Blogging for dollars

Can you make money from your blog?

The simple answer is yes. Can you make a LOT of money from your blog? Unfortunately it is statistically not likely. There are several reasons for this.

Most new bloggers who hope to make money from their blog do not set realistic goals. They think it will be easy. They assume that if they build it, audience and advertisers will automatically flock to it. It’s not quite that simple.

First, you have to build up an archive of meaningful content that targets a specific audience. Try to add at least one new post every day in order to give people a reason to check back with you.

Next, you must actively promote your blog. That means joining discussion forums that attract your target audience and providing helpful information. Don’t “hard sell”, but be helpful and mention your blog as a source of more information on the given topic. Use a social networking plugin so that your users can easily post links to your blog on their networking pages (notice the social networking links below this post). The more you can get links to your blog in front of people, the better. Place helpful comments on similar blogs. Again, don’t “hard sell” but most blogs allow you to post a link to your site along with your comments, and if people find your comments useful, they are likely to visit your site.

Advertising revenue:

In the beginning, you may be able to generate a small amount of money by placing ads from Google, Doubleclick, or similar ad programs on your site. In the meantime, you MUST build up an audience because the real dollars only come in when you can statistically prove that your audience exists. You will need to learn as many of the SEO tips and tricks that you can so that people can find your blog. Then you can contact advertisers who are trying to reach the same audience (because they most likely won’t contact you). If your plan is to rely on advertising, then it’s all about audience.

Non-advertising revenue:

Are you a professional blogger or a professional who has a blog? There’s more to making money by way of your blog than just selling ad space. In fact, your blog can help you make money without having a single ad on it. Blogs are a great way to establish yourself as an aficionado on a given subject and are likely to bring in leads from people who are interested in your services if you post good and helpful information on a regular basis. Offer something of value to your audience and they will respond.

Don’t give up!

Often I see new bloggers who are excited in the first few days or weeks and then realize that it’s not easy to come up with original, meaningful information every day. In fact, it’s a lot of work. So, they post less and less often, and whatever audience they may have gained (even if it’s just their friends) loses interest. It can take years to really see your blog generate significant revenue, regardless of whether that money comes in the form of advertising dollars or interest in your services.

Have fun!

People will lose interest quickly if all you want to do with your blog is complain. Establish a relationship with your audience. Let them come to know something about you and make it a fun and interesting destination for your readers.

This article copyright © John Nasta 2009 – All Rights Reserved

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