I can’t help but wonder what the next generation of blogging will look
like. The possibilities are pretty endless when you think of all that is
possible online today. And with this growth and change in technology
will always come new and more innovative ways to make money with
a blog.
94
The best suggestion I can make to you on the future of blogging is to
try and keep up with the emerging blogging trends and get into
something as soon as you can see a way to generate income with it.
Do it before other people flood the market and you will have a nice
income from your blog for years to come.
You should also support the blogging community by participating in
other people’s blogs, and helping those new to the medium. There is
plenty of revenue to go around and it’s a nice thing to help out other
people along your life’s path.
Best of luck to you and happy blogging!
Showing posts with label Blogger Set-Up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogger Set-Up. Show all posts
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Meat of Your Messages
For the meat of your messages, or the actual content, I have to first
suggest that you stick to writing your own blog posts. Some bloggers
do purchase large batches of articles written on a single topic, and
then post them to their blog each day as if they had written them
themselves. There are a few flaws with doing it this way. You will
never get good quality content unless you pay a decent price for it,
which sort of defeats the purpose of having a blog you want to make
money with. And, you just plain cannot connect with your readers and
give your blog that personal feel it needs to have if you are just
posting pre-written articles to it. Writing decent content really and
truly does not take a lot of time, but it is well worth the effort for the
returns you will receive. Even if you post less often than you would
like, or with shorter posts, that is still better than an impersonal blog
of cheap purchased content.
Your blog message posts do not need to be long. Trying to aim for
posts which are about 300-400 words is probably ideal. Even a simple
paragraph or two every few days is enough writing if that is all the
time or writing ability you have. The most important thing is that you
post regularly and try to engage your readers with your writing style
and content. Make your readers want to come back and “visit” with
you each and every day! Even if all you can muster on a given day is
what is going on in your life and why you haven’t posted anything on
the topic of your blog that day or week.
So, what do you write? An example of good content would be a
product review. If you have a blog on horses you might want to do a
review on the new hoof cleaner you just bought. By mentioning a
specific product you will find that AdSense gives your blog ads which
are similar to the product you are reviewing. This helps you to get
clicks because the ads blend in to your content and if they are
positioned in the right place on your blog can look like personal
product recommendations from you. Other horse lovers will read your
post and then either click on a link to go buy the same hoof cleaner
you mentioned, or they will use your Google for Search box and buy
one through that. Either option will result in income for you from
Google. Simple.
Other good content is anything which educates or entertains your
reader. If you have a blog on horses you might want to talk about
their care, their health, or even their personality. You might want to
entertain your readers with stories of your personal horses or a review
of the best horse movie you have seen. Think of your blog like
television. Some programs educate while others simply entertain.
Either type of show serves its purpose, and both have advertising that
goes along with their content. All television stations offer a variety of
programming so that they can appeal to the largest viewing audience
as possible. And, we as viewers put up with the ads because we know
that without them we would not have our favorite shows available to
watch.
Another way you can get good content for your blog is allow people
with a similar blog topic, or website owners offering similar goods and
services, to “guest” blog on your blog. This allows you to have great
and relevant content on your blog which you did not have to take the
time to personally write. You can also offer to guest blog on their
blogs in exchange for a link back to your own blog.
If you really cannot write or have little interest in writing your blog,
then you can always hire someone to do your blog posts for you.
However, if you do choose to go this route you will want to find
someone who writes well, with English as their native language if you
have an English blog, and someone who is very knowledgeable about
the topic of your blog. You will want to work closely with them to
make sure that they care about your blog and your readers as you do.
Read what they post on your blog each day and decide if that is what
you want your blog to be about.
Finding freelance writers who want to blog for you is not hard to do.
There are several websites where you can post a “writer wanted”
message and come up with suitable candidates to post to your blog on
a regular basis.
suggest that you stick to writing your own blog posts. Some bloggers
do purchase large batches of articles written on a single topic, and
then post them to their blog each day as if they had written them
themselves. There are a few flaws with doing it this way. You will
never get good quality content unless you pay a decent price for it,
which sort of defeats the purpose of having a blog you want to make
money with. And, you just plain cannot connect with your readers and
give your blog that personal feel it needs to have if you are just
posting pre-written articles to it. Writing decent content really and
truly does not take a lot of time, but it is well worth the effort for the
returns you will receive. Even if you post less often than you would
like, or with shorter posts, that is still better than an impersonal blog
of cheap purchased content.
