After Brenda Kosciuk grew to become a mother, she craved a inventive outlet, so she began her weblog, Paper Heart Family. As she had a full-time job and a household, she had little or no time, and he or she wrote her preliminary posts whereas she was nursing her child.
As we speak her web site is incomes as much as $9k per thirty days, though she solely works on it for about 10 hours per week. There was even a 2-year interval the place Brenda utterly ignored her weblog, and though her site visitors and earnings dipped, they made a comeback when she began up once more.
It took Brenda simply 4 months to qualify for Mediavine, and Pinterest nonetheless accounts for a superb portion of her site visitors.
Preserve studying to search out out:
- What her weblog was initially about
- Why she shifted her focus
- The place her earnings comes from
- Her prime advertising and marketing methods
- Her views on website positioning
- Her key phrase analysis device suggestions
- How she approaches content material
- Whether or not she outsources or not, and why
- Her prime sources and instruments
- Her largest problem
- Her biggest accomplishment
- Her essential mistake
- Her recommendation for different entrepreneurs
Meet Brenda KosCiuk
My identify is Brenda and I stay in Pennsylvania together with my husband and two daughters. I work full-time as a Spanish and English as a Second Language instructor. I’m additionally the proprietor and CEO of the web site Paper Heart Family.
Why She Created Paper Coronary heart Household
After the delivery of my second youngster, I discovered that I used to be placing all of my time and power into my youngsters. I used to be feeling that I used to be shedding myself and I used to be craving a inventive outlet. I noticed plenty of running a blog success tales on-line, and it was very interesting to me. As a baby, I liked writing and creating. I’ve at all times had an entrepreneurial spirit.
Initially, I created Paper Coronary heart Household as a means to assist moms simply doc their youngsters’s lives. This content material by no means actually carried out properly for me. Subsequently, the content material on my web site has since advanced into being pregnant, child, breastfeeding, and actions and printables for teenagers.
I wrote about 20 articles earlier than I even went stay with my web site in August of 2017. Nearly all of these articles have been written whereas I used to be breastfeeding my child, many occasions in the midst of the evening!
How A lot Cash Brenda’s Making
I’m presently incomes between $6,000 and 9,000 a month by way of Paper Coronary heart Household. A really giant majority of that earnings is from advert income.
The breakdown is as follows:
- 90% of earnings from Mediavine
- 5% from affiliate packages
- 5% from my very own merchandise
I began running a blog in August of 2017 and certified for Mediavine in December of the identical yr. My web page views went from only a few thousand to over 100,000 in a single month resulting from one publish that went tremendous viral on Pinterest. Sadly, this is able to by no means occur now.
I skilled plenty of progress within the first two years. Then, resulting from a really demanding educating schedule, I just about stopped creating content material and selling my weblog from July 2020 till Might 2022.
There was undoubtedly a dip in my web page views and earnings throughout that point, however since I’ve gone all in for the final yr once more, my web page views and earnings have each grown to be greater than ever earlier than.
The time that I’ve to commit to my web site may be very restricted. There are some weeks once I hardly work on it in any respect, however I’d say I work on my enterprise on common 10 hours every week.
Her Prime Advertising and marketing Technique
For Paper Coronary heart Household, I develop my enterprise solely by way of website positioning and Pinterest. Though many bloggers have shied away from Pinterest in the previous couple of years, the platform continues to carry me roughly 50% of my site visitors. In my busiest month of December, Pinterest brings nearer to two-thirds of my site visitors.
I believe one of the vital vital methods for immediately’s Pinterest is to get interplay on new pins shortly (not a straightforward process). I’ve been capable of get very new pins traction shortly by:
- Asking my e mail record to pin particular new pins
- Getting the timing proper. I’ve had quite a few seasonal pins go “viral” in the previous couple of months when pinned 2-3 weeks earlier than site visitors begins to choose up for that subject.
Additionally towards what’s typical, my RPMs are greater from my Pinterest traffic.
When selecting key phrases, I often search for key phrases that I consider are attainable on Google and that may even be well-liked on Pinterest.
I’ve a spreadsheet that ranks my prime pages’ web page views from Google and Pinterest. I attempt to write related content material to these key phrases which can be performing properly on Google and Pinterest.
The Significance of website positioning
website positioning is essential to my enterprise and it’s the supply of site visitors that has grown essentially the most over time.
Once I take a look at my prime posts, the inspiration for a lot of of them got here from my very own expertise as a mother. There are a couple of posts that I wrote as a result of once I was actively trying to find that info, I used to be dissatisfied with all the outcomes on web page one in all Google.
There are another posts that I created just because I used to be creating these actions and sources for my very own youngsters.
I had at all times recognized about website positioning however it took some time for me to get actually severe about it. I took the course Silly Easy website positioning, however I don’t assume I used to be tremendous severe about website positioning till the previous yr.
There was a fellow blogger who used to create key phrase “bushes” primarily based on what you have been already rating for. She now not does it, however that was very useful for me earlier than I understood key phrase analysis myself.
