Jenna Campbell took a while away from her day job to be a stay-at-home-mom, however when her children began faculty, she needed to begin working once more.
A self-described introvert with little-to-know information about expertise, shedove headfirst into the world of running a blog. She created Lantern Lane Designs to share her dwelling decor and DIY tasks.
As we speak her weblog is producing six figures a yr, primarily from advertisements, and a few viral posts actually pushed her in the suitable course. The majority of her site visitors comes from socials, and as Jenna says, the sky’s actually the restrict.
Preserve studying to search out out:
- How and why she began her weblog
- The place her earnings comes from
- When she began to actually earn cash
- How a lot site visitors she’s getting
- How a lot she works on her web site
- Her primary advertising and marketing technique
- Her ideas on search engine optimization
- Her method to key phrase analysis
- How she received some main backlinks
- How she creates content material
- Her favourite sources and instruments
- Her primary problem
- Her best accomplishment
- Her greatest mistake
- Her recommendation for different entrepreneurs
Meet Jenna Campbell
Hello, my title is Jenna. I stay in Ohio with my husband, 3 children, and a loopy pet.
Why She Created Her Website
In 2012, I give up my buying supervisor job to remain dwelling with my children. Six years later, my youngest was getting into elementary faculty and I knew I needed to contribute to our household financially once more.
I additionally knew going again to work exterior of the house with little ones could be difficult.
I’ve at all times liked all issues dwelling decor, from studying different dwelling decor blogs to adorning and making a comfortable dwelling for our household.
For years, whereas I stayed dwelling with the children, I knew I finally needed to begin a weblog of my very own, however I had no thought how or the place to begin, so I saved placing it off.
Lastly, when my youngest was in preschool, I did my analysis and received the nerve to begin Lantern Lane Designs.
I knew going into this that I needed this weblog to make cash, and that I needed to deal with it like a enterprise.
The primary yr was an enormous studying curve. I joke that I realized extra that yr than I did in 4 years of faculty.
I began my weblog pondering I’d focus closely on DIY tasks, however after just a few failed tasks, I knew I needed to do extra than simply DIY, so I began running a blog extra about inexpensive dwelling décor concepts.
How A lot She’s Incomes
Running a blog for cash isn’t for the faint of coronary heart. There are quite a lot of highs and lows, however for those who keep it up, it may be very rewarding.
It took me 2 years to lastly begin seeing a gradual stream of earnings after I used to be accepted into Mediavine. Final yr, I earned my greatest paycheck, and I used to be amazed at what my little weblog achieved.
I had just a few well-liked posts go viral, and that’s all it took for me to see how worthwhile running a blog will be, whether or not I am writing about Ikea furnishings or inside design traits for 2024.
The sky actually is the restrict.
These viral posts aren’t as viral anymore, and I’m again all the way down to over 100,000 periods per thirty days, however I’m nonetheless making shut to six figures with out my viral posts.
Nearly all of my earnings comes from advertisements on my web site, and about 10% of my earnings comes from affiliate gross sales by means of LTK and Amazon.
I’m at present within the course of of making just a few digital merchandise as properly.
My site visitors can range enormously relying on the month. I common over 100,000 visits per thirty days on my web site. About 70% of the site visitors to my weblog is social, the opposite 30% is natural.
I attempt to deal with my web site like a enterprise, so I actually do attempt to give it at the very least 8 hours a day, however that may be tough. It simply depends upon the season.
When the children are at school, I can focus extra on my web site. In the course of the summer time months, generally I don’t even flip my laptop on.
The perfect factor about running a blog is that you could work on it everytime you need.
Her Principal Advertising Technique
Pinterest isn’t a secret, but it surely has actually helped me get site visitors to my web site. From there, I can get a reader to affix my electronic mail listing. I’m additionally attempting to be extra current on social media.
Pinterest was the very very first thing I targeted on once I began my weblog, and I get most of my site visitors from Pinterest.
I did quite a lot of analysis on my finish and located a course referred to as Pinterest Methods, by Carly Campbell, that teaches you how you can manually pin your pins into Pinterest as a substitute of utilizing a scheduler.
Jenna’s Ideas on search engine optimization
search engine optimization is essential, however I don’t consider it’s the one factor a brand new blogger ought to deal with. I could be within the minority once I say this, however don’t put your whole eggs within the search engine optimization basket.
That is very true with the latest Google replace.
I positively use search engine optimization on my finish.
There are such a lot of programs on the market educating you how you can use search engine optimization in your weblog.
I believe I simply took somewhat bit of data from every course to piece collectively my technique. I can’t say there was one course that I discovered extra useful than the others.
