Example of a blogger that became rich blogging: The Pioneer Woman
I believe it is extremely important to always be learning. So, I read a lot. For some reason, the name of my favorite photographer/blogger/author kept popping up this week. I stumbled across old blog posts written by popular female bloggers that wished they could be more like her. Last night, while catching up on rural real estate news, I came across several news articles also about this person and her blog.
My favorite blogger's name is Ree Drummand. Most people know her through her blog, The Pioneer Woman. She started the blog in 2006. By 2010, she told the New Yorker that the revenue from her blog was "solidly a million dollars."
Ree is a city girl that fell in love with a cowboy that lived on a ranch in Oklahoma. They ended up getting married. In 2006, she started a blog as a way to help her keep in touch with her mom in Tennessee.
Here is a link to her blog. I choose the post, "I heart blogging" because she explains that she has had to slow down a little because of all the stuff going on in life to include her son being a senior in high school. http://thepioneerwoman.com/con... ( I went to her home page. She still posted more last month than I did. I also checked out how she is monetizing her blog. I like she does not have very many ads, but you will find them if you look.)
Ree was blessed to be smart enough to really understand her readers. For example, she understood that lots of us girls appreciate how Wranglers make guy's butt look great. So she takes pictures of cowboys working on the ranch and shares them with her readers. She also realized that a lot of us ladies enjoy cooking. The Pioneer woman is authentic and real. A lot of people that have always lived on a farm or ranch, take things for granted. Since Ree was a city girl, she doesn't. So that has allowed share great stories that the average country woman doesn't even think about mentioning. I don't even cook that much but I really enjoy her pictures and ranch life stories.
People that read her blog are immediately drawn to her. We can relate. Since she managed to consistently produced great content that appeals to her readers, her following grew. In 2010, she told the New Yorker magazine that the revenue from her blog was "solidly a million dollars. It is a thriving business." Her blog has turned into a business empire. Estimates of her net worth vary widely - $8 million to $50 million. If you Google "Ree Drummand net worth" you will find numerous articles that I referred to here) The best summary is http://www.countryliving.com/l...
Everyone reading this should be aware, Ree blogging results are NOT typical. She is the blogger that many successful female bloggers dream of being.
The Pioneer Woman is so down to earth, most people don't spend a lot of time wondering how much money she is making. After all, for those of us that live out in the middle of no where, she could easily be the neighbor down the road from us.
However, last fall a real estate news source, "Land Report" published their annual list of the largest landowners in the US. Her family's name was on it. Since she comes across as a normal person that we can all relate to, the topic of her wealth and her personal net worth (not that of her husband's family) became a popular topic.
As I mentioned above, her blog has turned into a business empire. She has a tv show, cookbooks, dishes that are sold in Walmart, a restaurant and gift shop that are located in some tiny town in Oklahoma. Last October, my sister & mom traveled from Missouri to visit her restaurant and shop. They enjoyed it. Later if I get a chance, I'll attach one of their pictures from that day to this post.
The Country Living magazine article concluded that no one is really sure what her personal net worth is. Estimates range between $8 million to $50 million.
The moral of this story is: It is possible to make money blogging. Affiliate marketing is NOT a scam. Some people have become very wealthy blogging.
Ree Drummand is an example of a blogger that has become a multimillionaire even though she blogs about how to live a very simple lifestyle. Her blog centers around cooking your own meals. She understands her target audience - to the point that she even opened the restaurant and gift shop in tiny town of Pawhuska, Oklahoma. She also blogged consistently. Isn't that similar to what Kyle is trying to teach us?
Our Wealthy Affiliate membership provides us with the knowledge and the tools necessary to earn money from blogging. We simply have to be wiling to take the time to follow the courses, understand what our target readers want, and consistently post good content. If you will give the Wealthy Affilialte program a chance, the community will help keep you motivated.
If you have any questions about how to monetize your blog or website, please send me a private message or leave a comment below. If I don't know the answer, I'll help you find it.
Best wishes for a productive week,
Sondra
Recent Comments
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Thanks Sondra, a really nice post. I just can’t see a way around that title for me though The Pioneer Woman!! Lol
Thank you for sharing! Some more inspiration here!
Wayne
Well, the subtitle of her blog is, "Plowing through country life....one calf nut at a time. " lol.
I'm glad it inspired you also.
Oh wow Sondra. I am amazed I have never come across Rhee Drummond - The Pioneer Woman. Definitely going to check her out. Thanks so much for sharing this info.
I'm sorry that I didn't think to add a link to her blog earlier. I think it's well worth checking out. She is very real.
Excellent example! We have people here too that have attained that level of success, and of course our very own Kyle, Carson and Jay. There's @Rich who seems to be doing very well. We've got Eddy, (with a y!), and I know he lives this full time now. I read NicheHacks quite a lot too, and that guy is always showcasing big businesses that either still are, or began life, as affiliate blogs just as we are learning and doing here.
Oprah Winfrey is also a good example, whilst not of affiliate marketing, but of someone who rose to fame and fortune by helping people, in a very clever way. She also comes across as down to earth, real, and someone you'd like to be friends with just because, because she has charisma and seems to be a lovely, genuine person.
These are all great examples of successful people within our community. I hope to be able to "interview" them for a post some day.
I still find myself amazed how Eddy with a Y has done such a great job making himself truly memorable with the Y.
Thanks for taking the time to share their names here.
Hehe, I think it's because he is a likeable, straightforward guy, who has built his reputation on his 'tough love/no bs' assistance, and at the end of every post he writes here he reminds us he is Eddy with a y. So it sticks. :) Basically, the dude has got this marketing and branding business down to a 'T'.
What an awesome story Sondra. You are in a relative pioneer setting. You are already taking off!! Success some times comes one peep at a time. Hey "the chicken lady" LOL!
Mike, I think you nailed the reason that I find her and her success so fascinating.
As bloggers, we each have to find our own voice that reflects who we are. That will allow people to be drawn to us.
Lol, as I'm sitting here going through my comments this morning, I have one of my favorite Sunday morning programs on tv--Pioneer Woman! She's down to earth, passionate about her family and her life, and that's what really shows through.
Thanks for the reminder to look at someone very successful like Ree and see what draws us to her in the first place!
How funny! I don't watch tv, so I've never seen the show.
It is interesting figuring out what draws us to the people we are drawn to. It also great to remember she started out similar to us- with a blog with just a couple of posts and her mom as one of the first followers.
I've seen her cooking show. I haven't read her blog. I wasn't aware of her story. As a guy that grew up on a small ranch in Texas, I could always appreciate her countryfied demeanor, even without knowing her story.
Now it all makes sense. Thanks for sharing.
You all are making me think that I need to check out the cooking show, I hope you have a great Sunday
You are welcome. I was hoping others would find it as inspirational as I have.
I hope you have a productive week.
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Thank you for posting this! I really enjoyed reading it.
Chris
Thanks Chris. I hoped it would help motivate and inspire others as much as it did me.