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Blogging
For Profit: Is It Hard?
Author: Charles Taylor
Who knew that talkativeness could pay? In this age of
virtual
communication, computer-savvy people around the world
are
blogging for fun, blogging for politics, blogging for
the good
of others, blogging for popularity, and now many are
getting an
economic boost by blogging for profit.
Blogging for profit is a goal within reach of anyone
with
average intelligence, a willingness to work hard, and a
basic
grasp of blogging technology. However, very few people
manage
to reap the rewards they seek from their blog. Most
people who
attempt to make money with their blogs fail for two
reasons.
Bloggers often have unrealistic expectations of how fast
their
readership will grow and how much money they will make.
When
these expectations are not met, the disappointment can
crush
the desire to continue blogging. The other trap that
many
bloggers fall into has to do with a lack of foresight.
If
bloggers want to turn a profit, the key to success is to
make a
realistic plan and stick with it.
To succeed at
blogging for profit, the main thing that you will need to do is to first
establish a large readership. The higher
your readership traffic, the more advertisers will agree to pay you.
However, cultivating the number of regular visitors you'll need in order
to make a profit isn't easy. As more and more |
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blogs appear each day, having a unique idea or a
wonderful
writing style is no longer enough to get attention. You
need to
be able to effectively market your blog.
Too many bloggers spend most of their time writing
posts, and
very little time marketing their project. Updating your
content
as often as possible is a great way to keep your blog
high on
blogrolls and high in blog search engines like
technorati.
Once your readers know that you update frequently, they
will
return to your site on a regular basis. However, it
doesn't
matter how often you update if nobody is reading your
page, so
don't skimp on the time that you spend drawing visitors
to your
site. To make your dream of blogging for profit a
reality, try
decreasing your number of posts, and using some of that
time to
market your blog. You can draw new visitors by setting
up link
exchanges with other bloggers, making contacts in the
blog
community, and following other established modes of
winning
traffic.
| Of course, even if
you are a marketing genius, or you have a really great idea for a blog,
success will not happen overnight. It takes time to build the kind of
readership that blogging for profit requires, and it will likely take
several months before you begin to turn a profit. Try to stay |
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committed and to your blogging project and keep a
positive
attitude during this initial rough period. Set goals for
how
often you will update and how many readers you want to
attract,
and then reward yourself for sticking with your plan.
Blogging for profit is only one reason to jump into the
blog
pool. You should pick a topic that interests you,
because as
with any project or profession, doing something you love
brings
its own set of rewards. And it is far easier to market
and
write about something you believe in and enjoy.
About The Author: Charles Taylor contributes articles to
several web sites, most recently http://mudof.com,
http://www.driversneeded.com, and http://dilut.com
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| B-Blogs: A
Business Prerequisite
Author: Scott Lindsay
“How does business change when
everyone is a potential
publisher? A vast new stretch of the information world
opens
up.” – Stephen Baker and Heather Green
As a Business Blogger (b-blogger) you do not need to
reinvent
the wheel and you don’t even need to be an especially
gifted
writer. Simple software solutions are available to allow
you to
blog with confidence even if you feel technologically
challenged.
Link and Click
One of the principal benefits of blogging is you can
simply
provide an opening sentence or paragraph on a subject
that may
be of interest to your clients. Once this is
accomplished you
can simply provide a direct link to the story you wish
to cite.
You can also include an associated photo. The client
then has
the ability to see first hand the information you found
so
valuable in relation to your business; it’s services,
goods and
future.
The information you can provide may be tied to the
movement of
stock in relations to a product you carry. New
advancements in
scientific research that has a bearing on a product you
carry
or new uses for an existing product.
Comprehensive Coverage
Many b-blogs have a list of outside links that may be
interest
to visitors. The purpose of a blog is not to withhold
information or to provide that information on a
time-released
basis. For most b-bloggers there is a realization that
the
information they have to share is available elsewhere on
the
worldwide web, so being as timely as possible simply
makes
sense.
“There are some 9 million blogs out there, with 40,000
new ones
popping up each day.” – Stephen Baker and Heather Green
Point of Comparison
Companies that have made blogging a priority have seen
as many
as five million visits to their blog. When you have web
traffic
at that level you can see how a search engine will
recognize
your blog site as authoritative and reputable and
provide your
blog with a higher rank.
“Given the changes barreling down upon us, blogs are not
a
business elective. They're a prerequisite.” – Stephen
Baker and
Heather Green
Commitment
Operating a b-blog takes discipline and an understanding
that
this IS a marketing tool. It is possible that a b-blog
might
take some time to attract visitors and it may be
tempting to
simply give up on the prospect and drop this marketing
element
from your overall business plan. |
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