Where to Blog: Don’t Put All Your Blogs in the Same Basket

Ever heard the phrase “don’t put all of your eggs in the same basket”? Well the phrase is there for good reason when it comes to the blogging industry. There are too many blogs already on the internet and your blog has to stand out in that one large basket with millions of eggs. So how do you make money off blogging?

Use Multiple Sites

If you are using just one site to host your blog, you are limiting yourself to one opportunity. There are multiple places to host a blog. While some are free, others come with such an affordable rate that any blogger can justify it. For free blogging, look into sites like Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. Pay for blog hosting at sites like GoDaddy.com or BlueHost.com. Check for future posts about where to host your blog with both free and paid sites listed.

Spread Out Ideas

One idea can easily be turned into five ideas if you think about it. A blog about cake decorating for example can be turned into DIY cake decorating, reviews on cake decorating products, cupcake decorating, fondant and gumpaste decorations, and wedding cakes. Take the branched out ideas and turn them into new blogs. So now you have five blogs spanning on the Internet with your one central idea. That is five chances, instead of one, that someone will find your blog out of the millions out there. Just think what you can do if you do that same procedure 10 or 12 times.

Have Multiple Blogs

Multiple blogs on the same topic are also a good idea, especially when you post a few on one site, a few on the other and so on and so forth. Some bloggers will have over 50 blogs, all that centralize around the same genre, but vary just slightly. Use a few free blogging sites to host a few ideas, then move to paid sites for a few more. Slowly build your way up to having multiple sites, because if you dont maintain them all, then there is not point in having them.

Link, Link, Link

No matter how many blogs you have, they all should be able to link back to one another. Links are automatically recognized by search engines like Yahoo, Bing and Google. Therefore, linking on your blog to another blog or multiple blogs won’t go unnoted. Even if your blogs do not all relate, find a way to tie them together or link them out. This will bring page visits to all sites, but also increase traffic and opportunities for visitors to click on pay-per-click ads or perhaps purchase a product from a certain blog. So link, link, link whenever you can find the chance.

Suggested reading for the blogger ready to earn money:

       

9 Ways to Make Money Blogging

So you started a blog. You have good content and you have a marketable idea, but how do you make money off it? Like most bloggers, you are stuck trying to make some money and create a passive income, but the information on how to do that just isn’t out there. Believe it or not, the information is there, just not out in the open. If you are looking to make some money from your blog, check into a few of these passive income strategies:

eBay Affiliates

The eBay Affiliate program provides bloggers with the ability to link products sold on eBay that relate directly to their blog content. These posts can be turned into widgets on the blog or embedded right in the post text. For each item purchased from your blog, you get a percentage (typically 4%) of the earnings.

Amazon Affiliates

Amazon works like eBay, in which you post links to Amazon products on your site. In return, if a customer clicks on a link posted on your blog and purchases the product, you get a percentage of the purchase price. Unlike eBay, Amazon rewards affiliates by productivity. So the more you sell, the higher your percentage.

Google Adsense

Adsense by Google is one of the easiest ways to make money blogging. Some blog sites, like Blogger.com, offer the ability to add an Adsense widget and you are done. Nothing to maintain, nothing to code, the ads show up, users click them and you get paid every so many clicks per advertisement.

Pay Per Click Advertising

Pay per click advertising is just that, you get paid each time someone clicks on an advertisement. Google is the most popular pay-per-click or PPC, but there are others like Yahoo and MSN that offer PPC advertising for bloggers.

CPM Advertising

CPM or Cost Per Thousand (M) are advertising companies that pay bloggers per viewing of their advertisement, rather than clicks. That means that for every 1,000 views of an advertisement on your blog, you get a paid percentage.

CPA Advertising

CPA or Cost Per Action pays out more than PPC or CPM methods, but these require the visitor to actually act. Whether it is signing up for a newsletter, requesting a quote, etc. Most CPAs will pay bloggers $25 to $65 per action, whereas CPMs and PPCs only pay $0.50 to $1.00 per click.

Self-Made Products

You can promote your blog and make some money with self-made products. For example, you host a humor blog. Create funny slogans for t-shirts, coffee mugs and even calendars and sell them directly on your blog as well as other sites. This is a two-in-one since you will promote and make money all in the same action.

Surveys and Polls

There are many companies out there, usually CPMs that will pay you to host surveys and polls on your blog. In return, you will get a share of the earnings. Companies such as Vizu Answers, let you sign up and select a type of poll that is similar to your blog’s content.

Donations

Earn cash for your blog just by asking for donations to keep it running. This method usually only works for blogs that have loyal readers, but also a large fan base. Furthermore, you need interesting content that makes readers want to pay to read more. Ask for small donations and you might be surprised at how large they can get.

10 Tips for Beginners to Create an Awesome Blog

A blog is no longer just a place to park a few thoughts. A blog is now a business, an income and a place to share your personal experiences, expertise and even your products. Unfortunately, you are not the only one coming up with the savvy idea of a blog, which is why you need to stand out in the crowd of thousands of other sites just like yours. Utilize Savvy Freelancer’s tips for creating the best blog.

Tip 1 – Create Personality

A blog is not anything people want to read if it has no personality. The best blog site offers personality, information and something entertaining.

Tip 2 – Post Consistently

Maintain your site with consistent posts. Posts once every other month or even every other week will not keep readers coming back to the site. Write up posts and submit them at least once per week or announce when posts regularly come out to keep readers coming back for more.

Tip 3 – Don’t Go Overboard

Do not create a site that has your weekly ramblings or have posts be over 500 words long. The average reader loses interest after 400 words; therefore, gear your posts to something the average reader will read, enjoy and not skim through.

Tip 4 – Have a Solid Idea

The most unsuccessful blogs do not have a solid idea. Instead they bounce back and forth from one idea to another, without consistency. Create one solid and very simple idea and stick to it. If you want to veer off course, then create a new site for that new route.

Tip 5 – Allow Comments

Enjoy the feedback of your readers by allowing comments. This will help you gear your next posts toward what people want to hear, get feedback and even have a little insight from others just like you in the same topic.

Tip 6 – Use Titles

Don’t skip on post titles or site titles. These are what search engines often attract; therefore, the title you use should be SEO optimized and attract visitors. The title should also be eye-catching enough in your blog for people to click on it and want to read it.

Tip 7 – Have an Audience

Decide the audience your site will speak to. The best blogs utilize one particular audience. Are you talking to the younger generation? Such as teenager? Or are you geared toward those headed into retirement? Make your posts, language and personality all focus around the main audience type.

Tip 8 – Be Visible

A private site is one that will not have traffic. Make sure posts are set to “public” status for visitors to read and enjoy.

Tip 9 – Be Social

Social networking is a best-friend to the best blogs on the internet. Create a Facebook, Twitter and MySpace page geared toward just your site. Drive traffic to that site with extensive friend lists and followers.

Tip 10 – Use Pictures

Visual helps a lot of readers. Use pictures to enhance posts, especially if posts are how-to related. Do not use other sites posts. Create your own picture to enhance and entice readers to read further. The best blogs will have picture galleries, examples and more to keep the reader interested.