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Thoughts on Income Reports

Thoughts on Income Reports www.lovethehereandnow.com

Today I want to have a conversation.  A real one; one that is judgement free, and one that will start a dialogue.  It seems that many bloggers are sharing their monthly income reports.  I do not do this as I am pretty certain that 1) there’s not much to report and 2) when there is something to report it’s not consistent.  What I want to talk about today is your thoughts on them.  I am by no means judging those that do share them; in fact I applaud you and the hard work that went into getting that income. I want to know more about what others think of those reports and what they mean to you.

My Thoughts on Income Reports

 

Income = Personal

I was raised, as I am sure most people were, that money is personal.  You didn’t ask what someone made nor did you ask what they spent on something.  I often wonder why bloggers post their income each month.  Would they be so willing to post their income from their 9-5 if they have one?  What makes someone do this but not share their 9-5 income?

Transparency

I do feel that when they post their income reports bloggers are aiming for transparency.  They want you to see not only what they make but more often than not what they spend too.  I saw an income report just this morning from a popular blogger and I was blown away.  Sure she had a great income but if you took a moment to actually calculate what she had spent that month to make that money you would have been surprised.  Or perhaps it’s just me not really realizing the amount of money it can take to run a successful blog.   I use can lightly…many people have successful blogs without a huge investment.  More importantly though, what exactly is a successful blog?  Isn’t success subjective?

Encouragement // Inspiration

I think that many people will use the income reports as encouragement and inspiration.  The proof can be in the numbers for many people.  They will see that becoming a full time blogger can be done and can be quite profitable.  Don’t think for a minute though that it was luck that got that blogger there.  We all know how hard blogging can be and how time consuming it can be.

Is it Intimidating?

Do you see those figures and think that blogger could never relate to me?  Do you hesitate to reach out to them because they are in a whole different league financially than you?  Or do you see that blogger as someone that started out in the same position you are and worked their way to the top?

Do Income Reports Add Value or Elevate a Blogger’s Status?

Now that you know their income do they become a credible source?  Do you take their words as gospel and that they must have the secret to success because after all, they brought in 5 or 6 figures last month?  Are they now an expert because their bank account is padded?  Does the bottom line figure on their income report sway you in any way?

Do Income Reports Provide More than Financials?

More often than not, the figures mean nothing to me.  I actually find more tools or resources in those reports.  I see a monthly fee to something and wonder what it is they are using and what that product or service does for them or their blog.  I may then check that product or service out.  More than likely if I opt to use that service as well, I am further increasing their income through affiliate links (which are wonderful in my opinion….they cost nothing extra for me but give a bit of a commission to the other blogger.  I’m ok with that!).

I think that bloggers that post their financials are rightfully proud, as they should be.  I also think they are brave as well.  Anytime you open yourself up on the Internet you are a possible target for criticism.  Being  this open regarding money is something that definitely takes courage.  Kudos to those that do!

What do you think of income reports?  Do you have an opinion?  Are they something you use or see value in?

As I stated above, I am not judging.  I am curious and would love to know your thoughts and opinions on blogging income reports.

Thoughts on Income Reports by www.lovethehereandnow.com

 

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  • Rachael | The Rachael Way

    I always read them but would never, ever post my own. I have to keep some things hidden…. because I’m such an open book!

  • Alexis @ Chemistry Cachet

    I love to read them because I am still blown away by how people actually make money, and find some of their sources of revenue really interesting… I would feel so uncomfortable posting my own though!

  • Bourbon & Lipstick

    It’s funny… I almost posted on Twitter yesterday if anyone thought income reports were tacky. While I will occasionally read them, like you, I was taught that money was personal. I don’t talk about how much money I make at my job! But, I think what really bothers me are the bloggers who feel they’re in a place to give advice about money and savings. I don’t always feel they’re transparent… But that’s just me. I agree they work hard but I don’t always feel it’s the best subject. Sorry for the novel!

    • No apologies needed…ever! It’s not something I would do as money is private. Although it adds transparency to a point I stilton;t know the full purpose. I have never read a blog and wished I knew how much they made form it. I just don’t think like that or really care.

  • Macy Volpe

    I love reading them, but I am not sure I will ever share my own. When I see bloggers with a larger following (saying it that way is somewhat less subjective at least) making 5 figures in one month, it blows my mind. I know I will likely never get to that point, because as much as I love blogging, I have another passion that I want to pursue full time. With that being said, I will likely never have the consistency of money every month to share my blogging funds. I’m uncomfortable sharing my personal funds because not only are they my husbands as well, but because it really is personal. great post!

    • Thanks Macy! I agree 100%! Although I love blogging I don’t want it to become my job. I want it be my outlet!