There are a couple of sources that I really like utilizing for keyword research that I don’t hear many individuals speak about.
The primary is Key phrases All over the place. I really like Google outcomes when I’m researching a key phrase as a result of it offers me a lot info. Key phrases All over the place offers me the common search quantity and the DA of the web sites that rank on web page one. That is extremely beneficial info and might shortly assist me resolve if the key phrase is price going after.
I additionally love utilizing Low Fruits. I hardly ever hear about different bloggers utilizing this, however the free model will give 1000’s of low-competition key phrases with the clicking of a button. I typically enter my broad subjects into Low Fruits with a view to get content material concepts. Then, I’ll look these key phrases up in Google utilizing Key phrases All over the place with a view to resolve if it’s really a viable key phrase. I’ve discovered some actual gems utilizing this course of.
I additionally get lots of my key phrase concepts from Google Search Console.
Hyperlink Constructing
Hyperlink constructing is one thing that I’ve not been in step with however I’ve just lately made it a precedence. I’ve landed some actually nice hyperlinks utilizing HARO and likewise just lately used a link-building service.
Brenda’s Content material Creation Course of
I’d like to say that I select a subject and write on that subject incessantly till I can’t anymore with a view to turn out to be an authority on the subject. That’s what I’d suggest.
Nevertheless, due to my busy life exterior of running a blog, many occasions with a view to keep motivated I merely select to write down on the key phrase that I’m most motivated to write down at that second. It is probably not one of the best technique, however I believe it’s the greatest technique for me. There’s undoubtedly a couple of means to achieve success in running a blog!
I additionally just lately began utilizing RankIQ and I discover that it helps me to rank extra shortly on web page one in all Google.
Her Electronic mail Checklist
I do have an email list of about 13,000 subscribers and solely use free printables with a view to develop my record. Throughout sure months, my e mail record grows a lot quicker resulting from seasonal content material.
I e mail my record as soon as every week.
Brenda’s Ideas on Outsourcing
I’m very a lot Kind A. I’m a management freak. I truly outsourced my Pinterest for one month firstly of this yr after which I canceled it as a result of I simply couldn’t do it. I do know that there are plenty of totally different philosophies on the market on the topic, however it’s vital for me that my weblog represents me.
I’ve often thought-about outsourcing writing, however I do know I may by no means be proud of it. I consider (and possibly I’m incorrect) that in my particular area of interest, mothers want to join with different mothers. My writing fashion may be very impersonal. I would like my readers to really feel like they’re getting recommendation from a buddy. I additionally take pleasure in the whole course of, from key phrase analysis to creating graphics and writing weblog content material.
I do virtually all of my writing after my youngsters have gone to mattress. In any other case, I strive to slot in just a little bit on the weekends when my youngsters are occupied.
Her Favourite Assets
For me, podcasts are one of the best media for consuming info. I take heed to podcasts whereas I’m driving to work or driving my youngsters to gymnastics follow.
I really like listening to the Area of interest Pursuits podcast and The Running a blog Millionaire podcast. I get a lot useful info from each podcasts, however Area of interest Pursuits offers unimaginable motivation, which is priceless to me.
Her Prime Instruments
The three most helpful instruments that I take advantage of are Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and RankIQ.
Google Analytics is just one in all my favourite instruments as a result of it motivates me. If I’m having a unbelievable day with excessive web page views, it makes me wish to write extra content material with a view to have extra of these days. If I’m having a low day, it motivates me to crank out the content material, too.
Google Search Console might be my favourite device. I’ve had nice success with altering focus key phrases utterly in accordance with the data that I get from GSC.
Her Greatest Problem
My largest problem has been and at all times can be work/life stability. I at all times really feel that I’m failing in a number of areas of my life, whether or not it’s in my marriage, my youngsters, my enterprise, my educating job, or my social life.
I consider for this reason it was so exhausting for me to get again into running a blog after stopping. I merely couldn’t work out how one can make it work with every part else I had occurring in my life and had zero motivation to restart.
Her Best Accomplishment
On the identical subject, I consider my most vital accomplishment was not letting the overwhelm and lack of motivation defeat me. I made my means again to running a blog and have discovered little methods to take care of my motivation. That features watching Google Analytics each day, listening to podcasts, and studying about blogger success tales.
What She Needs She Knew When She Began
Once I first began out, I believed that I wanted a bunch of content material earlier than my web site went stay. This couldn’t be farther from the reality! I believe I spent about 8 months researching and writing content material earlier than my web site truly went stay.
As we speak, I’d suggest that struggling bloggers take a look at what works or at what’s working for others and replicate that. Time and again.
Her Predominant Mistake
My largest mistake was ready two years earlier than I discovered the motivation to place time into my enterprise once more.
Brenda’s Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs
My recommendation can be to learn and take heed to motivating tales of on a regular basis individuals who have constructed their companies from the bottom up.
Additionally, if one thing isn’t working, don’t be afraid to re-evaluate and take a look at what’s working. If I hadn’t experimented with totally different subjects for my weblog, I wouldn’t be the place I’m immediately.
