Side Hustle Teachers

When it comes to your blog audience, there’s no denying that size matters. While your blog traffic is not the most important thing when it comes to profitability, you’ve got to have someone to sell to. And if you’ve ever felt that your blog isn’t growing fast enough, you’re not alone. Before we start, remember that you don’t need a huge audience to make a profit from your blog. When you have a well-defined, focused niche, your audience might not be as large as others, but they will convert better. That said, here’s how to maximize your audience. Retaining Current Readers A lot of advice about increasing blog traffic focuses on getting new readers to your blog. And, yes, that’s important. But it’s far easier to get someone who’s already engaged with and loved your blog to come back and read more than it is to convince someone new to give you a try. So, let’s start with some tips and tricks that will increase your traffic by getting one-time readers to become loyal fans. 1. Stay true to your niche There’s a rea

When I started blogging, and told people about it, I heard a lot of, “Yeah, but how do you actually make money with a blog?” At the time, I will admit, I had no idea. But I knew it was possible, so I kept going. Even a couple years later when I was featured in a CNBC article on people making 5 figures through their side hustles, my dad called me up, completely befuddled. “You make $10,000 from that blog of yours?” he asked. When I told him it was actually more than that, I’m pretty sure I heard him fall off his chair. Over the years I’ve heard the same thing over and over. Most people know that bloggers make money, but very few know how. In truth, bloggers can make money in a number of different ways. That’s one of the things that make it such an amazing side hustle. There’s something for everyone. And you can mix and match, which is where the magic really happens.  They say the average millionaire has a minimum of 7 streams of income. That means their money is coming from at least 7 different sources, so the

As of this writing, there are over 600 million blogs on the internet. That’s a lot. However, not all are active and not all are profitable.  Why? There are a number of reasons blogs don’t make money, but the most common are these 3: It’s a hobby blog. The blogger started it just for fun and never intended to monetize it. Fair enough. Blogfade. In this case the blogger fully intended to monetize their blog but was expecting it to be quick and easy. When it wasn’t, they gave up. Bad practices. There’s plenty of bad blogging advice on the internet that people are still following. Without a trusted guide, making money is going to be harder. That said there are lots of people making money from their blog, every.. single. day.  What do they have that the others don’t?  Here’s the good news.  Nothing. There’s no special skill or talent that was bestowed upon successful bloggers at birth. Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather didn’t bless them with a magical gift, like Sleeping Beauty. Bloggers who build profitable blogs

The internet is full of blogging advice, and a lot of it is really useful. Unfortunately a lot of it used to be useful, but became outdated 20 years ago, and some of it is just plain wrong. So how does a budding blogger discern the difference? Well, it’s not easy - because it all looks legit - but I’m going to break down some pieces of advice you may stumble upon that you can just ignore. Bad Blogging Advice #1: Post Every Day I admit, I fully did this, and I very nearly quit blogging early on because I was burnt out after a very short period of time.  Writing a blog post every day, or even 3 times a week, is not sustainable.  It’s also bad practice.  Why? First of all, how much time, effort, energy, research, etc. can you put into a post if you’re writing one every day? I can answer that. Little to none. And these days, search engines are putting a premium on quality content, so you’re digging yourself into a hole with this practice. Additionally, if you’re spending all your time creating content, you don’t

One objection I hear over and over again when I talk to people about blogging is that what they do is different, so they don’t need to blog. This is a very common misconception. The fact is that I have a hard time coming up with any business that can’t benefit from a blog - the most affordable type of marketing on the planet!  Here’s why: A home of your own. The first thing every blogger needs is a website, and these days, that’s expected of just about any business. Using your space to highlight your work just makes sense. Know-Like-Trust. Every business is different, and every business owner is different. Blogging allows people to see not just what you do, but who you are. That goes a long way to establishing loyal customers. Discoverability. Search engines like Google and Bing use the content on your website to determine when to serve you up in search results and to whom. When you blog, you raise your chances of appearing in searches - which means more people find you!  I even recommend that my students and

