How Jamie Silva’s Cuban Food Blog Earns Multiple 6 Figures Per Year from Display Ads Alone
Jamie Silva’s entrepreneurial journey began when she decided to pursue her dream of running her own business by starting a food blog. Her Cuban cuisine blog, A Sassy Spoon, quickly gained popularity, leading her to be accepted into Mediavine within a year. Through continuous growth, scaling, and adapting, she now coaches other food bloggers and earns a significant income from her site, which receives millions of pageviews annually.
To learn more about Jamie Silva, continue reading to discover:
- Why she left her corporate job
- Her journey into food blogging
- The sources of her income
- Her primary marketing strategy
- Her insights on SEO and EEAT
- Her approach to keyword research
- Her content creation process
- Her preferred resources and tools
- Her biggest challenges
- Her proudest achievements
- Her main mistakes
- Her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
Meet Jamie Silva
My name is Jamie, and I grew up in Miami, Florida with Cuban roots. Since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to venture into entrepreneurship. Despite previous failed attempts at starting online ventures and lifestyle blogs, it wasn’t until a career crossroads in 2016 that I fully committed to realizing my dream of being my own boss.
After navigating the worlds of agency life and corporate healthcare, I decided to take a leap of faith and quit my job to explore new opportunities. Instead of pursuing traditional employment, I delved into the realm of food blogging, inspired by the potential for financial success highlighted in income reports from established food bloggers like Pinch of Yum.
By February 2016, I launched A Sassy Spoon, initially sharing recipes using iPhone photos before honing my food photography skills with a used DSLR camera. Emphasizing SEO and site optimization from the start, I gradually built my blog while managing social media for local restaurants through a PR firm.
By mid-2017, I qualified for Mediavine with 47,000 monthly pageviews and later joined Raptive with over 100,000 pageviews by the end of the year. This marked the beginning of my journey towards sustainable income generation through display ads, sponsored content, affiliate marketing, and freelance food photography.
How Much She’s Earning
My income streams have evolved over the years, encompassing display ads, sponsored content, affiliate marketing, and blog coaching. Since 2018, my annual earnings have steadily grown, reaching multi-six-figures by 2021.
As of 2023, my income breakdown is as follows:
- Ad Revenue – 78%
- Blog Coaching – 21%
- Affiliate Marketing – 1%
Display ads remain my primary income source, generating the bulk of my revenue. While my gross income reflects significant earnings, it’s important to consider expenses like taxes, equipment, and other operational costs.
With consistent revenue from display ads through Mediavine Pro, I’m averaging $20k per month, adjusting for seasonal fluctuations.
In late 2022, I made the decision to shift my focus from working with brands to concentrating more on the coaching aspect of my business. My website, A Sassy Spoon, currently receives over 3.5 million pageviews annually, translating to about 290,000 page views each month. I dedicate approximately 20 hours a week to both coaching and managing A Sassy Spoon.
Realizing I had hit a plateau in page views in 2022, I decided to refine my niche from comfort food to Cuban cuisine. This change, along with a revamped content strategy that aligned with my background and expertise as a first-generation Cuban-American, led to a remarkable 40% increase in traffic by the end of the year.
For me, SEO plays a critical role in driving traffic to my website. I focus on leveraging semantic SEO and building topical authority in Cuban cuisine to attract my target audience effectively. Instead of solely relying on keyword research, I prioritize creating content that resonates with my audience’s needs and intentions.
Interestingly, I have never actively pursued backlinks for my website. The backlinks I have acquired over the past 8 years have come organically, primarily through publishers discovering my content on Google or Pinterest. However, I do emphasize strategic internal linking, which has been instrumental in surpassing my page view plateau since 2022.
My content creation process involves a structured workflow spread across the week, with specific days dedicated to planning, shooting, and editing. Additionally, I have a food photographer and a virtual assistant who support me in various blogging tasks, such as photography and content promotion.
I have also seen substantial growth in my email list since narrowing down my niche in early 2022. Through opt-in forms and automated nurture sequences, I have tripled my email subscribers, enhancing engagement with my audience.
In terms of resources, books like “The Flavor Bible” and podcasts like “The Sassy Solopreneur” have been influential in my growth journey. Essential tools like Google Search Console and a strong support system have also played a crucial role in my business development. Additionally, mentorship has been a key factor in my personal and professional growth. Working with Foodie Digital has been essential for A Sassy Spoon, serving as the support system I didn’t realize I needed. Overall, having mentors has been crucial for my growth as an entrepreneur, saving me time and energy and proving to be worth every investment.
My biggest challenge has been learning to prioritize self-care and balance in the midst of the hustle. While I’ve made progress in this area, it’s easy to get consumed by work when you love what you do. I’ve come to understand the importance of pacing myself and allowing for rest and personal time outside of the business.
One of my proudest accomplishments is building a profitable business from scratch that continues to thrive. Starting with nothing in 2016, I have grown a multi-six-figure food blog that generates passive ad revenue and reached $1 million in revenue last year. This success has provided me with financial stability and the freedom I once only dreamed of.
Looking back, I wish I had focused on the Cuban Cuisine niche from the beginning instead of playing it safe with a broader approach. Emulating other bloggers led me to realize that a focused niche could have accelerated my success. If I could go back, I would have chosen a more specific direction sooner.
One thing I wish I had done earlier is outsourcing tasks like photography, blog writing, and social promotion. Having support in these areas can significantly speed up growth and allow for more time to focus on revenue-generating activities.
My advice to other entrepreneurs is to fill a gap in the market by showcasing your expertise in topics that build trust and attract the right audience. It’s important to stay true to your vision, avoid comparing yourself to others, and focus on establishing yourself as an authority in your niche for SEO purposes. Please rephrase this sentence.
