Blog Me Happy I don't want to be a newbie any longer.

With each passing week, news on the economic front gets gloomier and gloomier. All the wind is out of our sails and water is leaking into our ship faster than we can bail it out. Because of this, more people than ever are looking at the Internet as a way to possibly bring in some cash on a steady basis. Well, there’s an interesting way to make an online income and it comes from learning how to make money blogging.

The Internet’s a veritable Grand Canyon of space and depth. And it grows bigger with each passing day. Something like 175,000 blogs are created in that same passing day, on average, by the way. But many others fall off the cliff. This should tell you that they’re not too hard to make, but that it isn’t always easy and that there are many different ways to make money from them.

Now that we have an idea of what we’re up against, what should we do first, in terms of dipping our toes in the waters of the Internet “blogosphere?” Generally, the first thing to do is think up something that either interests us personally or that we think will interest others enough to want to know more about it. Something like NASA photography, for example.

Say you’ve decided to run with this topic to use as your blog’s main content theme. All well and good, I’d say. Chances are pretty high that with a total population on the planet of nearly 7 billion people, there are more than enough of them out there who are looking for info about it. And it’s when these people go to Internet search engines and type in words related to it – in order to find out more – that lead to the creation of “keywords.” And it’s these keywords that can turn a blog into a moneymaking machine, if they’re used smartly.

For those who don’t know, keywords are nothing more than words which are regularly typed into search engines, which in turn catalogue them as key words according to rank. The odds, after a while, are fairly good that enough excellent keywords exist out there so that when people use them in searches, a search engines’ results will dish up sites that also have those keywords.  Your job is to land in those searches with keywords that people use when they search for information. 

The trick to all this is in finding the right words that haven’t been completely exploited by millions of others out there, and then setting up a blog that takes advantage of the words you’ve found. What’s great is that most major search engines will give you more than enough online aids and tips on how to do this.

Also, there are plenty of online resources (websites, blog hosting sites and the like) that’ll be ready, willing and eager to help you set up a site and show you how to make money online. Most of the time, they’ll host it on their own servers for little or even no cost, and show you how to set it up efficiently and smartly enough to actually make some money off it.

Just keep a few things in mind when getting a blog going: To begin with, take care to ensure the site is easy to read and understand and that it actually has information and content on it that’s fresh and interesting. Also, make sure there’s some means for people to either get info about the topic your blog is focused on, and that they can either buy products you’re selling on your site or with your affiliate partner.

These first few steps to take are only a beginning. Once up and running, there’s a lot more you can do with  your blog: you can put up videos, sell products, or even put up another blog to supplement your income! It might not be so easy at first, but if you keep at it, the rewards are worth the effort.

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Technorati Tags: blogging, blogging for money, create products, ecommerce, make money blogging, make money online, sell products, startup business

Posted under Blogs

If you have been on the fence about installing a WordPress blog, it’s time to make a decision and start blogging.  Recent upgrades to the WordPress platform have made it super easy to install a beautiful blog and tweak it to your heart’s content.

HOW TO INSTALL YOUR BLOG

The fist thing you’ll want to do is to go to your site’s control panel, click the Fantastico icon, and let your server set up and install your blog.  Once the blog has been installed, you will want to go into your administrative panel, which is called a dashboard.  The dashboard allows you to update the blog software, add plugins, change the look of your blog and, of course, add content.

UPDATING THE BLOG SOFTWARE

Recent updates to the blogging software have allowed you to update the software with just a click within your dashboard, and also to search, review and install plugins directly from the administrative dashboard.  Plugins enhance your blog’s capabilities.

HOW TO WORK WITH BLOG THEMES

In its June 2009 update, WordPress took the plugin capability a step farther by expanding it to include easy theme installation.  The new WordPress Version 2.8 offers an outstanding and super easy to use theme feature that is similar to the plugin feature.  You simply specify the type of theme that you want; for instance, a 2 column blue and gold theme, click search and then preview the free themes that are available.  Select the theme that you like and WordPress will install it right from your dashboard.  The days of unzipping and then FTP’ing your theme to your site are over and you’ll save a heck of a lot of time.

When you have installed a theme, you can change it around to how you want it to appear by editing the php pages.  The page editing process is a lot easier with WordPress’ new color-coded theme editor.  When you review PHP and stylesheet pages in the theme editor, the code is now numbered and colored, making the job thousands of times easier.

If you have installed a more complicated “magazine style” theme, you will be working with Timthumb to create thumbnail images on your front page.  It is easy to work with this, but sometimes the documentation that comes with the WordPress theme provider is not very good.  At Not Guru, you can find a step-by-step tutorial, replete with screen shots, which show you how to work with magazine style WordPress themes.

