Making Money Online and Blogging 2
Making Money Online and Blogging 2
My last post appears to have hit a nerve in the blogging community, and overall the comments surprised me. The topic definitely warrants further discussion, so I’m devoting a second article to it.
When I became involved with online marketing, the first thing I did was create a squeeze page to start building a list, and then some sales pages, which I promoted with advertising, and a splash page on traffic exchanges.
At the time I was also involved in selling clothing through online auctions, and made full use of my Ebay ‘About Me’ page to market my digital product sales pages.
[A quick aside on the topic of peripheral marketing techniques -- don’t forget to use your 404 and other error pages, otherwise it’s just wasted space. Pop up some ads or graphic marketing links on them. You have nothing to lose, but may very well gain an occasional Paypal payment notification that you wouldn’t otherwise have received.]
Anyhow, by this time, I was reading a lot about blogging and social networks, the whole Web 2.0 phenomenon. The logical next step was to start my own blog, and Reward Rebel came into existence. What I hadn’t really expected was how enjoyable it is, especially once you become involved in the blogging community as a whole. At the moment, I believe I’d continue blogging even if I were to quit internet marketing.
There are different types of blogger, from those who first start a blog, and then consider monetizing it, to the people whose blogs are genetically engineered to exist as a vehicle for making money online!
There is room for a comfortable middle ground, where an interesting blog containing enjoyable content, and helpful information and ideas, can also be actively marketing. The subscriber chooses to be included on a mailing list, and each communication should offer an ‘unsubscribe’ option. Personally, I don’t mail more frequently than once a week, and usually more like once a month, and many of my mails bear useful info and tips rather than promotions. Not every marketer is just trying to grab your money.
You know the old maxim, ‘the money is in the list’. It’s made to sound like some arcane magic elixir, if only we could get our hands on ‘the list’, we’d have everything our heart desires and be rich beyond our wildest dreams!
Yeah, well, not quite. The fabled list won’t make you rich by its existence alone, you do have to actually do something with it.
If you do choose to build a mailing list, avoid the mindset of treating your subscribers as though they are your property, or worse, your personal friends. They’re most definitely not. There are marketers who should know better, from whom I’ve received entirely inappropriate mailings.
Recently, I received one from quite a high profile name, an email about his daughter starting university soon, and how she needs all the help she can get with tuition fees. So he’s offering some digital product in return for helping her out. Global panhandling. This infuriates me, and I’m amazed that anyone has the bald-faced audacity to market at such a low-down, arse-sniffing level – and on such a massive scale! Although, I suppose if you’re going to do something, you may as well do it BIG!
For every blogger there will be a point of view, and it’s this element that makes it such a fun adventure, so enjoy yours!
Reward Rebel
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Filed under Affiliate Marketing, Blogging, Internet Marketing, List Building, Making money online, Online business, Working from home |
Global panhandling… I like the expression. I feel this way sometimes with some blogs/ websites.
To me, blogging is a give/ give. I want to learn from you, you want to learn from me. I enjoy reading “Mike”, “Mike” enjoys reading “Paul” etc.
Just begging for money without working for it is… stupid.
Zhu’s last blog post..The Amazing Race
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Nice pics Rebel. Your cat’s eyes are glowing! Ahhh!
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I will have to pay attention here. I never got the hang of list building and I know I can add a lot more income with it.
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Zhu -
It’s certainly not easy to figure out how to earn some income from blogging, without selling out. As I mentioned in a comment on previous post, my experience shows the best way is to experiment and invite feedback — as well as see how much you’re earning;-D
Stephan -
Hurrah! I’m so pleased that you’re going to give it further thought. I don’t yet have a huge list, but it does grow faster after you’ve reached the first 100;-D
CyberFizzle -
Thanks. The cat in the picture is my beloved Nomad, and if you’re interested in her story, you can read it here Nomad’s Tail You have to read the posts in reverse chronological order, but they are sequentially numbered;-D
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I read Nomad’s Tale. It’s so sad! Poor Nomad
She is still very cute though.
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Reward Rebel,
I just want to point out this line of yours - “There are different types of blogger, from those who first start a blog, and then consider monetizing it, to the people whose blogs are genetically engineered to exist as a vehicle for making money online!”.
This is what i see on blogs everyday. However, genetically engineered blogs that only exist for money sometimes lack the ability to capture the interest of the readers, add to it the perceived rudeness in asking for favors (like in the mailing you set as an example).
I really believe monetization and engaging the readers to read articles that have a slight personal touch, laced with humility, a bit of humor and wit are great combinations to be able to money online.
jessie’s last blog post..Linky Love to Blogger-Friends
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CyberfiZZle -
Thanks for reading about Nomad, I loved her so much, I still cry when I reread those posts. Just writing now to you, brings tears to my eyes, but I’ve always been a soppy ol’ rebel;-D
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Jessie -
I’m glad we see eye to eye on this… there’s nothing wrong in using one’s blog to generate income, as long as that’s not the only aspect focused upon.
As you say, if we engage our readers with interesting and entertaining content, and include news and info to assist their own online activities, we help enrich the blogosphere, not detract from it.
I’ll admit I first started Reward Rebel to generate income, but en route, rediscovered a love of writing that I’d long forgotten about… so it’s kinda turned around and bitten me in the bum;-D
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Great second part to the article you wrote last time Layne.
Adding to yours and Jessie’s comments on blogs that are setup and ‘genetically engineered to make money’ - I agree and disagree with your viewpoint. Yes, we need blogs in the blogosphere to enrich the understanding of people and for readers to enhance their knowledge on a certain subject; but, I also disagree and that why shouldn’t blogs be designed to specifically make money, but also pass on some information to readers? Some people want short posts that get right to the point and that they can click on a link that explains more. Other people love to read blogs everyday and read great and interesting posts - but most don’t.
If all of the blogosphere were blogs that produce lots of interesting content and didn’t make a lot of money, would the blogsphere as diverse as it is now? Would people continue to produce great blog posts, even if they knew they wouldn’t be getting paid much to do it, I doubt they would.
Nick - road2blogging’s last blog post..Experience Breeds Perfection Competition - Winners
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Nick -
When I refer to blogs focusing only on making money, I mean when the focus is so tight that they lose sight of engaging their readers. There are a lot of blogs springing up that offer neither new information, nor an interesting read, and that present more blog space devoted to available 125×125 ad spots than to valid content.
Reward Rebel drew its first breath as a practice module for learning how the whole blog thing fitted together (remember I came to blogging from other IM projects) and my sole purpose in blogging was to utilize the medium as a kind of supplement to my other online presence.
If you look back at posts during the first couple of months, you can practically pinpoint the week or two when articles became written by me instead of being private label rights (barely edited). I discovered I enjoyed writing and wanted to use RR differently… to see if I had anything to say that people would enjoy reading.
I have other projects in cyber space, but Reward Rebel is now the vessel into which I can pour personal reflections and, thanks to the selfless assistance and friendship of the blogging community, I can also use it as a sounding board;-D
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