Yes, you can earn money with your blog, but don’t turn in your resignation letter just yet. There are some people who make it quite big in the blogosphere, but sad to say, there are even more who do not really earn much. Let’s try to be positive here and look at the ways that you can make money through your blog, shall we?

Get paid to blog. This is one of the most common ways by which you can make money through your blog. It is also called “pay per post” blogging, and is quite popular with personal bloggers. Basically, you sign up with a company that assigns you certain posts on topics and they pay you an agreed amount for each post. You’d have to include a link and/or talk about a product or service. This kind of scheme has created a lot of controversy, mainly because of transparency issues. Still, it provides a small but steady stream of income for bloggers.

Advertising and affiliate programs. The idea is to create a niche blog that focus on a “popular” topic. When I say popular, I mean a topic that is searched a LOT online. Think loans, weight loss, and the like. You will have to focus on these topics and write posts about them. Also, your blog has to achieve a decent PageRank (Google’s way of ranking web sites) in order to attract advertisers.

Alternatively, you can join Google’s Adsense program. The income is lower over a period of time UNLESS you optimize your blog for it; THEN, you can earn a considerable amount. Of course, you have to realize that you need a large amount of traffic in order to make hefty earnings.

As for affiliate programs, think of these as a sales job online. You get a certain percentage of the sales made if someone clicks on an ad from your blog and buys a product or service from your affiliate partner.

I have to clarify something here – your blog does not have to be a niche blog in order to sell ad space. Indeed, a lot of personal blogs have ads.

Contract blogging. For the lack of a better word, I used contract blogging. Basically, what you can do is hone your writing and blogging skills and then join an existing blog network. What’s going to happen is you sell your services as a blogger and you get paid under some sort of scheme. The advantage of this is that you get a relatively stable income and you get to enjoy what you’re doing more!

So, if you want to blog for the money, check out these methods and see which suits you best!

If your goal is to make your mark online and get as many readers as you can possibly get, then promoting your blog is important. While you may have that much confidence in your ideas and writing style, it may not be enough to catch the attention of potential followers. After all, there are millions of blogs out there, what are the chances of a person stumbling upon your blog?

How can you promote your blog? Is there a right way to do it?

To be honest with you, I don’t think there is ONE way to do it. However, you can put into practice some activities that will help you market your blog. Let us look at some of the most practical ones that actually get results.

Facebook
If you had written this more than a year ago, the first item on my list probably wouldn’t have been Facebook. However, we all know just how big this social networking site has become, and it is a very effective way of getting the word out that you have a blog that you want everyone to read. You can publish links to your posts on your Facebook status. You can create a page on Facebook for your blog and invite people to become fans. You can even pay for ads if you are willing to.

Comment. Comment. Comment.
Two things: make sure you comment in relevant blogs and that your comments are NOT solely to promote your blog. Commenting in other blogs is a great way to meet new people who might be interested in what you have to say. However, simply leaving a useless comment and putting your blog URL is not acceptable. That’s spamming, period. I have made quite a number of friends over the years through my personal blog; and how did that start? We discovered each other through blog comments.

Blog Communities
Practically every blogger I know wants others to discover his/her blog. I suppose that this desire has brought about the need for blog communities such as MyBlogLog and BlogCatalog where bloggers can come together and promote their blogs. The good thing about these communities is that you can also discover likeminded people with similar blogs. It’s easier to do this as part of a community – with tools already set in place – rather than manually looking for blogs through a search engine.

Forums
Much like leaving comments in other blogs, you can participate in forums focusing on topics related to your blog. While blatant self-promotion is usually not allowed, you can always make mention of your blog when relevant.

Mobile blogging is also called moblogging, and most mobile bloggers use their mobile phones equipped with cameras. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out just how attractive this can be. Say you’re on the road and you see a gorgeous sunset; with mobile blogging, you simply have to snap a picture of the scenery and upload it directly to your blog. Instant gratification at it’s best!

How does mobile blogging work?

Basically, you have to have a blog already – you can learn more about the basics of this in our other pages. Once you have that up and running, you need to have software that will allow you to directly post on your blog from your mobile phone. This may vary depending on the blogging platform that you choose to use.

As we are using Wordpress, let’s take a look at how you can go about mobile blogging using this platform. The simplest thing that you can do is to use your mobile phone’s web browser and go to the URL http://m.wordpress.com. Upon logging in, you will be directed to a dashboard, much like what you see when you log on using the regular site. The main difference is that it’s so much faster. Once you see that dashboard – and you should already be somewhat familiar with it at this point – you can do practically everything that you do on your computer, in terms of blogging.

