Finding The Money

Make More Money Today: a Checklist for Bloggers

2010-04-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Add targeted affiliate links (CJ, Linkshare, Clickbank) to an old post that still gets search engine traffic
Analyze posts with a high bounce rate (use Google analytics) and give your readers more to do there -- like forking over the cash, or reading your other posts
Ask me -- and other social types -- to Stumble, Digg or Delicious your best posts (include links, please~)
Join Blogengage and submit your best recent post
Read 5 Little Known Ways to Grow Your Blog
Get an influencer's attention, but consider it carefully. "First impressions" and all that
Read 10 Creative Ways to Make Money Blogging
Develop a better social media philosophy to promote your business
If you use Adsense, check out Infolinks -- you might like it a lot better.
Follow these Twitter users -- they're boosters:

100 Ways to Write a Better Blog Post

2010-03-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

There are three simple rules for how to write a killer blog post; unfortunately, nobody knows what they are.

Let's do 100, instead. Time to upgrade your trusty blog-writing toolbox with your choice of the many ways to write it, get it read, and get it linked better.

Sections

How This Post Will Help You Write Better Posts

• Choosing Your Topic
• The Writing Process
• Editing and Re-writing

• Plan and Prepare
• Content Writing
• Blogging Fundamentals

• Copywriting
• Readability
• The Final Rule

Your Tip Here! Conclusion

How This Post Will Help You Write Better Posts

Blogs are about getting your posts read. Readers. Visitors. Traffic. Marks; whatever you like to call them. Unless your blog is called “masturbatory meandering”, someone out there needs to know and care about what you're writing. Are your posts getting read?

Blogs are about good writing. People might want to kiss you, kill you, talk about you, break their keyboard over your head or slap your ass with it; it's all good -- if they stay conscious and keep reading. Are you writing good reading?

Blogs are about getting your posts linked to and talked about. Otherwise known as Social Proof, herd instinct, buzz, or the reason you smoked weed in high school. Search engines in particular want to know if you're considered one of the cool kids: are your posts getting linked?

Good blog posts incorporate all these elements. In this post, we'll cover them all (and more) so you can get busy writing kick-ass posts that people love.

• The List •

Choosing Your Topic
“What topics would you write about for free?” - Darren Rowse, Problogger.com

1. Stay in Your Theme

Write within the bounds of your blog's theme. A post might be well-written, but if it's off-topic, readers won't care about that. If someone likes one of your posts, they'll read more of them: will they get what they expect?

2. Write the Post You Want to Read

If you could read the perfect post for you right now, what would it be, and what would it do for you? Does that post exist? If not, write it yourself.

3. Write What You Need to Say

External things can influence your topic choice: popularity, profit, viral potential, alcohol, etc. But are the things you think and feel about the most influencing it, too? These are things you need to say, and how to choose a topic that sets you apart.

4. Find Out What People are Asking

Answering questions is part of what blog writing is all about, but what are people asking? Find out by studying sites like Yahoo! Answers and Google Trends.

5. Write a How-To

How-to articles are wildly popular on the web; there are even popular articles on how to write a how-to. Can your topic be written in a how-to format?

6. Make a List Post

Top 10 lists, step-by-step guides; any valuable list people can find will get tons of traffic and links. If you don't hate traffic and links, choose a topic that will work well as a list post. Further reading: How to write a list post.

7. Create a Resource

A resource post is a repository of knowledge that people can bookmark and reference repeatedly (being bookmarked and referenced repeatedly is how blogs have sex). ChrisG calls resource posts “Pillar content” because they're practical, useful and have long-term appeal (like a pillar for you blog).

8. Choose a Topic You're Enthusiastic About

A truly good post can take days or weeks to write: what's going to keep you (legally) going when the writing gets tough? It's worth taking the time to find a topic you'll enjoy writing, learning, and thinking about.

9. Pick a Challenging Topic

Tough, challenging topics will improve your blog-writing skills and make your post more valuable. They also qualify you to play music from Rocky III in the background while you rise up to the challenge of your rival.

Plan and Prepare
“Spectacular things take planning and patience.” Liz Strauss, Successful Blog

10. Have a Goal

Every writer should have a goal; what's yours? Is it self-education, the joy of writing, engagement with readers, more blog traffic, money, mad bling or all of the above? Set a goal to help determine why and what you'll be writing.

11. Be Inspired

When you've chosen an ambitious goal and a challenging topic that you're enthusiastic about, by definition you must now be inspired. (If not, figure out what step you've missed because you're arguing with the dictionary at this point, not me.)

12. Know Your Audience

Can you describe your audience? The more you know about them, the better your posts will be. Read blogs (especially comments) and forums in your niche, and use Google Analytics to find out where visitors come from, how long they stay and what content interests them.

13. Research Your Post

Will your post be a fresh cornucopia of valuable information or a stale can of re-hash? Research makes the difference. In-depth research can reveal what your readers need to know but may never find out (without your kind assistance). Google and Wikipedia are good places to start.

14. Make Your Post In-Depth

When you research a topic well, you can get a sense for how in-depth it's been covered on the web. Challenge yourself to write a post that's more in-depth than anywhere else.

15. Use What Worked in Your Other Posts

Read successful posts you've written in the past and figure out what made them good. Writing style, readability, catchy headline, or something else? How can you bring those same elements into your new post?

16. Be Willing to Put in the Work

A blog post that takes 15 minutes to complete won't be your finest work, and that's okay if your goals are modest. If your goals are ambitious, however, you'll need to commit to the hard work that ambitious goals require.

17. Make Your Post Unexpected

Maintain the enthusiasm of your regular readers by making your post a pleasant surprise, especially when that surprise includes them. Example: make a good post better by writing one that could easily stand on its own, but is also a showcase of your readers' blogs and posts.

18. Use an Outline

Use an outline to keep up your writing flow. An outline is anything that lays out the main concepts and structure of your post, like a map that will guide your writing. For instance, on this post, I wrote all the subheadings first, organized and ordered them, and then filled in the details. Here's how to make a real outline (if you must).

