Case Study 👉 How YOU Can Make 2K/Mo with a 1-Year-Old Travel Blog

The Scott Max Newsletter

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Hi 👋, this is the Scott Max newsletter. The daily newsletter bringing you one step closer to your own thriving online business. 

We analyze a wonderful, small, online business each week with a full breakdown of how it makes money, why it makes money, and its opportunities to grow. Below that, we give you the action steps to build a business like this to create freedom for yourself.

This is the best way to learn the tactics, skillset, and nuance of making money online.

Let’s get to the good stuff you'll see in this email:

• A monthly revenue of 2K/Mo

• Content created by enthusiasts

• A roadmap to build your own business

But first, let me introduce our partner for this email,

What does this online business do? 🚀

In this newsletter, we’ll explore a unique travel blog that's doing quite well in the world of tourism.

This blog, managed by a team of travel enthusiasts, brings in around $2,000 a month.

It’s all about giving tourists and adventure seekers the best travel tips and stories.

No matter if you're a seasoned traveler or just starting, you'll find helpful advice here.

The team focuses on making travel easier and more enjoyable for everyone who loves to explore new places.

How does this online business make money? 💻

So, how does this travel blog make its money?

They use a smart pair of methods: Display Ads and Affiliate Marketing.

These are like an iconic monetization duo in the blogging world.

Display Ads are those ads you see on the website.

Every time someone looks at these ads or clicks on them, the blog earns a bit of money.

Then, there's Affiliate Marketing.

This means when they talk about a travel product or service and someone buys it through their link, they get a commission.

Basically, they make money while sharing useful travel tips.

What has this business done well?🔥

This travel blog stands out for several reasons:

Good Monthly Traffic:

In November 2023, attracting 49.9K unique visitors is a clear indicator of the blog's reach and influence.

This level of traffic not only demonstrates the content's appeal but also maximizes the effectiveness of their monetization strategies like display ads and affiliate marketing.

High traffic means more eyes on ads and more potential for affiliate link clicks, boosting revenue.

High-Grade Site Performance:

Earning an 'A' on GTmetrix showcases their commitment to providing a seamless user experience.

Fast loading times and a smoothly running website are essential for keeping visitors engaged and reducing bounce rates.

This high performance likely contributes to their strong visitor retention and repeat traffic.

Valuable Travel Resources:

The dedicated page for travel resources is a significant asset.

By offering detailed information on transportation, accommodation, luggage, and more, they position themselves as a comprehensive travel guide.

This resourcefulness not only attracts readers seeking practical travel advice but also reinforces the blog's authority in the travel niche.

Passionate Team Behind the Scenes:

The fact that the blog is curated by a team deeply passionate about travel is a key strength.

Their enthusiasm and experience translate into authentic, well-researched, and relatable content.

This authenticity likely resonates with the audience, building trust and establishing a loyal reader base that values their insights and recommendations.

What this business could improve?🔥🔥🔥

While this blog is doing well in several aspects, there are still areas where they can grow and improve.

Addressing Declining Visit Duration:

The significant drop in average visit duration from 38:51 minutes in August 2023 to just 4:01 minutes in November 2023 is a red flag.

This change suggests that visitors are not engaging with the content as deeply as before.

Investigating and addressing the reasons for this decrease is crucial.

It could involve analyzing content quality, user experience, or technical issues on the site.

Boosting Social Media Presence:

For a travel blog, social media is a gold mine.

Their current minimal presence on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter is a missed opportunity.

Elevating their social media efforts can help them reach a wider audience, showcase their content more effectively, and engage with their community.

Sharing captivating travel stories, photos, and tips can attract more followers, increase website traffic, and potentially lead to more affiliate sales and ad revenue.

The Reveal, check this online business out for yourself 👀

Meet the team behind TheGreenVoyage: Chiamaka Ihekwoaba, Faiqa Riaz, Harris Mavin, and Taha Khan, a group of travel enthusiasts.

They aim to provide practical, accurate travel information to tourists and adventure seekers.

Their blog focuses on saving travelers time, money, and frustration.

They are affiliate partners with industry service providers, enhancing travel experiences cost-effectively.

The advice and articles on TheGreenVoyage are grounded in customer reviews, personal experiences, and thorough research by the team, ensuring reliable and actionable travel insights.

The Takeaway, What We Learned 🎓

• High Traffic and Effective Monetization: Attracting significant traffic indicates strong content appeal and boosts ad and affiliate revenue.

• Excellent Website Performance: Fast, smooth website functionality enhances user engagement and encourages repeat visits.

• Comprehensive Resources: Offering detailed, practical advice positions a business as a reliable authority in its niche.

• Passion-Driven Content: Authentic, passionate content creation builds trust and a loyal audience.

• Addressing Engagement Drops: Monitoring and improving engagement metrics like visit duration is crucial for sustained success.

• Leveraging Social Media: Active social media engagement can broaden reach, enhance community interaction, and drive traffic and revenue.

Action Steps if you’d like to start a business like this… 👩‍💻

If you’re already up and running with an online business, keep with it and try to implement some of the lessons you might have found in this email.

If not, I very highly recommend our course in digital marketing & business at Max Business School.

You’ll learn all the fundamental skill to build an online income like the one we did a case study on in this email.

Here’s what to expect:

Week 1 - Fundamentals

In this week, you will establish a solid digital marketing foundation. The focus will be on personal branding, but the concepts apply to other business models as well. You will explore:

• WordPress Website Development: Learn to create a professional and user-friendly website using WordPress, a powerful and widely-used platform for various online businesses.

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Understand the basics of SEO to increase online visibility and attract organic traffic to their websites.

• Web Analytics: Discover how to analyze website data using tools like Google Analytics to gain valuable insights into user behavior and make data-driven decisions.

Week 2 - How to start a business

In this week you will delve into expanding the online presence and driving traffic to your website. You will get to learn about:

• Email Marketing: Understand the importance of building an email list and learn effective email marketing strategies to nurture leads and convert them into customers.

• Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Dive into the world of paid advertising and explore techniques to run successful ad campaigns on search engines like Google.

Week 3 - How to grow a business

The final week will focus on harnessing the power of social media platforms for business growth. You will discover:

• Social Media Marketing: Discover how to develop and implement social media strategies to engage with the target audience and build brand loyalty.

• Facebook and Instagram Ads: Explore advanced advertising techniques on these popular platforms to reach a wider audience and generate leads.

Get started now 

Before You Go 👋

Thank you for reading.

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Remember, if you know someone who might like this newsletter, sharing is caring.

If you are ready to get started with your own business, one of the first steps is always a website. Click here for our exclusive hosting plan and click here for an invite to our Max Business School community where you’ll hang out with thousands of fellow ambitious business builders.

Remember to check out the classroom tab (top left corner) for all of our courses teaching you all you need to succeed online.

Bye for now,

Scott Max