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    • Adulting
      • This is the Story of My Life
      • I Hired a Life Coach
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      • My Biggest Insecurity… Money
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    • Wedding
      • Our Destination Wedding at Flora Farms
      • Our Intimate Courthouse Wedding
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      • How Much Does it Cost to Get Married at the Courthouse?
      • Our Couple’s Shower at Chateau Aeronautique Brewery & Winery
      • Our Tropical Wedding Invitation Suite from Minted
      • Slow Down & Enjoy Your Engagement with Modern Wedding by Kelsey McKinnon
      • The Best Little White Dresses for Your Bachelorette Party and Bridal Shower
      • Moody, Tropical, Boho Wedding Mood Board
    • Marriage
      • Married to Medicine
      • 5 Books to Improve Your Romantic Relationships
      • What If I’m Not Made to be a Mother?
      • The Real Reason We Got Married 3 Months Before Our Wedding
      • A Letter to My Almost Husband
      • Our Engagement Story
      • We Met on a Double Date
      • Finding Love After Heartbreak
  • HOME DECOR
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      • Modern, Vintage Victorian House Tour
      • Paint Colors: As Seen on Instagram
      • Naked (The house, not me) Tour
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      • Mudroom Makeover on a Budget
      • Mud Room/Laundry Room Progress Update
      • Black Bathroom Inspiration + Updates on Ours
      • Black & White Kitchen Renovation Inspiration
      • My $500 Kitchen Refresh Reveal with Cost Breakdown
      • Entryway Makeover: A Before & After on a Budget
    • Seasonal & Holiday
      • Holiday Home Tour 2018
      • Black & White Christmas Decor
      • Seven Ways to Make Your Home Feel Like Fall Without Holiday Decor
      • Fall Front Porch: Modern, Creative Ideas
      • Thanksgiving Tablescapes: Unique, Modern & Moody Fall Place Settings
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      • My Battle with Chronic Headaches & Migraines + How I Found Relief
      • May is Mental Health Awareness Month
      • Why Every Entrepreneur Should Workout
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      • Three Days on the Amalfi Coast: Italy Trip
      • A Magical Trip to Tulum, Mexico: On a Budget
      • La Lastra Winery Tour Sienna Italy
      • Transportation in Italy: What I Would do Differently
      • Vacationing in Costa Rica: Everything You Need to Know
      • Our Lake Michigan Weekend Getaway in a Tiny Cabin
    • Style
      • Zaful Swimwear Review + My Cheeky Honeymoon Bikinis
      • Beach Honeymoon Style Inspiration
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      • My Simple Skincare Routine
      • Getting Hair Extensions? Here’s What I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me
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      • Affiliate Marketing: Make Money with Your Blog
      • Six ways to Monetize Your Blog and Social Media
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  • ABOUT

Miranda Schroeder

A millennial girl's guide to home, life & love.

Monetization Resources

This page contains affiliate links, meaning I may make a small commission if you purchase a product or service through them.

Here you will find resources to help you design, create, grow, and monetize your blog and social media platforms. Download the original presentation here.

Branding

Before you think about the visual aspects of your brand, it’s important to think about your audience and the message you want to send with them. Get very specific about WHO you are writing for.

  • How old are they?
  • Where do they live?
  • What are their challenges?
  • What do they enjoy?
  • What life stage are they in?
  • How much money do they make?
  • Do they work?
  • Where do they hang out/shop etc.?

Once you have a clear picture of who you are writing to, you can then craft your messaging and elevator pitch. This is so important to have down on paper (especially as you go to pitch brands and monetize). Here is my elevator pitch:

Ever feel overwhelmed with adulting? Miranda Schroeder is a lifestyle blog that helps women design a home, life and business they love. I’ve found that some of us just need a little inspiration, motivation, and education when it comes to designing our everyday. From decorating on a budget to strengthening your marriage, there is a post to help you live an intentional life in your 20’s. I would love for you to check it out!