19. Use a Word Processor

Sometimes using the post editor of your blogging platform makes sense, but at other times it's pure masochism. Any time you need to structure your post, work with long bullet/numbered lists, or just get tired of web editors, use something like Microsoft Word or OpenOffice (free).

20. Read, Read, Read

Read many blogs and articles, on a variety of subjects. Read as much as you can without becoming that angry internet troll who's seen it all. Creativity is only half of the equation – inquiry is the other. Read and learn, and then write and teach; it's yin-yangy (which I'm told is a good thing).

Copywriting
“If no one reads, all is lost.” - Brian Clark, Copyblogger.com

21. Understand Copywriting

Copywriting is writing to persuade people to take some kind of action; usually to buy something, but it can also be to link to your post, leave a comment or agree with an opinion. For bloggers, the place to start learning the basics of copywriting is Copyblogger.com.

22. Write a Good Headline

A good headline is a promise, much like an unopened bag of Cheetos is a promises of orange tastiness within. Good posts deliver exactly what the headline promised, just as a Cheetos bag delivers real Cheetos and not, say, prunes. For further reading, see: How to Write Headlines That Work

23. Use a Call to Action

Whether your goal is to get comments, links, more visitors or a sale, you'll need what copywriters call a “call to action” to fully realize that goal.

Example of a call to action: If you'd like more useful articles like this, subscribe to Finding The Money.

Further reading: 10 Techniques for an Effective Call to Action

24. Write Your Headline First

Visitors usually decide to read your post based on the headline alone: if you stray from the promise of the headline, many of them will lose interest. Write your headline first and regularly check what you're writing against it

25. Write for Readers

Any time a reader sees something in a post that has no value to them, you risk losing them. To write for readers, follow this simple rule: for every sentence you write, ask yourself: “What's in it for them?”

26. Build Trust

How to build trust with readers (instead of scaring them away):

Get to the point immediately

Avoid hype, stick to the facts

Don't use “marketese”, be sincere

~~Offer free hugs. If you're attractive.~~

27. Explain the Problem and Consequence

If you're addressing a reader's problem, do they understand the consequence? If not, they won't see the value of your solutions. For Example: “Whenever possible, say 'thank you' when someone links to your post; otherwise that person may never link to you again.”

28. Use the Copywriting That Works on You

You click on headlines, read good posts, and buy things on the internet all the time, which means that someone's copywriting is working quite well on you. This is real-world education. Save this stuff, take notes, and start making it work for you in your posts.

29. Be Credible

A blog writer's credibility is always on the line (and should be). If you make make an assertion, give your reasons -- or better yet, proof. For example: “[Assertion] Most work-at-home opportunities are scams. [Proof] In fact, the aptly-named “Project False Hopes” from the FTC found that 95% of work-at-home offers are scams.”

30. Make Your Post Compelling

How much of your post do you want a visitor to read? All of it? Me, too. The answer is, make your post compelling by remembering these simple rules (stolen from Copyblogger):

The purpose of the headline is get the first sentence read

the purpose of the first sentence is to get the second sentence read,

the purpose of the second sentence... etc

Or, just use sexy pictures.

31. Turn Scanners Into Readers

You've written your post to be read, but internet readers are master scanners. Use subheadings just like headlines to capture interest, and scatter valuable and attention-getting elements throughout your post (especially in the middle).

32. Make Your Post Timeless

If someone reads your post three years from now, will it still have impact (make money, get links, etc.)? Consider writing it in a way that won't sound dated or irrelevant later. Further reading: 5 ways to make your blog timeless.

The Writing Process
“Listen, feel, and let the experience flow.” - Lorelle

33. Just Write
The secret to writing a blog post is to write, write, write. Staring at an empty page? Write on it. Whatever you write can be improved, but you can't improve on nothing (it's logically impossible, isn't it? Someone smart help me out here).

34. Write Without Distractions

Focus is important while writing your blog post; do your best to minimize distractions. Some people listen to music on headphones (like the Rocky III soundtrack – it gives you the Eye of the Tiger), some write late at night. Do whatever you can to enable concentration.

35. Motivate the Palahniuk Way

"When you don't want to write, set an egg timer for one hour (or half hour) and sit down to write until the timer rings. If you still hate writing, you're free in an hour. But usually, by the time that alarm rings, you'll be so involved in your work, enjoying it so much, you'll keep going." - Chuck Palahniuk's "13 Writing Tips"

36. Don't Have a Deadline

Deadlines can be counterproductive when they tempt you to publish a post that isn't really complete. If at all possible, chuck the deadline and commit to publishing when it's really done.

37. Work on a Self-Impose Deadline

Yes, the last tip was not to have a deadline (what's so wrong with doublethink?), but if the lack of one is allowing the process to stretch on and on, it's better to set your own deadline and commit yourself to meeting it.

38. Don't Worry Too Much About What Others Think

All bloggers and all writers receive negative criticism, and the better ones take risks anyway. Listen to any criticism that helps you communicate better, but don't modify your writing just to avoid it.

39. Don't Give Up

If you feel the urge to forget the whole thing and try something else, you either haven't been listening to the Rocky III soundtrack I keep suggesting, or you just need a break. Getting through tough spots will make you a better blog writer and it will show in your posts.

40. Don't Take Shortcuts

Taking shortcuts leads to mediocre posts. Your post is going to be badass when you're through, not mediocre -- so no shortcuts for you. If you feel like rushing through just to get it done, it's time to take a break and come back when you're feeling more energized.

41. Don't Be Self-Critical in the Writing Phase

When you're putting new ideas into words, being self-critical will kill your creativity. There's plenty of time for self-criticism during editing and re-writing.

Content Writing
“I don't mind reading about someone's cereal if it's written in a way that doesn't put me to sleep.” - Heather Armstrong, Dooce.com

42. Be Original

Anyone can write a blog post, so you need to give people a special reason to read yours. Don't worry too much about being perceived as original; just say what you need to say; that's pretty much what originality is.

43. Be Authentic

Be like your readers: they have personalities, opinions and flaws. And bullshit detectors. Be authentic.

