Most bloggers (and honestly most creators in general) are building their income on sand.

And it's not because they lack discipline or effort. Most of us would rather put in 80 hours for ourselves than 40 hours for someone else.

The issue is that most creators don't know the difference between stable income and risky income. And without that distinction, you are always one algorithm update away from starting over.

So let me break that down here:

What Is Secondary Income?

Secondary income is anything controlled by a platform or algorithm. Things like:

• Display ads (Mediavine, Raptive, etc) fueled by Google or Pinterest traffic
• Facebook monetization programs
• YouTube ad revenue
• TikTok ad revenue
• Instagram bonus programs (when they're available)
• Sponsored content tied to your follower count or reach
• Blog affiliate income that only exists because a growth channel is sending you traffic

These are great to have. I am not telling you to get rid of them.

But they can be taken away at the drop of a hat. Facebook decides to end a program or Google rolls out a core update, and your reach tanks overnight.

You have zero recourse. And if that income is your foundation, you are starting from scratch 🫠

I have watched this happen to so many hardworking bloggers and creators. People who were absolutely crushing it, making GOOD money, and then one day it's just gone. And they had nothing to fall back on.

What Is Primary Income?

Primary income is anything tied directly to your email list. Things like:

• Affiliate promotions inside your newsletters
• Sponsorships within your emails
• Your own products or services sold to your list
• Display ad income (Mediavine, Raptive, etc) if the traffic driving it is coming from your newsletter

Nobody can take your email list from you, and no algorithm can touch it. That is why it is your foundation, and everything else gets built on top of it.

This is why I talk about newsletters the way I do.

Honestly, newsletters are what I wish blogging had always been. When I first got into this space, I thought it was going to feel more creative and connected than it did.

But my newsletters have been the most reliable parts of my businesses for years. When things were a rollercoaster everywhere else, my newsletters were there to catch us.

So How Do You Fix It?

Here is the structure that I use that makes blogging sustainable long term.

First, start your blog and newsletter at the same time. This is non-negotiable.

Your blog and newsletter are assets that work hand in hand from day one. Your blog drives people to your list, your newsletter drives people back to your blog and other income streams.

They feed each other, and that is by design.

Next, pick one or two organic growth channels. You do not need to be everywhere, and trying to be everywhere is one of the fastest ways to burn out.

SEO pairs really well with Pinterest or Flipboard because the content style is complementary and the extra work is minimal.

Short form video works across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts with minimal extra effort because you are repurposing the same content.

The goal of every one of your growth channels is to funnel readers into your newsletter, NOT to build your whole business on a platform you don't own.

Your Newsletter Does the Heavy Lifting

Once people are on your list, your newsletter works through three things.

1) A welcome sequence

This includes four to seven emails that go out automatically the moment someone joins your list.

Use them to introduce yourself, tell people what to expect, and deliver strong value right away.

New subscribers are your most engaged audience. They just opted in to hear from you. They are paying attention. And most bloggers completely ignore that window.

Don't. Monetize it.

Whether that is through an affiliate recommendation, a low ticket offer, a sponsorship you set up with an adjacent company, or simply getting them to click through to your best content, this is one of the highest-converting opportunities in your entire business.

2) A weekly broadcast

At minimum you should email your list once a week.

I know that can sound like a lot, especially if you are just starting out, but here is the thing.. your newsletter content does not live and die in someone's inbox.

It can be repurposed on your blog, across your growth channels, turned into social posts, used as script outlines, etc.

You are not starting from scratch every time, you are writing once and letting that content work in multiple places.

And the trust you build by showing up in someone's inbox consistently, week after week, is what makes people buy from you, use your affiliates, pay attention, etc.

3) A nurture sequence

After you have been sending weekly broadcasts for several months, patterns will start to emerge. You will see which emails had great open rates, which ones got clicks, and which ones made you money.

Those are the emails you pull into a nurture sequence that goes out on autopilot, maybe once a quarter or every six months.

The whole point of this system is that you are re-utilizing what you already have. Build it once, keep it working for ya.

Does It Really Work?

I once got into an argument on the internet that I'm not proud of.

(Not because I wasn't right, but because arguing with strangers online is just not my thing.)

Someone told me she ran a destination-specific travel blog, had tried email marketing, and made nothing from it no matter what she did. And that it email marketing is a waste of most people's time.

And I get why it felt that way for her.

Most bloggers have no idea what to do with an email list. They collect subscribers and then either never email them or send the wrong things entirely.

But here's what I know after running seven newsletters across completely different niches.. email marketing works. For almost any audience. And travel bloggers especially have a massive opportunity here that most of them are completely leaving on the table..

That's why I built Scale Your Blog 2.0.

Inside the course, I walk you through everything I do from the ground up:

--> How to set up your blog and newsletter

--> Which growth channels to focus on

--> How to write a welcome sequence that makes money

--> How to show up consistently with weekly broadcasts

--> How to build a nurture sequence from your best emails so your content keeps working long after you hit send.

And so much more!

🚨 The coaching program is currently closed, but the lower-cost course and community option is still open until this Thursday.

After that, doors shut until later in the year.

If you have been on the fence, this is the week! Come join us and celebrate wins like this:

You do not need your own products. You do not need an existing email list.

You just need the right strategies, and I will show you exactly how to build it.

👉 Click here to join Scale Your Blog 2.0 Course & Community before Thursday!​

Have a great week,
Laura