Posts filed under 'Blogging'
Wow! Now I’ve seen it all. Someone is actually willing to help me with my blog and it’s not about parting me from my money – which is a good thing since that’s not likely to happen any time soon.
Blogger Unleashed is a new website dedicated to helping the bloggers of the internet universe. It is not a site for the weak of heart (or those who blush easily – his language can be blunt in many ways!). But it is a great place for those of you who want to know the truth about what works, how, and why!
Blogger Unleashed is definitely turning some heads. It has been nominated for several Blogger’s Choice Awards and is burning of many of the blogging sites. I don’t know if it’s the blunt attitude or the points that are being made that are making the most waves. Both are well worth a visit.
January 2nd, 2008
Blog carnivals are a great way to boost your viewers, but even better they open up new blogs for you to view. Over the last year, I have submitted to several carnivals. Many of the carnivals I have just submitted to and then forgotten (maybe making a brief mention of them at the bottom of the blog), but there are a few that really stand out for me.
Writer . . . Interrupted is one of those rare finds. It’s helpful to my spiritual growth, my writing ambitions, and sometimes just my sanity. It has loads of information about writing, some great links, and even a boost or two for my ego (I was one of the blog entries featured on the “best of 2007″ Carnival of Christian Writers!). This is a warm, comforting place to meet friends who are learning to be content where they are.
Sunny at Dandelions and Daydreams is another of the delightful treats I have discovered in this vast internet. When not hosting the Carnival of Christian Women, Sunny is filling the site with great articles, tips, and even a recipe or two.
If you haven’t looked into blog carnivals then start the New Year off right. Find one that matches your target audience and sign up. Remember to check out the other sites featured on the blog carnivals. You may end up getting more from the experience than you ever imagined.
January 2nd, 2008
There is only one thing I want for Christmas this year and that is to finally figure out how to make money off of MY blog without compromising my integrity. 
Do you think Santa is internet savvy enough to grant me this wish?
It’s been a year now and I’ve still not made any money. I’ve stayed away from Adsense and other programs like it. I’ve been patiently waiting for the advertisers to swarm my site and beg for space instead. There hasn’t been nibble one.
My numbers have steadily increased – at least I believe they have. I look at my awstats and if I’m reading the figures right then some of you are reading this article right now. That feels good. And it is really exciting and satisfying when someone finds something that helps them in their daily life.
It does not make my site the next Problogger site.
I’ve researched and read the articles about increasing traffic. I know that you need to:
1. Post regularly
2. Comment on other blogs and forums (and use a signature to link back to your site)
3. Make connections
4. Be personal (but not TOO personal – this is the internet)
5. Be consistent
6. Be specific
7. Advertise (use stumbleupon, technorati, article sites and blog carnivals) to build interest in your blog.
8. Be courteous (send emails to those who comment or visit regularly)
9. Use correct grammar (and spelling – Thanks Mara)
This month I started keeping a journal of what I’m doing and when I’m doing it. Maybe it will give me insight into how to make this site all that it can be. I have noticed a few trends. My blogging and writing articles get more view time than any thing else I post. Hmmmm – could that be the key? Should I be giving people what they are looking for even if it is a saturated market already?
Maybe if I tailored the site for MOMs that write (although any writer could benefit from most of it). I might have to change the name and the megatags to reflect the new format, but it just might be that I need change to get where I want to be – EASY STREET! 
December 19th, 2007
As a writer, I worry about people stealing my work. I’ve heard and read about authors whose work was used by agents or editors without any compensation. If that wasn’t enough to keep me hording my writing in the desk, the internet now adds a whole new dimension to my paranoia.
Copyrights are one of those things I’ve heard about, but never really understood. I’ve always thought it was some intense process that required money. It turns out that copyright is just proof that you produced the work.
Some blog sites will say at the bottom that the work is copyrighted, but no special process was done. You can register something with the US Copyright Office – which will make it easier to prove it is your creative work if you have a need to fight any infringement – but that is not necessary for the work to be protected. The simple fact that you produced the work makes it protected.
The internet is still a difficult place to police copyright infringements. Even big organizations find they need more protection. So instead of worrying so much, I will just save my big ideas for print.
December 14th, 2007
The recent recalls of what seems like every infant toy on the market has made some of us quite skittish about what to get the baby for Christmas. You don’t want to buy online because you want to flip the toy over and see where it was made. I’m looking for that great “Made in the USA” tag. Maybe this was all just a ruse to force me into the stores.