44. Write Conversationally

Blogging is about conversation and interaction, and blog readers are looking for it. Lectures and prose are great, but between you and me? Let's have a conversation.

45. Deliver the Best Info First

Internet readers want instant answers, and will read the rest of your post if you produce the goods first-and-foremost. This is where the “inverted pyramid” comes in: deliver your most valuable information first, and expand from there.

46. Be Smart, Not Bookish

Big words and academic references don't impress blog readers. More impressive are bloggers smart enough to explain complex ideas in simple ways.

47. Use Examples

Readers need to know how your solutions and concepts work in the real world. Provide examples of your explanations whenever you can.

48. Be Fresh -- Avoid Cliches

Cliches are like a poison that saps away originality from your statements. Find fresh ways to express common ideas and your readers will stay awake.

49. Be Informational, Not Condescending

Condescending posts makes visitors grouchy, and then they stop being visitors. Try to read your post from a stranger's perspective, and get feedback from others to ensure that your post is coming across the way you want.

50. Use Humor

Because it's funny. Besides making your post better, it helps people lose weight, endure more pain, live longer, relieve stress and get in trouble at work. Humor saves the world; seriously.

51. Use One Idea Per Paragraph

Readers lose interest in paragraphs that have too many different concepts in them. Using one idea per paragraph will keep your writing tight and your reader interested.

52. Make Your Solutions Usable

A usable post is a good post. Can your readers apply the solutions you offer? Use step-by-steps, tutorials, and examples whenever you can.

53. Use Direct Quotes

A well-placed, relevant direct quote is not only valuable for getting your point across, it adds credibility and authority to your idea (and you).

54. Explain and Break it Down

Unfamiliar technical terms, acronyms and jargon tend to be off-putting to readers. If you can't avoid using them, make sure to explain them for readers who might be new to the subject.

55. Use Analogies and Comparisons

Analogies and comparisons get your point across in ways that other explanations can't. For example, compare the following statements – which one best gets the point across to a more general audience?

"Anyone who asks how much RAM your monitor has doesn't know computers, because RAM doesn't go into monitors"

"Asking how much RAM your monitor has is like asking how much gasoline your tires have."

56. Use Short Words

You could say: “Whenever possible, use short words instead of long words because they increase readability.”
But you should say: “Short words are easy to read. Use them over long words if you can.”

(The second line even has a higher word-count.)

57. Use Fewer Words

Unnecessary words reduce the impact of your writing. Here's an example:

Pretty good: “If it is at all possible to cut a word out, you should always cut it out.”
Way better: “If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.” (George Orwell)

58. Speak Plainly, Don't Mince Words

Self-censoring and euphemisms come across as a blogger who isn't straightforward. The KISS rule doesn't mean "Keep It Simple, Sweetie", for instance. If you need to be careful about your language, find more plain-spoken ways to explain familiar concepts.

59. Write to One Person

Bloggers sometimes write like they're in front of a crowd, but blog readers don't want to feel like an audience. Picture one person who has the characteristics of your audience, and write to that one person.

60. Tell Stories

Stories capture our imagination, and can turn an otherwise dull explanation into something memorable. Bloggers are writers, after all: we might as well tell stories. See: “Tell a tantalizing story to kick off your blog post.”

61. Be Positive... Like Hemingway

"Be Positive, Not Negative." - Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway obviously didn't mean to be upbeat (you can be depressing if you want); he meant to make your sentences add something (like an explanation or an alternative), not merely take away. We'll use his quote as an example. If you say:

"Don't be negative": you'll only take an option away
"Be positive, not negative": you'll take an option away, but add an alternative

62. Write A Rough Draft

Blogging is a technical medium, which makes it tempting to write, organize, edit, and re-write all at once. That's a lot of mental gear-shifting. Get all your thoughts flushed out in a rough draft, and worry about the technical stuff later.

63. Use A Thesaurus

The thesaurus has several uses; one is to expand your vocabulary and another is to find inspiration. If you regularly use the dictionary while writing a post, try looking the word up on the thesaurus while you're at it. You'll often find words that expand your thinking on a topic.

64. Be Enthusiastic, But Not Obnoxious

Enthusiasm will help you write a better blog post, and it'll show naturally. Avoid excessive exclamation points, exaggeration, and all-caps; they'll make your enthusiasm seem forced.

65. Use Introduction, Body and Conclusion

After the headline, your introduction is the most important part of your post. It tells the reader what to expect, giving them incentive to read the rest (anticipation).
The main body of your post should contain what the introduction promised (reward).
The conclusion summarizes the post and suggests what the reader can do with what they know (like handing over the cash).

66. Use Good Grammar and Punctuation

Good grammar and punctuation matter, but feel free to creatively break the rules when you need to (you want to know when you're breaking the rules, though). Here's how to improve grammar in your posts:

Write your posts in Microsoft Word for its grammar proofing

Read a lot

Read these: quick and dirty grammar tips, and guide to grammar and writing

Readability
“No one cuddles up with their laptop for a long leisurely read.” - Lifehacker

67. Organize Your Post Consistently

Once a reader gets the idea of how your post is structured, they'll know how to find the information they're looking for. If the structure changes abruptly, they'll skim, skip over or just move on.

68. Use Subheadings

Ever come to a post looking for information, only to find a long diatribe with no subheadings? Ever gotten the hell out of there? Me, too.

69. Use Bullet points

Use bullet points whenever appropriate, like when:

Listing multiple answers to a question
Describing elements of an idea
Whenever you can get away it; it's easier to read

70. Use Bold and Italics

Use bold and italics to make yourself more clear. Compare the clarity of these sentences:

Using bold and italics is a way to tell readers what you think is important.
Using bold and italics is a way to tell readers what you think is important.

71. Create White Space

White space (space between paragraphs, images, subheadings, elements of a post) is the difference between whether your post gets read or skipped over. When's the last time you heard that a post had too much white space? Save eyeballs; err on the side of white space.

