Hey there!
Bjork here checking in for Pinch of Yum’s monthly traffic and income report. If this is your first time coming across one of these reports I’ll give you quick explanation of what they’re all about.
Lindsay started Pinch of Yum almost six years ago as a hobby. After a year of posting she started to get a decent amount of traffic and engagement. We were curious to see if it was possible to take that early traffic and engagement on the blog and somehow build it into a business.
We started publishing these reports in September of 2011 as a way to document the process of building the blog into a business. You can see that first report here.
Our goal with these posts is to share the things we’re learning along the way and inspire you to move forward and start working on your idea, whether it be a blog, business, non-profit, book, or, well…anything really.
Below are the traffic and income numbers for February, and after that I’ll share some takeaways.
Income
Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. All of the products listed below are products and services we’ve used before. If you have any questions about any of the income or expenses you can leave a comment and we’ll do my best to reply.
- AdThrive – $19,779.99
- Sponsored Posts/Speaking – $12,000
- Bluehost – $8,165 –> this income comes from a page where we show people how to start a food blog in three steps.
- Gourmet Ads – $4,961.42
- Yellow Hammer Media – $4,763.97
- Tasty Food Photography – $3,424.90
- Amazon Associates – $2,924.20
- Federated Media – $2,210.65
- sovrn – $1,640.89
- Tasty Food Photography Workshops – $1,430.10
- Swoop – $1,375.73
- How to Monetize Your Food Blog eBook – $515.00
- Genesis Theme – $369.73
- Elegant Themes – $89.00
- ActiveCampaign – $18.00
- AWeber – $14.40
Expenses
- Justworks/Support Staff – $13,553.27
- Studio Related Expenses – $7,877.27
- Amazon S3 and Cloudfront – $1,405.88
- PayPal Transaction Percentage – $975.67
- Food Expenses – $880.59
- Travel – $818.84
- eBook Affiliates – $703.75
- Computer Hardware/Software – $624.22
- Media Temple (Hosting) – $429.00
- ActiveCampaign – $325.00
- Adobe Creative Cloud – $107.43
- LeadPages – $67.00
- Zapier – $50.00
- Misc. – $38.72
- PayPal Website Payments Pro – $30.00
- Shoeboxed – $29.95
- Hotjar – $29.00
- E-Junkie – $28.00
- QuickBooks – $26.95
- SumoMe – $20.00
- VaultPress – $20.00
- Backupify – $12.00
- Buffer – $10.00
If you’re interested in learning more about some of the ways that you can monetize a food blog, we encourage you to download this free ebook, “16 Ways to Monetize Your Food Blog,” from our sister site, Food Blogger Pro!
Traffic Totals
Below are some Google Analytics screenshots from the month of February 2016.
Traffic Overview
Top Ten Traffic Sources
Mobile vs. Desktop vs. Tablet
Hiring
One of the things that Lindsay and I are quickly realizing is that the biggest bottle neck in our business is us.
Simply put: We can’t do it all.
Hiring will help us move forward on some projects that we’re really excited about and continue to grow both Pinch of Yum and Food Blogger Pro.
It moves us into an interesting but important stage of business where it’s no longer about Lindsay and I working really hard and doing good work, it’s about working really hard to find others that do good work.
It’s a big mindset shift after spending 5+ years in “content mode,” but taking the time to be intentional with hiring has been a huge win, as it results in finding incredible people.
Currently we’re looking to hire a Digital Content Producer here in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. The job would be a perfect fit for someone that loves food, video production, social media, and lazy dogs.
Drop us a line if you know of anyone that would be a good fit (or if you are that person)!
My Computer Was Stolen 🙁
Lindsay and I recently returned from two weeks in the Philippines. It was awesome.
Other than the fact that my computer was stolen.
I was bummed, but then I was thankful.
Here’s why I was thankful:
- I had insurance coverage on the computer through our business insurance plan.
- I had cloud-based backups using CrashPlan.
- I had made a local backup at home before we left using Time Machine.
- The computer requires a password after five minutes of non-use, after going to sleep, or during startup.
- I had all of our passwords stored with 256-bit encryption using 1Password.
For the insurance, every time we get a new piece of gear (camera, computer, etc…) we call and give them the serial number and general info. It makes it a lot easier if something goes missing or gets damaged later on. We have a general business insurance policy that we pay around $60/month for.
