I got my first Google Adsense payment after 3 years!!

I'm very excited because I received notification email from Google that I'll be receiving a payment from them!

I've double check in my Google Adsense account that the payment is pending!!

I'm so glad I made it to payment although it's nothing to boast because it took me 3 years to achieve this!

But still, it's a really good reward at the end of the journey and a good "pat on the back" for my effort and perseverance! 

Obviously, this is not some "success story" or "blogging tips" because my experience is nothing when compared to those who make thousands or more per month from Adsense. But I can share my experience with those who are struggling to hit the minimum amount to receive payment.

Be flexible

I actually started out this blog as a review site for budget audio earphones and then branched out to budget items (mainly electronics and gadgets).

But then I soon run into problems:

1) I didn't have enough budget items to review on (I mean I can't be buying so many items and I find it quite meaningless if I buy something I don't need at all just to review them)

2) The scope is narrow and limited.

3) I do not have the technical knowledge and testing equipment to write an in-depth review about the items. I just write about my user experience mostly.

I know most of the blogging tips out there would recommend choosing a niche and sticking with it, but I would actually recommend being flexible and keeping things open.

As you can see, I started blogging about GrabFood after I started delivering for Grab in 2019 and then I also started ranting (oops) on my blog, sharing some of my opinions and thoughts on issues I care about.

In fact, my blog becomes more like a journal whereby I share information I know or what I experience. I also started sharing some of my "hobbies" like my art and crafts.

While I cannot say this will make you good money blogging, but it can be a good way to start (especially if you didn't have a niche) and explore the topics. Who knows, this maybe help you develop a niche.

Link Parties

I've joined countless link parties and I realised that while they don't bring in large traffic at once, they provide some exposure. Link parties are also a good way to discover a variety of unique blogs with very interesting ideas!

I always love the great crafts and food recipes posts! 

I also learnt the importance of attractive thumbnail image! When there are many entries in a party, there will always be that few colourful or unique thumbnails that stand out. Those will usually be the ones that get the most clicks!

Perseverance 

Yes, at the end of the day, the most important thing is Perseverance! 

I must admit that I almost gave up 5-6 months after starting this blog! I mean I've little to no traffic despite churning out an average of 3-4 posts per month. It's quite dejecting when you put in the effort but "no one give a damn"!!

It was also at the point that I was struggling to find "new" budget items to review on. Hence, I decided to just go with the "journal" concept and I found the motivation to continue blogging again.

So basically, other than perseverance, finding the right motivation and mindset is as important. I probably was too impatience.

Well, these are my own little experience with blogging. I don't know if they would be any helpful but hope they can keep you believing and persevering. It might take a long time (3 years for me) but if you hold on, you'll get your fruit of labour (just don't try to game or cheat the system)!

Good Luck!