72. Use Short Paragraphs

Internet readers appreciate concise, fun-size pieces of information. Keep your paragraphs to three sentences or less and you will get more readers.

73. Use Images

Not only do they get more attention to your posts, images make them easier to read. They can replace whole paragraphs by setting the emotional tone or context. Further reading: “How to position images in your posts”.

74. Make a Long Post Into a Series

When you've written a long post, it can be beneficial to split it up into a series. You'll encourage return visits to your blog while keeping people from being scared away by huge posts. (Tip: If you like scaring people, though, just write a post like this one.)

75. Make an Index

People want information as quickly as possible. If your post is a long one, make a click-able index (using internal links) to help them find what they need ASAP.

Editing and Re-Writing
"The simple truth is that even gifted writers can’t write a perfect piece on the first try " - Mason Hipp, Freelance Folder

76. Don't Publish Until You're Happy

If you think your post is complete, but you're not happy with it, it's not actually complete. Figure out what's making you unhappy and then re-write, re-write, re-write until you're satisfied.

77. Cut, Cut, Cut
Mercilessly cut out any sentence that:

Isn't interesting
Doesn't reflect the headline
Isn't necessary

78. Read Your Post Out Loud

Reading your post out loud reveals the flow of your sentences and checks your choice of words. If a sentence is awkward to say, it's often awkward to read, too.

79. Get Reactions From Others

Feedback from friends and family will give you fresh eyes to catch jarring breaks in flow, unintended tone, and grammar problems.

80. Skip the Boring Parts

Think about what you tend to skip when reading a blog post; leave those parts out if you can.

81. Sleep on it

Re-read your post when you've been away for a while; sleep on it, if possible. Things will strike you differently and you'll catch problems.

82. Proofread

Read through your post repeatedly and correct any mistakes in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. When you've read through it at least twice without seeing problems, you're done. Further reading: Quick Edit and Revision Tips

83. Check for Redundant Words

When reading through your post, check for redundant words and see if you can make them more varied (the thesaurus can help here.)

84. Know When You're Done

You could edit and re-write forever. When you are basically happy with the post, you should be close to publishing.

Blogging Fundamentals
“You need to build a community around your blog, and make readers feel part of it.” - Daniel Scocco, Daily Blog Tips

85. Ask Good Questions

Asking good questions makes people think, and then they want to talk to you and link to you. A post that engages readers is a good one.

86. Update your post

Keep your ideas alive: anything you find that would enhance a post you've already written should be added as an update.

87. Ask for comments

If you want to know what your readers think, asking them is the best way. At the end of your post, invite readers to comment.

88. Always Respond to Comments

When you respond to comments, it encourages more comments, and comments are content. In addition, the more feedback you get, the better you know your audience, and the better your posts will be.

89. Add Updates Based on Comments

When someone takes the time to write a well thought-out comment on your post, add an update that showcases their offering (with a link to their blog, if appropriate).

90. How to Use Keywords

When someone performs a web search, they're asking a question with keywords. Is your post using keywords to properly answer? Search engines need to know what your post is about, and using your keywords in the url, title, and body of your post is a good starting point. Further reading: Keyword Usage and Targeting

91. Link Out to Get Links

A blog post that generates links is a good blog post. One of the best ways to get links is to give them. Link out to other blogs wisely, provocatively and generously in your post and you'll receive links in return. Further reading: 101 Ways to Build Link Popularity

92. How to Create Friendly Links

If you're just selling something, a simple “click here” link will do. If you're linking to other bloggers, however, some methods are better than others. Search engines look at the anchor text (the text of the link) as an indicator of how relevant the link is to certain keywords. For example:

To make a blogger like you: Liz has a good post on what makes a blog compelling.
To make a blogger love you: Liz asks “What Makes a Blog Compelling?”

93. Fix Your Call to Action

Are your visitors taking action on your post (linking, commenting, buying, etc.)? If people aren't responding to your call to action, figure out what's going wrong and fix it.

94. Be Polite, Use Hat-Tips

Giving your fellow bloggers credit makes them happy; not doing so makes them sad. If someone drew your attention to something new or interesting and you're writing about it, give them a hat-tip.

95. Attribute Your Sources

Plagiarism is bad, mmkay? Always link to the source if you're quoting another person's content.

96. Correct Any Mistakes Instantly

Any time you find inaccuracies or mistakes, correct them right away. Yes, it will make your post pop up again in feed readers – nothing wrong with that.

97. Keep Visitors Reading

Any visitor who reads your post to the end is likely to want more. At the end of your post, add related posts you've written.

98. Keep Them Coming Back

Give your readers incentive for return visits. For Example:

Promise an upcoming, related post
Remind them to check back for updates

99. Make Coming Back Easy

At the end of your post, make sure it's easy for a visitor to subscribe to your blog and bookmark or share your post.

100. The Final Rule

"Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous."
- George Orwell, Politics and the English Language

101. Your Tip Here!

What are your favorite tips for writing better blog posts? Have any advice on choosing topics, copywriting, writing, readability and getting your post linked? Leave a comment and tell me about it.

Conclusion

First, congratulations for somehow getting to the end of this post. You deserve a gold star and marshmallow-only Lucky Charms. Seriously.

I hope you've gotten lots of ideas for writing better blog posts here; the internet needs more of them. There are over 100 million blogs now, and what really matters are the posts. It's what we really have to offer. Without original, useful, authentic posts, it's all just business and window dressing.

Make the internet better: keep writing better posts.

Your turn: let's talk. (Sass, smart-ass comments, beat-downs, fawning all encouraged)

How To Annoy The Entire Blogosphere

2007-04-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

1. Ask a blogger for a favor, especially if you have no intention of reading their blog.

Bonus points for starting your request like-a-so: "Hi, I don't read your blog, but would you mind..."

2. Use messaging on social networking sites (StumbleUpon, MyBlogLog) to ask people to visit your site.

Bonus points for not visiting the sites of those you ask.

3. Sport the dollar signs in your eyes with pride. Whether it be links, traffic or money, we're all here to serve you. Demonstrate your dedication to self-enrichment with every comment, email and post.

