I failed for 3 straight years before I made my first $70 blogging
This is my story: how I started, what went wrong, what finally worked, and what you need to understand if you’re serious about making money from blogging.
The Beginning: How I Got Into Blogging as a Student in Cameroon
In 2018, I was still in high school in Cameroon.
I had computer science as one of my subjects, but I spent most of my time searching things like “how to make money online.”
That’s when I found blogging.
It seemed simple; create content, get traffic, apply for Google Adsense, make money.
All the YouTube tutorials said the same thing:
Start with a free WordPress blog. Practice.
Then get a domain name and hosting once you’re confident.
I followed the steps exactly.
I wrote blog posts for a whole year on a free WordPress site.
No traffic, no money, no results. But I didn’t quit.
In January 2019, I came across a tweet that said,
“Drop your wish. Your helper might be watching.”
So I did.
I replied, “I need a domain name. I’ve been learning WordPress for a year. I’m ready.”
To my surprise, someone replied and actually bought me the domain I wanted.
That moment felt like my breakthrough.
I set up my blog. I applied for AdSense. I started posting consistently.
But after one full year… I earned nothing. Not even $1.
Then it was time to renew the domain.
I reached out to the guy who bought it for me.
He never replied.
I waited and hoped but eventually, the domain expired.
And I lost everything.
Failure After Failure: Three Blogs, Zero Results
Losing that domain hurt, but I wasn’t ready to quit.
I bought another domain with my own money.
Launched a new blog. Failed again.
Then I bought a third one.
Tried a new niche. Still failed.
From 2018 to 2021, I launched three different blogs.
And all three went nowhere.
Looking back, I can now see the problem.
I wasn’t failing because I was dumb or lazy.
I was failing because I was chasing shortcuts.
Waiting for someone to help me.
Relying on free tools, free knowledge, free domains.
I thought success would come if I just kept trying.
The truth is, I was just busy… not focused.
How I Finally Made My First $70 from Blogging
In 2021, things finally changed.
I was now in medical school, studying health every day.
So I decided to create a health blog.
No tricks. No copying other people.
Just writing what I knew, in simple language that anyone could understand.
I showed up consistently.
Didn’t overthink SEO or worry about getting it perfect.
I just focused on building something real.
Three months in, I made my first $70 from Google AdSense.
It may not sound like much, but for me, it was proof that blogging could work.
By the end of that year, I had made $2,400.
For a student living in Cameroon, that was huge.
I could now buy what I needed. Cover my expenses.
And I finally felt like I had control over my own money.
What Blogging Taught Me About Success
Blogging taught me the hard way that success doesn’t come from luck or shortcuts.
It comes from ownership.
Focus. Simplicity. And consistency.
If you’re still stuck and wondering why your blog isn’t working, ask yourself:
Are you building something real?
Or are you just waiting to be rescued?
Nothing started working for me until I took full responsibility.
Until I stopped hoping someone would give me the tools, the money, or the secrets.
I stopped begging.
I stopped waiting.
And I started building.
So if you’re serious about making money from blogging, here’s my advice:
Pick a topic you know and care about
Buy your own domain and treat it like a business
Show up consistently
Keep it simple and real
And most importantly, stop waiting for permission
Because the moment you take control is the moment everything starts to change.