Make Money Online

Building traffic to a new blog can be a challenge, especially if you are new to the blogging community all together. One of the best ways to start getting traffic is by getting links to your site from other blogs through link exchanges. Basically, you agree to trade links between your sites, either as a link within their Blogroll, or as a link within a blog post that reviews your site (preferred).

I saw another option that I hadn’t seen before over at Total Web Review, that can get you as many as 120 links at once. Read more below to find out more.

———copy and paste the Viralink and instructions below this line———

Below is a matrix of 120 stars, I have already added a link to my blog onto one of the stars, all you need to do is copy and paste the grid into your blog and add your own link to one of the other spare stars, and tell others to do the same!

Viralink

********************
********************
********************

New Addition: When I receive a ping back once you have added the Viralink to your site I will add your link to this grid, and each person who copies the grid from here will also link to your site!

———copy and paste the Viralink and instructions above this line———

Also, be sure to write your own original introduction paragraph so you (and others participating) are not penalized by search engines for duplicate content!

Here’s my monthly rundown for my second month of Blogging for Money. Even with an unfortunate 12-day lapse in activity, I still managed to surpass my April Blogging Revenue. Here are the details.

$118.03 - PayPerPost
$26.00 - Bloggerwave
$10.00 - Blogsvertise
$7.51 - Google AdWords
$6.50 - SponsoredReviews

$168.04 - Total May Revenue

Now, of course there are some costs associated with all the activites as well:

$14.95 - TypePad Premium Blog Account (Monthly)

$14.95 - Total May Costs

So, with my May income surpassing my negative balance from April, I actually made some money (about $60) in my first two months of blogging. Certainly nothing to write home about, but it’s a start. I’d love to hear how your first two months went (or are going?) for you. Let me know!

**Update**

6/2 - InvestorBlogger.com just posted their May results.

I read about it.  I laughed about it.  After all, how hard could it really be to find time to regularly post to your blog(s)?  But having just gone through a 12-day dry spell myself, I now know first-hand some of the issues that can arise and smash your best-intentioned schedule to pieces.

So what happened?  I would call it everyday happenings.  My wife’s schedule got busy with community volunteer events.  My personal work schedule got extremely busy as we are busy pushing our latest online video editing & sharing software launchlive later today.  Our kids’ baseball and softball schedule got extremely unfriendly, with practices and games on every weeknight, with no similarity between the two. Between all the driving, working and fathering, little (no?) attention was spent on my blogs, whether it be online research or writing. 

So I spent a little time this morning trying to figure out what I could do to resolve this issue to a) either have it not happen again, or b) if it does happen again, to keep the “down-time” as short as possible.  Here’s what I came up with:

1. Determine what your “Regular” posting schedule is for each of your blogs.
   Not every blog needs to have daily postings, let alone multiple daily postings.  Determine what is a proper schedule for your blog, and be realistic.  As I add new blogs to my schedule, I try to set realistic weekly goals.  This gives you some flexibility in when you post, and lets you feel good about meeting your goals.  After a 4-5 week starting period, you can adjust your schedule accordingly.
    
2. Spend dedicated chunks of time writing
   Unless you are a professional copywriter (and even then), writing can be a bit of a chore.  Writing good content can be even more difficult.  I’ve found two things to help me with my writing - spending dedicated chunks of time writing content, and writing about related subjects during this time.  This is especially handy if you have a number of blogs that have varied content.  Don’t forget to get everything setup prior to starting and try to avoid all distractions during this.
    
3. Write for posts 3 days from now
   Don’t feel pressured to get posts up “right now”, unless it is related to a breaking news story.  Many of your blog posts can probably be considered “evergreen”, and as such would be as effective 3 days from now as it would be today.  If you aim to have daily posts, write seven posts in one day (See #2 above) and then use your blogging platform to schedule the publishing of these posts over the course of a week.
    
4. Write shorter posts, followup later if needed
   Not every one of your posts needs to be a literary tome.  Quick updates, 50-word tips, a short review and link to a site of interest can all be ways to shorten your required “posting time” when you find yourself in a time-crunch.  If a post warrants a follow-up, you can always write it and reference your original post at a future date.
    