Of course, there are also other ways by which you can go about mobile blogging – basically by using plugins that will make the Wordpress dashboard easier for the activity. Some of the more popular mobile plugins for Wordpress are Wphone, Mobile Plugin, and Mippin. You might want to take a more thorough look around if you are that particular about mobile blogging. As a start though, I would say that the default mobile site will serve its purpose.

One other thing to think about when it comes to mobile blogging…why not make sure that your blog is mobile friendly? You do not really have to worry about this right now, but it might save you time in the future. Viewing sites on a mobile phone is definitely different from viewing them on a laptop or computer. As such, when designing your blog, it would be a good idea to look into the future and design it so that it will be compatible with mobile devices. Alternatively, consider having a mobile version of your blog.

I suppose that both sides have a point. I have to say that I believe that to a certain degree, you HAVE TO be able to write decently in order to be an effective blogger. Let us examine a few points.

One, you need to be able to send your message across clearly. Whether you are writing an article for a magazine or you are writing a blog post, you need to get your message across. In order to do so, you have to be able to write coherently.

Two, you need to know the basics of proper spelling, punctuation, and the like. While you may be good with words, glaring mistakes with regard to spelling, punctuation, and grammar will turn people off. It is true that not everyone is a grammar Nazi, but being correct in this regard adds credibility to your blog.

Three, you need to be able to play with words in order to maintain a captive audience. You might have the most interesting ideas to share, but if you do not think of your audience and try to keep them interested, then you might very well fail.

As you can see, those aspects of “formal” writing apply very much to blogging. No matter how you look at it, writing and blogging have many things in common.

On the other hand, we also have to realize that one need not be a Pulitzer awardee to become a good blogger. As bloggers, we do not need to be so strict and formal with regard to styles and writing rules. Perhaps more important than these rules are the things that you can do to promote your blog and increase your readership. What are these things?

One, you have to pay attention to your wording. Key words have long been an important part of writing for the web. People search for information using these key words, and if you focus on a specific topic, then you ought to find out the key words that are most relevant to this topic.

Two, you have to interact with the rest of the blogosphere. More than offering your own content, do not hesitate to link out to other blogs and sites which may have relevant information for your readers as well.

Three, place high importance on comments. Word your posts so as to incite comments from your readers – good or bad it doesn’t matter. The idea is to start a discussion. More so, remember to reply to comments in your blog AND comment in other blogs as well.

Writing IS part of blogging, but do not make the mistake of thinking that all you need to do to maintain a successful blog is to churn out words.

Widgets may sound cool, but do you have a clear idea of what they are and what they can do? Again, let’s go the most basic route: widgets are basically groups of code that can be used in various web sites (including your blog). They do not require any additional programming work on the par of the end user (you and I). All that you need to do is copy the code to your blog, and you’re good to go.

That’s the (slightly) technical part. Now let’s focus on the more practical aspects of widgets. Basically, you can find widgets of any kind that can add visual appeal to your blog. More than aesthetic value, widgets also offer a lot in terms of usability. Think clock widgets, calendar widgets, countdown widgets, map widgets, comment widgets, popular post widgets, and so on. In fact, there are countless widgets available online today, that it is probably impossible to count them!

As you start your blogging journey, you may be tempted to grab each and every widget that catches your fancy. Trust me, this is NOT a good idea. There is such a thing as having too many widgets in your blog, and if this is the case, you will probably end up with confused or irritated readers – both having negative implications for you.

So what are you to do then? Let’s begin with the most essential widgets that you are going to need. After a few weeks or months of blogging, you will have enough experience to pick out more widgets that will be beneficial to your blog.

Popular Posts Widgets
I think that this widget is one of the most important tools out there. Once you amass a lot of posts in your blog, it could be hard for readers to find older posts, even if they are your best posts. The solution is to use a popular post widget which will highlight these posts. Making it easy for your readers to find these excellent posts works in two ways: one, you give quality content to your readers, making them happy; two, you increase your chances of having readers subscribe to your blog.

Labels or Tags Widgets
Blog platforms usually have these widgets as a default, but you should always make sure that your widget is up and running properly. The reason is quite similar to the rationale behind the first widget I mentioned – you want readers to navigate your blog more easily and to find the posts most relevant to them. Just remember, though, that you have to label or tag your posts properly in order for these widgets to work the way they ought to.

Related Posts Widgets
Do you want to get more page views and promote posts that may not be as popular as the others? Then get a widget that provides links to posts with related content. Again, this will give your readers additional information and give you benefits as well.