Key phrase Analysis
My course of is a bit laid again. I attempt to deal with writing for the reader and never for Google. However with that being stated, I do search for key phrases that I do know I can rank for and attempt to write as a lot as I can about that topic.
I at present use KeySearch to assist me discover key phrases. I additionally wish to see what’s trending on Google and Pinterest.
To do that, you possibly can go into Pinterest Tendencies on Pinterest. I additionally know to begin posting seasonal content material months earlier than the precise season so it may possibly rank in Pinterest by the point that season rolls round.
Hyperlink Constructing
Hyperlink constructing can be essential, and one thing I’ve been attempting to work on extra. I’ve had just a few bigger web sites (Home Lovely, The Spruce, HGTV) hyperlink again to my web site. They only reached out to me asking for permission to make use of my content material!
The extra helpful content material you have got in your web site, the extra probably it’ll get shared. Creating good content material that somebody desires to share is essential for hyperlink constructing.
Jenna’s Content material Creation Course of
I’ve written properly over 200 weblog posts over time, perhaps much more. If you’re writing about one thing you like and have curiosity in, creating content material is straightforward.
I exploit my own residence for inspiration. If I’m portray a room or doing a room makeover, I create weblog posts associated to what I’m doing.
I additionally take into consideration what I want to eat as a reader and create weblog posts on these concepts.
I attempt to publish one submit per week however these days it’s been extra like two posts a month. I write every part all on my own. I’m a one-person present!
All the footage on my weblog are my very own. Copyright infringement scares me to items so I attempt to use solely my very own images. If I’ve to make use of a inventory picture, it normally comes from Canva.
Her E-mail Record
I do have an electronic mail listing, and I’m truly within the means of attempting to develop it as organically as doable.
Beginning your electronic mail listing must be one of many first stuff you do when beginning a weblog, and I want somebody would have informed me that once I began out.
Perhaps they did, I used to be probably knee-deep in DIY tasks.
I at present have round 2000 electronic mail subscribers and I attempt to electronic mail them as soon as per week with useful suggestions if doable.
Jenna’s Favourite Sources
There isn’t one particular course I can advocate, however I’d counsel taking as many running a blog programs as you possibly can. It’s essential put money into your corporation to develop.
Begin out with as many free sources as you possibly can, after which begin buying programs that you just assume will likely be useful for your corporation.
I believe I took the entire programs. I’m a course junkie!
My favourite instruments are espresso, a superb digital camera, and modifying software program.
Subsequent to key phrase analysis and content material creation, images for me is a large software in driving site visitors to my web site.
Since I’m targeted on dwelling decor, footage of well-styled rooms are fairly essential. I exploit all of my very own images on my weblog.
I took a course on how you can use my digital camera and how you can edit my footage in Lightroom.
In case you return to a few of my very first posts, you will notice how far I’ve include my images.
I nonetheless have extra to study, although.
My greatest tip is to verify your picture is obvious, not overly uncovered, and that the picture is straight and never distorted. I exploit a Canon EOS 6D Mark.
Her Principal Problem
My greatest problem has been not giving up.
There are such a lot of highs and lows with running a blog. I’ve some actually nice days and a few terrible days.
These terrible days make me wish to throw within the towel, however I do know if I carry on going, the nice days will come again.
Running a blog actually is like driving a curler coaster along with your eyes closed!
Her Biggest Accomplishment
A few years into running a blog, there was somewhat part in a HGTV journal with an image of my entrance porch on it.
Getting an electronic mail from {a magazine} you like to learn, asking for permission to make use of one in all your footage, was hands-down one of the best little pat on my again once I first began out.
Additionally, one way or the other, the truth that an introvert like me, who barely is aware of something about expertise, can begin a enterprise sharing what they like to do, is fairly wonderful.
What She Needs She Knew When She Began
Running a blog isn’t straightforward. There’s a ton to study, and being a blogger has some nice highs and terrible lows.
I simply know the low moments come and go. If it may possibly worsen, then it can also get higher. Generally these low moments give me an opportunity to step again and pivot.
Her Largest Mistake
I actually want I’d have paid extra consideration to my electronic mail listing from day one.
I can’t even think about what number of readers and followers I’ve misplaced by not getting their electronic mail from the primary day I began my weblog.
I truly needed to begin throughout with my electronic mail listing this previous yr, sadly.
My outdated electronic mail supplier made just a few changes and I dropped the ball and misplaced 4000 electronic mail subscribers. I needed to begin from scratch this yr. It was a troublesome tablet to swallow.
Her Recommendation for Different Entrepreneurs
Don’t hand over; simply maintain going. You can also make a full-time earnings and create passive earnings, but it surely takes time.
It completely doesn’t occur in a single day, however it’ll occur for those who by no means hand over.