Before you design your blog website and start developing content, make sure you have a solid visual brand including a logo, color pallet, and font pairings. I worked with Brightly Branded to re-brand my blog early 2019 and she was amazing at bringing my vision to life.

Design

You need to make sure that your website is self-hosted. I highly recommend bluehost and you can sign up here. I brought my website over to a self-hosted WordPress website from Squarespace in 2019 during my rebrand and haven’t looked back since.

Next, I highly recommend asking 7-10 people to provide feedback on your current blog before making design changes. Ask them if they can easily find information, what the love about the blog and what they would suggest changing. My annual end of survey made it very clear that readers come for my images!

You need a clean, simple and highly functional blog design to keep readers on your website. You don’t need to spend a fortune on a custom coded website, but you do need to make sure you have a clean layout and design. I purchased a simple, affordable design from Code + Coconut and I get tons of compliments on it. It was super easy to implement, too!

Content Creation

Once you have branded your blog and made updates to your design, it’s time to create content. Use these prompts to help you create 10 extremely detailed, valuable posts for your audience. These 10 posts will make up the core content on your blog and drive traffic for years to come.

Make sure you write these posts so they are evergreen, meaning if someone was to look at it 6 months down the line it would still make sense. Each post needs to have one clear, defined topic. Stick to ONE topic in every post. For example, I had a post called, “Diet vs. Lifestyle + My Favorite Smoothie Recipes.” That should be two posts on two different topics.

Another simple copy tip is to write to ONE person, not a group of people. For example, instead of saying “Guys” say “you.” You want to talk to the person reading your blog and make them feel like the content was written exactly for them!

I highly recommend checking out this blog post on getting ahead of content creation. It walks you through my planning process and gives you two amazing tools to help you plan out an entire year of content.

> (opens in a new tab)”>Here is a quick blog post to help you with content creation >>

Pinterest

Pinterest is the number traffic generator for many bloggers! Pinterest is basically a Google for blogs. I mean, think about it… You want to cook a delicious meal for dinner, but you are short on time, Opens Pinterest app on phone. Searches for, “15-minute dinner recipes.” Ta-da! You are presented with a million quick dinner recipes all likely linking to someone’s blog post.

Most of us spend time repining other people’s content instead of uploading our own. In fact, before I started getting serious about my blog, I never uploaded my own content to Pinterest, but that has changed!

I walk you through step by step what I have implemented to get from 100K monthly Pinterest viewers to 5 million monthly Pinterest viewers. Just head to this blog post and dive in!

The Pinterest strategy you need to start using today >>

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential for every blogger under the sun! These simple changes can help you blog start surfacing in search engines like Google and Bing.

This blog post will walk you through keywords and where to place them in each blog post >>

Email Marketing

Email marketing is here to stay. It’s one of the highest converting digital marketing channels. Let that sink in for a moment… YET, I bet you spend 10 times the amount of time scrolling through your social media feeds than you do strategizing and executing your Email marketing.

We use ActiveCampaign as our email marketing platform. You can sign up for a free trial here. I love this software because it also allows us to easily create forms and pop-ups for the blog website.

Here’s a blog post with 7 ideas for emailing your list >>

Sponsorships

Sponsored post are a great way to make money from your blog and social media. Basically, a brand will pay you in exchange for sharing about their product on your blog and/or social media. Every brand will have their own requirements and expectations for sponsored posts. Make sure you only work with brands that you trust and that are relevant to your audience.

There are a few different ways to find brands to work with. For me, I haven’t really focused on sponsored posts, so the only brands I’ve worked with are ones that have reached out to me.

That said, this is definitely something I need to do more of and I have signed up for tons of platforms out there that help connect influencers with brands. You sign up, create a profile, and then either apply for sponsorship opportunities or wait for brands to contact you depending on how that specific platform works.