Your blog message posts do not need to be long. Trying to aim for
posts which are about 300-400 words is probably ideal. Even a simple
paragraph or two every few days is enough writing if that is all the
time or writing ability you have. The most important thing is that you
post regularly and try to engage your readers with your writing style
and content. Make your readers want to come back and “visit” with
you each and every day! Even if all you can muster on a given day is
what is going on in your life and why you haven’t posted anything on
the topic of your blog that day or week.
So, what do you write? An example of good content would be a
product review. If you have a blog on horses you might want to do a
review on the new hoof cleaner you just bought. By mentioning a
specific product you will find that AdSense gives your blog ads which
are similar to the product you are reviewing. This helps you to get
clicks because the ads blend in to your content and if they are
positioned in the right place on your blog can look like personal
product recommendations from you. Other horse lovers will read your
post and then either click on a link to go buy the same hoof cleaner
you mentioned, or they will use your Google for Search box and buy
one through that. Either option will result in income for you from
Google. Simple.
Other good content is anything which educates or entertains your
reader. If you have a blog on horses you might want to talk about
their care, their health, or even their personality. You might want to
entertain your readers with stories of your personal horses or a review
of the best horse movie you have seen. Think of your blog like
television. Some programs educate while others simply entertain.
Either type of show serves its purpose, and both have advertising that
goes along with their content. All television stations offer a variety of
programming so that they can appeal to the largest viewing audience
as possible. And, we as viewers put up with the ads because we know
that without them we would not have our favorite shows available to
watch.
Another way you can get good content for your blog is allow people
with a similar blog topic, or website owners offering similar goods and
services, to “guest” blog on your blog. This allows you to have great
and relevant content on your blog which you did not have to take the
time to personally write. You can also offer to guest blog on their
blogs in exchange for a link back to your own blog.
If you really cannot write or have little interest in writing your blog,
then you can always hire someone to do your blog posts for you.
However, if you do choose to go this route you will want to find
someone who writes well, with English as their native language if you
have an English blog, and someone who is very knowledgeable about
the topic of your blog. You will want to work closely with them to
make sure that they care about your blog and your readers as you do.
Read what they post on your blog each day and decide if that is what
you want your blog to be about.
Finding freelance writers who want to blog for you is not hard to do.
There are several websites where you can post a “writer wanted”
message and come up with suitable candidates to post to your blog on
a regular basis.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Blogger Template
While most things you will want to do in Blogger require you to know
nothing about the HTML coding that makes things happen behind the
scenes, your template is the one area where you will want to learn a
bit about HTML and a bit about what the various strings of code on
your template mean.
If you were simply going to create a blog to tell your family what’s
going on in your life, then you could probably care less about the
template coding. You would choose a standard Blogger template and
the biggest change you would likely make is to select another standard
template at some point, to change the look of your blog. However,
because we are talking about monetizing your blog, you will need to
be familiar with some basics of HTML and your blog’s template. Where
you put strings of code within that template will effect where they
show up on the screen.
While the HTML in the template looks ominous, it really isn’t too hard
to learn what you will need to know. You will quickly discover that
HTML is a pretty intuitive type of coding and learning the basics are
possible with just a little practice. There are tons of great websites
which can teach you the basics of HTML, as well as books like “HTML
for Dummies” and the like. It is a good idea to find either a good site
or book for you to use when you start playing with your Blogger
template.
It is also important to note that if you always save a backup copy of
your template, then when things go awry, you can always go back to
where you started. Blogger created the ability for you to Backup and
Restore your template with ease. Always take this short step before
modifying your template. It will save you a lot of frustration down the
line. Never make changes to your template without a back-up copy.
Below is the “Template” tab in the Dashboard.
In the next chapter, “Signing Up for AdSense,” I will show you how to
add the AdSense code strings into your template. We will also talk
about specifically where to add the code within the template and
where that location will correspond to on your blog. While it looks
daunting, it really is very simple to do.
As you can see creating a Blogger account is a very simple process.
The first thing to do in order to make some money with a blog is to
create one on Blogger and then play around with the Dashboard and
get familiar with it. Google has done a great job with the “Help”
screens in Blogger. Many of the questions you will have about your
blog, template, and even HTML, they have created instructions and
explanations for. While familiarizing yourself with your new blog it is
advisable to take a few minutes to check out the help screens and look
around there as well. Google understands you will likely want to add
in AdSense and do other simple changes to your blog, so they have
made it as easy as possible for you.
nothing about the HTML coding that makes things happen behind the
scenes, your template is the one area where you will want to learn a
bit about HTML and a bit about what the various strings of code on
your template mean.
