Simple But Highly Effective Ways To Make Money In Your Blog

Blogging is just a must have for every internet marketer out there. You cannot rely just on the old techniques. You must wake up to the BUM of web 2.0 marketing. If know nothing about make money with your blog, then these 8 steps are for you

1. Drive traffic to your blog. The first step to create money from your blog is to drive traffic to it. Thus, you must learn how to optimize your blog so search engines will index it. You can also use other traffic generating tools such as article marketing, forum posting, etc.

2. Optimize your blog name. Blog names, like any other domain names, must have these characteristics in order to drive traffic to your blog: Must contain relevant keywords, contains a maximum of 30 characters, easy to spell, easy to remember, and it must communicate what the whole blog is all about.

3. Advertise on your blog. This is the easiest way to convert your traffic to instant money. You can opt to use Google adsense and every time your visitors click these ads, you will earn instant cash.

4. Link building. Exchange links with other websites or blogs that share your blog topic. Remember, search engine will rank your blog based on the quantity and quality of links pointing to it.

5. Join paid blogging networks. You can also make money by writing your reviews and opinions on various products and services offered online.

6. Update your blog regularly. Give your readers something to look forward to every time they visit your blog. Post new articles, images, video or audio at least twice a week so you will not lose your readers interest.

7. Avoid grammar and spelling errors. Check your content to make sure that they are free from any error. Online users can get easily annoyed with grammar and spelling errors and take these as carelessness on your part.

8. Be different. Make sure that your blog standout. Offer unique content and unique blog design that showcase your personality.

With these 8 steps your surelly can have some ideas on how to make money with your blog. This article is just a guide, but a very powerful one if you know how to use it.

8 Ways To Use A Blog To Develop Content For Your Book

1. Participate in the blogosphere: Read and comment on other blogs in your field. This is a prime way to build readership of your blog. It is also a way of getting fresh content for both your blog and for your book.

To check out other blogs in your niche: use www.blogsearch.google.com, www.technorati.com, or www.google.com.

This is also a good way to get ideas. What are other people in your field writing about? What are the major challenges of the people in your field? If you have competitors, check them out. They may be a great help in inspiring you for content ideas, different slants and perspectives. The old song, “Anything you can do, I can do better,” comes to mind.

2. Ask readers to comment on your blog. In fact, each time you post something, ask them a question. Then spell it out to them on how to post a comment because your readers will probably need to be educated or at least encouraged to comment. ("Click on the comment link in the footer of this post, and leave your responses.")

Sometimes readers will need assurances of privacy, in which case, you can ask them to email you their questions or comments in private. Others are not worried about privacy because after all, a blog isn’t meant to be private. However, readers can be shy about commenting, and need encouragement.

You may also encourage them to respond by telling them that you would like to use their replies in your book, but will only do so with their permission.

3. Survey your readers, do a mini-study on their preferences, their experiences, etc. The Internet is the fastest way to acquire some statistics of readers’ preferences. Far from being a scientifically validated study that would pass muster in universities with academicians, an informal survey can give you ideas and material to write about. It can also confirm that you are addressing the concerns of your readers.

4. Run a contest for the best idea, funniest experience, most influential or heart-grabbing situation. If you want to use these readers’ responses for content in your book, you should tell them. Many people jump at the chance to be included in a book. Others may prefer to participate anonymously. You can give them both options.

Here’s an example of how one writer asked his readers for input:

Do You Have A Broken WIndows Story?
Michael Levine's new book, Broken WIndows, Broken Business is being released later this month. Many people feel this is going to be a mega best-seller.

We have set up a website, where you can rant about broken windows in your everyday experience... Check it out at BrokenWindows.com.

People love to share their experiences, and they love to rant, or rave. Just ask.

5. Ask your readers to attend a teleseminar based on the needs, challenges, concepts and ideas of your blog readers. This is a great way to go deeper into the problems and solutions you are writing about. You can record the sessions, transcribe the dialogue, convert the teleseminar to audio and PDF files. These can be sold, or given away as marketing materials for your book.

6. Use your blog site meter stats to examine what are the most popular articles posted. This information will guide you to expand on the topics and subtopics that capture the interests of readers.

7. Consistently reconnect with your passion, and ignite and inspire others with similar interests. After you’ve been blogging for awhile, you will probably develop good blogging habits:

a. Write something on your blog daily, or at least 2-3 times a week.

b. Read other blogs 2-3 times a week. Be sure to use the My Yahoo or other RSS feed buttons to subscribe to your favorite blogs, or sign up to get email updates through a FeedBlitz service on each blog.

c. Write with your readers in mind. And if you’re not sure where their interests lie, ask them. If they’ve found your blog, and have subscribed, chances are you share a lot in common.

d. If you ever fall into blog-block, reconnect with your core purpose for the blog (remember, the one you wrote out before starting your blog?). When this happens there is usually a reason, although it may not be clear to you at the time. This will pass. You can help it along by asking questions – of your readers, yourself, your closest allies.

