I’ll start off by saying I don’t know the point of this post but it’s not a “let me help you get rich” post. If that is what you’re expecting there are AMPLE guides about how to make $100k a year on social media. This is not that guide and I don’t want to write that guide. Actually this is the anti-guide, if that even makes sense. I’m saying don’t make money on social media.
It’s no secret I don’t love social media, and it’s no secret that I only have (almost) 6,000 Instagram followers which declines every time I put something political in my stories. But I still make money passively as a blogger, make my own schedule, and live the stay at home cat mom life I always wanted.
What’s Wrong With Social Media
Instagram and social media in general have been weird lately. Between algorithm changes and AI nonsense and constant ads, I feel like it’s time to talk about different ways to share content. I’m not on TikTok but I know things are annoying there too. Followers are seeing ads instead of people they want to see content from, engagement is down, and a very palpable frustrated malaise has fallen over social media. There’s also a deep dread that at any point a social media site can disappear (like TikTok that time) or become hostile (sorry Twitter). Everyone else in the world who depends on socials for exposure, I’m left wondering if years of content creation (and for many resulting in little to no money in return) and hours of time will be in vain.
I am writing this post to point out that social media isn’t a necessity. I have 5,700 followers, I make at least $3k a month and I don’t even work 10 hours a week. Most of this is PASSIVE, and passive income is amazing. This is why I’m writing this post, to show you to stop worrying about social media. You’ll be just fine creating your content in other ways. Like, I do enjoy creating content, just not content that I need to worry about. And posting on Instagram and seeing 20 people liking that post and no engagement, makes me stressed and full of worry.
What else I don’t want to do:
-get depressed over likes or followers
-constantly give out free advice
-constantly have to make brand deals and promote products
-worry about if my video that took me way longer than it should have to make on the tiny computer we call a phone because instagram won’t let us create real on a desktop, reaches even a quarter of my followers.
Now I know what everyone says, “people won’t engage if your content is bad.” But I have been posting the same content when I got 2,000 likes or 20. It’s the reach that’s the problem. Followers just aren’t seeing posts these days and Meta is soon going to start reading dms for AI purposes. I hate this.
Many people are leaving socials for things like Substack, which is basically a type of blogging, so they don’t have to deal with frustrating algorithmic mysteries anymore. I won’t touch TikTok I’m sorry, but Patreon is always great. Court is still out on Threads because it seems like a safe space now, but it may soon become Twitter. Can someone invent a new social media app asap please.
Since blogging at the start of 2018, I’ve seen many plant influencers come and go. Some saw insane social media growth quickly, some got a book deal and wrote an industry-changing guide (the ever so talented Darryl Cheng), and some remain just bloggers who change their interests (that’s me). Most often we as a culture associate a large social media following with success. Over 10K followers? Woah. Over 50K followers? Wowee wow wow. Add more “wows” as the numbers increase. What about my 5,000 followers? In a blogger’s eyes, this is peanuts, and that is exactly why I am also shocked I am able to still have a job blogging.
Do I want more followers? Well, yes, but not to the point that I want to make Instagram my life. I did that in 2022 and I was always on my phone. I saw some growth with all of my energy but that was just when video was becoming big and I didn’t make the switch. In 2021-22 it was also pandemic-y and I honestly had more important things to worry about, like not dying from a virus. Social media needed to not be in my life and it was replaced with Animal Crossing. I was much happier. Anyway, let’s go back to how I do make money in real life and not for Nook in Animal Crossing.
Also! It’s important to know I have become a landscape designer since becoming a blogger, and that’s my main income. Please make a metal note that any and all income from that job is not included here, here I’m just talking about very passive income.
How I Make Money Blogging in 2025
My Blog
My blog is pretty seasoned. At almost 10 years old it went through multiple sessions of going viral but I don’t attribute that to its continued success. Honestly, if I didn’t have a blog I would start one now. Many people assume blogs are dead but you know what? I still don’t want to watch a video while I’m making a recipe or propagating my monstera. I want to read words and see pretty pictures. Sure I haven’t been as diligent with posting, but I don’t really need to. My blog allows me to keep “my” audience, I don’t write for any other blogs, I don’t sell any guides, my blog just exists for free.
Amazon
So I’m not super proud of this one, but Amazon Affiliates has been fantastic. Not only can I send readers a link what exact tools or plants I have, but I also make a tiny bit of money. That tiny bit over the course of 100k readers a month is $200-300 depends on the season. I try to keep my amazing storefront updated, but oftentimes it’s links within my blog and sending links through questions in my dms that get me the most money.
Ads
In 2020 I tried really hard to get rid of ads. I started a Patreon which I have since cancelled to try to make a monthly income to get rid of stupid ads on my blog. Maintaining a posting pattern was a bit stressful and just too much work so I ended up keeping ads. Last month I actually removed ads on my blog because they are annoying, but before that ads brought in about $200-500 a month.
Consulting
Here is my bread and butter. Social media would be great to get more clients for consulting but, I’ll be honest, I don’t need any more. I’m in NY where there are a lot of people. People with businesses, people who know people, people who don’t want to DIY/do everything. I went out and started meeting these people and telling them what I do – houseplant consulting. One thing lead to another and consulting jobs began coming in. I actually don’t rely on social media for clients anymore, they almost always sprout up locally and beyond. The thing is, anyone can do consulting, but you have to be good. It’s hard to fake it when people are relaying on you to provide a service, so knowing what you’re talking about and being professional are integral. Now, there are other plant people in NY who do similar things. I always ask why I was preferred over others during the consultation and it always comes down to, “I’ve seen your blog, you know what you’re talking about.” Being good at what you do is pure value. These are small, 20-30 minute consults that brings in at least $1-2k a month for a few regular clients, but that increases depending on the season or if I get a large project (which can bring in a few extra thousand).
Collabs and Partnerships
I don’t do a lot of these. I don’t like pushing products on people. However, I have done some paid collabs, for companies like Costa Farms, but I usually do an IG post for free products. My most recent was with Catris, who make great cat beds, and just received free product for some posts. I don’t include this income because I really don’t seek out collabs anymore, but if that’s your thing these have the potential to bring in a ton of money.
Email List
My email list is also pretty seasoned. I have about 1500 subscribers and send a newsletter once every few months (you can sign up on my home page). This sometimes has blog links or links to products and this also brings in a small amount of income.
Expenses
My expenses are pretty slim, it’s mostly just hosting (which my husband does for me), Canva and occasional expenses when I need extra human help on a project or a job. I do outright purchase anything my clients need, so theoretically my expenses are about $5k a month but I get reimbursed. My real expenses are maybe $100-200 a month.
My Plans for the Future
First and foremost, if you didn’t know, I got a book deal with Hachette! Which is huge. Because of this, I will need to start doing some promotion on social media, but I’m not going to like it. This is why I’m a writer.
Second, my website and everything is getting an overhaul to reflect said book. Yay!
Third, I am planning to get rid of my amazon storefront. I don’t agree with Amazon’s whole system and don’t want to vibe with them anymore and I will be completely eliminating ads on my site for a better user experience.
So the moral of the story is – get out there! Be active in your community! Community is really important right now.