4. Avoid writing comments that resemble actual conversation. Comments that begin and end with "Great post!", "I agree!", or "Ditto!" are best.

Bonus points for fawning.

5. Copy another blogger's content.

Bonus points for not linking to their original post. They love that.
Gold star for submitting your copy to Digg.

6. Borrow heavily from another blogger's post, or repeat their news. Perform no hat-tip. After all, noone wears hats suitable for tipping anymore.

7. Write sponsored reviews without disclosure. People need mystery; fill that need.

Bonus points for reviews that are irrelevant to your readers. People need variety, too.

8. Have a unique perspective on spam: if it isn't Viagra or a Nigerian scam, assume everyone wants to hear about whatever it is you're selling. This frees you to:

Promote your link with every comment
Send cut-and-paste messages on social networking sites
Use a blogger's contact form to promote your site/blog/product
Et cetera

9. Focus on memes, contests, link-lists and any other masturbatory link-building scheme you can find. Bask in the ensuing irritation from every visitor not involved in the link-mania.

Bonus points for regularly featuring link-building posts devoid of actual content
Gold star for having more links than visitors.

10. Do everything on this list while fundamentally agreeing with the Golden Rule. Now that is annoying.

Kind thanks to all who contributed to this post via the "What Frustrates You The Most About Blogging?" thread: Liz, Steven, Jonathan, TK, Lora, Matt, and everyone.

Need more Bad Advice?

The 1-Step Plan Guaranteed To Get Readers For Your Blog

2007-04-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

This article is for those who have read metric tons of "how to get traffic" articles and either:

have yet to see encouraging results, or
just want to find out what this so-called "guaranteed 1-step plan" is.

The typical list we're familiar with looks something like this:

Use social networking
Link effectively
Comment well
Be active on forums
Blah
Blah
Blah to the Blah

That's all fine advice (especially the "blah" part), but we'd all appreciate more than recycled versions of the conventional wisdom. Conventional wisdom is valid as far as it goes, but also tends to be overly-general and far from guaranteed. Let's change that.

The 1-Step Plan To Get Readers For Your Blog

Have A Conversation With One Person

As in, two-way communication. Dialogue. One-on-one. A real, actual conversation.

You might link to other blogs, write good content and comment all over the place, but how often do you actually connect with someone else through a real conversation? ("Good post!" followed by "Thanks!" doesn't count)

Fire-and-forget comments, impersonal messages and unqualified links look exactly like what they are (i.e., lame), and are generally returned - if it all - with about the same level of enthusiasm. A real conversation, however, takes a little time, thought and effort; the end result often being friendship. A good link may get you some traffic, but a good relationship is more valuable by far.

So, who to talk to? If what primarily interests you about someone is getting in on their traffic mojo, you really have nothing to talk about (as far as they're concerned, anyway). If they make you think or inspire ideas, however, you've chosen the right person. You can start these conversation any way you like:

Links
Comments
Contact Forms
Email
Private messages on forums or social networking communities

It doesn't matter, as long as your goal is to connect with another person who shares your interests, as opposed to trying to get links or traffic from them. In terms of networking, the rewards you're looking for come as a natural result of investing in - and building - relationships. Ask any successful blogger and they'll tell you the same.

Want more readers for your blog? Connect with one person. Have a real conversation. Repeat. If you know what friends do for each other, then you know what a friend can do for your blog.

It's guaranteed.

The Commenting Cool Kids

2007-04-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

The people listed below are but a small selection of the outstanding commenters here at FTM, each of whom has a blog well worth checking out.

The comments section of a blog is where its true life is. While monologuing has its place (particularly when a would-be hero lies helpless in your clutches), dialog is the true key to success in the world of words that is the blogosphere.

For challenging us with your unique perspective, raising the level of dialog, or just being plain sassy, I salute you:

Ms. Q: An amusing muse

Jonathan Philips: Reservoir of positivity

Liz Strauss: The original SOB

Avinash: Just cool

Jesse Somer: Bane of the impetuous

Kumiko: Certifiably enthusiastic

Andy Beard: Remarkably sane

Two Knives: Whose blades are not ceremonial.

Are You Tired of Blogs About Making Money?

2007-03-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Jesse of Blogspoke is; I, myself, am not. I've been talking to him about it at his blog, and I think it's a great conversation to have.

Sure, blogging-for-money is a wading pool of low expectations. Low barrier of entry, little-to-no risk and, frankly, full of folks easily amused by splashing around without accomplishing much of anything.

However, it's full of potential; and - as I told Jesse - although it's easy to get snarky about all the wannabes out there (which I do on occasion, and could be accused of being one, too,) there are people out there with a vision for how they want it to be, who raise the level wherever they go. Walking the talk, so to speak.

Technology will eventually get us to a place where our online activities become a part of - or even integral to - how we earn our income. Will that future have room for lowest-common-denominator thinking, writing, and marketing to the level that it exists online today? I don't think so; but getting there will be a process, and people who are long-term thinkers will shape it. That's how we'll turn the wading pool into something with depth.

I'm not tired of money-making blogs or blogs that make money - I just want them to evolve into something better. I know I'll be thinking about how to raise the level; will you?

Here's a Quick Way To Know If You're An Underpaid Blogger

2007-03-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

Scenario #1
If you:

Regularly create high quality, valuable content
Actively promote your blog
Don't make a reasonable hourly wage

You are UNDERPAID.

Scenario #2

If you:

Spend more time checking ad/earning stats than creating high-quality, valuable content
Are more interested in monitoring traffic than promoting your blog
Also don't make a reasonable hourly wage

Whatever trickle of income (if any) you're making is JUST RIGHT - get used to it.

If you are a Scenario #1 blogger: Keep doing what you're doing; you will likely be rewarded sooner or later. You are a winner.

If you are a Scenario #2 blogger: Punt the ads, get off the daily traffic rollercoaster and spend your time doing something productive; like building and promoting a blog you can be proud of. Winners do it.

That is all.