  • AspireIQ (REALLY LOVE THIS ONE!)
  • Social Native
  • Influencerher Collective (Fashion/Beauty Bloggers)
  • Octoly (only free product)
  • Activate
  • Socialix
  • Social Fabric
  • IZEA
  • Whalar
  • Ambassadher
  • CleverGirls Network
  • Linqia
  • TapInfluence
  • Collective Bias
  • Pollinate Media Group
  • POPSUGAR Select
  • Ahalogy
  • Collectively

Another approach is emailing brands directly. This allows you full control over who you work with and what products you promote! I can’t say I have tried this yet, but when approaching brands, make sure you are coming from a place of serving them! What unique value can you provide to them?

Look for their email on their Instagram profile and if you can’t find it there, see if there is a contact page on their website. If you come up short, send them a genuine direct message via Instagram and ask for their email address! Including a compliment never hurts!

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is essentially you selling other people’s products and/or services for a commission. Think of yourself as their sales force (except you get to be your own boss)! Its a convenient and profitable way to make money as a blogger because you don’t have to actually manage inventory or ship orders! You are simply the referrer to the product or service.

Once you are an affiliate, you will have access to affiliate links. When you share these links and your audience clicks on them and makes a purchase, a cookie tracks that purchase back to your digital platform and you earn commission. A cookie is simply a bit of data stored on a users Internet browser (yes, people can turn off cookies, but the majority of users don’t).

This blog post contains more information on affiliate marketing as well as various links to affiliate programs you can apply to >>

Advertisements

Ads are a very common way to make money blogging. Basically, companies pay you to place ads on your website. Popular ad platforms include:

  • AdSense
  • Medianet
  • Mediavine (The best platform, but you need 40k monthly pageviews minimum)

You might get paid by the number of people who view the ad OR the number of people who actually click on the add, pay-per-click (PPC).

I don’t like bogging my website down with ads, so I place them very strategically to not interfere with the user experience. For example, I have an ad running at the bottom of my page & in my blog sidebar.

Digital Products

Digital products are SO much work to create, but if you have expertise to offer in an area related to you blog, creating a digital product like an online course or an eBook that can provide extreme value to others is a win-win!

  • Online courses
  • Email challenges
  • eBooks
  • Checklists
  • Worksheets
  • Templates

I’ve created and helped clients create online courses using platforms like Teachable and Thinkific, and I’ve heard great things about selling eBooks via Amazon!

Custom Services

We help entrepreneurs untangle their digital marketing, create a solid strategy, and execute it across all digital platforms. Our goal is to get all of your digital channels singing in harmony so you can generate more leads, close more sales, and fuel your dreams. From planning to execution, working with us is like having  a complete marketing team in your back pocket.

Check out our custom services >>

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Welcome Friends

I’m a newlywed living in Indianapolis, Indiana with my hubby and two pups, Porter and Piper. I wear a lot of hats, like blogger, marketing manager and small business owner. I believe everyone has the power to create a home, life & business that they LOVE. Don’t forget to subscribe for all the juicy updates I send out each week!

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Baby Girl’s Moody & Whimsical Nursery Design

