Blogging Resources & Tips

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I'm a blogger so I'm setting up this lens to help other would be bloggers utilize some resources I've found helpful.

You can see my latest posts below...

The best tool I've run across lately to start out making money blogging is Luke Parker's Sure Fire Success System!

Unusual Blogging Tips To Boost Your Blog 

Here are any number of blogging tips I've come across. I'll list them as I find them or dream them up in my own fertile mind.

Also read: How To Triple Your Chances Of Blogging Success!
  1. Prod yourself to blog by having content sent to your email address. Go to Google and set up an email alert for search terms related to your blog. This overcomes both laziness and writer's block because even when you're brain dead, Google is sending possible blog topics your way!
  2. Don't waste you free student web space! Personal blogs on .edu domains can bring premium fees from blogsvertise (see below) depending on the advertiser. Start now building your .edu blog to take advantage of this opportunity!
  3. Prepare To Pay The Cost To have a really great blog, you'll pay a price. It's hard work to keep typing when you feel burned out. Establishing a daily/weekly blog post goal is one step. But when you have a popular blog, you'll also pay the price of constantly improving your technical knowledge of servers, spam blocking software etc or the spammer parasites of the world will crash your blog trying to latch on to your success. There's more, but you'll learn as you go. Usually the price is worth paying if you love to write.

Get Paid To Blog 

While you must love what you're doing to blog successfully, it's always nice to get paid if you can write about something that interests you.


So here's a growing list of opportunities to do just that. Check back as I revise this lense!

PayPerPost.com
Pay Per Post is another great opportunity for bloggers to get paid to write. Unlike blogsvertise which emails you when they select you to blog, Pay Per Post lets you search through available opportunities and select the ones you like. Their leading blogger earned $1,000 in just 7 weeks!

You must check their website for potential jobs.

Blogsvertise.com
Here's a great way to monetize your site and also have someone feed you new information to blog about. You can love it, hate it, promote it, or warn against the link as long as you give them three links. Actually, the things they sent me to post about were quite interesting. If it's absolutely repulsive... JUST SAY NO!

They contact you about potential jobs.

Review Me
ReviewMe.com charge advertisers based on your Page Rank, Alexa score, and estimated rss readership. Bloggers can earn significant amounts for 200 word original posts.

They contact you about potential jobs.

Blogitive
Blogitive usually reviews your blog within 24 hours. You must check in frequently to see if eligible posts are available for you to blog on. Then you must reserve one of these ads for yourself and complete the assignment per their specs. Usually pays $5 fairly quickly.

You review their site about potential jobs.

Blogger Jobs
The blog about getting paid to blog... maybe even enough to rationalize your addiction... or maybe not.

Associated Content
Here's my review of Associated Content.

It's not a blog per se, but it's a place to get paid to write articles which, in turn, can send traffic to your blog or website.

You can get paid to submit content and paid residually for the number of visitors to your articles.
Advertising On Blogs
Tap into a growing network of blogs. The advantages are

1) Fast traffic boost
2) Brand building Buzz fast
3) Quick link popularity (Happy Search Engines!)

Blogging Template Resources 

For many beginners the new Blogger platform allows you most of the tools you'll need to get started. You can even purchase your own domain name and point it to your blog. Here's a blog on blogger with it's own domain name set up to as a non profit website for example. Using a domain name increases your odds of better page rank. Since it's only a few dollars, I strongly suggest it. I use Namecheap.com.

Most people really like WordPress though. That's what I use on this work at home blog. With a popular blog, you need a blog spam filter and Akismet for WordPress does a great job. Your blog host should provide this for a nominal fee or google "Akismet".

As I run across some good links for this section, I'll include them.
Wordpress Adsense System
How to use the free blogs at WordPress.com - combined with Adsense - to generate income from you blogging. Sign up for the free preview to see if this will be helpful to you. I've included this because a great looking theme on WordPress is NOT the same as a theme that automatically leaves your Adsense ads well positioned! If you want to pay for your blogging habit, this is crucial to understand.

Blogging Themes - Free Wordpress Templates
For me Wordpress is somewhat intimidating. It's nice to have a predesigned theme so you don't end up messing everything up. This site provides free Wordpress themes for your inspection.