Speaking of the Blogging A-List: Calacanis Interviews PayPerPost

2007-03-25T04:34:00.000-07:00

If you've been wondering what the deal is with PayPerPost, this may be a good starting (or ending) point.

PayPerPost, in essence, connects advertisers with bloggers who are willing to review their product (positively, of course) for money. Controversy has arisen over PayPerPost's initial failure to require disclosure of paid postings (shill much?), and it continues as various "A-listers" claim that their new disclosure policy just isn't enough.

On the other side, some are saying that the A-lister bourgeoisie just doesn't like the idea of empowering "blue-collar bloggers". Huh.

All of this leads to Jason Calacanis' recent interview with PayPerPost's founder, Ted Murphy. The result?

Calacanis seemed: insincere and condescending.

Ted Murphy seemed: either unprepared, an ineffective debater, lacking in vision, or any combination of the above.

But PayPerPost is becoming quite the popular little item, anyway. There are bloggers who were counting Adsense pennies a short while ago who are making significant monthly income now. But is it "polluting" the blogosphere? (Because, you know, the blogosphere is the last bastion of honesty and integrity on the internet - hee hee.)

Earlier this month, Problogger asked "Do you read paid review posts?" The general response was in the negative. But then, many of us don't watch commercials, either; or listen to pitches from radio hosts. Is PayPerPost the same thing? I'm not quite sure.

All You Need To Know About the Blogging Bourgeoisie

2007-03-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Is an elite cadre of blogging gatekeepers keeping us all in our place and limiting our blogging potential?

Pshaw.

However, if you have too much time on your hands ( :D ), you may have been following a theatrical little debate that pits the "A-list" against "blue-collar" bloggers. Oh yes, you know where this is going.

It all started with one blogger's annoyance at the trend of A-lister's who have taken to bashing poor ol' PayPerPost.

What follows is a (ridiculously) paraphrased version of the debate, including links to the appropriate ~~whines~~ ~~tirades~~ posts:

DeepJive: PayPerPost isn't evil. The A-list is just an elitist aristocracy who has no need for it.

Calacanis: BS! If there was an A-List, which there isn't, all it would take to be an A-lister would be to stop being such slackers. And then you'd be on the A-list. If there was one. But there isn't.

Lorelle: Yes, there is.

Calacanis: NEGATIVE, dummies. Stop whining.

Jim Kukral: You're all wrong and all right. Like that paragon of philosophically deep movies, The Matrix; the A-List both exists and does not exist. Oooommmm...

Webomatica: Jason's partly right, though; slackers don't make the A-list. Hard work alone, however, probably won't get you there either. After all, most of us have to write really good content to get links; Scoble can write about Earl Grey tea and bloggers around the world will swoon.

Gaping Void: Uh, no, Jason's all-the-way right; and you're all so wrong that I'm going to make a cartoon about how whiny you are.

Rebecca: Calacanis both sucks and blows. He's in denial. He's the Bill O'Reilly of blogging. Not only does the A-list exist, but hard work isn't even close to being all that's necessary for success.

Loren Feldman: Uh-huh. I have one word for you so-called "blue collar bloggers" - Waaaaa.

CopyBlogger: Funny, Loren; but you know, the A-list does exist. It just doesn't matter.

DeepJive: Uh, thanks for all your thoughts, but this isn't even really what I meant in the first place. :(

Update: Andy Beal of Marketing Pilgrim fame wants your RSS feed:

"I’m not claiming to be A-list, but I do realize there are a lot of great blogs out there, that don’t get the attention we do, so I’m sharing the love."

What Frustrates You The Most About Blogging?

2007-03-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

Whether you're a seeker, slacker (hi!), yang kee, cash-quester or ray gun robot, you've got expectations for this whole blogging thing.

You could be happiness incarnate, but expectations can still be an irritant; especially when they fail miserably in the "jibes with reality" department (even if your name is blog).

I know what my frustrations are (and in an upcoming post they shall be revealed), but I don't know all of yours. So, an open question to all bloggers: what frustrates you the most about blogging?

You've Got That Certain Something

2007-03-20T02:08:00.000-07:00

There's something different about you.

In France they'd call it je ne sais quoi (translated: "I don't know what"); but you wouldn't. You'd call it "that certain something" because your readers don't speak French and you're not pretentious.

Others say you "push the envelope", but you wouldn't because you avoid cliches.

People respect your indifference to what others might think; but you're not indifferent — you're just willing to take risks.

They call it "originality", but you'd call it "saying what you need to say"; you couldn't care less if it's been said before.

You'd say that everyone's got that certain something. If you're different, it's because you refuse to hide it.

Your Monday Cup O' Inspiration - 3 Steps to Get Your Blogging Groove On

2007-03-19T01:22:00.000-07:00

Some of you already have your Monday groove on. All I can say to that is, damn you. For some of us, "Monday" and "brain-dead" mean the same thing. Although a hot cup of French roast may take us out of mono-syllable land, our creativity just may need a kick-start.

Having recently re-discovered how to count to three (I heart caffeine), please allow me to share three simple steps for Monday inspiration:

1. Snag some posting inspiration right here. 101 good posting ideas? Oh yeah. Something here will get your creativity flowing.

2. Don't write it yet! First, check out Copyblogger's latest series wherein Brian rewrites and comments on user-submitted headlines - here and here (hey, one of those titles looks familiar...) Especially note the way he transforms author-centric or neutral titles (read: ZZZzzz) into magnetic headlines that resonate with others.

3. After following steps #1 and #2, you should have a pretty good idea of what you want to do. Let me suggest one thing: write the headline first. Make it magnetic, make it something that intrigues you; then write the post. Try to make every sentence retain the focus of the headline, and make sure that by the end, the headline's promise is kept.

I hope this works as well for you as it does for me. If not, you can try my plan B: a triple-short white chocolate mocha. If nothing else, your post will be memorable.

Even Easier Ways To Repel Those Pesky Readers

2007-03-15T16:52:00.000-07:00

You may have read "How To Make Readers Avoid Your Blog Like The Plague". While most of that (clearly excellent) advice was easy enough to integrate into your blogging habits, some of it required actual work. Do you need more work? Pshaw.

