Making Money from A Blog
ADVERTISEMENTSMaking money from a blog is an interesting topic for me and among my favorite money making bloggers, I find John Chow as one of the most interesting money makers in the blogosphere, particularly because he posts his revenue details that he makes from his blog – John Chow Dot Com.
John has been posting his revenue details ever since he first monetized his blog back in September 2006 and every month I find him beating his own record. Starting with just Google AdSense, John Chow dot Com made $352.94 in its first month as a monetized blog.
John kept adding more revenue sources and on October his revenue jumped to $1,361.64! Even after that John’s earnings continued to grow – $2,139.93 in November, $2,790.05 in December, and $3,440.66 in January.
And even though February is the shortest month of the year, it did not stop John Chow’s revenue from increasing. Guess what, he earned $7,011.05 on February !
John continues to impress me with his earnings, some may say he is boasting, but I disagree. By reading John’s making money from a blog series, it helped me find more revenue sources for my blog.
Following John Chow, I found two bloggers disclosing their revenue details on their blog – Everton and Thilak.
I have listed out these three blogger’s February revenue details in the order of their earnings
- AdSense – $2,775.5 (Everton), $977.60 (John Chow), $493.32 (Thilak)
- Text Link Ads – $1,162.50 (John Chow), $319.37 (Everton), $109.9 (Thilak)
- FeedBurner Ads – $373.62 (Thilak), $240.77 (Everton), $99.80 (John Chow)
- Direct Ad Sales – $400.00 (John Chow), $150.00 (Everton), $75 (Thilak)
- ReviewMe – $2,250.00 (John Chow), $200 (Thilak), $125.00 (Everton)
- IntelliTXT – 728.24$ (Thilak), $516.98 (John Chow), $75.82 (Everton)
- Blogads – $200 (Thilak), $100.42 (Everton)
- Vizu Answers – $118.96 (Everton), $48.10 (Thilak)
- Affiliate Sales – $1,005.00 (John Chow)
- AdVolcano – $375.00 (John Chow)
- TTZ Media – $224.17 (John Chow)
- Adbrite – $1.83 (Everton)
- TribalFusion – $420.68 (Thilak)
- Chitika – $77.46 (Thilak)
- Grand Total – $7011.05 (John Chow), $3,907.67 (Everton), $2524.74 (Thilak)
Blog Traffic and Page Views
- Everton: 220K visits and 452K page views
- John Chow: 127,614 visits and 266,641 page views
- Thilak: 232,120 page views
As you can see, Everton has done very well in Adsense when compared to John Chow and Thilak, but when you compare the overall earnings, John Chow earns a lot more.
John has been successful with Text Link Ads, Direct Sales and Affiliate sales and had got a lot of ReviewMe orders last month which helped him to beat his old record of $3,440.66.
Thilak somehow manages to earn more in Feedburner Ads even though John Chow and Everton has more traffic and RSS readers than him. He has also done well with Intellitxt. Good going !
The reason Everton earned so low with IntelliTXT is that he has been trying it for only 1 week. Perhaps by next month IntelliTXT will be his biggest money maker.
Congrats all of you, and I hope you continue disclosing your monthly earnings. It helps us find more revenue sources worth trying out. Now if only Darren Rowse could disclose his earnings like this 
These are the revenue sources I currently depend on – AdSense, Tribal Fusion, Text Link Ads, Blog Ads, Chitika eMiniMalls, ReviewMe, Feedburner Ads and Vizu Answers. What I wish to try out next is IntelliTXT. A few days back, I even tried out AGLOCO.
I hope this post makes bloggers realize that they should not depend on just Google AdSense. May be in the beginning stage of a blog AdSense will do enough, but as your blog grows you should keep adding more revenue sources if you really want to earn from your blog. But also keep in mind that overloading your blog with Ads can make you lose readers.
Update: Also read my guide for new bloggers to make money online.
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Posted on March 3rd, 2007 | Category: Make Money Online | 52 Comments »
wildbluff_matt
March 3, 2007 at 6:14 pm
It’s very motivating to see what these guys can make. Looks like we need to try more than just Google Adsense for sure. Thanks for the information and keeping the fire under our toes.
Ashwin
March 3, 2007 at 6:21 pm
That’s ok. I think Problogger also disclosed that he earns a “5 figures” monthly from his blogs.
But where is your stats and how much do you earn?
Ashish Mohta
March 3, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Its really great to know that they are earning so well.Specially Using the multi-programs not just adsense, which is a good idea.
However on the other side We all would have appreciated more if they could have given a small set of tips when they showed their income.That will not only help other bloggers to understand but also decide on various factors of their experience.
Maki
March 3, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Perhaps John Chow’s success has to do with the general theme of his blog, which is sort of a personal blog. Everton’s blog gives off a very strong Tech vibe and perhaps this accounts for the lack of the ReviewMe interviews and TLA sales.