  • Emelia @ Dream Big & Buy the S

    While I find it interesting to read them, I agree with so many of your points. The thing is…I think it takes a LONG time to get where some of these bigger bloggers are and we don’t know their backstory. I was a young fool who got myself in to credit card debt while others were putting money in their savings–I was paying off my debt. People aren’t always in the same place financially. Also, some of these bigger bloggers that I see reports for don’t have children. I’m not saying that changes everything, but it changes a lot. You know- children, they’re not cheap…haha, they’re worth it. I’m not making my point well, because I don’t feel so hot today…but there’s a lot that goes on that I’m sure we aren’t seeing behind the scenes. I don’t share my bank account statement, so I sure won’t be sharing my blogging income at any point.

    • Same! And yes…although pope can quit their 9 to 5’s to blog I need a steady and reliable income bc as you said, kids are expensive. And college tuition? That’s no joke. I need a solid and reliable income that isn’t based on someone wanting to buy my next class. I need to know that my bank account will be getting the same amount every two weeks!

  • Nicole

    I’m not sure if I would feel comfortable posting my blogging income (if I ever get to that point) but I do find income reports inspirational at least for a newbie like me. As you mention above it shows that if you want to make an income from your blog it is possible and here are the different ways that can be successful. I also find it interesting to see the different tools (schedulers, design tools) etc that people use and how much they cost. Great post for starting an interesting discussion.

    • I enjoy it for the tools and resources as well. I am always on the look out for finding things to help me blog.

  • Lise

    I used to like reading them but not anymore. I agree with you and everyone else, it’s personal. In a way, it feels like they are ‘showing off’. I’ve been online a long time and 10-12 years ago, these marketing gurus would try to sell you their goods, and convincing us that we could also become millionnaires. This feels the same to me. As you said, I’m sure they worked hard but a lot of factors come into play, like their niche, how long the blog has been around, etc.
    One blogger I was following started to do this and I read her blog for a while but just last week, I commented on a post asking a question and never got an answer. There are 32 comments on that post and she only replied to the last 4. So I guess she’s too busy making all this money. Sorry, didn’t mean to sound grumpy LOL

    • Not grumpy sounding at all! I get that. It seems like the blogosphere is quickly becoming one big informercial lately. someone is always telling me I am not enough, I can do more and I should buy, buy, buy. Ugh.

      • Lise

        Agree 🙂

  • Trish @ The Trish List

    I always do find them interesting but right now I am not making any income.. I am on the same page though with keeping money personal. I don’t like to talk about money in my personal life so why share on the internet? I suppose if I started making thousands of dollars by chance I’d have a different tone? I’m not sure. Still thinking no, but check back in 20 years.. lol

    • Perhaps your view would change. We don;t know. I’d like to think that mine wouldn’t. My money is my business. I love to share how I do things but I can’t see myself sharing the profits I make form those things.

  • Gina Soldano-Herrle

    I have read a lot of blogging income reports over the months that I’ve been blogging. I used to read them all the time. Lately though, I avoid them. At first, I was obsessed with finding out how they made their money and being able to do that for myself too. But, then I realized that I needed to spend more time on my blog doing other things than just searching out affiliates or other money making strategies. I applaud anyone who shares their income report and I find them inspiring. But, right now I’m taking a break from reading them until my blog and I are ready to go to the next level.

  • Becca Dorr

    I think it’s great that they’re being transparent, but I’m with you — I think it’s kind of weird to publicly post your income! It can totally be helpful to other bloggers who are trying to generate income to see what and how much they’re putting back INTO the blog, but maybe they could use percentages instead of actual numbers? In the end, it’s their choice, but just like in real life, I don’t care how much money other people make.

    • I agree with you on the percentages. Or perhaps creating a page where they can update their financials for people that really want to know? But a monthly one can be a bit much at times. Tell me more about what you did or used rather than what income it generated!

  • I do read income report posts but I too have mixed feelings on them. Money is personal to me but I understand why they post their income! They want people to feel like they can do it too and honestly I do take away some valuable information from these posts…BUT I do feel like bloggers don’t have to do it every month. We get it you made over a $1,000 doing the exact same thing last month. I take away from these posts mostly what they use for free and I’m curious after all the scheduled tweet programs and organizers how much do they actually get to turn a profit. But I like I said…I do feel bloggers don’t need to post these income reports every month =)

    • I agree! I have found some great products or services in some people’s reports but feel that the actual numbers are not really necessary.

  • Meagan

    I skip over those posts. I don’t care, to be honest. I sort of feel like it’s a bit braggy – but like you, that’s how I was raised. We don’t talk about money, the cost of things, etc. Seeing what someone is spending on their blog might get a view from me here and there, but otherwise it’s not interesting to me!