If you were simply going to create a blog to tell your family what’s
going on in your life, then you could probably care less about the
template coding. You would choose a standard Blogger template and
the biggest change you would likely make is to select another standard
template at some point, to change the look of your blog. However,
because we are talking about monetizing your blog, you will need to
be familiar with some basics of HTML and your blog’s template. Where
you put strings of code within that template will effect where they
show up on the screen.
While the HTML in the template looks ominous, it really isn’t too hard
to learn what you will need to know. You will quickly discover that
HTML is a pretty intuitive type of coding and learning the basics are
possible with just a little practice. There are tons of great websites
which can teach you the basics of HTML, as well as books like “HTML
for Dummies” and the like. It is a good idea to find either a good site
or book for you to use when you start playing with your Blogger
template.
It is also important to note that if you always save a backup copy of
your template, then when things go awry, you can always go back to
where you started. Blogger created the ability for you to Backup and
Restore your template with ease. Always take this short step before
modifying your template. It will save you a lot of frustration down the
line. Never make changes to your template without a back-up copy.
Below is the “Template” tab in the Dashboard.
In the next chapter, “Signing Up for AdSense,” I will show you how to
add the AdSense code strings into your template. We will also talk
about specifically where to add the code within the template and
where that location will correspond to on your blog. While it looks
daunting, it really is very simple to do.
As you can see creating a Blogger account is a very simple process.
The first thing to do in order to make some money with a blog is to
create one on Blogger and then play around with the Dashboard and
get familiar with it. Google has done a great job with the “Help”
screens in Blogger. Many of the questions you will have about your
blog, template, and even HTML, they have created instructions and
explanations for. While familiarizing yourself with your new blog it is
advisable to take a few minutes to check out the help screens and look
around there as well. Google understands you will likely want to add
in AdSense and do other simple changes to your blog, so they have
made it as easy as possible for you.
Blogger Settings
The “Settings” tab in Blogger allows you to control the Basic Settings,
Publishing, Formatting, Comments, Archiving, Site Feed, E-mail and
Permissions on your blog. It is here where you can change the title of your blog, make a description of your blog and make most other changes which surround the way
your blog acts for both you and your visitors.
You will want to make sure to enter a description here for your blog
that is very heavy in keywords. If your blog is about goats, then you
need to make sure your description talks about goats, hooves, milking,
farming, etc… Use anything and everything you can think of to load
your description with keywords. This will help your ranking with the
search engines and your AdSense ads to optimize their best. Take full
advantage of your blog’s description field.
Publishing, Formatting, Comments, Archiving, Site Feed, E-mail and
Permissions on your blog. It is here where you can change the title of your blog, make a description of your blog and make most other changes which surround the way
your blog acts for both you and your visitors.
You will want to make sure to enter a description here for your blog
that is very heavy in keywords. If your blog is about goats, then you
need to make sure your description talks about goats, hooves, milking,
farming, etc… Use anything and everything you can think of to load
your description with keywords. This will help your ranking with the
search engines and your AdSense ads to optimize their best. Take full
advantage of your blog’s description field.
Blogger Set-Up, Step 3 – Choose a Template
Blogger uses pre-designed standard templates to make your blog look
professional and exciting. By using Blogger’s standard templates you
can have an amazing looking blog, from the first post you make, even
if you do not know any HTML or have any website design experience at
all!
The final step in creating a blog on Blogger is to choose a template
from those listed. Choose a template that is both aesthetically
pleasing to you and which fits the theme of what you want to blog
about. It is important to note that you are able to change your
template, and most other aspects of Blogger, at any time in the future.
From the “Choose a Template” screen you will need to choose your
template by clicking on the radio button of the template of your
choice. Then click on the orange “Continue” button. This will take you
to the “Your Blog Has Been Created” screen.
professional and exciting. By using Blogger’s standard templates you
can have an amazing looking blog, from the first post you make, even
if you do not know any HTML or have any website design experience at
all!
The final step in creating a blog on Blogger is to choose a template
from those listed. Choose a template that is both aesthetically
pleasing to you and which fits the theme of what you want to blog
about. It is important to note that you are able to change your
template, and most other aspects of Blogger, at any time in the future.