Thankfully, Susan (one of the twin sisters who run the greatest website for moms) has come up with an Incredible Prize Pack to be given away this Sunday. Not only would this fill all of my needs for this Christmas, but I would be able to share the wealth!
Besides being great for me, contests are also a great way for me to promote my blog. It gives me a link to a great site (take five minutes to swing by 5minutesformom.com) and it introduces my blog to many people who might not have a chance to see it. The last contest I entered brought 60 new visitors in one month, and it still driving traffic my direction.
Get into the game. You may not win the prize from the contest, but traffic can be a far greater prize in the end.
December 6th, 2007
My goal of being a full time writer is now within reach. I have met most of my objectives (picking up more online jobs, getting queries out, working on my novels, etc) but my blog is still a thorn in my side.
Writing the material is not the problem. Most days it motivates me to do more – it’s my writer’s block lucky charm. It’s the traffic situation that is hounding me. Every time I THINK I understand what I need to be doing, my traffic stays the same or even goes down. I haven’t been able to find that magic key. I’m beginning to believe it’s more like a magic bean.
Things I know:
· Blog what you know (passion)
· Comment on other blogs
· Visit (and be active) on forums
· Participate in blog carnivals
· Blog consistently
What I don’t know is what matters the most or what makes the real difference.
Like anything else, I need to know what I’m doing and when I’m doing it so that I can see the effect. Journaling is my favorite way to do that. I have a bird journal (where the family keeps track of all the birds we see, where, and when we put out feed), a gardening journal (to keep up with the last frost and first frost of each year, what we planted, what died, etc) and I have a personal journal.
Today I started my first blog journal. Every day this month I intend to try something new to increase my traffic. I’ll keep a record of the numbers so that I can see what is effective for me and what is not so effective. Posting will continue as usual, but I will note what subject I posted on, whether or not there were links, and if graphics were involved – I’ll also come back and list when I get comments on the posts.
This is doable. With persistence and ingenuity, anything is possible. I can break the code. Blogging can become a source of income in my life. “I know it can, I know it can, I know it can.”
December 1st, 2007
This is actually possible. I can make a living writing in a way that I love to write. I don’t have to write about subjects that hold no interest for me. I don’t have to scramble my brain trying to fill in blanks for some unknown site. It is possible to write what I love and get paid.
That being said, I’m not getting rich. There are people on the internet that are making thousands of dollars a day with their blogs, but I haven’t broken into that segment. As a matter of fact, I haven’t even figured out how to make dollar one on my blog.
How am I making money writing what I love? I’m glad you asked. I have been persistent. I started by working for sites that paid me only pennies to do posts on different forums. The posts I made were relevant and well written (spell checked and grammar checked).
From there, some of the forum hosts have asked me to write for their blogs. From there, I began to visit sites that have blog jobs posted (problogger.net is one that doesn’t charge you). Always I made sure that what I produced was the best it could be – spell check and grammar check once more.
Now the people that I have worked for are sending me to other potential employers with glowing references. My opportunities are expanding each week, and I am in a position where I can say no because of the money or because of the subject. It’s a great feeling to be writing – and getting paid.
September 22nd, 2007
Learning to get paid by posting on my blog is not going well. There is more traffic stopping by, and I have posted a few ads, but my dream that sponsors would be beating down my door is starting to fade. Instead of giving up, I will push on. I will find a way (if others can do it then so can I). Until the day my fortune comes rolling in, traffic is my objective.
One of the ways to get a lot of traffic is to participate in contests and blog lists. I’ve done several with Problogger.net, but this week I’m trying out a contest through Cashforcomments.com. Not only will it help generate new traffic, but I’ll have a chance to win a 24 inch LCD. There is even an early bird drawing, so get your submission in quick.
The contest is being sponsored by elitebaseballinsturction.com which has videos to help improve your baseball game. I’m glad I found this site. Both of my boys are growing increasingly interested in baseball. Although I played a little myself, I’m no Cal Ripken (or I guess that would be Carla Ripken in my case ). It’s always helpful to find some more guidance in baseball training for the boys, so I think I’ve found some potential Christmas gifts through this site.
For those of you who are trying to increase traffic to your site, this contest could be a great jumping off point. I keep a record of my unique hits, so I’ll update this post over the next few weeks to let you know how well it the contest works for me. I’ll be especially verbose if (dare I say, when) I win that 24 inch LCD!
August 27th, 2007
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