8. Podcasting – Create audio files easily by scheduling teleclasses and recording them. Some people like to get their information auditorily and at their convenience by downloading mp3 files to their iPods.

Use a free teleconferencing bridge line like http://www.freeconference.com to host a call. Record your call, upload the audio file and then post to your blog or podcast using a service like http://www.audioblog.com.

As an added benefit, you can get these calls transcribed; then convert the word doc to a PDF file which you can either give away, or sell, in exchange for people’s email address; http://www.CastingWords.com is a fast, affordable transcription service.

Adsense Alternatives For Your Blog Part 1

Many people have started using Google's AdSense program to make cash on their blogs, but there are some who find it a bit too uncertain or simply not suiting their own requirements from an ad program.

But thankfully for such people, there are many alternatives to AdSense to help make you cash from your blog that attempt to alleviate some of the Adsense shortcomings. Here is a list of the most noteworthy ones from the lot with a description concerning each one.

AllFeeds (http://www.allfeeds.com/?action=publishers)
AllFeeds has a great pool of online advertisers to choose from to place on your blog. It also features many display formats that you can choose from. These include banners, buttons, XML feeds, DHTML pop-ups and so on. It also features real time reporting of your ad status. The site will mail a check every month, provided that you earn more then $25.00, while rolling over earnings for the next month if you don't. Another interesting thing about AllFeeds is that it integrates with Google AdSense, maximizing your earnings with AdSense.

MarketBanker (http://www.marketbanker.com/mb/sell.php)
MarketBanker allows you the unique possibility to set the pricing for your blog. It also allows you to allow or reject any link that appears on your site (although AdSense itself does a very good job of this as well, with URL filters) There's also a statistics section which will allow you to see how well your site is doing. The ads are small just like AdSense's and they're just as easy to set up. Also, registration for MarketBanker is free.

BidClix ( http://www.bidclix.com/PubTop.html)
BidClix is different because it has advertisers compete for clicks on your blog, which in turn is meant to generate the highest possible profits for your blogs pages. It also has a very large pool of advertisers which ensure there are plenty of people to choose your site. However, it does require more polish on site contents then AdSense. As most sites, real time statistics are available and its very easy to get started with this service, but it's also very flexible.

Chitika (http://www.realcontext.com/index.php?option=RealContext:+Contextual+Targeting+Engine)
RealContext uses Artificial intelligence to retrieve the most relevant ads for your page. And there's an extra feature which makes RealContext unique as well. Keywords are selected based upon which previous selections paid off and which didn't. That means there's a constant feedback process that ensures you gain better revenue from your ads. It also supports blocking certain adds and child-safe filtering and many more options.

AdHearus (http://adhearus.com/webmaster.php)
AdHearus is a very feature-packed contextual ad provider. As with AdSense, advertisements are targeted but it doesn't stop here at all. The ads are very flexible, you can select from text-ads, banners, rectangles, pop-ups, pop-unders or skyscrapers. You can also display your own ads, through rotation, both on your site and on other affiliate sites, which makes AdHearus a hybrid with conventional advertising technologies. There's a very comprehensive on-line real time reporting feature and, as usual with such services, starting out is free and it's a breeze.

AffiliateSensor (http://www.affiliatesensor.com/)
AffiliateSensor has highly customizable ad blocks, which you can make for yourself with an easy to use on-line interface. You also get realtime reporting with clicks-by-domain, page and referrer. There's integration with Google AdSense as well, through the google_alternate_ad_url so AffiliateSensor can be used as a substitute for Google PSA's (Public Service Ads).

Kanoodle Bright Ads (http://www.kanoodle.com/about/brightads.cool)
Kanoodle's offering allows publishers to get ads related to topics or segments, and not the traditional keyword oriented ads. The site also groups publisher sites with advertisers by hand to ensure high-revenue generating ads. And speaking of revenue, the amount of money you receive is a clear 50% share of the amount of money Kanoodle receives for an advertiser.

TargetPoint (http://publisher.targetpoint.com)
TargetPoint is oriented more towards content publishers. It offers full control over the look the ads, statistics over your site's overall performance and better revenue. It's free to register and you earn a guaranteed 60% of the total revenue. You can get paid with Paypal of Bank checks and (most times) wire transfers as well.

Clicksor (http://www.clicksor.com)
Clicksor will earn you as much as 60% from the amount of money your website produces. What you get is about the same as AdSense, there are targeted text ads, you can view the revenues from your website in real time. You can receive money via PayPal or through a check every two weeks, provided that you have earned more then $50. If you haven't made that much, your earning roll over to the next period