5. Use Paid Review sites or article sites to combat writer’s block
   Regardless of whether you participate in one of the Paid Review services such as PayPerPost, ReviewMe, or SponsoredReviews, or submit articles to a paid-article site such as Helium, I would recommend signing up for one (or more) of these services to serve as inspiration when your idea tank has run empty.
    
6. Review Press Releases for latest company information
   Press Release websites exist for many paid release services that companies use when launching new products or when they have news or information to reach the public.  You can review these press releases and search for terms relevant to your blog for ideas or to find news relevant to your readers.  PrNewswire, PRWeb and BusinessWire three of my regular stops.

When I started blogging (only one month ago now?), I really had no idea what people earn who are blogging for money. It is still a bit fuzzy, and many numbers are being thrown about. To top it all off, many people think that just by blogging about about how to blog for money, they will punch their ticket to online fame and fortune.

Truth be told, there are only a few bloggers who will own that space, and if you had not started your blog about blogging in 2005, chances are you’ve already missed the boat. Darren over at ProBlogger and others have already nailed that market with informative and authoritative content about Professional Blogging. Ironically enough, these professionals also do not seem to make the bulk of their income from these blogs, instead earning their income from content/product sites that are much more targeted.

But back to the question at hand - How much money can you make online with blogging? By most reports, most bloggers earn less than $100/month. But don’t get discouraged! Your efforts are not a sprint, and you won’t start making money right off the bat. New services like PayPerPost and Blogsvertise have certainly helped new bloggers make money at their start, but you really need a 4 to 6 month period of blogging consistently (including content creation and networking) before starting to see results through increased Search Engine Traffic and organic travel overall.

And finally, someone has started to develop a list (lists are great!) of blogger earnings that consists of bloggers who disclose their income online. Paula’s list of blogger salaries runs the gamut of blogger earnings, from a low of $480/year to a high of $3.6 million/year. Don’t be discouraged by the low number of high “salaries” on the list - many bloggers do not disclose their earnings - but use it as a measuring stick to learn about other bloggers and what they are doing to make money online.

In an earlier post, I wrote about Chitika eMiniMalls, and had mentioned that they were probably best suited for blogs or websites heavily focused on product reviews.  Well, apparently they think the same, as this website was not accepted into their network.  Another site in our network - DVGadgets is launching later this month, so we will be submitting them to the Chitika network to see whether we can’t get started.  From what I’ve heard from others, Chitika advertising can be a very lucrative PPC program if used correctly.  I’ll continue to update as we find out more.

Here’s another entry into the Sponsored Blogging universe - Blogsvertise. Similar to Pay Per Post, Blogsvertise typically pays in the $5 to $15 range per sponsored post that you include in your blog. Unlike many other services, however, you do not get to choose from a qeue of opportunities — instead, the “blogsvertise administrator” will assign you writing tasks. You don’t have to necessarily endorse the product or service, just mention it in your blog and link to the sponsor three times in your post.

If you have just setup your blog within the last 30 days, or have sparse content, you are unlikely to be approved for a standard account. However, Blogsvertise will accept you on a “probation” status that allows you to accept and complete writing tasks for the service. While these tasks only pay $2 per completed task, this will provide you with some level of income (and start filling out content on your blog!) during a time when most other services will not accept you.

I’ve just signed up for the service, so do not have any specific experiences to pass on about the service yet. If any readers have used the service, please pass on your experiences with Blogsvertise.

Here’s a quick rundown from my first month Blogging for Money.  I don’t know if this is a lot or a little for the first month, but hopefully will prove to be the baseline in moving forward.  Please let me know how it has compared to your first month as well.

$20.32 - Google AdSense
$80.00 - Affiliate Revenue
$53.01 - Pay Per Post

$153.33 - Total April Revenue

Now, of course there are some costs associated with all the activites as well:

$99.00 - Blue Host Hosting Package (Yearly)
$14.95 - TypePad Premium Blog Account (Monthly)
$50.00 - Design Fees (One-time)
$90.00 - Domain Registration Fees (Yearly)

$253.95 - Total April Costs

So, of course for the month I’m in the hole, but only about $100.  How does the old saying go, "You have to spend money to make money?"  We should definitely see a turn-around in May.