WORDPRESS IS NOW FASTER

Not only does the new WordPress software make your life easier in adjusting the appearance of your blog, but it runs a lot faster.

REASONS TO BLOG

A frequently updated WordPress blog is an incredible search engine traffic magnet.  If they are updated on a consistent basis, new posts generally show up in the search engines within hours.  There’s a way to make this process even faster and it is free.  What you do is install what is called the SEO blog plugin.  With the new plugin installation platform in WordPress, installing the blog traffic plugin takes only a few minutes and a couple mouse clicks from your dashboard.  Once installed, the plugin will tweak your blog, have you install other traffic-pulling plugins, and optimize the search engine capabilities of your blog.  As you tweak your blog using the SEO blog software, you can see your SEO grade, like 80% or 90% optimized.  You will see a huge difference in your blog’s performance once the SEO plugin is installed.

Because you will keep your web visitors happy with up-to-date content and the search engines constantly visiting your site, adding a blog is a powerful tool to add to your website.  Installing and maintaining a blog has never been easier, thanks to the new WordPress release.  Blog installation tips, computer help and other practical guides are provided daily at the Not Guru blog.

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Technorati Tags: blogging, how to install wordpress, how to optimize your blog, how to tweak WordPress, SEO, wordpress, WordPress plugins, WordPress themes

Posted under Blogs

Thousands of people are flocking to the Internet to put up their own blogs. These blogs can discuss a practially infinite number of topics – from dog training to bicycles, from politics to candle making, and everything in between. It’s easy to see that the Internet has surely made it possible for anyone to share their thoughts with the entire world.

While blogging can be a lot fun (and very cathartic in many cases), those in the know are creating blogs to actually make a significant income from home. Equipped with nothing but a computer, an Internet connection, and a bit of knowledge, these folks are making good money from home. Just how are they able to do this while thousands upon thousands of bloggers out there are not making anything?

The truth is, making an income from blogging requires three key ingreidents:

Content

All blogs need to have content. Without any useful content, visitors will never stay on your blog to read anything. Online, content is truly king. To begin, consider what you would like to be blogging about. If you really love fly fishing, create a blog that describes your favorite fly fishing spots and top fly fishing methods. Basically, blogs can be about anything, and if you create one about a subject you enjoy, chances are you will enjoy the journey all the more!

While making your content, one thing to remember is not to worry too much about perfect grammar. It’s generally best to forgo more formal language and insteadwrite in a more conversational style. Not only is this easier for the visitor to read and comprehend, but it will also give your blog a bit of your own personality. Just write as if you were talking to a good friend at the laundrymat. Even if you don’t see yourself a writer, you’ll find that the words flow quite easily using this method.

In regards to blogging platforms, Google’s Blogger or the venerable WordPress are good options.

Generating Traffic

The second part of the blogging formula is traffic – getting visitors to locate and read the excellent content you’ve created in part one. There are essentially two methods to get traffic to your blog, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s look at both of these ways in turn:

Paid Traffic

Essentially, this is known as advertising, such as banner advertising or pay-per-click. If you’ve got more money than time, this is an excellent way to pull traffic to your blog in a very short period of time. You can start off with a Google Adwords account and start bidding on keywords that relate to your blog’s subject. To help you come up with keywords, you can use Google’s excellent free keyword tool (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal). To begin, try to look for keywords that are “long tail” – keywords that are being searched for, but have relatively less competition. These are generally 3-5 word phrases instead of phrases of one or two keywords. This will keep your cost per click low as you test the feasibility of your new blog. While paid advertising can offer traffic in a hurry, it is, of course, going to cost you some dough.

Free Traffic

The second method is to generate free traffic. This way is not going to really cost you anything dollar wise, but it is a lot more time consuming than a paid traffic method. If you don’t have a ton of cash to burn, getting free traffic to your blog is a vital skill.

Making Money

As soon as you’ve got traffic coming to check out your content, the final step is to monetize that traffic. The best way to accomplish this is by becoming an affiliate for a pre-existing product. Websites such as Commission Junction, Linkshare, and Clickbank make it easy to promote other people’s products and put money in your pocket every time you refer a sale. As soon as you sign up for an account, you will have access to a wealth of products and services that you could be promoting on your blog.

Taking Blogging to the Next Level

If the idea of blogging to the bank sounds appealing to you, then it would be wise to check out Conquest Authority by online marketing guru Alex Goad. Formerly known as Google Conquest, Conquest Authority gives its members an all-inclusive platform to make heaps of cash online through their very own blogging empire. The tools and training given within Conquest Authority puts you light years ahead of other bloggers trying to figure things out on their own. Membership has been closed to the public since December 2008, but on June 16th, Alex is going to be reopening the doors for a few lucky folks. To find out more about this revolutionary system, check out this comprehensive Conquest Authority review and take advantage of an unbelievable Conquest Authority bonus package.

