All Things Vintage #9
Happy weekend to ya! I hope you had a great week and you can kick back this weekend!
Our week has been good – let me catch you up on what we have been up to.
business conference
Recently, I attended a yearly blogging conference called Haven in Atlanta, Georgia. It was so amazing!! I came home inspired by so many women who are successfully running blogs, YouTube channels, and social media influencer accounts.
I am ready to kick it up a notch in my own blogging and YouTube journey!
how do bloggers earn money
If you don’t understand how bloggers, YouTubers, and Social Media Influencers earn an income, let me explain briefly.
Bloggers earn an income in several ways but here are the main ways: they write great articles and take amazing photos of projects and such that people want to know about – you know, things like furniture makeover tutorials or DIY home projects, craft projects, recipes or sewing tutorials.
People searching for those topics find the bloggers who have written the articles or posts and they visit the blog to read the information they searched for. The reader gets their information for FREE!
How does the blogger make money from that you ask? Let me tell you!
See the ads on my blog? They are the little pics/ads between my paragraphs, the banner at the bottom of my blog and they are also in the little pop-up video on my blog. The companies that run those ads pay me according to how many people read my posts.
Isn’t that crazy?? In other words, I create information that you want to know about and the ad companies foot the bill!!
You get the information you want FOR FREE and I get to write it for you!
Multiply this by the many bloggers out there writing about everything you can imagine searching for and boom, you understand the blogger industry.
Yes. I said industry!! I am constantly amazed at the women (and men) who have created a full-time income doing what they love (like how I love painting furniture, sewing, and decorating).
Some women have even retired their husbands from their full-time job! Unreal but possible!
YouTubers do the same as bloggers only with videos. Google (who owns YouTube) has ad companies that pay the YouTuber depending on how many views they get on their videos.
And I haven’t even discussed affiliate sales!
Companies are paying bloggers, YouTubers, and social media influencers to talk about and share their products with their followers. When followers purchase those items through the blogger, YouTuber, or influencer, they get a commission AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE CUSTOMERS!!!!
it’s a win-win for everyone!
It’s a win-win situation all the way around. The blogger gets to do what they love and share it with their followers. The followers can trust the blogger’s advice and purchase the products. The company gets to have its product shown to people who are genuinely interested in it. And then back to the blogger who earns an income by sharing those products!
It’s a big circle that works sooooo well for all involved: the blogger, the customer, and the companies.
Wow, I went into a lot more detail than I thought I would. But I think it’s important to understand how all this works. If nothing else, it is at least interesting to know how all this works!
cottage industry at it’s finest
So how does this relate to ‘All Things Vintage’?
Here are my thoughts on that.
Back in the day, people started a business because they saw a problem and solved it.
I am thinking of one of my favorite TV shows back in the ’70s called The Waltons. The father in the program saw that the townspeople needed lumber. He had a lot of trees on his acreage, so he started a lumber mill. That was how he supported his family.
Here is another modern-day example: our son-in-law is an amazing vehicle technician. He knows that people need to have their vehicles repaired so he started a side-business to repair their cars. Now he supplements their income with this work and he solves the problem for his customers.
These are examples of cottage industries. Work that a person does from home. That’s about as old-fashioned as you can get! Do you need more income? Figure out how to earn it!! Create your own source of income.
Blogging, YouTubing, Social Media influencing. They are all cottage industries!
After attending the conference, we have been focusing on our business model. I still have a lot of thinking and planning to do, but I am hoping to make some changes that will help to extend our reach to more people who are looking for the information we have to offer.
a glance back at our recent posts
With all that said, let me share a couple of posts we have shared over the last couple of weeks:
I taught you How to Recover a Victorian Chair. It’s seriously so pretty! You have to see it!
I taught you How to Care and Maintain Your Cutting Boards to help them last for years to come.
I shared some of the most fun Repurposed and Creatiive Home Decor projects that you will be inspired by!
posts from my blogging friends
Let’s take a look at some of the great blog posts from some of my blogging friends!
Do you love a Blue and White Christmas Theme? by Leslie at Feet Under My Table
How to Dry Hydrangeas by Anna at Skylarkhouse
Brilliant Colors of Freshly Cut Flowers by Linda at Bushel and a Pickle
How to Make a Christmas Sign by Cindy at Cloches and Lavender
Hemp Slipcover Transform Vintage Office Chair by Karen at The Slipcover Maker
Healthy One Skillet Chicken Thighs with Spinach Sauce by Stacey at Stacey Lives
How to Build an Accent Wall for Under $100 by Danielle at Faith and Farmhouse
Strawberry Tart with Brown Sugar by Paula at Virginia Sweet Pea
Outdoor Entertaining Essentials for Summer by Maria at Maria Ward Blog
some thoughts to ponder
Before I close out this post, I want to share something with you. See those ladies’ names I just mentioned?
Leslie, Anna, Linda, Cindy, Karen, Stacey, Danielle, Paula, and Maria.