The Perfect Red & Pink Valentine’s Day Dresses

How to Remove Wallpaper from Plaster Walls

Another day, another messy photo. Here is the hall Another day, another messy photo. Here is the hallway from each side. I gave everything a fresh coat of polar bear white @behrpaint (my personal favorite white). I spray painted the door bell chime cover & metal light switch covers black & tomorrow it’s on to the doors! I’m keeping the ones that are original & not painted, stained so don’t freak on me 🤪 #progressoverperfection #historichomes #diy #powerofpaint #homerenovations
You guys said you would be up for some progress sh You guys said you would be up for some progress shots, so here we go! A little corner of our room that might not look like much, but man, a lot of work went into getting it here 🥰 #historichomes #renovation #bedroominspo
Throwback to one of our previous kitchens (that I Throwback to one of our previous kitchens (that I completely transformed with $500.00) because it is a constant reminder that you can make your home your own without spending thousands of dollars! 💸⁠⠀
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I've been sharing all the BTS of current house projects in my stories. We are definitely hiring things out here and there this time, but still sticking to a tight budget.⁠⠀
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There ARE maybe 1.5 rooms worth posting on Instagram (In my opinion). Half wallpapered walls and green carpeted floors don't really seem all that appealing to me 😂⁠⠀
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So tell me what you do/don't want to see on the feed! Photos of our previous homes? Progress shots? My face? Andrew's face? Our dogs? 😆 Idk. You tell me!⁠⠀
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Even though progress feels slow, we have major things happening in the next few weeks!⁠⠀
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Next week, ceilings and walls are getting smoothed, patched and prepped for paint. Once they are done, I'm breaking out my paintbrush before our downstairs floors get refinished the week of the 25th.⁠⠀
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I AM SO EXCITED to see this come together 🥳 I'm ready to shop for furniture/art and to decorate.⁠⠀
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#thoughtfullythrifted #sodomino #currentdesignsituation #apartmenttherapy #myhousebeautiful #finditstyleit #instahome #currenthomeview #mydomaine #designsponge #mybhg #bhghome #myhomevibe #bohemianhome #thisiswhyihavetothriftshopeveryday #housetour #modernhome #mydomaine #pocketofmyhome  #myeclecticmix #myhomevibe #homeblogger #mypinterest
Every December I sit down and write an elaborate “plan” for the upcoming year full of hopes, wishes and goals I would like to accomplish.⁠⠀
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I have the notebooks from the last three years, and when I look back at my entries, not much has changed.⁠⠀
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This year is different. Not because of the pandemic. Not because I’m becoming a mom. But because I have a new perspective and view on life, love and work.⁠⠀
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It seems that 2020 taught me to let go a bit. Live in the moment. Less stress. Less pressure. More LIFE.⁠⠀
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There is so much media out there pushing us to be more, do more, say more, spend more etc. I am OVER this hustle culture. I know what I am capable of, but what if I don’t WANT to grow a huge business and quit my corporate career?⁠⠀
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I feel like I’ve been fed a narrative, and I’m just now waking up to my personal truth, finding my own groove, and understanding what works for me and my lifestyle. And more importantly, what doesn’t!⁠⠀
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Head to the blog to read my 3 unconventional and somewhat vague (Isn't that a crime in goal setting?) goals for the new year #linkinbio⁠⠀
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Heading back to work after the holidays is rough 🤪⁠⠀
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I miss having all day to destroy and reassemble my house. We "finished" the bedroom last night & I could cry happy tears. By finishing, I mean we have this left to do 😂⁠⠀
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➖ Replace outlets/light switches + covers⁠⠀
➖ Install quarter round trim + paint it⁠⠀
➖ Re-hang main door⁠⠀
➖ Paint windows⁠⠀
➖ Figure out closet door situation⁠⠀
➖ Buy lamps ⁠⠀
➖ Buy curtain rods + curtains + hang⁠⠀
➖ Buy a light-fixture⁠⠀
➖ DIY + Hang art!⁠⠀
➖ Have electrician out for overhead light⁠⠀
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Meanwhile, we still haven't closed on our last house, so here is a photo to remind ourselves that we still own this place down the road 😅⁠⠀
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#thoughtfullythrifted #sodomino #currentdesignsituation #apartmenttherapy #myhousebeautiful #finditstyleit #instahome #currenthomeview #mydomaine #designsponge #mybhg #bhghome #myhomevibe #bohemianhome #thisiswhyihavetothriftshopeveryday #housetour #modernhome #mydomaine #pocketofmyhome  #myeclecticmix #myhomevibe #homeblogger #mypinterest
Going into 2020, we had no idea where Andrew’s f Going into 2020, we had no idea where Andrew’s fellowship was going to take us. In January, he matched at IU & we were so excited to move “home.” Amidst the pandemic, we lived in FOUR different houses. We both changed jobs & now we have a baby on the way! A tough, but rewarding year that I honestly wouldn’t change 🖤 Going into 2021, I am so hopeful for all the good that is to come. I can’t wait to make our new house a home & to meet our baby girl! 🥰

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