So don’t just sit there! Start blogging and start earning!

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Technorati Tags: alex goad, blogging, conquest authority, conquest authority bonus, conquest authority review, google conquest

Posted under Blogs

The Internet has become one of the most highly respected sources for ideas on how to make money online. Many people consider the choice to make money blogging as one of the easiest, most enjoyable ways to earn income doing something that they like to do. Because the Internet provides a reliable connection to virtually any place in the world, any idea can create a stream of income that leads to wealth.

Along with the Internet’s mone-making potential are some risks, and these things must be looked out for. There are various programs that promise to make you rich in the shortest amount of time but are actually just multi-level marketing programs designed to make the person at the top of the pyramid very rich. If you want to avoid such programs, don’t rush into signing  or agreeing into anything, especially when you still haven’t read the terms of the program.

A blog is similar to a diary. You can make a few entries or a lot, the choice is yours. The idea is that you share your knowledge or expertise to people who want to know more about a particular topic. It’s that simple. Advertising from your blog plays a huge role in the revenue you’re likely to get, so it’s important that your blog gain popularity. Word of mouth can cause your blog to explode with visits and help you make money online.

Your computer is a brilliant tool when it comes to earning money. Many people make a good living doing jobs in their home. It is not as difficult as you may think to find work to do on your computer. The trick is to pay attention to details. You should never have to pay one cent for a job online. Always read the fine print and if something sounds suspicious, keep looking. Once you tap into the market, you will find that there is plenty of work to go around.

Sharing a skill or particular level of expertise is a great way to make money with a blog that gives readers something to look forward to with each additional entry. Many people appreciate do-it-yourself type jobs that let them tackle projects at home at a pace they are comfortable with. Your blog can include videos that show viewers every step of a project from start to finish. This is a great way to create an income stream for yourself.

Let’s say that you love to crochet and have your own ideas about how to improve your craft.  Given this, you already have a blog idea at your fingertips. Imagine people paying you to show them how to make simple projects that they can keep or give to others as gifts for special occasions. More importantly, picture yourself getting paid for showing someone else how to do something that you are able to execute expertly.

Perhaps it’s scrapbooking or some other hobby you’ve been doing for years. If you’re good in the kitchen, it may be a recipe you’ve created that you want to share, or you might want to sell products that you’ve made yourself. The bottom line is that if you have an idea, you owe it to yourself to think about how you can turn that idea into a profitable online business venture.

Many web sites can provide you with access to a personal blog in a matter of minutes. You’re already using your computer, why not start generating some extra income?

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Technorati Tags: blogging, blogging for money, how to make money online, make money blogging, make money online, sell products

Posted under Blogs

The job market is low these days and everyone is always scrounging around for extra money. If you are in a tight situation yourself and you need some extra cash, then look towards blogging to help you out. In order to make money blogging, you just need to have the right guide to help you out.  Here are a few tips that can help you get started:

Find a Site – The first thing that you need to do is find the right website to help you set up your actual blog. There are many websites that will give you a blog for free, all you need to do is sign up and write! There are paid blogs that you can look into — in this case, it is all about finding the right site that will make you the most amount of revenue.

What to Write About – Choosing a topic to write about might be one of your hardest tasks. It is important that you write about something that people want to read on a daily basis. In order to make money online, you need to sit down and think of an idea that might be a hit with your potential readers.

What to Look For – Think about what you know and what people are generally interested in. Sit down and write out a couple of ideas. The more ideas that you can come up with the more that you will have to work with. Once you choose a couple of topics, try and write out a few subtopics that will give you a better idea about the content that you will need to put up.

What to Avoid – It is vital that you stay away from topics that do not have a lot of information. This is only going to set you up for disaster. If you have a topic that is full of information you will have an easy time writing. If you choose a limited topic, your blogging experience is going to be frustrating.

How often to write – Once you have your topic picked out and ready to go, you need to start deciding how often you are going to write in your blog. You want to ensure that you keep your writing steady. If you are going to write a blog daily, then choose a day to write and submit. This will allow you to get some followers and in turn make some money.

Earn Extra Money – Now, do not feel limited to the amount of money that you make with your blog. After you get your following, you can then look into earning some extra money. Affiliate programs will reward you when you manage to sell products for them to your readers, while Google AdSense pays you for each click that comes from your blog’s visitors. Remember to place ads on your blogs that coincide with your blog’s topic.

The internet is full of ways to make money, and blogging seems to be one of the top ways these days. If you want to make some extra income, then look online and see how you can get started.

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Technorati Tags: blogging, blogging for money, blogging for profit, ecommerce, make money blogging, make money online, sell products

Posted under Blogs