They each represent a blogger I know.
They represent the female bloggers who have decided to start their own cottage industry.
They are solving problems for their readers.
They are creative individuals who want to help others.
They are independent, resourceful, hard-working, strong women who are persistent in meeting their goals.
They are bloggers, YouTubers, and social media influencers who are making a difference in their worlds.
I am proud to be a part of a group of women like that 🙂
Until next time….
**If you want to learn how to become a blogger, here is a post you will want to read!
How to Make Money from a Blog by Karianne at Thistlewood Farms
Cindy. Oh my goodness I love this post. I would love to share soon. So we’ll writtennand of course your pictures are always amazing. Great job. I’ll miss you and our Tribe calls.
Thanks Regina! I miss our calls too but I totally understand putting more focus on our blogs. I sure need to do that myself! Thanks for your kind words about my images! Blessings to you my friend!
This is such an amazing post. You are one talented lady.
Thanks so much for the shout out!
Thanks my friend! I appreciate the encouragment!
Cindy, great post explaining how blogging works. I like the Cottage Industry analogy. I used to work in the rehab field helping people with disabilities gain employment and I set up several individuals with their own businesses. I miss that part of my job… helping others in that way.
Blogging is so much more than posting pictures and I like the way you have explained it here for others to read. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Cara! The blogging world contributes so much to this world without much recognition. I thought it was time we all got a little! Thanks for stopping by!
Very good explanation of what we do as bloggers! Cheers to all of the talented women entrepreneurs who generously share their creative ideas online. Thanks for the post, Cindy!
Thanks my friend! Yes, thanks to all the women who blog and share!!
You explained this so well, I am just getting started in the blogging industry again. I am more on Instagram. I am excited to explore the ad possibilities. Thank you so much!
Yay for beginning your blogging adventure!! It is hard work that is so rewarding. Stay persistent and you will reach your blogging goals!
Thank you so much for the feature this week! Fun fact: I grew up in Nelson County where The Waltons was set.
Paula, that is so cool! That is my all-time favorite show and I attribute my love of 1940’s furniture to the show. You grew up in a beautiful area! Thanks for stopping by!
Great post my friend! I never thought about explaining it to my readers but why not. I love learning how things work so why wouldn’t our readers? Nice job!
Our readers need to know how they can support and help us. I like mentioning that they get the info they want for free and the ads foot the bill! Thanks for stopping by Do!
Such a wonderful post, Cindy. Great way of explaining to the readers. Plus, zi love seeing all of your projects.
Thanks for the encouragement Tammy! It’s so nice to know someone enjoys the projects! Happy Tuesday to ya!
Cindy-It’s great to understand the ‘background’ work of being a blogger! People that visit your site and the ones you mentioned in this post, plus other blog posts (I’ve visited several which I’m sure there are lots more out there), now have an idea of how the blog sites and the associated ads compliment each other and us the blog readers! Thanks for the great explanation! Keep blogging!❤️🤗
Yes!! I am definitely going to continue with my blogging journey! Thanks for stopping by Patti!
Hi Cindy! What a great blog post. I love how you explain the way bloggers and You Tubers make money. I will show your post to my family members :). Also enormous THANK YOU for the shout out in your blog post. That was exceedingly kind of you!
Yes, show your family members!! Family thinks we are crazy ;). I love sharing your posts – you have such lovely ones to show off!
This is such a great follow-up to Haven, Cindy! I think blogging is so much more involved than people ever even realize. It’s crazy the amount of “back end” work that no one ever sees that has to be done. It totally blows my mind. I’m excited you met so many fabulous creatives and had a wonderful time. There’s nothing like being with your people. Hope your week is a special one, CoCo
Thanks CoCo for stopping by! Support from this community is amazing and I love being a part of this world!
Love, love this post. Cottage industry, what a wonderful way to describe us! You explained what we do so well. Thanks for including me in the roll call!!
Woohoo for all the woman creating their own cottage industry! It was my pleasure to include you my friend!
It was so great to meet you at Haven! Great analogy to help explain blogging. It is more work than I ever imagined!
Yes, it is more work than I ever imagined but I do enjoy it! It was so good to meet you too Marie! I wish we would have had more time to chat at Haven. I met so many people and it was hard to keep up!
What a wonderful way to lay out what bloggers do! Well written, and if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to share it on my blog in the future. xx
Thanks Libbie! Our readers need to know what we do for them ;). Feel free to share that post anytime you like! Thanks so much!
What a great post! You explain what we bloggers do so well. I would love to jump into YouTube, but I’m just not ready. Camera shy 😉
Love the vintage school desk!
Yes! Our readers and followers need to know all that we do to serve them amazing content! As for video – I practiced being in front of the camera in my Instagram stories. They are easy to delete plus they disappear in 24 hours!! Go for it!! Your followers will love seeing you!
Cindy! Thank you so much for sharing my one skillet chicken recipe – means the world to me! <3
Of course my friend!! You make amazing recipes!