There are a number of online resources that will give you ideas and approaches about how you can increase your blog’s exposure and visibility.  But before you start pro-actively attracting readers, make sure that your blog has a properly-laid foundation so that your readers don’t visit once, never to be heard or seen again.

I consider these six approaches vital to my future blog(s) success:

1. Post frequently with original content about topics related to your blog’s focus.
   This one seems like a no-brainer, but it can be very difficult to actually do.  I’m not saying that you need to make daily posts, but try to publish at least 3 to 4 posts each week as you are starting out.  This will help make your blogging efforts a habit, will improve your writing, and will increase the total amount of related content on your blog.  Frequency of site updates and the total amount of related content are two key measures to Search Engine Visibility and Page Rank.
   &nbsp
2. Keep each of your posts focused on one major topic.
   Don’t go off on a tangent on your individual posts unless it is truly warranted.  Your readers will appreciate you staying on-topic to your post’s headline, and the Search Engines will be better able to categorize and rank your entry.
   &nbsp
3. Find other related blogs and start interacting with their creators.
   Spend some time on Technorati searching about your blog’s content.  Chances are you’ll find a number of blogs that already exist in your niche.  Don’t worry though!  Each blog is the expression of it’s author, and there is always room for new, good resources.  Take the time to read other blogs to get ideas, see how other author’s interact with their readers, and what types of stories generate the most interaction (comments) with their audience. 

   When you find a post on a topic that interests you or is related to your blog, take the time to post a comment.  You may also take it a step further, and write a post on your blog about the same subject, but with your own unique take.  Be sure to give original blog some link love by including a direct link to their post in yours, and also be sure to post a trackback to their original post. 
   &nbsp

4. Get the word out about your blog among your friends & family.
   Send an email out to your entire group of friends and family with the link to your blog, and be sure to include a description of what your blog is about.  Ask them to check it out from time to time, to give you constructive feedback and to forward it to any of their friends who they think might be interested.  Depending on the web-savvy of your family, it also wouldn’t hurt to request a reciprocal link in the blogroll for any family members who might have their own blog.
   &nbsp
5. Include your blog address in the signature of your personal email.
   &nbsp
6. Submit your site to Yahoo, Google and dmoz.org to get the Search Engine love going.
   There are also a large number of Internet Directories you can submit to for free. Yahoo and DMoz.org are notoriously slow about posting sites to their directory, so by the time your site is accepted, your foundation should be ready for the visitors.

There are certainly many more activities that you can (and should!) undertake for your blog(s), but by taking care of these six core activities, you’ll lay a solid foundation for the future of your blog.

I came across a website this morning through PayPerPost - Humidifier Information.  It is a great example of how to use a microsite to create a targeted niche content site that will successfully attract readers and provide extremely targeted contextual ads.

The site already ranks well in the naturalized search engine results (#1 under "humidifier information", and #11 under "humidifier"), and has some good general content about the benefits of humidifiers, different types of humidifiers, and the various different manufacturers.  In addition, it’s well written, has a well-presented template, and presents the contextual ads very cleanly.  Check it out, and consider creating a microsite in this mold.

(Please note that this is not a sponsored post, as this blog did not qualify for the opportunity)

StumbleUpon just released new functionality called StumbleThru that is very exciting for blogs looking to increase their pageviews per user.  StumbleThru is a random content discovery feature for a few selected sites currently (including WikiPedia and , and accounts for your user’s content preferences based on sites that they have previously stumbled.  If they are not current stumblers, they will be returned a random page from your site and notified that they can receive customized results by being a registered stumbler.

Kudos to Michael Arrington of TechCrunch for prompting WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg to create a random page plugin for WordPress that does the same thing on the same day that StumbleThru was announced.

Now hopefully StumbleUpon will be able to make their technology available as a widget, and throw in some additional functionality as well.  I would love to see you be able to specify websites within your network to be Stumbled through.  It would be a great way to get readers of one of your blogs to get exposed to other blogs that you maintain, or selected other sites within your blogroll.