Submitted For Your Approval

5 NEW items that:

Will send readers running for the hills
Require absolutely no effort!

1. Don't Provide Email Subscriptions

There are still too many people who prefer to receive posts by email (as my email subscribers will attest). If you were to take the 10 to 30 minutes required to provide this option, you'd be running the substantial risk of increasing your readership. Ouch.

2. Avoid Research

Any amount of research will make your posts far too valuable. When I declared that "Winners Use StumbleUpon", for instance, it generated way too much interest. I could have repelled so many more readers just by changing the headline to "StumbleUpon: A Service" and following up with "I like it." Live and learn.

3. Discover Something Valuable? Take No Action

Anything that piques your interest, makes you think, or compels you to learn more has far too many good things going for it. Sharing it with your readers might require research and creative thinking when explaining how it applies to them. If you were to do that, people might start thinking of you as a resource for fresh and unique ideas. Not the best way to stunt your blog's growth.

4. Ix-nay On The Risk-Taking

Many readers like writers who have a clear voice. Luckily, most of us don't begin with such a voice. To find it, we'd have to take risks and get out of our comfort zone.

We all know where our comfort zone is because we know when we're leaving it. Are we uncomfortable because we're unsure of the outcome, or because we don't really believe in what we're doing? Too much thinking - too much work. Not only is it too much work, but it's work that leads to a clear and confident voice. Readers like that too much.

5. Do. Not. Network.

Just because I like reading Liz Strauss, Andy Beard and Chris Garrett doesn't mean I have to actually talk to them, does it? Talking is work, and it leads to learning, inspiration, linking back and forth, and so on. That way lies too many readers.

Just because I notice good things about Avinash, Sania Wyatt, Jon Phillips, or Two Knives doesn't mean I should link to them as a conversation-opener, does it? Conversations with new people leads to broader horizons and new ideas; making you just too damn appealing to avoid a larger readership.

That is all.

And A Question For You:

What drives you away from a blog?

Blogged Out: A Blog Traffic Experiment

2007-03-14T04:21:00.000-07:00

Got a tip via ChrisG for the Blogged Out Project. The author, Darren Cronian, will be sharing his best techniques for blog promotion and is asking other bloggers to get involved and contribute as well. Darren - like many of us - isn't a professional blogger, but has learned a few things about earning money through blogging (as have you and I).

Besides the knowledge exchange, this sounds like it could be a good way to network with other like-minded bloggers. Let's check it out, shall we?

Slacker-Friendly Ways To Increase Your Blog's Exposure

2007-03-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

It's not that you aren't willing to invest time promoting your blog - you are. Indeed, you spend so much doing so that you haven't got much left.

Have you, therefore, hit a wall in the amount of exposure you can generate for your blog? Not if you can tap into some slacker-friendly ways to broaden your community.

To that end, here are a few examples of services and techniques that work. I invite you to add your own favorites, too.

Slacker-Friendly Services: Communities

Now, I'm not promoting a self-centered view of online communities, where the only goal is to receive and not to give. However, if you truly understand and believe in the value of your blog (do you ?), then even limited community participation can pay off. Does your blog sell itself?

Here are two such communities that are sending traffic my way:

SpicyPage
A Digg-like voting site for blogs that I joined recently. Setting it up is quick and easy, and possibly all you need to do. While active community participation will undoubtedly increase your exposure, good blogs sell themselves here.

PlugIM
A new-ish service I joined recently. This is also a Digg-like community, but the content is more focused on marketing and promotion. Conveniently, you can set it up to auto-submit new posts from your RSS feed. If you regularly post in these themes, PlugIM will increase your exposure, even if you can't spend as much time there as you'd like.

Slacker-Friendly Techniques

Another way to increase your online exposure is to invite your readers to network with you, as well as offering reciprocation when possible. If your favorite bloggers offered easy ways to network with them, would you?

Show Your Readers Where Else to Find You
If you're (for example) a Stumbler, Digger, or have a MyBlogLog community, consider providing the links to your communities on your blog.

These kinds of services become more valuable depending on how many friends/members you have, and many of your loyal readers would be happy to hook up with you there; especially if you're providing interesting content there that isn't on your blog (see my StumbleUpon page, for instance). Providing these links for your readers is pretty light in the time-investment department, but the rewards can be great.

Social Voting Reciprocation
This isn't something I actually do at the moment, but Andy Beard does, and I think it's worth talking about.

Specifically, if you add him to your Technorati Favorites or vote for him at SpicyPage, he'll do the same for you (provided your blog is on the up-and-up and isn't overly naughty). Once again, this is a way you could increase your exposure without the need to invest a lot of time. I'd be interested to know what others think about it.

Increase Your Exposure: Slackify

There's only so much you can personally do to promote your blog. When you hit that wall - and you've probably hit it many times - it becomes essential to start thinking of promotion and networking in new ways. Slacker-like ways.

I'll leave you with two:

If you build a blog that sells itself, it'll do great in many communities, even if you don't have the time to participate as much you'd like
If you invite your readers to network with you, and make it easy for them to do so, they will

5 Strange Secrets Of My Success

2007-03-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

Sania tapped me for this thing. I'm not a frequent visitor of sites with slogans like "Create Life In Your Image!", but I do jump at chances to be perverse.

Have you ever been to Los Angeles? I live here. If you get the chance, spend a day in Malibu (you know, the city Mel Gibson "owns" - hee hee) or take a walk down Santa Monica's Promenade (try to avoid bearing a passing resemblance to any star - it sucks). When you do, you too may develop the narrow-eyed view of the word "success" that I have. There's self-improvement, and then there's masturbation - the latter often masquerading as the former here.

SO, avoiding success-language kitsch, allow me to share my everyday top-5:

1. Fail Upwards
I make (among other kinds) a blogging "mistake" almost every day. Huge or tiny, they're all forms of failure, so-called. Regardless, things are still moving upwards (see #2).