Here are something things I’m changing:
- I ordered a bunch of Tiles and put them in important bags and on our keychains. I’m not sure how much this would have helped in the Philippines, as Tile locates off of other Tile users, but I like the idea of having another tool in my virtual toolbelt if this ever happens again.
- I’ve been researching Filevault for disk encryption. I haven’t started using it yet, as I need to make sure it works with backups and other programs I’m running, but it’s something I’m considering. I’m curious – have you ever used disk encryption before? Is it something you always leave on?
03.28.16 Update: After chatting with a few security experts we’ve gone ahead and turned on FileVault.
Needless-to-say it isn’t very fun to have a computer stolen, but because of backups and insurance coverage, it was pretty easy to get up and running with minimal time and money lost.
What Are The Things You Know and Love?
I’ve been thinking a lot about this idea lately in regards to the conversations I’m having with people that want to branch out and build their business/blog/non-profit:
What are the things you know and love?
We often hear from people that are frustrated or feel stuck. They’re trying really hard to build something, but it’s not working out and they’re not enjoying the process.
Here’s the thing: oftentimes the issue is that people are focused on the end result of the process. But success comes because people love the process, not the end result.
Said differently, are you walking a path because you’re hoping it will bring you somewhere, or are you walking a path because you love walking the path?
For instance, if you don’t love photography and writing then you probably shouldn’t spend a bunch of time working on a food blog, because it means you’ll be doing lots of photography and writing. Even though the idea of running your own blog sounds nice (the end result), if you don’t like the process that’s required to put it together (writing, photographing, recipe development, etc…) then you shouldn’t be walking that path.
But maybe you love food and you also love talking with your friends about food. You could talk about food for hours and never get bored. Sounds like you’d enjoy a podcast!
Or maybe you have a dynamic personality and love being in front of the camera. YouTube is a much better fit than blogging for you. Go for it!
Don’t look for the end result. Look for the things that you love and then (this is important) work really hard and keep at it.
Note: Truly not enjoying something is different than feeling resistance when working on it.
Action Items
Here are three action items that you can apply to your blog this month.
- Are you the bottleneck with your project? Is there someone you can bring on that could help with that? It could be a friend, family member, or someone you hire.
- Setup cloud-based and local computer backups. We use CrashPlan for cloud-based backups and Apple’s built-in Time Machine for local backups.
- Are you working on things you know and love? If not, take some time to jot down ideas around what you truly enjoy doing and take intentional steps towards doing more of that.
Because Of You
Every month we donate a portion of this blog income to the Children’s Shelter of Cebu, an orphanage in Cebu City, Philippines.
Lindsay and I fully realize that it’s because you – the readers, commenters, silent observers, and share-with-your-friend-ers – that Pinch of Yum is what it is today.
This donation is our way to say thanks to you (yes you!).
This month we’re donating to help pay for medical costs for a little boy named Danilo (not the one pictured above). Danilo was born with a cleft palate, for which he has undergone two surgeries to correct. He is on growth hormone treatments to help eliminate some of his growth deficiencies. These cost $500/month and they expect he will need these for a few years.
Hey Bjork,
Great report !! I love the numbers which you have shown into your report. I have requested you in your January month report that please help me to make this type of blog and how can i earn money with the blog, like you. I am situated in India and really interesting to make a food blog here with my wife.
It will be great help if you can give me your sometime and send me an email with step by step guidance.
Thanks 🙂
Hi Bjork!
You guys are a huge inspiration to me, both in my cooking and blogging. Thanks for reminding me to love the process! It’s a great reminder of why I’m doing this all in the first place.
Thanks!
Kate
Thanks Bjork! Great report. Sorry to hear about your computer! I especially liked your takeaway section “WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU KNOW AND LOVE?”. A couple things in there I needed to hear on my blogging journey 🙂
You, guys, are doing such a great job! I’ve been studying your videos on Food Blogger Pro recently and I can see how engaged and passionate you are! Amazing! Hopefully, I won’t lose this portion of motivation you give to me and your other followers!
Thanks Bjork!
I am loving your income reports and all of the helpful information you guys provide here and at Food Blogger’s Pro.
I totally relate to the “what are the things you know and love” part right now. I just started my food blog a month ago and I am really enjoying all aspects of it – writing, recipe develop, photography (still need to work on this one to get better!) and website design.