These are only some of the most important widgets that you can use for your blog. As you go along, I am certain that you will find more.

Let’s begin by looking at the term copyright. What does it really mean? Wikipedia gives a very good definition:

Copyright is a form of intellectual property that gives the author of an original work exclusive right for a certain time period in relation to that work, including its publication, distribution and adaptation, after which time the work is said to enter the public domain. Copyright applies to any expressible form of an idea or information that is substantive and discrete and fixed in a medium. Some jurisdictions also recognize “moral rights” of the creator of a work, such as the right to be credited for the work. Copyright is described under the umbrella term intellectual property along with patents and trademarks.

So why worry about copyright? Why did they come up with the concept in the first place? The bottom line is this: copyright exists so that the owner of the content/idea is protected. This simply means that you can’t just copy text and photos and use it in your posts. You need to get the owner’s explicit permission before you can use the material.

What can you use and what can’t you use?

Here’s a bit of good news – copyrighted material MAY be used in a limited manner IF the purpose is scholarly. In addition to this, you may use copyrighted material to a certain degree if you are reviewing it. This is what is called the principle of “fair use.” Under this, you do not have to ask for the owner’s permission.

More so, anyone is allowed to use facts and other types of material that is not protected by copyright. These include names, general truths, slogans, and the like. Of course, you still have to check for the protection that the “owner” might have acquired. To be on the safe side, always make sure that what you are using is copyright-free.

If you do want to use someone else’s work, you may do so as long as you merely use an excerpt; that is, a small portion of the work. In order to do this legally, your purpose should be something like commenting or critiquing the work OR reporting the work. More importantly, you have to give credit where credit is due. For blogging, this means mentioning your source and, if applicable, linking to the web site or blog where you got the material.

This last bit is what will keep you protected for the most part. Just as long as you do not republish whole works and you always give the proper credit, you should be fine. Better yet, just create brand new material for yourself. After all, that is why you joined the blogosphere in the first place, right?

1. It adds to the whole visual experience. I am talking about color, texture, and the like. Many people are visual; that is, they have a better reading experience when they see illustrations and graphics. Using relevant pictures in your posts will make these people happier, and that is what you want.
2. Pictures help break up long chunks of text. Whether you like it or not, not everyone likes seeing long blocks of text without a break every now and then. This is where pictures come in. If you have 10 paragraphs of interesting text, use two or so pictures to provide breaks. As interesting as the topic may be, the pictures will make it even better!
3. Pictures add recall value. Again, a lot of people are visual, and they remember images better than text. If you want to make a greater impact on your readers, then adding eye catching pictures is the way to go.
4. Pictures say a thousand words. Cliché, I know, but true nonetheless. There are just some things that cannot be described by words in a single post. With a picture, you can achieve things that may not be easily done by merely using pure text.

So now that I have convinced you of the importance of pictures, what next? Let’s take a look at how you can find images for your blog. One thing to remember: make sure that you are not “stealing” photos off of someone. While everything can be had online, you have to be careful of copyright issues.

The good news is that there are many resources online which can help you find photos without worrying about ethical issues. Try iStockphoto, which provides excellent pictures for blogs. You would have to pay for their service, though. You can also take a look at PicApp, which allows you to link to photos for FREE. Other free sites include Stock.Xchng and Freepixels.

Another thing that I like to do is go to Flickr and search for relevant photos. The thing is, you have to click on the option that says Creative Commons License. This will give you results of images that you can use for your blog, as long as you give the proper credit to the owner.

The bottom line here is to find pictures that are related to the content of the post and that are “available” for use. Follow these two simple guidelines and you will have much better posts (visually) without the headache of copyright issues.

In many circles, the general consensus is that bloggers should post new content daily. Much like news web sites, the idea is to keep people coming back for more, more often. Hence, posting on a daily basis is considered the ideal.

Then again, we have to realize that not everyone has the time and/or resources to keep at it on a daily basis. And more than the time, we also have to consider the content itself. There are times when bloggers do not have enough material to come up with posts 30 or 31 days each month. If this is the case, and the blogger forces a post each day, the chances of burning out AND providing poor content skyrocket.

So what is the ideal posting frequency?

Let’s begin with the kind of blog that you want to create – again. If you are planning on a personal blog, then your posting frequency should not be that much of an issue. Naturally, the more often you post, the better. However, at the end of the day, if you are writing to please yourself, then it should not matter how often you post.

