As a blogger, I maintain several blogs and websites such as World of Fail and Review Chicago. In addition to these websites, I guest post on numerous blogs, and currently write content for six other blogs. Man Vs Blog is my outlet for discussing things of interest, including tips on blogging and social media.

As a musician, I have toured the country in the rock band The Translation. Before The Translation, I was in another successful band called Saraphine. I spent 8 years honing my skill as a songwriter, and learned a great deal in grassroots marketing. I am currently recording my solo debut record.

TwitterCounter for @rckstrscott

Archive: April 9th 2008

How To Actually Make Money Blogging - Part 1

There are common questions that are asked all the time in the blogging world. The question that is asked the most by the niche blogger is “How do I actually make money blogging?”

While there are several different responses, the one that people want to know most about is advertising. Advertising on your blog comes in many forms, so lets get down to it and discuss.

Contextual Advertisement (Such as Google Adsense):
When it comes to simplicity, nothing beats the contextual ad. Whether you intend to make money blogging or would just like monetize enough to cover hosting, contextual ads are the first way to go. Google Adsense is the industry leader because of its simplicity of use, ease in which one can sign up, and the results. The ads are usually perfectly targeted for your website. Other examples of contextual ads are Yahoo Publisher Network, Kontera, and to some extent BidVertiser.

Paid Posts:
Paid posts are not new, but many people are not aware of their ability in generating income. Places like PayPerPost, Sponsored Reviews, ReviewMe let the niche blogger who is really just interested in generating traffic and revenue the chance to make a little extra money blogging. The way it works, is you bid on a review, and when the accept it, you have a certain amount of time to display it on your website. Usually, there are some stipulations to the pose (how many words, keywords you have to include) but if your website is generating the traffic, this is a no brainer.

Paid Links:
Paid links are a great way to increase your revenue. The more traffic a site is doing, the more valuable any ad will be on your website. Instead of giving away the links for free, charge a modest fee. Use your blogroll to your advantage.

I will be adding part two shortly, which will focus primarily on 125 ads and affiliate programs

Get Over Your Creative Block with a Blog Redesign

Whenever I get stumped at what to write about next, I do one of two things.

I either stare at the screen until I come up with something decent to write about or I redesign my blog!

Redesigning a blog can have lots of great effects on your sanity. First and foremost, it takes your mind off the content aspect for a least a little while. Sometimes, resting your mind is one of the best things you can do for your blog. It also gives you the chance to flex that creative muscle in ways other than writing. That could be just as important as the rest. Aside from all the mental aspects, it will help your blog grow and prosper.

  • After a redesign, your traffic will increase as long-time readers who may rely on just your RSS feed will come back to the site to check out the new layout. This maybe a short lived spike in traffic, but as we all know, traffic numbers are the sold determining factor in generating revenue.
  • Each redesign will give you the chance to review your advertisement placements and whether or not your space is used to its fullest. Over time, you will find what type of ad works best in your niche. The same goes for layouts. Maybe the banner ads work better than the 125 x 125 ads. In that case, you could redesign the site to allow for better banner placement or even more banner placement. Plus advertisers always like something new, so older advertisers maybe more inclined to ’re-up’ their ad with you
  • After a redesign, you can feel more excited to tell new people about your blog. Although you could be constantly promoting your website, it is easy to tire of it. It is like an band who has been touring on a record for 2 years. They may appear to still love the music, but inside they are clamoring to release something new and exciting. When the new music is released, it is almost rejuvinating to the artist. The same could be said for a blog.

Another good thing about a blog redesign is that you can use and modify pleny of great and free wordpress themes. One of the sites I frequent often is http://www.wpthemesfree.com. They have a lot of great themes.

Once you redesign your blog, you will feel rejuvinated and ready for another several months of content generating!

How To Triple Your Adsense Revenue - From Blogging Experiment

http://bloggingexperiment.com/archives/how-to-triple-your-current-adsense-income.php

People who have been following this website since the start know that the first ‘make money’ website I stumbled upon was Blogging Experiment. Author Ben Cook had a lot of great advice for people just starting their blog.

Nine months into the experiment, Ben sold his website for 5 figures.

The new author, Max Davis, has already chimed in with some great advice for bloggers.

The link I posted is to an EXCELLENT article about how one can increase their AdSense revenue. Some may find it unethical, but in the cut-throat niche market, it could be a key to success.