After actually blogging for a month, I realized that even though I love food in general, my passion is for baking. So, I made the tough choice to rebrand my website to focus on the baking niche. I just relaunched my blog today. It has been a lot of hard work but so far it has been worth it.
I greatly appreciate all the help and inspiration I have found through Pinch of Yum and Food Blogger Pro. Keep up the good work!
Hi Bjork, My site is on a Shopify platform, because I originally thought I was going to use it as an online store. However, over time I realize that my visitors are more responsive to my writing and videos. Do I need to change my platform if I want to focus on blogging and ad revenue? Thank you!
I so appreciate this candid view into how you run your business. It is refreshing and helpful.
Hey Bjork!
So, I’m curious…How was your laptop stolen???
I just learned about tiles. Smart move!
First, I’m sorry about your laptop.
Second I am glad that you’ve included a lot of great information here. GREAT REPORT!!!
I was in a bottleneck with my blog in regards to outfit photos, and finally outsourced that to a local photographer earlier this year – huge weight off my shoulders!
Hi, Bjork:
As always, an inspiring report filled with thought-provoking insight. Watching how you and Lindsay have grown Pinch of Yum and Food Blogger Pro over these years has been awe-inspiring. Your fans are cheering you every step of the way! Sorry about your laptop. Sounds like you’ve made it impossible for the thief to damage you further!
Great report ! As a beginner in blogging I can only admire (and envy jus a little bit ) . Love how open and how honest are you guys !! Sorry for Lindsay pc
Loved reading this article! Thank you for sharing this info and inspiring me to keep moving forward.I hope to be here one day with my blogging efforts and passion! How long has your blog been running?
Thanks for sharing. Sucks getting things stolen but it’s good to be prepared.
Here’s another option for the “tile” style tracking: https://www.amazon.com/ANKR-Smart-Tracker-Floppy-Black/dp/B00ZYMN6NW
This one works directly with your phone. Worth checking out.
Thanks for the inspiration! Very helpful information.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and I appreciate folks like you who take the time out to remind us of that, and how far you’ve come.
Great reminders about appreciating the process, preparing for the worst, and hoping for the best.
Your comment about focusing on the path and not the end result was spot on. This gave me a bit of a wake up call that I needed. Sometimes I’m so focused on the end result that I lose focus on my path along the way. Thank you for this nugget of wisdom, and keep up the great work! 🙂
I read your Income report , really like a dream comes true. Thanks to sharing your income report
I carefully read your income report . Thanks to share because your report inspire to work honestly
This is so much more than a food blog! You’ve built something special here. I’m a new reader and already an avid one.
Thanks for being inspiring!
Hi Bjork!
I have been following you and Lindsey for over 2 years now and absolutely love your income reports. I have a quick question: What services are necessary to ensure I have the correct backup if my blog crashes? I have a ~200+ posts blog and wanted to know if I need VaultPress as well as Amazon S3? I am currently using Amazon S3 and just got Crashplan! *Your post really scared me! lol* Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much for your time,
London
Oops… *Lindsay!! I should know that after following your blog for soooo long 🙂
Real great report – that is extremely impressive income! Any way we can get a total profit that would show income – expenses? I am a bit lazy, but I can tell you are wildly successful with this blog.
hi Bjork!
wow, I am a first time reader of this blog and really inspired by your post (specifically, not the income but the way you help my kababayan from Philippines).
I feel sad about your stolen computer and I hope that this event wont change your perspective about us, because not all Filipinos are thief and because of poverty and uneducated mindset, some Pinoys do things aggresively.
Wow! Proud FIlipino here 🙂 I’m so inspired of what you are doing on your blog’s income 🙂
COntinue to be a blessing to other people!
God Bless,
Mac
Hey Bjork!
I asked this either last month or the month before, but don’t think I ever saw a response — I’m curious as to how you calculate or separate food expenses. I know this is a place I could really use help with tax-wise. With my blog and freelance recipe development I spend a lot of food and KNOW I could be writing it off somehow, I’m just not sure the best way to do it. Should I just buy the groceries separate from my household groceries?? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
I love, love, love reading this earnings post! As a new food blogger (but not a newbie to the blogging world), I find it very inspirational to read these income posts each month.