If you are planning on having a different kind of blog, or if your goal is to attract a regular audience, then you do have to pay attention to your posting frequency. Always bear in mind what your readers will want. Put yourself in their shoes. How often would you want to read new content from a blog like yours? Does it matter much if there isn’t a new post everyday? Answering these questions will help you decide on your posting frequency.

Again, I am not saying that you have to have a new post every single day. That is just too much for some people, especially those who have hectic schedules. Every other day maybe? Or even thrice or twice a week? I think that these figures are reasonable – not so taxing on the average blogger and yet not so infrequent that readers just give up on visiting the blog.

Whatever number you decide on, here is something that you should never forget: be consistent. Readers like consistency. They want to look forward to visiting a blog and getting fresh content. There is nothing more irritating than reading three or more new posts a day and then not getting anything fresh in the next 3 months! It is much better to spread out your posts rather than to bunch them up in a day and go AWOL for an extended period of time.

My suggestion is for you to set realistic goals and then do everything you can to stick to your posting schedule. Do that, and your readers will love you for it.

Let’s begin the discussion by clearly identifying what we mean by blog design and blog content. In the simplest possible way, when I say blog design, I am referring to the layout, the template, the colors, and all other visual aspects of the blog. When I say blog content, I am referring to the text and relevant images.

You’ve probably heard of the catch phrase “content is king.” A lot of people believe in this, simply because it makes sense. At the end of the day, what you want is to offer people content that they can make use of. It can be practical information on a topic. It can be insights for daily living. It can even be simple humor that will make the reader smile or chuckle. The bottom line is that when people go to your blog, they will find something in terms of information that will suit their needs and preferences.

On the other hand, design makes a HUGE difference in the experience of a reader. Think about the many times that you’ve visited a blog or any other web site. Think about how your perception was affected by the visual elements. More likely than not, a shabby looking blog turned you off even before you could read the contents in detail. When the layout is not user-friendly, it gets even worse. Even the most dedicated of readers might not stick around for more content if navigation is an arduous task.

At this point, you probably see where I am headed – both content and design have their purpose. One cannot be placed on a pedestal at the expense of the other. Indeed, many have come to the realization that your blog design will catch the attention of readers, while your blog content will keep them coming back for more. I hold the belief that a good blog design will attract people. In addition to that, a good blog design will work together with excellent content to keep readers coming back for more.

So how do you strike a balance between these two elements? Here are a few simple things to consider.

One, make sure that the visual elements come together to create a pleasing whole. Different elements – the header, images, widgets – may look good alone, but you have to see the overall effect and make your decision based on that.

Two, make sure that readers will find it easy to browse through your blog. Archives, tags, categories, and other relevant links – help your reader find these without exerting too much effort.

Three, always provide well-written posts about information relevant to your blog’s theme. Don’t fall for this trap: “poor content is better than no content.” Take the time to think out your posts before publishing them. When you look at your blog, you want to be proud of what you are offering!

At this point, you should already know what kind of blog you are going to create. Whether it is a personal blog, a sports blog, a political blog – it does not matter. The important thing is that you know why you are creating a blog and what you are going to be writing about.

Now, what you have to decide on is the blogging platform that you are going to use. As we are using Wordpress, you can expect me to suggest this blogging platform. There are many reasons for this, one of the main things being the fact that Wordpress offers a host of features that make is very easy for new bloggers to create and maintain their blog.

The first thing that you have to do is to go to the Wordpress home page. I am assuming that you do not have an account yet, so the next step is to click on the SIGN UP button. Trust me, you won’t miss it – as of this writing, it’s this big orange button on the right. You don’t need to pay for anything in order to create an account – just make sure you have a valid e-mail address.

As with most other accounts online, you need to designate a username and password that will be associated with your Wordpress account. You will also be asked to read the terms and conditions – make sure you do, even if you don’t really feel like it. Here’s a very important thing: make sure that you choose the option “Gimme a blog!” That’s what you want to do, right?

On to the next step…you have to choose the domain of your blog. For free Wordpress blogs, this is the usual pattern: http://name.wordpress.com/. You can choose what goes in place of “name,” but do realize that it has to be unique. If someone else has picked that name, then you will have to think of something else. You’ll also have to enter the title of your blog. This does not have to be the same as the domain name. Take note that the domain name, once chosen, cannot be changed; but you can always change the blog title anytime. Once you’re done, you are READY TO BLOG!

This is the fun part – you will be redirected to your dashboard, which is the page where you can access practically everything in your blog. From here, you can choose the blog template that you want. You can also start writing your very first post. Now I won’t keep you – try it yourself and pretty soon, your blog will be up and running.