Lorelle's Word Press Tips & Tricks
I've blogged daily on Wordpress for over a year. But someone else does all the tech support so I don't have to. If you're looking for numerous Wordpress tips and tricks because you're doing this all by yourself, check this site.

Work At Home Business Opportunities Blog Network 

Here's the latest posts from my blog...

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Marketing Your Blog 

How do you get other folks to read your blog?

Before you spend money on advertising, submit articles all over the internet to get traffic, buy pay per click ads, etc. do yourself a favor.

Get the industry's leading Autoresponder system that professional internet marketers worldwide use: Aweber.

Without a professional autoresponder to build your own in house list, are you really maximizing the potential of your blog?

So get a professional autoresponder and set up a series of automatic messages to promote yourself, your blog, and any products you wish to sell. Then send regular updates and reminders using the "broadcast" mode.
54 Ways To Get Traffic To Your Blog
Seth Godin himself tells you 54 ways to get people to read your blog.

Getting Other Bloggers To Help
Getting other bloggers to write about your blog is an excellent way to find new readers.

Free is best, but lacking that, paid placements may be helpful as well for initial surge traffic and long term link popularity.

Blogsvertise should be able to put a package together for you that you can live with.

Exact Seek
For $36 per year, you can "buy" a key word related to your blog and run a text ad. Depending on your market and the popularity of your keyword, it will send a steady stream of people your way. For this price, 100 visits per month costs you 3 cents per click. It won't make you rich, but it's an inexpensive way to get a top listing on 260+ lesser known search engines and directories.

How Can Blogging Resources Be More Helpful? 

I'd like to know other resources you need to be a better blogger. How can this Lense help you? (I cannot guarantee the impossible!) Please leave a help request here.

Lensmaster

Chi-TownChica wrote...

Thanks for the lens, I just got started blogging and am looking for new ways to get it out there. One thing, I didn't think it was possible to download a theme to Wordpress?

ReplyPosted September 11, 2007

Lensmaster

Acne_Medicine wrote...

Dear lens master, Your lens contains excellent information. Would you please consider adding your very resourceful lens to my Money Making Affiliate Marketing Programs Group. I'm sure my visitors will love the information. Tx.

ReplyPosted May 03, 2007

Lensmaster

heipet wrote...

Hi Chuck,
great lens! Very useful resource to come back to often. I have added it to my Squidoo favorites, and I have of course toprated you!

ReplyPosted April 20, 2007

Lensmaster

financegirls wrote...

Hi there, I really think blogs is an effective way to advertise your business or earn money... it let's people get to know you more, and if they like what they read, they'll keep coming back. Great share, Chuck!

ReplyPosted April 10, 2007

Monetizing Your Blog 

Above, I gave you some links about how to get paid to write.

Here are other ways to make money from your blog.

Some are only available if you have high amounts of traffic and pageviews.

Others will work with any blog pretty much.

Usually publishers want to be paid per click or for the online web space and not have to worry about "selling" anything and having to make money by commissions.

There are becoming more ways to get paid for blogging than you can count. Here are the ones me or my peers have used.

The most important step you can take to monetize your blog is NOT to rely on RSS readership! In addition to that, get a professional autoresponder to build your own in house list, to maximize the potential of your blog.

Here's what is going to make you money as a writer!
Google Adsense
Basically anyone with a blogger account can apply for this. Build your website or blog some before you apply. Make sure there's decent content and a focused topic. Then ask!

How To Refer Google's Other Products
Google has more than adsense. They pay every time you refer other products. This page tells you how to optimize your website to earn money for these referrals.

Yahoo Publisher Network
If Yahoo Publisher Network has the ad inventory to properly serve your blog (it depends how small your niche is), I understand they pay better than Google. If you're just starting out, this probably isn't a viable option.

Adbrite
Some friends of mine use Adbrite for revenue. The more traffic the more you can charge for space. Adbrite pays per text link per week, not per click like Yahoo Publisher Network and Adsense. Markters hope they can pay less per click using these ads.

Text Link Ads
This is another option for monetizing your blog.
If you're just starting out, this probably isn't a viable option.

Blog Ads
I usually see these on politically oriented sites like Instapundit, not on business sites so much. They are space ads. The more traffic you get (measured by Alexa for example) the more you charge. If you're just starting out, this probably isn't a viable option.

Blog Posts from Google 

Here's what people are writing about right now. Any inspiration here for your blog?
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