As Everton mentioned in his post, this of course has something to do with online personality and networking, which I think John Chow does pretty well.
I definitely think affiliate sales has huge potential and when you combine it with a strong blog community (as seen in John Chow’s blog) you’re primed for profit.
Thanks for the post John, will you be revealing your earnings too anytime soon?
Basu
March 3, 2007 at 7:52 pm
I was wondering, is there a significant difference in earnings depending on which currency your paid in? For example, if AdSense is your main providers, would it be better to get payment in dollars rather than your country’s currency?
Mr.Byte
March 3, 2007 at 8:19 pm
The easiest and non-obtrusive of all in TLA and Review Me. I guess Everton did well in adsense cos of more pageviews. I have one more doubt, mostly whoever you John has mentioned are not in US. So, how does the tax thing work out? Did they ask to sign any tax exemption paper?
Everton
March 3, 2007 at 9:22 pm
I give tips nearly every other day and everytime I discovers something new I post it!
I kinda disagree that my tech vibe stops me getting reviews. I’d expect it to get me more as I always talk about new services. I wouldn’t want to buy a review from a personal blog as it’s readers don’t want to hear about ‘boring’ tech stuff
Thilak
March 3, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Nice comparison! It really gives us a spirit of improvements. Actually, I made 275 from reviews (one was a direct sale)
Thanks for the highlight John
Ashish Mohta
March 3, 2007 at 9:49 pm
: thx man, I will keep closer look
chatca
March 3, 2007 at 9:55 pm
fantastic….
sound very nice and the question is…
can my blog get that one?
give me some advice pls…
Ryan
March 3, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Thanks for bringing this all together. It’s nice to see how a few different blogger’s traffic / revenue stacks up together in one graph like that.
As for IntelliTXT, you might consider Kontera–I even made that subject my post for today.
Why Are You Not Using Kontera?
I didn’t disclose any earnings for this month myself because it’s not anything worth talking about yet.
Maki
March 3, 2007 at 11:46 pm
@ Everton
I think a personal blog has more potential for getting reviews because you can basically write about anything, which is what John Chow does. I can’t really see some of the several of the recent Real Estate and Stock Trading reviews that John did on this blog ending up on Connected Internet.
I also don’t think readers from personal blogs don’t want to hear boring ‘tech’ stuff. A popular personal blog has a large core of readers, each with varied interests.
Anyway, a great personality or writing/reviewing style will make any tech subject relevant and accessible. A lot of the most effective reviews relies on good copy and John Chow does write good reviews, often with deep links and constructive criticism.
Everton
March 4, 2007 at 1:07 am
Fair point!
It’s a shame that ReviewMe doesn’t have a better way for potential buyers to see old reviews as I worked really hard on the one review I did. I just looked at my account and they hadn’t updated my traffic stats but I did it manually. I’ve also tweaked my profile and dropped my price to $200 so hopefully I might get a few reviews now
Robert Irizarry
March 4, 2007 at 2:02 am
This is a fantastic and inspiring article, John! Pulling all that data into one spot is incredibly helpful and has gotten me thinking as well. BTW – I was under the impression that discussing Adsense revenue numbers was a no-no…
Everton
March 4, 2007 at 2:05 am
You agree not to disclose Google Confidential Information without Google’s prior written consent. “Google Confidential Information” includes without limitation: (a) all Google software, technology, programming, specifications, materials, guidelines and documentation relating to the Program; (b) click-through rates or other statistics relating to Site performance in the Program provided to You by Google; and (c) any other information designated in writing by Google as “Confidential” or an equivalent designation. However, You may accurately disclose the amount of Google’s gross payments to You pursuant to the Program.
Daniel
March 4, 2007 at 4:28 am
Nice roundup John. The comparison definitely create new ideas and insights, I will also experiment with some new revenue sources in the near future.
Razeen
March 4, 2007 at 8:39 am
Nice articles John, you can compare those blogger revenue very well.
It can motivate other blogger, thanks.
Ashish Mohta
March 4, 2007 at 11:17 am
One more thing.Next time if they showup their earnings they can give tips on how it was different this month and what made them to choose the strategy.That will be a good one
Sodhi
March 4, 2007 at 11:34 am
Very nice post.
You rock.
Sodhi
March 4, 2007 at 11:46 am
What about your earnings over the last year ?
Madhur Kapoor
March 4, 2007 at 6:00 pm
I have never looked beyond adsense for money making but by looking at this post , i am definately going to give them a try .
Marc
March 4, 2007 at 9:18 pm
That’s a very interesting case… I wish my check was that big! Thanks for the story.
Robert Irizarry
March 4, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Everton – Thanks for the clarification regarding Adsense earnings disclosure!