A blog is a really great entry point into the world of online business. It’s got a low barrier to get started, and literally anyone with internet access can do it. But you’re not just anyone. You’re a teacher. And if you’re going to do something, damn it, you’re going to do it right. And this is exactly what keeps so many teachers from starting their blog. There’s an expression of unknown origin that Gretchen Rubin popularized in her book, The Happiness Project, that is quite apt for this situation; The perfect is the enemy of the good.  No doubt you’ve read about blogging (hello!), watched YouTube videos, or listened to podcasts, and you’ve discovered that there’s more to a blog than slapping up a website and shoving out content. In fact, learning about blogging can take you down quite a rabbit hole… It can lead to procrastilearning or educrastination and prevent you from ever getting started. I wrote about that a while back, and you can read Why Teacherprenuers Should Stop Learning and Start Doing here. But

As a teacher, you may be sick of hearing about data. But as a blogger and business owner, you can’t ignore the numbers. If you want to know if your efforts are paying off, you need to track your numbers.  If you want to know what people are responding to, you need to track your numbers. If you want help determining where to reinforce your efforts, you need to track your numbers. You know this. The good news is that, thanks to Google Analytics, gathering data for your blog is much easier than it is in your classroom. You can literally just log in and find out what you need to know! If you’ve not set up your Google Analytics account, you can find the instructions on how to do so here. Once you set up your account, Google will track your site’s activity and you can check on it at any time. It’s a beautiful thing! The not so good news is that Google Analytics gives you a ton of data, and it can be overwhelming.  So let’s dig into the numbers you really need to know to track your progress. What Are Key Performance

You work hard on writing helpful, easy to read posts that your audience will love. So it’s frustrating when it feels like no one is paying any attention. I get it. If you want to get more eyes on your content, there are a few things you can do to accelerate your growth. Here 17 dos and don’ts to maximize your blog traffic, even if you’re brand new. 1. Do stay true to your niche It can be tempting to cast a wide net with your content, and write about everything connected to a particular topic. However, when your posts are too broad it’s difficult to grow your audience because people don’t know what to expect from post to post. Maybe last week you wrote about a DIY birdhouse and this week you gave a gluten-free pizza recipe. They’re technically both “home” related, but different people are going to be interested in each, with perhaps a little overlap.  You might think that getting different people to your site is a positive, but if someone comes to your site for a specific post, but it’s the only one of its kin

Every few months or so something happens and just seems to take over every media outlet and social feed. Betty White’s unfortunate passing springs to mind. Inevitably, smaller publishers like bloggers start to jump in on it, too. If you’ve ever thought about trying to relate your content to a trending topic or event, but thought that your niche just doesn’t work that way, think again. What’s the point? The benefit to tying your content to what’s already being talked about is that you get to ride the wave of public interest. People are interested in this topic and it may introduce new people to your blog You also can use related hashtags and find that people are more apt to share your posts with others. Stories tied to popular events tend to be shared more because people see others in their networks sharing and follow suit. My niche just doesn’t connect… Running and the Queen of England. Those are 2 topics you’d probably imagine couldn’t possibly be connected, right? But really, those 2 completely unrelated to

When trying to monetize a blog, affiliate marketing is one of the fastest ways to start making money from your site. Affiliate marketing is selling other people’s products or services in exchange for a commission on the sale. For more on the basics of affiliate marketing, check out this post. As you get started with using your blog to make recommendations to others, there are a couple of terms you need to know. Affiliate Program vs Affiliate Network There are typically 2 types of options for affiliate marketers. Affiliate programs and affiliate networks.  An affiliate program is when a company manages its own affiliate recruitment, tracking, and payouts. Some large companies, like Amazon, do this. However, this type of affiliate marketing is more commonly used by small businesses and solopreneurs, like Side Hustle Teachers. On the other hand, an affiliate network is a company that manages the affiliate programs for multiple organizations. The networks act as an intermediary and filter for their merchants, as

