Not everyone makes money with their blog even if monetary gain is their ultimate goal. It could be that they are not putting enough time and effort into their writing, or they simply have no idea how the blogging world works. There are several recommended steps for making a profit on a blog.
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Blog about your passion- If you are not into the latest technology, do not blog about when the new iPad is set to hit stores. People who blog about what they love is more likely to keep it up and put some thought into each post. Blogs are meant to last for years and have hundreds if not thousands of posts. Blogs on the latest technology or entertainment are popular, but everyone tries to cash in on them. Write about a niche topic that no one knows much about and teach the world about it.
Use more than one advertising service- Most bloggers highly recommend Google Adsense as the main advertiser on a blog, but Adsense is not foolproof and doesn’t make the most money for all blogs. There is also Chitika, Adbrite, and Infolinks. Amazon Associates works well if the content of the blog can be linked to books. Advertising services such as PayPerPost tend to lower the Google ranking due to business conflicts, but can bring in a lot more money for smaller blogs than banners.
Network as much as possible- Find forums and online groups that focus on the topic of your blog. This is also a great way to get to know your audience and spread the word about you as a writer. Take advantage of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Conventions are another way for series bloggers to gain an audience but takes much more time and money than the casual blogger is willing to invest.
Talk and listen to the audience- Those who read a blog are interested in the subject matter and might have some creative insight on future posts. They also want to know that the author is listening to them and cares about their opinion. A personal response to a comment goes a long way for a follower of a blog. Most bloggers can’t respond to all the comments on a blog post but even two or three responses makes a difference.
Cross post with like bloggers- Guest blogging is a great way for bloggers to exchange names and information. Volunteer to write a post for a fellow blogger of the same genre or one that touches on a variety of topics. For example, a fashion blogger could write a post about faux fur clothing on a website pertaining to animal advocacy.
There are millions of blogs on the internet and very few become a means of financial support. Following these guidelines won’t guarantee success, but they are still useful tidbits of information for bloggers of all dedications.