A few days ago I recommended an eBook recently published by a blogging friend of mine, Pat B. Doyle called Blog Traffic Jumpstart. I got a few comments/emails, etc. that seemed to think I was missing the mark on my post which was, of course, nothing but an announcement/recommendation for Pat’s book. What did this have to do with my general theme of making money … aside from making money for me if anyone clicked on the link and bought the book? Fair question. Here’s an answer:
If you are reading this blog because you are earning money online or exploring the idea of earning money on line, no matter if you are a senior citizen or a high school sophomore, a blog is an important tool. And if you have a blog, you need traffic. Pat has an excellent record for attracting traffic and page rank in a short time, and she writes with clarity and conviction … that’s why. If you need a hammer to build a fence and I know that a Stanley is much better than the Wal*Mart "thumb-buster" you are thinking of buying, I’m going to recommend the Stanley. You can build a fence with a rock to hammer in the nails, but it’s a poor, time consuming, pain-prone way to do it.
So, Dave, you need a blog to make money? No, but you can use a blog to enhance virtually any money-making effort … aside from using the blog itself to make money. Here’s the major ways people are making a buck online these days:
- Selling finished websites … one of the oldest ways … a blog attracts customers and serves as a brochure.
- Selling domain names … "domaining" … one of the lowest investment, highest profit methods going. A blog finds you clients, builds you "buzz" and showcases your "wares". More potential clients cheaper and quicker than any other technique
- Membership sites … one of the most under-rated ways to make money and have a regular on-line income. Ideal for many seniors and retirees who have a lifetime of experience to contribute. A real-world example is my blogging friend Yaro. He started a for pay site to teach blogging the Blog Mastermind Mentoring Program and has had, last time I checked, more than 500 sign-ups. How did he attract all those folks, ready to sign up for monthly tuition fees? Easy … through his popular blog, which I watched him build up over the past couple years.
- Monetized blogs … selling advertising and making affiliate sales … the most common model over the past two years or so. It’s not ‘black magic" or anything secret … whether you make a few hundred a month for a few hour’s work, as I do, or whether you’re on on the big players, e.g. Darren Rowse, John Chow, Everton Blair and more who are knocking down ten thousand or so per month, it’s certainly possible … not a "pipe dream".
In short, that’s why from time to time I recommend tools to help you reach a goal. These tools will certainly help you … or I wouldn’t recommend them. And I never recommend anything that requires any sort of investment larger than the satisfaction guaranteed price of a book or a modest, refundable monthly fee that you can pay if you are getting a ROI (Return On Investment) or cancel if it doesn’t meet your needs. So, that’s why.
