Most prolific bloggers can tell you that money should not be your key goal. It’d be like purposefully picking up a bad gambling habit in the hopes you one day hit it big. So find a site that can let you do what you love, check out the competition, and get to know your new environment.
Ideally, there will be some void you can fill. The Internet is so huge now that people don’t go on it to pay for things they can get for free or even to be marginally entertained. They want to learn things, to get inspired, to laugh their butts off. The only way traffic will come to your blog is if you offer something other people can’t. So what’s unique to you? What do you know better than anyone else out there in the blogosphere? And then blog about it. Before you can go any further, just figure out your blog’s name, what your content is going to focus on, and who you’re appealing to. Then you can go to the next step! Which is. . .
Check out your competition. What do others do that works? What kind of setup is the most user-friendly? What is the most aesthetically pleasing? What color scheme matches the feel of your content?
If you do end up making money, it won’t be tomorrow. It won’t be this week, it won’t be this month, and it probably won’t even be this year. You’ve got to build up yourself, your name, and your blog before the money will start rolling in. Would you pay anyone money on a smile and a promise? Didn’t think so. So keep blogging.
Your writing skills need to be on the money. If you’d get last place in the spelling bee or if constructing a legible email is difficult, have a friend go over your work for you. Think about the length of your blogs. You want sufficient content, but you don’t want to drone on and on for so long that it’s off-putting. How can you break it up to make it appealing to the masses? Pictures. Pictures are great. Everyone loves pictures. Correction: everyone loves good pictures. In addition to writing skills, make sure your photography skills are on the money, too. Have something to say. Talking about your ex-boyfriend Matt’s curiously small left nipple doesn’t count. Have something people want to read about for minutes at a time. And keep it chatty – talking like a commercial won’t get ’em lining up anytime soon.
Advertisers won’t know what to do with your blog if you don’t have something definable about it. What kind of people do you reach? What’s the appeal? So whether you’re blogging about being a mom, starting your own business, or being a paparazzo in LA, make it your thing if for no other reason than the inevitable piles of money you’ll be raking in.
Advertisers won’t know what to do with your blog if you don’t have something definable about it. What kind of people do you reach? What’s the appeal? So whether you’re blogging about being a mom, starting your own business, or being a paparazzo in LA, make it your thing if for no other reason than the inevitable piles of money you’ll be raking in.
Time. It sucks, but with longevity comes wisdom and reputation. Never steal anybody else’s content. Even if you’re inspired by someone else, give them credit. They may respond in kind! Do your research. Think of it like writing for a newspaper: you want to fact check as much as possible. You want to make sure you have all sides of the story. So before you go spouting off about how Kim Kardashian used to be a man, have a quick chat with Google. It’ll pay off.
So when Marge has a recipe up for Salted Caramel Bonbons and you have a recipe for Caramel Salted Bonbons, hit Marge up! Comment on her blog and say, “Marge! I love your stuff as usual. I made these last week and wanted to mix it up, so I made my own Caramel Salted Bonbons. You should check it out [here] and let me know what you think!” How could Marge resist?
And that’s just the half of it. Eventually there will be dealing with ads, sponsors, lawyers, agents, stalker-y fans (hopefully), book signings, giving talks, and the inevitable technical issues and PayPal snafus. Remember when we said you could quit your day job eventually? Well, that time is coming up shortly.
This is a hot topic in non-traditional, adult classes. You don’t have to enroll in school again! Check out your local community center or some of the smaller educational institutions in your area. Or even private seminars or workshops. Who knows? Maybe one day the person giving the seminar will be you!
Blog name, address, and tagline Brief description of your purpose/niche and the author(s) Your target audience and follower counts (everything from Twitter to LinkedIn to email subscribers) Significant rankings, press mentions, awards Contact info Advertising options (more about this – and what to charge – next) Keep it short and sweet, but don’t be afraid to brag a little. You are selling yourself, after all. Routinely update it and use others’ kits to emulate, if need be.
Tweet and Facebook your blog posts. Attack social media with a vengeance. Use StumbleUpon. It has millions of users that are just looking for topical, interesting content. Submit your site and you could be the next gem they find. Create an RSS feed. Then each time you post something new, your followers will be automatically alerted. Pinterest, Google+, Digg, and Reddit are all great sites to think about using to promote your goods, too.
People can start deferring to you. It’ll be great! When you’ve already done something, others will link to it, possibly modify it, and get the word out about you for you. It’s all about networking, whether it’s real life or not.
Another way to go about it is to go to BlogAds. com. They have a seemingly infinite list of blogs sorted by category and traffic – you can find one similar to yours and look at the prices by the week or month. You’ll also want to start thinking about renewal rates and bulk packaging. If you get ads for six months, do they get a deal? What about if they advertise over several of your sites? You’ll have to keep in touch with them when the ads are up, too! And when you get paid, is it through PayPal? If so, they may take a cut – so figure that into your pricing!
Your media kit will come in super handy right about now. When you find a company that you think would fit your blog, you’ll need to convince them that they’ll be reaching new customers through you. Got your salesman cap on?
Each site is a bit different and so is each product. One review could get you $200, while another, similar one, warrants $20. [4] X Research source It’s not consistent money, but it can pad that budget.
Plenty of bloggers turn into legit writers. We’re talking book deals here. So if you’re wondering what the next step is beyond being a successful blogger, it’s getting published. So if this workload isn’t enough, start working on your next masterpiece! It’s about time to add “New York Times Bestseller” to that media kit of yours, isn’t it?
