb. I do know that’s what I believed.

However the reality is, that’s precisely when you must work on publishing a course, deal with monetization much more, double down on content material creation, take a step again and be taught why you’re doing so properly, and many others.

His Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs

Do you consider in your online business? Should you answered sure, then cease worrying about how a lot time you place into it.

Should you actually consider it’s going to achieve success, then go all in and don’t cease.

I’ve had tons of tough patches. I needed to give up a number of instances. I had my doubts in regards to the weblog.

These all go away when you understand your solely selection is success.