Everybody knows or at least has a pretty good idea of what a blog is. But most (99.9%) Have no clue about the true possibilities that a blog creates financial wealth. All it takes is a little know-how, some time on your part, and some creativity. It doesn't matter if you're into a skateboard or Fashion Show if you like Nine Inch Nails or Barbara Streisand and Barry Manilow if you like monster trucks or snakes and spiders. What you need to understand is that there is an infinite number of niche categories out there and that when the blog (s) is properly monetized (set for income-earning – cold, cash) it will start to accumulate in.
First, let's start with where to start. Do not use generic, free blogging services. This will make you look immature and inexpensive to your potential audience and will be charged a costly later. Also, the ads that will show dominated may be the host and not yours. Find a hosting company or a good and reliable service. Make sure they have a very high time and research them on the web. I, personally have found GoDaddy to be a great place to start because they have a quick blog tool that can have you up and running in no time and their prices are very, very cheap (a few bucks a month).
Next, choose a niche and name that is interesting and appropriate for your blog. Be sure to research and refine your niche. If you narrow yourself too far and become too specific you will find a very small audience and zero chance of ever earning big bucks. For example, if you like Spider does not go just with a brown heresy or a black widow as it will be too narrow and will leave all the other cool, popular, and even bearable Arachnida that people like to read about. Try and choose something that you both know about and like. If you don't like the subject and are in it just for the money it will show to your readers.
Take the time to brainstorm a bit and when you have narrowed down to three or four ideas start to search the web and see how popular this idea is. Of course, if you like politics there is nothing much more popular than Obama, Pastor Wright, Hillary, and McCain (Bush Revisited). Don't sit and say, "I don't know something everyone will be interested in. "It was the main cop out and really learned helplessness (the term created by Anthony Robbins). Whether you believe in God or not, we are all unique and everyone has a unique gift and experience. Just think about it for a moment. What makes you angry, sad, happy, etc...
Maybe you are a single mother with a few kids and you want to write about your family's growing experience? Maybe you are a hobby stock investor and have some interesting insight? Maybe you like horses, turtle, breeding dogs, etc... Maybe you have some work-related issues or experiences that you would like to share with others. You name it there are people like you out there who are longing to learn from your experience.
Another tip is, don't be too harsh on yourself. As the famous proverb says, "Rome was not built in one day. "Understand that you will get better and better as time goes by. It's just like anything else – practice makes you better and better. Once you've decided on the title and niche, start, and with this I mean start writing content for your blog. This is very important. And not just write endless rambles and chopped keywords articles written for search engines and not your readers. The main point here is to write to your readers.
Place quality over quantity and never, never copy or use other people's articles or content and pass them as your own (this is plagiarism and now fit into your Google Search algorithm – it will put your content way back and maybe even in an additional index where it will get zero readers – and not only can hurt that one page, but your entire site can also get the same treatment – it's not worth it). Don't worry about how long your articles should be an SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It used to be important, but nowadays Google and other search engines are getting much smarter and they make money by generating the best search results. The overall best content will naturally rise to the top of any time period.
There are a lot of writers out there who just write thousands to thousands of some of the worst qualities, articles, and meaningful content I have ever seen. What's funny is that one well-written article or content page can easily transcend all thousands and thousands of low-quality articles in a unique page view and reader. I would say 90% of bloggers fall into the world of low quality and then they wonder why they don't make a lot of money. They grew tired and then gave up.
Here is one of their ideas on how to write a blog and make money out of it:
1. Generate a Blog
2. Add Google AdSense to it.
3. Get Traffic
That's about it. Do you think someone reads that will make it great with a blog? Not possible. What do you think about the reader's article or content? Dismal at best.
You should strive to provide the best quality content that you can to your readers on whatever subjects you decide to target whether it's politics, religion, cars and trucks, sex, music, Armageddon, whatever. Another big Tip here is that there is a quality of content and then there is so-called monster content or Linkbait. Linkbait is just so good content that it entices the flock of people to link to it, blog about it and your website, etc... This is what you have to strive for in your writing. As one of the large Linkbait pages of content or articles can literally bring you millions of pageviews in itself.
