How to Make Money Blogging

My first experience with blogging was exciting. I was new to the online world and stumbled, almost by accident onto a site called Blogfeast. After a few days of reading the blog entries of others on that site, I couldn't resist joining the group and add my comments to the topics that interested me. Then, before long, I ventured even further into the blogging world, and began to write a few blog entries of my own.

During my first couple of years of blogging, the bloggers on that particular site remained pretty constant. Occasionally a new writer would arrive on the scene and be warmly accepted just as I had been. Some newbies stayed to become permanent members of the group while others moved on. As we shared with each other online, some of us became and still remain close friends, although I have yet to meet any of them personally.

Over time, something changed in our little circle; sploggers, as we called them, began to descend on our group like swarming locusts. These sploggers had only one goal; the goal of posting as many blog entries as possible in as short a time as possible and then moving on to another site; blog entries designed only to bring in as many clicks as possible for the writer so that he or she could earn money from the site. These sploggers showed no consideration for other members of the blogging community. They often posted 8 or 10 entries at a time pushing the entries of regular writers on the site completly off the page, and making it unlikely that the displaced entries would ever be read. A large number of the sploggers didn't even write their own material, but copied it from article sites never bothering to give credit to the real authors of the material.

As you might imagine, this was discouraging to our regular writers, and many left, hoping to find a better site elsewhere.

Blogfeast eventually shut down and I, along with other members of the Blogfeast group did find new places to blog, but the same thing seems to be happening everywhere. I'm not against people trying to make money with their blogging talents, but would like to offer a few suggestions in hopes of making everyone happy.

1. Take time to read the rules before posting on a new blog site.

Every blog site has its own set of rules. Some don't allow any form of profanity or sexual references. It is your job to know exactly what is permitted before you submit your first blog entry on any site.

2. Don't use more than your share of blog space.

On one site where I blog, people who post entry after entry, rudely pushing others off the front page, are called Blog Hogs. One or two entries at a time are enough. Most people soon quit reading anything posted by a Blog Hog so if no one is reading your posts, your goal of having readers click the ads on your blogs will never be met.

3. Check spelling and grammar before posting.

Most people who know how to use a computer also know how to spell reasonably well and how to form decent sentences, so, even if you don't use a spell-checker, there is no excuse for an entry filled with spelling and grammar mistakes. Proof-read every entry before posting it. Break your material into several short paragraphs instead of posting a long, unbroken block of material.

4. Don't post plagarized material or non-original material without giving credit.

Nothing is more disgusting to a good blogger than to see entry after entry of obviously plagarized material. This kind of behavior doesn't gain any readers for you, and can have you banned permanently from a blog site if other members complain to the site owner.

5. Avoid posting material that is nothing but an advertisement.

Don't post items stuffed full of ads you hope people will click so that you can earn a few cents. Most regular bloggers only read well-written blogs on subjects that interest them. Then, if they are convinced that a product mentioned in the post is something they would like to know more about or purchase, they will be likely to click on one of your advertisements. If your blog is difficult to read because it is clogged with other things, they will give up and skip over reading the rest of your blog entry. The blog entry should be worth reading for its content-ads should be a secondary consideration.

6. Take time to read and comment on other blogger's material.

Good bloggers always take time to lend support to other bloggers on their blog site. If you post your material and dash off to post the same items on several other sites without taking time to read and comment on the items posted by fellow bloggers, the chances that your own posts will be read are not likely.

If you recognize even a little bit of Blog Hog or splogger in yourself, after reading the comments above, please understand that you are doing yourself no favor, and that you are ruining sites for other, legitimate bloggers. Perhaps, with a little more effort and cooperation, all of us who love writing on the web can work together to bring back community blog sites where people really do come to know and care about each other.