  • Kristyn | Dash of Herbs

    I don’t mind them as long as they don’t push it in your face. And I like them if they are informative and tell you how they did it. I follow Pinch of Yum (a VERY successful food blog that posts monthly income reports). I’m also a member of their Food Blogger Pro, which gives insight to all things food blogging. He talks about what were hits and what were misses in the month during his video about his income. They do make a full-time income on their blog, so it’s interesting to see what worked well and what didn’t. But I don’t find that it’s in your face or that he thinks you couldn’t achieve their “success” too. If that makes any sense. I don’t just want to see what you made/spent for the month. Tell me more than that.

  • Llinos @ The Lilac Linnet

    I often think, how much did you spend to make that! I would never post anything like this.

  • Ashlee @ Sparkles by Ashlee

    I love how you’re sharing your thoughts on this in a non-judgmental way. This opened up my thoughts about this topic a lot more. I think most people who share their income reports have good intentions behind it – they want to help, encourage, etc. However, sometimes I feel like it’s for show, too. Like you mentioned about the 9-5, nobody is going to go into many details about that. Or say you’re only making around $500, most people might not have any interest in this because now blogging are making money that ranges into the thousands and even ten thousands!

    I don’t know, sometimes I just don’t know if there’s a lot of ‘real’ in it. Most bloggers would only share if they felt really confident and successful in what they were making. And sometimes I think it could be for more pageviews. I don’t think it’s a BAD thing, but even if I were personally making THOUSANDS blogging, I don’t know if I would share. Everybody has a different journey, too, and sometimes I feel like the tips they give don’t really help because my blog is totally different.

    I’d love to read more about your thoughts!

    • It seems like a fine line to me at times. It’s almost as if they should make a separate page on their blogs with income reports. Publishing posts though that are front and center seems a bit off to me. If people want the info they can find it but I would rather not have your 6 figure income thrown in my face…..but again….kudos to them for pulling that off. I’m certain it took lots of time, effort and hard work.

  • Annette G

    Ugh. I knew it was about me. 😉 (My other one was, “Income, what is this income you speak of?”) <3

  • Erica @ WhimsicalSeptember

    Very interesting topic!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your thoughts and the comments tonight.

  • Emilie from BurkeDoes.com

    I was just discussing thing. I think that some bloggers feel publishing income reports establishes their credibility and lately I’m just over it. Ugh.

  • Angie Agerter

    I sometimes like to see them, to compare and see how they did, but in no way do I think it should be monthly or even yearly. Just a random hey this break down. But like you said, I think money is very personal and really shouldn’t be broadcasted over the airwaves and hey looky here look how much money I have that you can steal…probably not going to happen, but still kind of what goes through my head.

    • Funny you should say that….I have often worried that those bloggers are opening themselves up for break ins…..

  • Emily of Em Busy Living

    This is an interesting topic. 1) I was also taught that talking about finances was tacky. I only do this with my husband and my closest friend when we bring it up in conversation. 2) Not everyone can be a wealthy full-time blogger. It’s one thing to blog as a hobby and make some side money from it, but I see a lot of people STARTING blogs just for this purpose. On lots of groups I’m in on FB I see this frequently. “I just started my blog a week ago and I don’t have five hundred followers yet! What’s wrong? I want to make $5k a month!” I really want to scream out that $5k a month is $80k a year! I know some people do it and some do it easily…but many people with masters degrees working in a huge corporation don’t make $80k a year. Perspective.

    I think if someone is sharing an income report in order to say “Hey, here’s HOW you can do it too…” or to sell a course or webinar so readers can learn how they make money, it has a good and true purpose. But I’m not so sure about sharing just for the sake of transparency. Unless your blog is for charity or non-profit purposes, I’m not sure why there needs to be transparency. I don’t tell my design clients how much money I make a year on freelance work. (Ok, now I sound super judgey and that wasn’t the purpose of this comment at all.)

    • You are not judgey at all… I asked and wanted thoughts and opinions! I agree with you 100%. I dislike the fact that some people will see dollar signs and automatically think that that blogger is an expert. I have tried some free blogging webinars by highly paid bloggers and I was not impressed at all.

  • Ashley Ponder

    I don’t mind the income reports but I think that is because as a teacher our salary is made public. I know what all of my other co-workers make and they know what I make. You can go to any districts website and pull up the salaries of any worker that works for that district. The only big plus side for me reading a bloggers finances is to see how they are making money and try to do the same.

    • I can see that. My husband is a teacher as well so I understand your thoughts. Having said that though, even though his salary and many other professions have public salaries I never go out of my way to see what people make. I do get the notion that seeing what other bloggers use in income reports…as I have done that too and found some great services.

