"Why You Can't Make Money Blogging"

lisa · #1 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 12:33 PM

Wow! I'm sticking this thread here so people can read. Excellent, excellent article by Sonia Simone that was posted on www.copyblogger.com (subscribe if you haven't already!)

http://www.copyblogger.com/no-money-blogging/

While there's nothing very earth-shattering here, especially if you are already making money with a blog (or even a website) but sometimes the basics get overlooked when people seek to make money online. Pay special attention to the section titled "It's Time for Online Business to Grow Up". EXACTLY SONIA!!!!!

mirage2009 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 02:42 PM

thanks Lisa, that is so true, we do tend to forget the simplest and most important things when we go after the money.

Cheers. Amr

TechieGuy · #3 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 02:45 PM

Very interesting article. It seems like everyone and their dog are starting blogs in the hopes of making money quickly.

I think the "value" aspect of a blog when starting one is really important. It is important in business, and regular web sites, and blogs are no different. Providing value to your visitors will go much farther than simply regurgitating the latest gossip that a million others sites have posted.

lisa · #4 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 03:56 PM

Excellent points you two. Yes, VALUE is what is often missing.

James · #5 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 06:43 PM

Thanks for this, Lisa. It really is a great article. I think I will add this to the favorite quotes:

Quote:

If you want to make money in the real world, solve real problems

Sonia Simone

copyblogger has got to become a regular read.

webman · #6 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 07:43 PM

What an excellent blog! You just made a new subscriber out of me!

My only complaint would be this except...

"'Leap, and the net will appear,' was the mantra.

That sort of worked for awhile, but it doesn’t work now."

But hasn't Internet Marketing always been about hard work from day one? I would think so.

Like Yaro, Darren, and that guy who got penalized for selling links(forgot his name

), Sonia joins the ranks of my RSS subscriptions(and I almost forgot you too Lisa lol).

Kevtheman · #7 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 09:36 PM

Geat article, and the blog was pretty neat too. I just might subscibe.

ERICK · #8 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 10:09 PM

Yep, I think that is dead right. "Leap, and the floor will appear." is one thing I think we all have to keep in mind when building our content. If the content is not good enough only the floor WILL appear.

Jackal · #9 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 10:53 PM

I think when people start their sites, they start to think of how they can make money before they even have any type of content added to their site. Content makes everything easier.

ERICK · #10 (**permalink**) 02-20-2009, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jackal

I think when people start their sites, they start to think of how they can make money before they even have a ny type of content added to their site. Content makes everything easier.

I agree and the truth is that it can happen to all of us. No person can deny that one of the main reasons for turning their careers in for a web career is the money. Most people look up to myspace, twitter, youtube, etc,etc and get it in their heads that people are banking in the net. i don´t want to party poop but I would like to see the success/fail ratio and I am willing to bet that most people fail. So my thought is "do something you like,care about,interests you,and work on it first before you start dreaming about the packs of cash rolling in". There is a big chance we won´t meet our expectations of wealth so we need to do something we can at least feel good about. If not then you can just be wasting your time.

alpha7 · #11 (**permalink**) 02-21-2009, 06:37 AM

Thanks Lisa. This post goes to show you, there is always something to learn. I read and learned so much since you posted this, my eyes and head hurts. Gonna give it a rest for a few.

James · #12 (**permalink**) 02-21-2009, 10:57 AM

There are some important points in the blog; there are some equally important points in these comments. The fact is that the really valuable ones do not really conflict but compliment each other.

Whether you intend to make money or not, it is always true that we should only begin working on any site if we have a real interest in it and could enjoy it whether it made money or not. There is little reason to expect success either way (for profit or not) if we do not have enthusiasm for what we are doing.

It is also true that if you expect to make money, whether a little or a lot, it is extremely valuable to plan how to do that from the beginning. You can go back and try to fix or adjust the site later, but sometimes that is difficult. I worked on one site for quite a while just assuming that a few basic words I regularly use would be used by others as well and draw traffic. Later I found that the public out there didn't think in the same terms as I did. Not at all! So months later I am still working at changing some of the wording on that site so that people might find it on google. The content doesn't matter if no one reads it and no one will buy from any ads on your site if they never come. Pretty simple. Better to plan in advance.

As far as "leaping" I do not comment on the article. It makes good points and I need to read it in more detail. But let me say this. Not long ago I saw a panel of very successful people, all names you would recognize, on TV. They took questions and a man asked about starting up a new business. He planned to sell his house, borrow some money and jump in.

Every single one of these very successful people strongly asserted that they had never taken a chance on anything, ever. Of course they had some failures when things didn't work out. But they emphasized how they only did what they first learned how to do.

They urged the man to start part time from his house, to learn the skills he needed until he knew what he was doing and had predictable income. Then, they said, you can expand. But even then you are better off not to borrow to do it except in unusual circumstances or for real assets like property.

Here is an insight off mine that I have not read elsewhere but comes from my application of psychological principles that I know to the business concepts people commonly hold. Unsuccessful people cling to unsupported ideas that help them justify their lack of success (like I can't start my own business because I don't have enough money). Successful people learn from people who really are successful themselves and follow their example (by the way,most successful people enjoy sharing what they know).

Good advice all around.

lisa · #13 (**permalink**) 02-21-2009, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webman

But hasn't Internet Marketing always been about hard work from day one? I would think so.

I have to say, it actually was a lot easier to get search engine rankings back in the day. I used to join affiliate programs and create one-page websites that would be ranked on the first page of whatever engine was popular and earn affiliate commissions.

Sure, it was work but it was MUCH easier to get search engine rankings back then and I think that's what she was referring to.

And excellent point about unsuccessful people James!

Glad to see this article sparked such discussion. It even made me do a spur-of-the-moment YouTube video about it last night. lol

webman · #14 (**permalink**) 02-21-2009, 11:42 AM

Great advice James(as always).

Quote:

"'Leap, and the net will appear,' was the mantra.

That sort of worked for awhile, but it doesn’t work now."

But hasn't Internet Marketing always been about hard work from day one? I would think so.

Actually take that back. I think what he/she meant was folks in the olden days used to get away with spam(black hat SEO). Nowadays if you go that rout, Google will only give you the floor.

lisa · #15 (**permalink**) 02-21-2009, 11:53 AM

Yes, good point webman.

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