As a new blogger, you likely have a lot of questions, many of which revolve around getting more eyes on your blog. One of the questions I hear a lot is; What’s the best day to publish a new post? What they’re really asking is; Is there a day of the week that’s better, so if I post on that day, my page views will skyrocket? Sadly, the answer to that is no. The day you publish is not likely to have a massive impact on the success or failure of your post, but there are some things you should consider before you choose a day. So, let’s talk about that. Consistency is Key The difference between people who have hugely successful blogs and those who don’t isn’t a mystery. Successful bloggers show up. Every week. No excuses. That’s it. Consistency helps your blog in many ways, including how search engines read, rank, and recommend your blog. When you post sporadically, it’s hard to build up a library of posts, which in turn makes it difficult for Google and other search engines to know what your site is about, and ge

A conversation came up recently in the Side Hustle Teachers Facebook group that I knew had to be shared here. What’s up with blog comments? Are they necessary to the growth or of your blog, or just an extra thing to do that doesn’t really give you anything back? Opinions run the gamut on this issue, and you’ll find all sorts of posts about why you should or should not allow comments on your blog.  Some say that comments are good for search engine optimization (SEO). Yes, leaving comments on other blogs can be good for your SEO, because it serves as a linkback to your site. However, there’s no data that suggests permitting users to comment on your blog improves your SEO ranking. Another thought is that comments can improve traffic to your blog, but again, the data doesn’t bear that out. When Michael Hyatt cut off comments on his blog, his traffic grew 74%, soooooo… (It should be noted, though, that he also decided to turn comments back on after a year.) Really, what it comes down to is your personal decision a

After you’ve defined your niche, named your blog, and obtained hosting for your new website, you have to choose a theme. Contrary to what you might think, a theme is not the topic of your blog - that falls under the umbrella of your niche. In this case a theme is the frontend design of your site, what it looks like to your audience. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when choosing a theme because there are literally thousands to choose from, at all prices, from free to several thousand dollars. And like just about anything out there, there are some that are crap, and some that are fantastic. If you’re going to make money from your blog - and isn’t that the goal? - I suggest you invest in a premium theme. They are relatively cheap and can make your life as a blogger much, much easier.  At the end of this post you’ll find suggestions for premium themes I recommend for new bloggers. However, all the ideas I share today are equally applicable to free themes. You just have to do the research to find out which ones might

It’s easy to dismiss the choice of hosting companies for your blog as an unimportant decision. On the surface, all hosting companies seem alike. Isn’t one just as good as another? In a word, no. Your blog host is one of those behind-the-scenes tools that you don’t want to have to think about - but if you don’t choose the right one, it will be a constant thorn in your side. What is a WordPress host? WordPress is an open source website system that is used by more than 40% of all sites on the internet today. And it’s popular because it’s awesome.  Open source means that WordPress itself is free to use, and you can change, edit, and customize it all you want for no charge! However, in order to get your WordPress site online for everyone to see, you need to purchase hosting through a private provider.  There are tons to choose from, but they aren’t all created equal. If you think of your website as a house you’re building, the host you choose is the land you’re building it on. And what’s the number one rule of rea

There’s an old saying, “Good fences make good neighbors.” And while I absolutely adore my neighbors, I also absolutely believe this is true. Separation between our homes means that what they do to their house doesn’t impact me, and I don’t have to care about it. When it comes to the various obligations we have - teacher, family member, and blogger - good fences are just as important.  The problem is that time is harder to delineate. You can plan to quit working at 6pm, then you decide to just do that one thing, and suddenly it’s 7pm and your kids are starving, dirty, and permanently glued to their iPad. But that’s not the biggest problem. In fact, overwhelm is just a symptom of the real issue; mindset. The problem isn’t that there’s always something more we can do - there is, but that’s not the problem. The problem is that we want to do all the things. And we want to do them well, if not perfectly.  Whether it’s part of our inherent personalities as teachers, or that we’ve been conditioned to do more, more, m

