Blog Writing: Make Money, Have Fun - but Be Patient!

Blogging is profitable - but don't expect to learn it quickly and begin making money if you don't already have a strong Internet background. Here are the steps I've followed to get started writing blogs and the steps I'll continue following to improve and learn this online medium.

Do you write often?
I do. I always have ideas. My challenge right now is choosing one blog and improving it each day and each week. My first one, www.donbizblogger.blogspot.com, was more of an experiment. I know it doesn't have specific content which is a disadvantage. However, I'm now going to develop an editorial calendar for it. If you write frequently, then you can create the needed content for blogging which regular visitors expect to see updated.

What's the Purpose of Your Blog?

Information? You may have parenting insights you want to share, or write about American-made cars versus Japanese-made cars.

Commentary? Perhaps you want to share your opinions. How much content do you have inside of you? You may consider one or two different blogs focusing on a specific topic. You may not reach millions of people, but instead it's smarter if you share your expert knowledge with the niche market you serve.

Entertainment? Movie reviews, book reviews or even celebrity gossip (unfortunately) are hot items.

Business-Building? Are you a consultant and do you want to use your blog as a way for current and prospective clients to continue learning from you and hire you for future projects?

Making Money? Choose a popular topic that people search for, learn how to run Google Adsense on your site or other paid links, and start producing content and promoting your site.

A Hobby? Then you can use it to entertain or inform visitors. But give them a reason to come back.
Clearly know the goals for your blog or series of blogs. And don't expect to reap the rewards during the first few months or even the first year.

Do Your Homework
I'm learning from skilled people here on AC in addition to other bloggers I've encountered. Here are two notable links that will allow you to get a better understanding of blogs, how to promote them and how to make money on this part of the Internet.

Paula Neal Mooney is a writer on AC and a prolific blogger. On her site, www.paulamooney.blogspot.com she recently posted research on how much money people are making on their blogs and many are making a solid $1,000 per month.

Darren Rowse of www.problogger.net has a blog that's a wonderful source of information for beginning bloggers and veteran bloggers. He has links to design tips and readers who offer tips on how to buy and sell blogs and web sites. He makes a 6-figure income from blogging - but he writes candidly that he didn't make much money his first 18 months.

So I'll ask you again - are you willing to learn and take the time necessary to improve?

Your Content
You can write your own, download content, or hire other writers, or ask AC producers if you can publish or link to their articles on your blog. Content has to be kept fresh - just like lettuce! I won't write too much about content here, but this is why it's so important to keep your blogs fresh and focused. Old content doesn't attract anyone. I've worked in the non-profit world for most of my career and I've always said, you can tell a non-profit is in trouble when they stop sending out the newsletter! Keep the communication pump primed.

You can have feeds coming to your site on a regular basis as well when you subscribe through RSS and other feeds. See Paula Neal Mooney's site as one example.

Your Technical Skills
I'm learning. It's helpful to have some basic knowledge of html or xhtml programming. I'm in the learning process myself. In the past two weeks, thanks to advice from AC producer Arun Matharoo has basic tutorials on how to make a basic HTML links. I also checked out two books from the library Dave's Quick 'n' Easy Web Pages 2 and the SAMS Teach Yourself HTML and XHTML.

You have a choice here: keep teaching yourself the technical aspects of blogging as you go or find the look of a blog you like and hire a designer. You can also approach a designer and let them know your plan for your blog and give them percentages of future advertising income. It is helpful to know basic codes and it's not difficult once you begin using them.

Maintain Your Blog
Once your site is active this is the cycle you'll find yourself maintaining:
Producing content
Promoting your site
Begin advertising and linking to other blogs.

Accept the Reality!
Yes, you can make money by blogging. I made $1.86 in May! Yippee! I earned enough to buy a large cup of coffee and old-fashioned from my favorite donut shop.

Am I discouraged? Oh, a bit. But I also know there is a learning curve to every new skill and endeavor. I'm upbeat about creating html links, learning how to scan a page and understand the codes. I've gained new technical skills. My background is marketing and I'm also thrilled about new opportunities I see for small businesses to promote themselves effectively.

But I plan on sticking with blogging. Visit www.donbizblogger.blogspot.com and say hi. I know how I need to improve this blog and I'm developing new plans to improve my income.

Enjoy your new adventure.
Stick with it - and have fun along the way!