Hello and welcome to the Income Report for June 2018. As I mentioned in the last report, these income updates may appear more frequently until I’m caught up. Thanks for bearing with me — recipe posts will resume soon.
Table of Contents
One of the first questions you might ask is: why publish income reports?
Why do an income report on a food blog?
There are several reasons I publish these reports:
- Sharing progress helps you stay accountable and makes it more likely you’ll reach your goals.
- When I started blogging, other food blog income reports provided inspiration, motivation, and useful information.
- I set a goal of reaching 500K page views a month by December. Whether or not I hit that exact number, publishing monthly reports keeps me focused on improving Salted Mint month after month.
- You can track progress from the first report in January and see why I prioritized a traffic goal over an income goal.
As blogging has evolved, many creators stopped publishing income reports. That leaves fewer public roadmaps for newcomers, even though the possibilities to earn—through ads, affiliates, courses, e-books, and sponsored content—are greater than ever. Blogging offers many paths to monetization; these reports simply document one approach.
The numbers for June 2018
Income
Note: Some links I mention in these reports may be affiliate links. All products and services listed are ones I have used. If you have questions about any income line, leave a comment and I’ll reply when I can.
- Mediavine: $277.14
- Amazon Affiliates: $4.26
- Sponsored Post (Instagram only): $84.50
- Sponsored Blog Posts: $780.00
Total Income: $1,145.90
Traffic Totals
Traffic Overview
Top 10 Referral Sources
Takeaways
My main focus over the summer was finding ways to increase traffic despite the typical summer slump. Smaller blogs don’t have to follow the same path as large ones — with the right strategy you can still grow.
I was convinced I wasn’t making the most of Pinterest. Instead of buying the first course I found, I waited until I discovered the right fit. I enrolled in Pinning Perfect after learning about it from Kate Ahl of Simple Pin Media. The course was comprehensive, practical, and gave me a clear strategy I could implement immediately. I’ve already started seeing results and will share more in next month’s report. While free resources exist, this course provided structured, actionable guidance that was worth the investment for me.
Sponsored Posts
Negotiating sponsored work can be uncomfortable, but in June I decided to pitch for the fee I wanted rather than what my metrics suggested I should charge. The sponsor accepted eagerly, loved the work, and didn’t request a media kit. This was the second time such a positive outcome occurred.
The lesson: value the quality of your work and don’t be afraid to ask for fair pay. Numbers don’t always reflect the full value you offer; strong work and professionalism often matter more than raw metrics.
Keep Going
The advice to “just keep going” can feel clichéd, but persistence matters. Consistent effort opens the door to unexpected spikes in traffic or income that can provide momentum to continue creating. Whether or not you see immediate results, keep writing, shooting, and sharing your recipes.
Thank you for reading to the end of this report. I appreciate every comment, share, and time someone cooks from this blog. Your support means the world to me.