Some bloggers (only a handful) have this Linkbait thing down pat and that's why their blog makes millions – that's true millions in ad dollars and income every month! Now keep in mind, nobody expects you to write like it's right out of the gate, but as you write more and more content you'll get better. You must. The rules of writing and Linkbait are to try and freely contribute something that is worth to the Internet and to your readers. Teach them a unique way to save money. How about a unique way to memorize the 100 scientific names of mammals to a biological test? Regardless of your niche, there is a lot that you can contribute.
When you start your blog just write. Don't worry about making money right off the bat. If your intention is not to make money your readers will be much more profitable for you and faithful at the beginning. If you start using Google AdWords or another form of advertising directly from the bat many readers will be put off by it. Generally, the best thing is if you can wait until you have a 50 to 100 solid content page. Also, try and post your content on time. Do not wait a month and then Post 40 articles in one day. Google and some other search engines will probably punish you for this.
When you write your articles and your content will definitely be exposed to article marketing and other similar places like ezines and such. And yes there are people out there who swear that you can get great results from this. My opinion of this is shared by most of the top echelon bloggers and it is this – why on earth would you like to take the time to write great content and give it to others. For a link or two back? Hardly worth it as Google and other search engines are already ignoring links from article sources like ezines and such. Traffic? Hardly feasible as a majority (99% +) is made stick with ezine articles. If you are lucky you may get 1%, but by doing a little research you will find that right past and then buy the ratio far, much less. It is better to keep articles and content for yourself and your own use.
Now, once you have an established website cashing it out. Now you will be big enough that your readers will not mind and if you lose some they will be replaced at the end of the day. Your choice is to use ads like Google AdWords, Adbrite, and others, become an affiliate and sell other nation's goods, or become a true businessman and sell your own stuff. Now as you probably know, the simpler things in life are the least worth your time. That said, Google and PPC (Pay Per Click) is the easiest and you can be set in less than 5 minutes (after they approve your account which may take a day or two). Generally, the payment range for Google and other PPC campaigns is $1 to $20 per 1,000 page views for your website. Don't try and cheat for the juice back – you'll get caught and then you get nothing.
Next is its affiliates. You can sign up with any of the millions of companies from Walmart and target to you name it. The Returns are better on average then PPC as you may now get $20 for $50 or more per thousand clicks. The problem with affiliates is to choose the right company that has a good long-term payment history. Too many people are captivated by big payouts and then folds or similar companies (which is just like a solid stock market back from Walmart or the target that you will get paid on much better than the promise of 200% more than an online gambling place that can be closed legally or similarly). Use your head here and stick with the big names of companies you know and trust.
Finally, there sell your own products. It has the highest advantage of the three sources of income but it involves most of the work on your part because you now have to be another virtual business and sell something from a T-shirt to a widget. Whatever you have to make it, package it, ship it, and handle customer service. When you get this bigger is not a small task. But as with anything else, along with bigger responsibilities comes back wider. Generally, the average (this number is all from a freely available Internet source) One can expect payment or an income of $1 to $20 per one hundred page views. See the difference here, paying 10 times more to sell your own stuff-whatever it may be.
This is what is so neat about blogging. You can do a bit of all three and find want to work best for you. Use Google AdWords and may be an affiliate or two and at the same time start selling the various ideas you have for the product and see what works and what doesn't. That way you'll still earn income while trying new ideas. This is how many new discoveries, website ideas, widgets, etc. Has occurred. You can also ask your friends in your business – the more the merrier. This will make it easier to arrive at and develop more content and fresh ideas to write about!
So there you have it. This is the key to early success for blogging in Shell nuts. As very wisely said in the classic movie Field of Dreams, "If you build them they will come. "Well in the blogosphere, which is quite similar – if you take the time to do a little research and build on it with quality in mind they are coming. And if you take the time to stick with it and continue to challenge, improve, and contribute then survive for the wild, wild rise to financial independence and much more. Remember some blogs nowadays are worth millions and more and some no more than a few years old. This can be you. It can happen and not. I hope you take this into the heart and in the process of creating something phenomenal – I love seeing this happen. Just remember the cardinal rules of life – if you help others it will come back to you tenfold.