Last week I shared some of the financial aspects of teaching that are contributing to a lack of an abundance mindset among teachers. The money teachers expect and earn for teaching definitely wreaks havoc on our money beliefs, and therefore, our bank accounts.  But there’s more to our money mindset than money. Other expectations placed on teachers seep into our subconscious and create doubt about our ability to earn, and even whether or not we deserve to make more money. Here are some non-monetary impacts teaching has on your financial success. Free Labor Without the free labor teachers provide, the American school system would shut down.  Whether we’re talking about extra hours before or after school helping students who are struggling, extra hours planning lessons and activities, hours in front of the tv cutting out shapes for a bulletin board, or courses we take on our own time (and with our own money) to improve our classroom skills, working for free comes with the job. It’s expected. It’s presented as no

When it comes to making money, teachers often struggle.  We’ve all seen the stories of teachers who can’t pay their bills, have to choose between putting gas in their car or paying for heat…  And while those stories are necessary to keep the realities teachers face in the public eye, they can actually play a part in keeping teachers broke. One element of anyone’s ability to make money is their belief that making money is possible. And no, I’m not suggesting that if you just think hard enough or believe enough that your salaries will suddenly reflect your value. But a salary isn’t the only way to make money. Even still, many teachers struggle to make financial ends meet, and it’s not just our paychecks that are holding us back. It’s also our mindset. If you’ve been with me for a while, you know I’m not really a woo-woo person, but I do believe that our brains are incredibly powerful. If you believe you can do something, you will find a way. If you don’t believe it, you will find an excuse. In this 2-part post,

Teaching and education are popular topics for teacher blogs.  It makes sense.  You’re a teacher. You write about what you know. Sounds perfect, right? Well, here’s an unpopular opinion. Your teacher blog shouldn’t be about teaching… or education… or anything school related. Wait. What? Yep, you read that right. I don’t think teachers should start blogs about teaching. That may sound counterintuitive, or even just plain wrong, but there are some very solid, practical reasons not to set up your blog around the topic of teaching and learning. Your Teacher Niche May Change, But Your Blog Niche Shouldn’t When you start a blog, finding a niche is important. You need to narrow the focus of what you write about so your audience finds you when they search, and you become highly referable. “Oh you want help learning how to refinish colonial furniture? You’ve got to check out Jessica’s blog!” If you want to know more about niching, check out this blogcast. So let’s say your niche is 2nd grade classroom management, or ev

No matter what you teach - from kindergarten to AP Chemistry - time is something we teachers all seem to have too little of.  We’re all living minute to minute, just dealing with what’s in front of us.  So how do you find time for your side hustle when you’re already stretched thin? Well… You don’t. Time isn’t just going to magically appear in your crazy schedule. You have to make the time.  If that sounds impossible, stay with me. When I first started blogging in 2012, I was a 24/7 teacher. I ate, slept, and breathed teaching. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about my students, I spent my evenings planning, and tweaking, and making worksheets… and I was exhausted. How in the world was I going to add the responsibilities that come along with blogging on top of what I was already doing? Sound familiar? Here’s the good news. I didn’t. What I did was this:  Decided that my blog was a priority Set a realistic schedule for when I was going to work on it Planned my time  Focused on one thing at a time

Back in 2012 I was desperate to get out of teaching and I joined a network marketing company. It did not go well. As a last ditch attempt to save my failing business, I started a blog.  Well, my blog didn’t save my direct sales business - that’s a story for another day - but it saved me. My blog allowed me to see that I could make money without feeling icky, that I could be successful at something other than teaching, and it was fun! Side note: I have nothing against network marketing. Done right, it can be a fantastic way to make money. I chose the wrong company, followed outdated advice… I basically did everything wrong. That’s on me. If you’re in direct sales and want to know how to succeed in a sustainable way, I recommend you check out Brenda Ster of Elite Suite. She not only knows her stuff, she’s working with multi-level marketing companies directly to help establish better training and boost the perception of the industry. But I digress. At first my blog posts were just for me. They were a way to shar