  • Very valid points! I just can’t see putting my income out there at all. I don’t see how the two are different…nobody shares their 9 -5! And yes to the constant selling…it’s getting so old!

  • Brittany Witt

    I think they are great! So many people feel stuck in a 9-5 where their soul is just being drained. Not all folks who have a 9-5 hate their jobs, I get that, but I would say the majority dislike having to work for someone else’s dream who don’t even know they exist.

    There are a lot more jobs becoming available online where people can free up their time, make more money than their 9-5 and be able to discover their creative sides, spend more time with their family and be able to afford to give back in bigger ways than they ever could. So I think it’s great that they make their income reports public because it gives hope to those who may feel stuck in a career they may have only choose because their family said they should.

    Thanks for opening this topic, there is a lot of great debating here. =)

    • They can definitely inspire and encourage people. It does show that with hard work those results can be attainable. I can see how they can help people. Thanks for weighing in with your thoughts…I appreciate it!

  • Lucie

    This is a great discussion! I agree with others who say we can learn from those successful bloggers if they post what’s working and what’s not working — I don’t necessarily need the numbers thrown in my face. My thoughts when I read some of those posts and see the numbers — like $12,000 from online courses — I feel like it’s an “in your face” for those of us who turned over our hard-earned money for that course. Don’t know how to explain it other than, “here’s how many people fell for my sales pitch.” I know that’s not AT ALL what they are saying, but honestly that’s how it feels to me. There are other ways to encourage beginning bloggers.

    • I agree about not needing the numbers. Does their bank account make them “experts” or just great salespeople??

  • christy @theharperhouse

    I love reading them, and I started my own blog a few months ago after stumbling upon Abby from Just a Girl and her Blog’s income report. I have been a sahm for 12 years and needed a way to make some $$ while still staying home. Even though I’ve been reading blogs for years, I had NO idea they could be so profitable. It fascinates me that I can actually make money writing and sharing what I love. And yes, it is possible to make money right away too if you work hard at it. Sarah Titus made $10k/month in her first year of blogging. She is a single sahm! I think these ladies are SO inspiring – why work a 9-5 dead end job if you can do what you really love and have more time with your family? It does take work and a lot of courage – but if I hadn’t seen their income reports, I never would have even thought it possible!

    • They definitely are eye opening and can give you guidance and ideas you may never have thought of. I agree completely. I just know that I couldn’t personally share my blogging income (if I had one worthy of sharing) with others. But that’s personal preference!

  • Angela

    Great discussion. Just stumbled upon your site looking for articles to share for our community at The Blog Market. This is the only post I’ve seen that has an open discussion about it. I’ve been in digital media for a few years at a a couple agencies as well as freelance work in addition to blogging, so I’ve learned a lot about what goes into sites that actually get the viewership to raise the kind of money many of these bloggers talk about. It can be inspiring at times but for the most part I see that the way they are doing it is really a sales pitch – they are usually selling products and services aimed at bloggers as a target customer. If a blogger is the customer, then they want the customer to trust that they too can make this kind of income (which sells their product/service – if the blogger makes this much, you want their secrets). So I really see it as a way for them to elevate their own blogs rather than just be transparent. It’s transparency as a marketing strategy.

    I also think it’s great that many of these people include their expenses, however, the title and image *never* account for this. So you’ll click into a post that shows someone made 5k last month, and not realize how much of that they didn’t actually take home. I think it’s important to know the difference between the information provided that can help you in your business, and how it was presented in a way that encourages clicks and sales. I mean, think of how many views these posts get just based on their title alone – that certainly helps their biz.

    Similar to what I said in a post I have up on TBM today about social media, I think it’s important to remember that if someone’s trying to make money, they’re thinking of it as a business. So posting income reports for most, is a business move. That’s totally fine too, but newbie bloggers can get discouraged if they don’t realize all that’s at play!

    Thanks for offering up a discussion!

    • Thanks for your well thought out comment. I agree with you on everything you said. I do believe that they are used to gain leverage in the marketing world. I see so many Facebook groups where new bloggers ask (seriously I might add) when their blogs will take off and they will get huge page views and an income. I firmly believe there is no tried and true recipe and sometimes these income reports lead people to believe that they will have the same type of income or progress. I have taken webinars by “full time” bloggers and bloggers making thousands each month. That is in no way indicative of their ability to teach or guide me. Dollar signs does not equal expertise in my book. I have one blogger that I enjoy taking classes from and another that I swear I will never take a class from again. Long story short…in my opinion income reports, though encouraging to some, are just not for me. Let your work stand as your proof of expertise; not your bank account.

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