My Affiliate Income Report for June 2021

Every few months, I share my affiliate income report with my readers to help provide transparency (and hopefully some inspiration!) around earning money through authentic affiliate marketing.

If this is your first time reading my affiliate income report, welcome! I’m so happy you’re here. It’s been a few months since I published an affiliate income update, so this feels overdue. Plus, there have been many personal updates (more on that below) that I finally wanted to share with you.

woman on her cell phone with a mug of tea

Why I publish my affiliate income reports

I’ve decided that I will periodically publish my affiliate income reports so you can get a clearer real-life look at the earning potential a blog can have. Keep in mind that the opportunities to earn authentically through affiliate marketing are endless with the right strategies and hard work.

And, with the launch of my latest course – The Bloggers Guide to Strategic Affiliate Marketing – I’ve received countless questions about the income side of my business and I hope these reports help create some transparency around the work I do.

A few important notes

  • Affiliate income can vary drastically month by month depending on the season, holidays, brand sales or promotions, etc.
  • The income in this report includes the actual money deposited into my business account in June earned from affiliate partnerships (so I earned this income in May or prior).
  • The numbers reflect only affiliate income earnings and do not include earnings from sponsored projects, course sales, book sales, private clients, special projects, collaborations, etc.
  • My overhead numbers are not included in this report, but I know it is about $3,000 a month or less, and that includes my Pinterest strategist and ads, all software subscriptions, and my virtual assistant fees, and other business-related expenses.

A note on pageviews

In my last affiliate income report, someone commented asking how many page views my blog receives to achieve these income numbers and I thought it was important to share a few points.

  • You don’t need 150,000 page views/month to earn money. In fact, I believe that all your blog requires to make money is a few well-ranking (and transactional) blog posts.
  • My website had just over 15,000 total page views in May, which is significantly less than other months, but my income was 35% higher in June than last year. Remember, I report my income in the month it’s received, so technically, the transactions occurred in May (or earlier), which is why I refer to May traffic trends.

Why this month’s income report is different

Guess what? I haven’t posted on my Carley Schweet business Instagram account since April 1st. Other than a few stories linking to recent feature publications (not on my domain), I haven’t posted a static or story post in almost three months. And, to be honest, it’s been glorious.

Why am I telling you this? Well, I wanted to emphasize that you can earn affiliate income without chasing swipe-ups from your Instagram community and without breaking your back with content day in and day out. All it takes is time, dedication, and a well-optimized blog—more on how to do this below.

Also, in late March, I randomly discovered that I was very unexpectedly pregnant. This pregnancy was unplanned, and it knocked me off my feet for the first three months.

Between overwhelming morning sickness and mild prenatal depression, I felt defeated and had little to no energy to commit to my work (all while chasing a toddler around during a global pandemic in the middle of a home renovation).

I’ve never felt more grateful for a business that can generate income while I sleep (literally) and care for myself and this growing baby without the extreme added stress of trying to show up for work every day.

A look at my affiliate income numbers for June 2021

Let’s take a closer look at my June 2021 affiliate income numbers. Overall, I’m pretty happy with these numbers even though various factors were working against me (a website hack, a major affiliate program shutting down), plus some major changes in my personal life, as shared above.

Remember, these numbers do not include course sales, sponsored projects, book sales, private coaching, etc. These numbers are strictly affiliate income earned through my blog through new and old blog posts optimized for Google.

  • Affiliate network #1: $8,423
  • Affiliate network #2: $1,332
  • Affiliate network #3: $688
  • Standalone: $1,603

Total: $12,406

A note on incomplete payments

I am still missing payments from two of my affiliate partners. If their payments aren’t here by the end of the month, I’ll follow up with them and record the income in the month it is received.

Affiliate income 2020 vs. 2021

While my previous affiliate income earnings report back in March (read that here) had much higher earnings, I’m happy to see that June 2021 had about a 35% increase in affiliate earnings as compared to June 2020.

That shows me that our strategies are working and reminds me how crucial it is to track your income monthly and by category.

My June blog strategies

As I’ve shared before, I believe that a critical part of finding success with blogging lies within analyzing your traffic, re-strategizing as needed, and trying out something new when the old ways aren’t cutting it.

  • Researched accessible keywords for new affiliates
  • Focused on quality backlinks from trusted sources
  • Re-optimized old blog posts with ranking potential
  • Added infographics to informative blog posts (I use Canva for this)

If you’re curious how to go about implementing these strategies, I go super in-depth in my affiliate marketing blogging course. It’s really important to know that strategy is critical when it comes to differentiating your hobby blog from one that is truly a business.

open laptop on desk with decorative objects

Why these income numbers matter for you and your blog

If you’re looking at my income numbers and saying, “there’s no way I could ever do that with my blog!” know that it’s not too late to get started.

If you’re looking at my income numbers and saying, “why is my blog not earning that much? I pour so much into it!” know that you can earn this much or even more.

If you’re looking at my income numbers and saying, “I should probably be making that or more!” know that you’re right, you should be making more.

In my online affiliate marketing course, I walk through my step-by-step strategies to help me consistently earn affiliate income through my blog.

  • How to find the right keywords for your blog
  • Tips to form the best affiliate partnerships
  • Steps to write a blog post that converts
  • Simple SEO techniques to try, like, yesterday

The truth is, just about four years ago, I was burned out on private coaching and trying to sell copies of my first book. At some point, I ran the numbers and realized just how many clients and book sales I’d need to create an actual, sustainable income.

The results had me on edge. I didn’t have enough time in the day, and I knew there was no way I’d sell that many copies of my books without being a New York Times Bestseller (someday…).

So, my husband encouraged me to look at my business differently. I was already publishing regular content, but I wasn’t strategic about how to actually earn income from it. Eventually, I realized that I could take the content I was already creating (and people were reading!) and make some money. Money while I slept, no less.

I teach you every single one of my affiliate strategies here. Plus, you get lifetime access and any extra course updates or freebies, too. This could be the single best thing you’ve done for your blog, and it’s filled with tips and strategies that I wish someone told me when I was first getting started.

I’m willing to bet that some of you reading this make your course investment back within the first month of implementing my affiliate strategies into your blog.

ENROLL NOW

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