Most of you are probably not seeing enough money from your blog to feel that it’s become a business. That’s okay. That is the experience of most people who start a blog and hope to earn money from it. You’re not alone in this, and you’re not some loser while everyone else is just laughing to the bank.
The “pro blogger” or monetized blog model is a perfectly fine path–look at the success of Darren Rowse who is the problogger. Darren is very careful to say that overnight riches will not happen, and that it takes time and hard work. Realistically, most of you aren’t going to make it with the monetized blog model. It’s not because of who you are as a person, it’s because that model doesn’t work very well for most people. What does? Keep reading and you’ll see.
I’m going to tell you about another way to make money from blogging that dovetails nicely with current trends in online marketing. Instead of thinking of yourself as a pro blogger in the monetized blog sense, consider becoming a pro blogger along the lines of a professional writer who is paid to write blogs by clients. Darren has earned his place in the blogosphere as the most well-known problogger there is for a monetized blog, so I think it would be better to avoid that word and use another.
Consider identifying yourself as a Freelance Blogger. There are freelance blogging job boards where companies are specifically looking to hire paid bloggers.
That will get you started.
As a freelance blogger, you will need to be able to prove that you understand blogging and social media, and that you can get results for your clients. If you get results, you can charge much more than the jobs pay that you see advertised on job boards.
Before you float away with cartoon dollar signs in your eyes, you have to prepare yourself for a mighty transition:
- You need to define your audience and your offering–this is crucial.
- You have to learn how to run a freelance business, which is no easy task.
- You need to know how to market your freelance business through your blog so that you land paying clients.
- You need help from others in your community.
- You need access to resources tailored just for your situation.
- You must stand out from the other freelancers in your area.
- You will need to redesign and overhaul your blog or start a new one.
- You need to dramatically shorten the learning curve for all of this.
How the hell are you going to accomplish all of that in a reasonable amount of time without making tons of mistakes? Let’s take a look at learning from blogs vs. another method.
Freelancer and Writing Blogs are not Enough
Some of my friends run freelancer blogs, home business resources blogs, fiction and web content writing blogs, and copywriting blogs. Their blogs are fantastic, they are some of the best. They have much to offer. But you cannot learn how to build a successful business from just a blog… any blog, including mine.
Why?
Because we need to learn a new subject by covering topics in the right order from beginning to intermediate to advanced.
And, frankly, blogs suck at that.
Categories and tags are not good enough. Popular posts in the sidebar are not good enough. The occasional series of posts is not good enough. You feel like you’re jumping all over the place, missing vital puzzle pieces. Why do you think ebooks still do well?
Most blog search capability is deplorable (mine included–working on it for the next version of Remarkablogger). And just reading stuff or watching a video does not offer a high retention rate, so you’re not really learning the material as well as you could.
A Place Dedicated to Teaching, Learning, and Getting Results
Is there any place online where you can go to actually learn how to grow a business “bass-ackwards” out of your blog? Right now, there isn’t… but it’s coming.
It’s called Gateway Blogging, and it’s going to be the web’s first combination business school and blog marketing school. Turn your blog into a real business by selling services and making real money, instead of just selling advertising and making only a coupla bucks a month.
If you sign up at our About page, you will receive special charter membership pricing for life when the site launches.
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Very true. Anyone brand new to blogging landing on any blog site won’t get the lessons they need in the proper order they need them.
This is why some bloggers like to have series posts, to help eliminate some of that “just jumped in the middle” sensation.
I wish there was a better workaround.
Good points, Michael – I’m looking forward to seeing where Gateway Blogging goes.
Between the advice I’ve been getting from you and James, I’m really starting to focus on being more “purposeful” as I build my blog and it’s been paying off as far as sales go – May was my best month ever, by a good margin.
I’ve got Gateway Blogging in my reader … serve it up!
PS – Michael, consider running a “What’s your biggest question about blogging” post.
PS #2 – If you’re reading this comment, fire off a question for Michael right now & beat him to the punch!
@James – Posts in a series is the only thing that’s somewhat close, but they don’t beat a good, dedicated virtual learning environment. Whole different ballgame.
@Dave – Glad to see that my blog has helped you increase sales! Gateway Blogging is even more focused on that. Thanks for subscribing.
The lack of a clear path through the material (*any* material that you’ll find on the Web, IMO) is huge! Good for you for taking this one on. I think you’re going to contribute a lot of value there.
@Sonia – Thanks, that is our hope. Much of the feedback we’ve been getting is that people want the process outlined step-by-step. There are details which differ for everyone, but we will be providing high-level checklist-type lists and process overviews for things in Gateway Blogging.
Dave, thanks for that very generous offer to let us ask Michael our biggest question about blogging!
So if I may, Michael, my question is this: What’s the best way to make it as a blogger? The way of the Jedi, or the way of the Sith?
That’s the best metaphor I’ve got right now, but by Jedi I mean one who focuses on providing value. Great original content, thoughtful recommendations, responding to comments, linking to PR 0 sites when appropriate, giving away some stuff for free that you could conceivably charge for, stumbling and digging only the best, etc.
By Sith, I mean one who focuses on tactics. Decent content written quickly, numbers in headlines, pictures of people jumping, promoting whatever affiliate programs pay the most, linking every decent keyword in your posts to your home page, not responding to comments, no unnecessary link love, charging as much as you can for everything you can, emailing everyone to ask for diggs and stumbles every time, etc.
I know this is a bit black and white, but what shade of gray is the answer?
@Hunter –
Bwuhahaha … and so it begins …
@Hunter – you already know the answer, Paduan: think of who the most successful bloggers are and ask yourself if they are Jedi or Sith.
The tactics you listed as belonging to Sith don’t seem terribly evil to me, just less effective than Jedi tactics. The real difference between the two is that for Jedi, it is the means which justifies the ends, and for a Sith, the ends justify the means.
@Dave – I’ll get you for this.
@Michael -
Um, wait a minute, Michael … “anger leads to the dark side?”
I just use The Force.
@James – Exactly. Dave, you feel that little constriction in your throat? Just a warning, buddy, just a warning.
I never said I was a Jedi.
@Michael,
“The tactics you listed as belonging to Sith don’t seem terribly evil to me”
I agree, they’re not necessarily evil. I don’t think all Sith teachings are evil either, e.g., nothing inherently wrong with a desire for power. As you said, the main difference is that for a Sith the ends justify the means. Some of those means may not be evil, but it wouldn’t matter to a Sith if they were.
@Hunter – Great point! This has inspired me to write a post about Jedi vs. Sith blogging, so keep an eye out for that tomorrow.
Exxxxxcellent … everything is transpiring exactly as I have forseen …
/Emperor
First I need to say that I’ve really been enjoying your posts, keep up the great work.
Ok, now for my advice.
If someone was pondering joining an Affiliate Program what is the best way to check out what the current affiliates (or past) have to say about the particular affiliate program.
Tried search, failed miserably
Thanks.
Vicky H
@Vicky – check out forums like the Affiliates section of DigitalPoint.
@Michael Thank you so much for the link. I’m headed there now! Yipee!