Blogging for profit

[BeetleLinz1125]

Can someone explain the ins & outs of this? I get that you get followers and then sign up to get paid by ads and stuff....but what other stuff do I need to know? Also, how much can you actually earn? I feel like there's gotta be some catch.

Right now I am just trying to get information about it, not sure if this is something I am going to try and do or just continue blogging for a hobby. My blog is structured to be my experience learning how to crochet...I know there's a million blogs about stuff like that, but right now it's just a personal one so I can see my own progress and have an outlet. I do plan to utilize Facebook & Twitter to promote my blog even if I don't blog for cash. I will have to see what other things are out there if I decide to turn for profit.

Sorry if this has been asked a million times...if there's a good site or threas already out there if you could link me to it I would appreciate it!

TIA

[Paul Murray]

There's a lots of ways you can make money from blogging and your blog itself. Here's a few examples;

• Selling advertising space
• Affiliate links
• Google adsense
• Writing and selling an e-book
• Paid guest blogging
• ... plus more yet to be discovered

The catch is that you need to work hard to build up a following by providing unique, relevant content, commenting on other blogs, guest posting, utilising forums and social media, paying for advertising...

It won't happen over night, and there's no guarantee that it will happen at all, but it's important to have a plan, and be willing to invest time and money into your venture (as you would any other business, which this is essentially).

If your current blog is a personal one, I'd look at setting up a new blog that focusses solely on the subject you're dealing with so that people don't have to search through 'filler content' about your personal life (loyal subscribers way want to know more about you, but a surfer looking for a guide on crochet for example, may not, at least not straight away).

[cp9195]

Yeah making any serious money is a long term investment of time. You have to invest time in understanding how to structure the blog, then put time into actually building it out.

But some people do make a decent income blogging.

[BeetleLinz1125]

Yeah I don't plan to start trying to do anything for profit until I know that it is something I can do long-term. I completely understand it takes a LOT of time and effort to get where you do make money.

So far my plan is to just start blogging and determine later if there is a high enough following to go into for-profit blogging. Definitely not going to try and do it with a small amount of followers. I guess I have the figure in my head of 100 followers...and that's not set in stone, but that might be at least a good figure where I can evaluate things and see if there is enough traffic on it if it would provide any extra income. I don't expect it to turn into something full time at all. It's just a hobby and I'm looking into my options.

As far as my topic, I am going to stick to one subject and not random posts about daily thoughts. I don't think I have anything interesting enough to say that enough people would want to listed to me about random things! I'm more doing it for a way to stay focused on my hobby and watch my skill develop. I'm basically blogging my way through learning to crochet.

[ajwalsh]

When you're serious about trying to make money with a blog, it's important to understand that there are two very different models.

Some bloggers focus almost exclusively on writing interesting content, save for throwing up a few AdSense units or affiliate banners. If they have a large number of subscribers/regular readers, they will naturally make a decent amount of money due to sheer traffic volume and the inevitability that some people will click those ads.

On the other hand, the few bloggers who make a full-time income online approach things in an entirely different manner. For them, the blog itself is not a business, as most people think, but rather a vehicle for them to promote and grow their business. They will usually be creating their own products or services (ebooks, themes, software, online courses etc.) that solve a common problem in their niche.

They are constantly tweaking their site to optimize it for conversions. They are well-versed in internet marketing. They are building an email list with email marketing software and engaging with their audience on another level.

It's not to say that you can't convert a blog to a business, but the approach required to make a serious income is a completely different mindset.

Best of luck. Post your blog in the review my blog forum once you get to 15 posts!

[ChickenFreak]

Originally Posted by BeetleLinz1125

My blog is structured to be my experience learning how to crochet...I know there's a million blogs about stuff like that, but right now it's just a personal one so I can see my own progress and have an outlet.

And those are good reasons to blog. Most blogs don't make money, even if the blogger tries. And if you focus strongly on making money, I suspect that you'll lose sight of the enjoyment that you were getting from your blog in the first place, and your readers will sense that, and your blog will be less successful even as a hobby blog.

There's nothing _wrong_ with making money from a blog, but the odds are just so low that, IMO, it's not worth adding the weight and worries of a business to what should be a fun hobby. If you find that your fun blog has unexpectedly attracted thousands of followers, then you could start thinking about whether there's any sort of business there.

ChickenFreak

[Techmaker]

Don't think too much on earning money if you are a newbie to blogging. Think only on quality original content and traffic to your blog. Once you achieve a considerable amount of traffic to your blog, you can monetize it.

[Dawnerthusa]

Hi.

I'm a brand spanking new blogger, too. I'd recommend going to a bookstore and finding books on blogging. One I'm reading right now is "ProBlogger: Secrets to Blogging Your Way to a Six Figure Income." Who can resist a title like that? Yet, it gives a lot of information about the work involved in making blogs pay off--and the different ways to do it.

Hope this helps!

Dawn

[barbrine]

I owned 3 blogs last, 1 for hobby (daily life) and 2 for money making (Adsense), it's kind of hard to run 3 blogs at the same time. I've to add less articles to each of them and spend more time on blogging. After 4 tired months, I quit on one money-making blog, and now I own 2 blogs, and got about $10 weekly, lol~ Not bad for me.

[bloggersclassifieds]

I've been blogging for about 8 months now and have started to make some decent money the last 3 months (on my other blog). I make an average of $20-$25 a month on adsense so it is not a big money maker but it pays for hosting. The bulk of my revenue come from advertising. I have made just about nothing in affiliate sales, this is not something that I focus on.

I agree that quality content is a must however, SEO is also important. You can write the best content on the web but if your SEO is poor no one will ever see it. Once you publish your content you also have to promote via social media, etc. It is very difficult to make money blogging but it is possible. Choose a niche that will give you a competitive advantage and write good content, you will get traffic and the money will follow.

I recommend you visit Pat Flynn's site SPI if you are serious about making money from blogging.

Happy Blogging!