From the “Choose a Template” screen you will need to choose your
template by clicking on the radio button of the template of your
choice. Then click on the orange “Continue” button. This will take you
to the “Your Blog Has Been Created” screen.
Blogger Set-Up, Step 2 – Name Your Blog
On the “Name Your Blog” screen you will enter a blog title, a unique
Blogger URL address for your blog, and once again enter the word
verification.
Naming your blog well can be an important part of having a successful
and income generating blog. It is a good idea to name your blog
something memorable and in tune with the content your blog will
contain. Rather than name your blog “Jane’s Blog,” try to name it
something people surfing the web will remember and look for again in
the future.
If you are name is “Jane,” and you will be blogging primarily about
knitting, then your blog might have the title “Jane the Master Knitter”
or something similar. Feel free to use your imagination and have fun
31
with your blog name, but try and keep it both short and easy to
remember.
Each blog on Blogger has a unique URL which looks like this:
http://www.___.blogspot.com
Blogger allows you to enter the word(s) to fill the blank space before
the word “blogspot” in the URL. Just as important as the name of your
blog, what you choose to enter here for the URL will help others to find
your blog online. It is always best to stick to only a few words and
make the URL similar to your blog title. For the example above
something like this would work well:
http://www.adsense.blogspot.com
while http://www.adsense.blogspot.com gets a bit long to
remember and type so it is probably not ideal to use.
The “Name Your Blog” screen of Blogger looks like this:
Once you are satisfied with your new blog’s title, unique Blogger URL,
and have entered the word verification, click on the orange “Continue”
button. This takes you to the third step in creating your blog; the
“Choose a Template” screen.
Blogger URL address for your blog, and once again enter the word
verification.
Naming your blog well can be an important part of having a successful
and income generating blog. It is a good idea to name your blog
something memorable and in tune with the content your blog will
contain. Rather than name your blog “Jane’s Blog,” try to name it
something people surfing the web will remember and look for again in
the future.
If you are name is “Jane,” and you will be blogging primarily about
knitting, then your blog might have the title “Jane the Master Knitter”
or something similar. Feel free to use your imagination and have fun
31
with your blog name, but try and keep it both short and easy to
remember.
Each blog on Blogger has a unique URL which looks like this:
http://www.___.blogspot.com
Blogger allows you to enter the word(s) to fill the blank space before
the word “blogspot” in the URL. Just as important as the name of your
blog, what you choose to enter here for the URL will help others to find
your blog online. It is always best to stick to only a few words and
make the URL similar to your blog title. For the example above
something like this would work well:
http://www.adsense.blogspot.com
while http://www.adsense.blogspot.com gets a bit long to
remember and type so it is probably not ideal to use.
The “Name Your Blog” screen of Blogger looks like this:
Once you are satisfied with your new blog’s title, unique Blogger URL,
and have entered the word verification, click on the orange “Continue”
button. This takes you to the third step in creating your blog; the
“Choose a Template” screen.
Blogger Set-Up, Step 1 – Create an Account
To create your own free blog on Blogger, you will need to complete
just three easy steps. The first is to create a Blogger/Google account.
To create your Blogger account simply fill in the requested information
with an existing e-mail address, a password of your choice, a display
name of your choice, enter the word verification, and check the box
showing that you understand and accept the Blogger “Terms of
Service” legal information. (Yes, you should read the Terms of
Service!)
The word verification on Blogger is simply to insure that actual people
are signing up for Blogger web space and not having software do it for
them. Word verification just simply a security feature that Google
uses on Blogger to try and keep its website safe from spam and other
inappropriate usages.
Once you have entered all of the requested information on the “Create
an Account” screen, click on the orange “Continue” button. This will
take you to the second step in creating your blog; the “Name Your
Blog” screen.
just three easy steps. The first is to create a Blogger/Google account.
To create your Blogger account simply fill in the requested information
with an existing e-mail address, a password of your choice, a display
name of your choice, enter the word verification, and check the box
showing that you understand and accept the Blogger “Terms of
Service” legal information. (Yes, you should read the Terms of
Service!)
The word verification on Blogger is simply to insure that actual people
are signing up for Blogger web space and not having software do it for
them. Word verification just simply a security feature that Google
uses on Blogger to try and keep its website safe from spam and other
inappropriate usages.
Once you have entered all of the requested information on the “Create
an Account” screen, click on the orange “Continue” button. This will
take you to the second step in creating your blog; the “Name Your
Blog” screen.
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