How I Grew My Social Media to a Full-Time Income From an RV
- William Golde
- Feb 11
- 5 min read
Updated: 8 minutes ago
The Realistic Roadmap (No Overnight Magic)
Let’s get something clear first.
This is not a get-rich-quick guide. It’s a get-consistent-for-two-years guide.
I didn’t start my account to become a creator. I started it because we had just moved into our RV full-time and I had a very practical dream:
Maybe we could get a few free hotel stays.
I genuinely thought we’d get tired of tiny living. I imagined moments where we’d crave hot showers, long bathtubs, and space to breathe. So I figured if I built a social account, maybe a few hotels would say yes.
Plot twist: We ended up loving the camper more than the hotels.
But something else happened instead.
Want personalized advice and 1 on 1 coaching? I'd LOVE to hop on a call with you! Just drop me a quick line here or emily@adventurefamdam.com
What This Guide Covers
If you're wondering how this actually turns into income, here’s the roadmap I’ll walk you through:
Why I Started (And Why That Matters) Starting without a monetization plan and how that shaped everything.
Building Consistency Before Chasing Income The two-year foundation that most people skip.
Finding Your Niche (And the Niche Inside the Niche) How specificity builds loyal community.
Creating Community, Not Just Content Why connection became the real growth engine.
My First Brand Deal (And What I Charged) How I navigated pricing when I had no idea what I was doing.
Turning a Hobby into a Business Marketing decks, rate cards, email setup, and professional positioning.
Practicing with UGC & Honing My Craft Learning to create ads before brands trusted me with bigger budgets.
Outreach, Pitching & Creator Platforms Where I found deals and how I stopped waiting to be discovered.
Expanding Across Platforms (My Biggest Regret) Why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one algorithm.
The Numbers: From $0 to $50K to Scaling Toward $100K What monetization actually looked like year one and beyond.
Tools & Resources I Use The platforms and systems that keep everything organized.
Step 1: Start Before You Feel “Qualified”
I am not a professional photographer.
I am not a trained videographer.
I am not naturally extroverted.
I was a stay-at-home mom with a toddler and a two-hour nap window.
That nap window became my production studio.
For two years, I committed to making one reel per day during nap time.
Not perfect reels. Not viral reels. Just consistent reels.
That was the foundation.
If you’re waiting to feel ready, you’ll wait forever. Start scrappy. Start messy. Start in your pajamas with a tripod balanced on a cereal box.
Step 2: Use Content as a Creative Outlet (Not a Paycheck)
In the beginning, money was not the driver.
Community was.
Full-time travel can be isolating. Especially as a mom. I didn’t need followers. I needed connection.
So I created content to:
Find like-minded families
Meet up on the road
Build real friendships
Talk about RV life honestly
That shift changed everything.
When you focus on building community instead of extracting money, people feel it. And they stay.
Step 3: Commit Long Enough for Momentum to Catch You
After two years of almost daily posting, I hit 40,000 followers.
No viral explosion. No algorithm fairy dust.
Just daily deposits into the content bank.
Then one day, a brand reached out organically and asked:
“What’s your rate for a reel?”
I nearly fell over.
I had no idea what to charge. I panicked. I researched. I guessed.
I charged $400.
And I worked harder on that reel than anything I’d ever made.
But here’s the key moment:
That was when I realized this could be real.
Step 4: Treat It Like a Business (Even Before It Pays Like One)
Once I knew brands would pay, I shifted from hobby mode to business mode.
Here’s what I did:
Created a professional marketing deck in Canva
Built a rate card
Made a website (even though its not amazing)
Created a professional email
Put my email in every bio
Updated LinkedIn to reflect my creator business
Responded to every DM
Started tracking income and deliverables in Google Sheets
I stopped acting like someone who “kind of posts online” and started acting like a creative entrepreneur.
That mindset shift matters more than you think.
Step 5: Hone Your Craft Like a Filmmaker in Training
I didn’t just wait for brand deals.
I practiced.
I:
Joined UGC platforms (see below for my favorites)
Made spec ads
Experimented with hooks
Tested humor + value content
Studied creators I admired
Followed trends only if they fit my niche
Made hundreds of videos that didn’t perform well
You don’t get good by thinking about it. You get good by shipping content relentlessly.
Step 6: Build Community Intentionally
Community isn’t an accidental side effect. It’s a strategy.
I:
Engaged heavily with creators in my niche
Commented thoughtfully
Showed up in conversations
Created Facebook communities for connection, not growth
Went to events and meetups
Nurtured real relationships
Social media is not about posting. It’s about participating.
Step 7: Find Your Niche (Then Niche Down Again)
My niche was:
RV life
Full-time travel
Family adventure
But the niche within the niche became:
Traveling mom
Outdoorsy family
Rooftop tent + RV lifestyle
Community-focused content
Specificity attracts.
When someone says, “She’s exactly like us,” that’s when growth becomes sticky.
Step 8: Be Everywhere (Eventually)
This is my biggest regret.
For two years I focused only on Instagram. I wanted to master one platform.
I should have been cross-posting from day one.
Now I:
Repurpose content across platforms
Diversify my audience base
Protect myself from algorithm swings
If you’re starting now, post everywhere. Don’t overthink it.
Step 9: Outreach > Waiting
After my first brand deal, I didn’t sit back.
I:
Pitched brands directly
Joined UGC platforms
Put my handle on every creator marketplace I could find
Followed up
Showed up consistently
Opportunities rarely fall from the sky twice.
Step 10: Take the Smaller Deals (Strategically)
In my first year monetizing, I made over $50,000.
Some of those deals were underpaid.
But they:
Built my portfolio
Built my confidence
Built my reputation
Proved to future brands I was experienced
Year two, I’m aiming for $100,000.
The growth compounds.
The Core Pillars That Built My Business
If I had to boil it down:
Build community first
Post consistently for years, not weeks
Find your niche and niche deeper
Engage constantly
Practice your craft obsessively
Treat it like a business early
Pitch brands
Show up at events
Expand across platforms
Respond to everything
This is not glamorous.
It’s sustainable.
Resources I Use
Marketing Deck & Rate Card: Canva
Tracking Income & Deliverables: Google Sheets
Website + Email: Wix!
Creator Databases: I literally just googled these and signed up for all of them here are some examples: FeedSpot, Social Cat, Grin, Tribe, Lefty
Final Thoughts
I’m still building. Still learning. Still experimenting.
This business isn’t a finish line. It’s more like tending a campfire. You feed it daily. You protect it from wind. You adjust when it shifts.
And eventually, it warms your whole life.
If you’re at the beginning, don’t rush it.
Build something that feels like home.
Come and join the fun over on IG @adventurefamdam feel free to reach out in DM's with any questions!!!
Want personalized advice and 1 on 1 coaching? I'd LOVE to hop on a call with you! Just drop me a quick line here or emily@adventurefamdam.com
