Back To Basics
OK, I promise you this post will not be about Darren Rowse and Andy Wibbels "Six Figure Blogging" course.
But it will be about blogging and learning and making money.
Just this morning i came across this quote in an excellent post on my friend Caroline Middlebrook’s blog (I’ve written several times about Caroline in the past, she offers some excellent advice and object lessons)
… If you have something to say, just say it. Just a blog / website in whatever niche you feel like and if you have something worth saying then people will listen. If you want to do affiliate marketing and run viagra ads then go for it! Do want you want to do, not what other people think you should do. In the past I have sometimes allowed other people to sway me in my decisions and it has nearly always been wrong. My gut instincts are always right I just need to learn to follow them more often. (read Caroline’s full article here)
A few months ago I too disregarded the advice of many and entered the ‘make money online’ "space". A bit presumptuous in some ways since I am not a guru. I don’t make a lot of money and I also don’t blog about what I make or post "proofs". You want "proofs" from me? File a court case, I have nothing that I need to prove … if you don’t care for that attitude, there are 55 million other bloggers out there whom you may like better. (thank you to those who do get along with me, my faithful subscribers) (you can sign up here if you want to enjoy the benefits of membership also … costs nothing, pays big benefits).
The "make money online" space is competitive, and, in some minds, crowded as well. But that does not mean it is not rewarding in many ways.
I make almost all my money in other niches, but I make friends and learn the most here in the "make money" space, for sure. As far as crowding? Well, let’s take a look. What’s a good semi-generic money paying "space". One that comes to mind, especially since I already have lot of information on the subject is "divorce lawyers". There is money in that niche. Some quite significant Google AdSense pay outs and certainly other affiliate and tie-in deals to make money.
A simple Google search for "divorce lawyer" (without the quotes yields 3 million plus sites that Google "thinks" are about that term. A simple Google search on "retirees making money online" (again, without quotes) yields a few over a million sites (less that one third the competition) and that phrase, one of the ones I have tried to rank for, yields this site in the number 5 slot, square in the middle of the first page! I have other first page rankings for this site … no expert, I, but happy none the less.
So tell me again how hard the ‘make money online" niche is to break into? In my view it is not hard and very rewarding in many ways. The point of this "back to basics" article,though, is to echo and emphasize what Caroline says … decide what you want to do and do it. Don’t do what I tell you or what some else tells you, and above all, don’t shy away from doing something you wish to because some "expert" says you "can’t". It’s a free ‘Net, make your own way.
Related posts:
- Recommended Resources — Caroline Middlebrook
- Blogs of Value
- eBooks
- To Make Money With AdSense, You Must Know AdWords
- The Seven Week Project — Thoughts On "Ideas"
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Comments
I couldn’t agree more. I create sites that I understand and know about. My latest venture will be doing what I do best, programming and selling what I code up.
I was once thinking about setting up some central photo gallery site for people to get their own gallery, maybe even sell their photos on. I was told to not reinvent the wheel as there were plenty of scripts out there for galleries. A year later, Flickr came about. Sure, I probably couldn’t have created what they’ve got but I was thinking along those lines.
It’s a case of do what you want to do, stick to what you know or learn to walk before you run, and don’t put off to tomorrow what you could do today!
Thanks for your insightful article and excellent advice. I think as you get older you realize that your own intuition is the best. I think you also get less intimidated the more you try.
Hello - I have just accidentally come across your very interesting Blog and would just like to add that you are dead right. What do you love? What do you enjoy? Then try and figure out how to make money out of something that interests you - me and my friends did. Are we making money Er..NO but we are having fun and we have created a website we are proud of plus we do think that one day we will make money.
Look for the niche relative to your hobbies and interests.
Even if it takes longer than you had hoped to make money, you will be doing something you love.
Lester Jordan