How I Made $157 Blogging with Only 40 Visitors (Make Money Blogging Even as a Beginner)

Okay let's just get straight to it!

I made $157 with my brand new little blog. Only 40 people visited my site at a time.

No viral Pinterest pins.

Little to no Google SEO traffic (yet)

No huge audience.

Just me, my blog, and my cozy vibe- and the right strategy.

and I am here to tell you: YOU CAN DO IT TOO.

yes, you! even if you don't...

have a big following

You are brand new

You don't know all the tech stuff (yet)

You feel like you're too late to start blogging.

Because let me tell you something right now:

Blogging in 2025 is NOT dead

in fact, it's thriving! especially for cozy creators like us.

Now grab your boba, fluff your blanket, and let me spill exactly how I did it, and how you can too.

First! Let's Talk About Where That Money Came From

Before we dive into it the how. let me break down where my first $157 came from

Affiliate Link: $132

Yeppers peppers! Most of it came from affiliate marketing. I recommended products I genuinely use, love, and talk about naturally on my blog.

• My cozy gaming controller case

• My monitor

• Some other cozy products I personally bought + reviewed.

• Canva Pro ( I use daily to design my graphics)

These are all things I would've shared anyway. The only difference?

I made sure to sign up for their affiliate programs.

Every time someone clicked my link and bought?

A tiny commission for me

Passive income in the coziest way.

My FIRST sponsored collab $25

YES! even with a brand-new blog, I landed a sponsored collab.

How? because even small creators have VALUE.

Brands want to work with niche bloggers who speak directly to their dream audience (and that was me, even with 40 visitors!)

I reached out with a short, simple pitch email

(spoiler: they said yes). and my super-targeted audience - and boom.

My sponsored post.

That sponsorship showed me something huge:

You don't have to wait until you're a big blogger to start monetizing.

Here's What I Didn't Do To Make That Money:

• I didn't have ads (too soon for that)

• I didn't have a massive Pinterest following

• I didn't post 300 blog post first

• I didn't need 10,000 pageviews to "qualify" to monetize

And that's why I'm so hyped about sharing this because you DO NOT need a huge audience to start earning.

Here's EXACTLY How I Did It (Step by Step)

I Picked a Niche I Actually Love

I didn't try to be "trendy" I picked a niche I genuinely could talk about forever:

Cozy gaming

Cozy Hobbies

Creator Tips

Blogging

Your niche doesn't need to be crazy specific - but it should lite you up! Because if you're excited, your content will flow. And readers can feel that.

I wrote Keyword-Friendly, Searchable Blog Post

Even with my tiny audience, I still wrote my post like they could rank in Google one day. I focused on:

Long- form posts (1500 + words)

Clear titles

Helpful, valuable information

Keywords people are actually searching for.

Did I know everything about SEO? NOPE! But I learned just enough to start, and that's all you need to do right not too.

I Naturally Integrated Affiliate Links

The key word here is naturally.

I didn't just randomly throw in links. I shared products in post where it made sense.

Examples:

"Here's the mic I use for streaming"

"This controller helps my hands not cramp during cozy game plays"

" I designed these Pinterest pins using Canva Pro"

Because guess what? If someone's already reading your blog post, they're looking for solutions. You're simply showing them what works for you.

I Promoted My Blog Gently But Consistently.

With only 40 visitors, where did my traffic come from?

Pinterest ( even though my account was tiny)

Promoted it on TikTok and had friends share it

Had my cozy Discord besties check it out

I made cute Insta stories to promote my blog.

I wasn't shouting from the rooftops or doing aggressive promo. I was gently building my traffic through cozy little shares - and the people who came were exactly my audience.

I Built My First Tiny Email List

Even with just a handful of subscribers, I started collecting emails from the very beginning. I used:

• A freebie checklist

• A soft to call-action at the bottom of each post

• A simple sign-up from embedded into my blog

A guess what? My very first digital product sale came from one of those email subscribers.

Why This worked (Even With a Tiny Audience)

Let's break down why this cozy little system worked- and why it can work for you too:

My content has real niche

My affiliate links were helpful, not salesy

I promoted just enough to get the right people to my blog

I started early with email (best decision ever)

I launched something small & simple as a product

I trusted the slow growth

The Big Cozy Lesson: You Don't Need BIG Numbers To Make REAL Money

I need you to hear this loud and clear

It's not about your follower count

It's not about your pageviews

It's not about having 10 on Pinterest first

you need:

Valuable, helpful content

The right people reading it (even just a few!)

Smart, cozy monetization baked in from the start.

Your first $100+ will feel like a million bucks. Because it's proof that this works. That your blog has earning potential - even if its small, and early.

How YOU Can Start Your Blog and Make Money (Without Waiting Forever)

Let's simplify it down to baby steps you can start taking today!!

Step One. Start Your Blog

• Use WordPress + SiteGround or Wix to keep it easy

• Pick a theme that feels like you

Step Two. Pick your niche

• What would you talk about all day?

• Who do you want to help or entertain?

Step Three. Write your first 3-5 post

• Focus on helpful, searchable topics

• Make them actually useful to your future readers

Step Four. Sign up for affiliate programs

• Amazon

• LTK

• ShareASale

• Canva

• Etsy (for digital products)

Step Five. Start sharing your blog softly

• Pinterest

• Discord

• Instagram stories

• Facebook groups

• Spaces where your audience hangs out

Step Six. Build a tiny email list

• Offer a cute freebie

• Use MailerLite or Flodesk to start

Step Seven. Create your first tiny product

• A printable

• A checklist

• A cozy digital guide

Step Eight. Stay consistent & trust the process

Because once that first commission hits? You'll be amazed- this is just the beginning!!

Blogging in 2025 Is THE Move for Cozy Creators

We are entering the soft girl blogging era, bestie.

Low- pressure content

Passive income streams

Long-lasting, sustainable growth

No 24/7 burnout hamster wheel.

You don't need to be viral.

You just need to start

Like.... today.

Because 6 months from now? You'll wish you started earlier. And when that first $157 hits? You'll text your bestie, do a little happy dance, and realize:

" I actually built this cozy business with my blog"

A Little Pep Talk

If you've been scared to start, take this post as your sign. You don't need everything figured out. You just need to begin Messy and now.

I started with 40 visitors

I made $157 and I'm just getting started!

You got this!!

Your future creator self is cheering for you.