Tag: Darren Rowse
Apr
15
How To Create a Profitable Blog
There are so many tools out there online anymore that just about anyone can create a good looking blog. In fact, blogging is becoming the national past time – and a very popular way to make a little extra money. While many are still doing it just for fun, there are those that aspire to that “6 figure blogging” reputation. Why not? Its start up cost is almost nothing and all it takes is your time. Or is it?
It looks to me that blogging for income will soon mirror the 2 out of 3 failure rate of new businesses. Actually, I don’t think the majority of new blogs will succeed for the same reason: Poor planning and lack of focus on how it will make money.
This is just one reason that teaching the basics of business to your teens is so important. The common mindset is “Just Do It”. It looks so fun, doing what you want, when you want, how you want. Why wouldn’t anyone want to have their own business or blog?
What happens when they have spent hours and hours buried online, pouring their heart and soul into what inevitable becomes a source of deep discouragement and frustration with no monetary return. Was it really so free? How much could they have had in the bank if those hours had even just paid him minimum wage? The “Build It and They Will Come” attitude doesn’t work any better with blogs than it does with a new business.
There are many that are very public with their opinion that you can’t make money blogging because they tried it and didn’t work, like Daniel Lyons, a talented blogger known for two years as “Fake Steve Jobs” (until Newsweek revealed his identity). In an excellent post by CopyBlogger, Daniel Lyons tell how he only made a little over $1,000 after a traffic spike of 250,000. If you can’t make money with that kind of traffic, he rationalizes, no one can succeed with a blog.
On the other side of the coin, there are many very successful bloggers that share their so called “secrets” and became successful doing just that. But that’s not the only way to succeed. Top bloggers like Darren Rowse with his photography blog will tell you he makes far more with helping those with their camera than he ever did helping beginner bloggers. I’m not sure it’s a secret or not, but there are some essential factors to actually making money with your blog.
CopyBlogger, in that same post referred to above, gives the cornerstone of any successful, profitable blog:
If you want to make money in the real world, solve real problems.
It’s sounds simple, and it really is-but most new bloggers don’t realize this. They jump into creating a blog on whatever suits their fancy. This is a sure recipe for failure. That is, unless what suits your fancy includes helping others suit their fancy. You must have a plan and direct the purpose of your blog to something that will solve real world problem for your intended readers.
If you would like to transform your blog into a profitable blog, study other great bloggers. CopyBlogger is a must read. Of course you must apply the principles, and work at it like a job, but to make money online you have to make yourself useful. Make sure your vision includes a purpose that has income potential.
I agree and personally need to take CopyBlogger’s hard hitting command to heart:
It’s time for online business to grow up
I love that. When blogging first started, most blogs were personal diaries and people loved (and still do!) seeing inside other people’s lives. Now that Facebook takes care of that in a big way, personal blogs have gone back stage. Everyone wants information that will help them in some part of their life that bothers them, and there are a multitude of ways to serve that up. What can YOU do to help someone else?
CopyBlogger is one of my absolute favorite blogs because it is intensely useful. Take a look at his headlines and you will find yourself wanting to read every single one. (at least I do..) He knows what bloggers need (goes beyond want) and gives practical advice that works. Learn from one of the best, go to http://www.copyblogger.com/no-money-blogging/ . Another excellent place to gain a full blogging education is http://www.problogger.net/.
Do you have a favorite blog or one that has useful information on how to blog? Please share with us in the comments. I’d like to compile a list of great bloggers that share it all and we can all learn from – who do you think makes it to that list?
Apr
12
Secrets To Making Money Online by ProBlogger
You all know that I highly recommend all of Darren Rowse’s materials if you want to succeed as a blogger, and his website is a goldmine of information. I recently came across this video that I wanted to share with you:
Please share with us any ideas or (secrets) you might have to making money online with your blog. Thanks!
Aug
28
Summer Blog Contest Finalists! Finally…
Let me warn you ahead of time if you’re thinking of running a contest like this . . .
the toughest part is trying to choose who wins! I mean it’s really, really hard! I’m so grateful that Darren Rowse has agreed to choose the final winner, because I would NOT be able to. It was hard enough to decide on the finalists. There were so many good entries, that many more deserve a winning badge than we can award.
So how did we decide? First, I took into consideration the comments of those that so graciously took the time to make a comment. So, for those of you that didn’t find a friend or relative to comment on your blog . . . “your bad”! We also looked at the quality of content, and depth of blog. Those that blog seriously know the time a good post takes to create, and we all know those ‘just need to throw something up for now’ posts, too. Understanding that all posts can’t have literary award written on them, quality still trumps quantity.
However, consistency in posting is important, too, as well as visual appeal. So with all that taken into consideration . . . everyone wins! Oh, can’t do that, can I? Well, our selection process really had no rhyme or reason, so please don’t be discouraged if you didn’t make the final round. You are probably one of those that was so close, it was only the extra comment that pushed another blog in front of yours.
With all that said, here are the 3 finalists in each category we’ll be submitting to ProBlogger Darren Rowse for final evaluation:
——
YOUTH BLOGS:
——
HOMESCHOOL BLOGS:
Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom
Katie’s Homeschool Cottage (by popular demand)
——
MOM BLOGS:
——
MOMPRENEUR BLOGS:
Network From Home, Homeschoolers Creating Success
——
. . . and our newest category:
BABY BLOGS (blogs under 6 months old)
———————————————
Don’t forget our READER’S CHOICE AWARD – all entered blogs listed at are eligible, and all votes are put into a hat (really!) for a drawing for a free book from Benjamin’s Book Shop. Benjamin (pictured) will do the drawing. Vote by clicking here and commenting.
Please keep in mind that this was really hard, because there were so many excellent blogs to choose from, so keep at it! Blogs are a labor of love, and never really finished. We would like to put all these into some sort of directory for homeschoolers to refer to…keep posted!
Thanks for entering!
So… does anyone have any thoughts on how I could have done this contest any differently? I would love to hear suggestions, opinions, etc!
Welcome to Homeschool Entrepreneur!
Equip your children with a life skill that will stay and grow in them forever. Business training in the home not only creates a natural learning environment for any age. The "Family Business" draws families together and provides opportunity for discussions you won't find in any book . . and the extra money comes in handy, too!
Look at this Homeschool Entrepreneur’s Business:
Let us know if you find a better price than this on ink:
Sale of the Month
Distance Business Training