Ashish Mohta
March 4, 2007 at 10:13 pm
: Kontera is good.Everybody should try it.Its easy to implement too
Ashish Mohta
March 4, 2007 at 10:15 pm
:Lol looks like the graph worked well for you.This is the second post I like on your blog now ( in the recent ones lol don’t worry about the previous ones)
Mr.Byte
March 4, 2007 at 10:16 pm
Mohta, Kontera? I am hearing it for the first time… let me check out…
Ashish Mohta
March 4, 2007 at 10:18 pm
@ Mr Byte: check out the ryans comment and his post he did well there
Garry
March 5, 2007 at 9:29 am
, yes there is a lot more out there other than Google Adsense. I would consider looking into all the options above and experiment around and find what works best for you and your site.
Aniela
March 5, 2007 at 9:48 am
Very good article. There’s nothing better than a comparison, with real data !
Dave
March 5, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Very interesting read. It certainly gives us all something to shoot for.
Ashish Mohta
March 5, 2007 at 7:06 pm
: Pictures speak thousand words.John did a very nice comparison.
Ashish Mohta
March 5, 2007 at 7:07 pm
: Kontera is one you should try its a define nice one.Fits for every blog and If u have a good page load from search engine hits u r lucky
Mr.Byte
March 5, 2007 at 7:35 pm
I don’t somehow like kontera, its something like fooling the reader to click thinking that its a link which is part of the post but it directs to somewhere. Well if somebody wants money then there is nothing harm in trying this… I believe blogging is not just about money making
Ashish Mohta
March 5, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Byte: I agree with you on that but then it shows a pop up so if user feel only then it will take them to some other place.Moreover i don’t believe giving every thing google.I would dedicate a part to it like above and below posts which gives u more money than sidebar and link unit.
Not all the time adsense unit generate right link may be this can help them out.Moreover this can be useful for ppl coming from search engines who don’t get the right info on adsense ad all the time
Ryan
March 5, 2007 at 8:24 pm
WOW John you’ve been hit by the top commentator whores — 42 comments in less than 5 days … lol
The Reviewer
March 5, 2007 at 10:20 pm
You have to have the traffic though. 450,000 page views? Are you kidding? I would be lucky to have 100,000 page views, let alone 450k. I had for my second month, 18,400 page views. I am almost there!
Mr.Byte
March 5, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Mohta, Thats a valid point maybe there should be a plugin to activate kontera when your page is referred by any search engine or something like that. CPC will work in this case than CPM. What do you think?
Mr.Byte
March 5, 2007 at 11:11 pm
, Did you mean that you got 18K page views in the month of Feb or in the second month since your site’s inception?
The Reviewer
March 6, 2007 at 3:49 am
Both
The Reviewer
March 6, 2007 at 3:53 am
That is not clear at all. Feb is my second month of my site’s inception. I had 18K page views for Feb.
Ashish Mohta
March 6, 2007 at 7:49 am
There is one way.If you are using wordpress.I remember about landing site plugin which has something called as “is_referer” which you can just put before the script execute.MOreover you can put “Is_single” so it doesnt shoot on your home page” I will test them when i come back from office and let you know
knupNET
March 6, 2007 at 10:45 am
Thanks for the article John. It’s great to read about other success stories. You put everything together nicely!
Matt
March 7, 2007 at 9:23 am
I would like to point out the both my Firefox browser and my Internet Explorer 7.0 do not show AdSense. That’s because I’m using an ad blocker that searches for ad or ads. Unfortunately, Google uses ads in its Javascript name.
I cannot even see the ads from my own website (www.1913intel.com).
So it’s a good idea to use multiple sources of advertising.
Paul J.
March 7, 2007 at 12:40 pm
John,
I think your blog theme is great but like I’ve mentioned before, you need to change the backgroud color. This color you are using doesn’t contrast well with your overall theme.Off topic I know!
Edward
March 7, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Looks like we need to try more alternatives instead of relying on AdSense
Robert Irizarry
March 7, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Edward – I’ve looked at a couple of pay per click outfits including Yahoo’s solution. What I like about Yahoo – you can “suggest” certain categories of ads to show in addition to its own contextual decisions. I wish Adsense would permit that. Also, ads always appear so no layout issues like Adsense when it decides it doesn’t have anything to display. What I didn’t like about Yahoo – Not enough ads. In my case, I’m blogging about a niche subject guitar building and ergonomics at that. The ads were too off topic , even with the categories I suggested. Click thru rate was horrendous. I’ve switched back to Adsense.
I’m also looking at several other opportunities for advertising but more on this as they develop.
George C.
March 10, 2007 at 3:51 am
Good post! Thanks for sharing! I like to read this success stories, they’re very inspiring.
antrs
March 12, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Intensively, this caused the motivation to me to get what was reached by my predecessor in the internet field to get money