2. Don't Sweat Persistence, Just Be Unreasonably Obstinate
I think persistence in reaching goals is great, but when it includes short-cuts and reconstructing your voice for highest profit - not so much. Therefore, blind stubbornness in doing what you've decided to do, in your own way, works best for me. Integrity or bust, if you will. It may not be the surest path to riches, but you can sleep at night.

3. Flee the Comfort Zone
I can't speak for others, but whether or not you end up looking foolish, this is where you learn the most. This applies to writing/blogging, making music, or anything creative.

4. Fake It
Otherwise known as "confidence". I think the greatest heroes are also the biggest fakers - ditto on the most confident. Real confidence is a key element to good self-promotion; that is, seeing yourself in the third person and projecting appropriate confidence based on mutually-appreciated objectivity (not bravado). Personal insecurities don't go away - self-consciousness, thankfully, can.

5. Conduct Inane Research
You know those random curiosities that pop into your head for about five seconds and then disappear? Yeah, I follow up on those things; whether it's whatever happened to the Karate Kid or how long psychotropic substances have been illegal. The funny thing is that as you dig deeper, you often mess up and actually learn something useful that can be shared with others.

Besides, you're not an American if your head isn't filled with useless trivia.

No taggage this time, but if you decide to follow suit with a post like this on your blog, drop a link in the comments or contact me and I'll try to include you here.

A Free Ebook Worth Reading? (Or My Review of Chris Garrett's "Killer Flagship Content")

2007-03-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

I've read a number of ebooks - paid and free - and have come to rely on their nigh-monolithic failure to approach the charm of, say, your typical dentist's drill. Therefore, Chris Garrett's excellent ebook, "Killer Flagship Content", has slightly screwed up my whole idea of God, right and wrong, the universe, etc.

I already subscribe to Chris' blogs because I like his writing. Had it been almost anyone else, the mere utterance of the words "ebook" and "killer" would have ended the story right there; but it wasn't just anyone, so I decided to scan it. Then I read it. Then I started taking notes. In other words, it was the hotness.

Atypical of free ebooks, there's no sales language or anything to buy (unless you consider "sales" to be one invitation to subscribe to his RSS feed, which I would encourage anyway). Instead, it gives practical advice that can get you thinking about new ways to distinguish your blog from the rest.

Who Should Read it?

Whether this ebook is for you depends on how well you can answer these questions:

Why should someone read your blog over others with a similar topic? Can you easily point to something that represents your blog's unique value?
Does your content adequately convert visitors into loyal readers?
Do people often link to you when your topic is being discussed?
Do your readers regularly spread the word about your best content?

These issues (and other important ones) are addressed in 14 pages of easy reading. Is "flagship content" a radical new concept? Not really (what is?), but it's an under-utilized concept that can make almost any blog a better one. "Even 'Exotic Sock Puppets of the World?'" Yes, even.

My only criticism: while easy enough to scan or read, it could use an editing makeover. The grammar made me wince at times. Also, there were a couple of somewhat butchered words right at the end, which isn't the best note to end on (yes, that is me ending a sentence with a preposition - I disagree with that so-called rule).

Closing Thoughts

I was familiar with the idea of "flagship content", and could recognize it on various blogs, but its practical value never quite made sense to me. Reading through Chris' ebook brought on the realization that content I'd already written could be built up and tweaked into something of much greater long-term value.

Bottom line: Whether your blogging goals are financial, personal, or you're just starving for attention (hi!), this is one free ebook worth reading.

To get "Killer Flagship Content", subscribe to Chris Garretts' RSS Feed here (the link is in the feed).

Here's A Way To Comment With Style

2007-03-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

On the subject of self-promotion and commenting, here's one method: write a comment that outshines the original post (see comment #1).

Great self-promotion? Read it for yourself and see if you agree.

Update: The excellent commenter was Sania Wyatt.

What Everybody Should Know About Self-Promotion

2007-03-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

Contrary to (un)popular belief, self-promotion and good karma are not mutually-exclusive. Read on if I didn't just blow your mind:

ChrisG - Comment!

According to Chris, bloggers don't comment well or often enough. No, no they don't. Additionally, they often miss the point of commenting entirely.

As you well know, you can't swing a cat in the popular blogosphere without hitting a few clumsy attempts at self-promotion (e.g., "Hey, check out my blog at www.ignore-me.com"). These individuals are missing the (evidently) arcane karmic secret: the best self-promotion is about giving, not receiving.

Take the advice in Chris' post, and whether your comments are three words or a paragraph, analyze them like any post you would write. Ask: "What am I offering to the conversation, and why should anyone take the slightest notice?"

Successful Blog - Truly Unique and Outstanding Blogs - Recap Week 1

Speaking of clumsy self-promotion, Liz's quest to find 200 one-of-a-kind-OMG-hotness blogs has turned up a number of cases in point.

Nominating yourself for a list like this is, let's say, not the karma-conscious way to go. This, again, is an opportunity to contribute something to a good conversation; and if you do truly add something of value, it could be good self-promotion as well.

Liz is eager for more exceptional blogs to add to the list, by the way; if you know of some blogs that fit the bill, share the hotness.

Two Knives - The real true story of what happened, including details previously not mentioned

Money-making blogs aren't the only way to learn how to make money online; you can learn important things from any good post. This one is an amusing example of the power in candid stories that pique your interest and hold your attention to the end. Now that's self-promotion.

How To Make Readers Avoid Your Blog Like The Plague

2007-03-03T21:45:00.000-08:00

Never analyze your blog from the perspective of a first-time reader
Whether in design or writing, show no passion
Be as wordy as possible
Always link to well-known blogs, never to obscure ones
Write uninteresting titles
In all things, avoid variety
Focus on frequency of posts - not frequency of good posts
Don't reply to comments
Post infrequently
Avoid displaying personality at all costs
Provide only a partial RSS feed
Be self-congratulatory
Avoid paragraphs and white space
Make links open in a new window
Never add pictures to your posts
Write about what everyone else is writing about, but add nothing new
Fill your sidebar(s) with irrelevant pictures, widgets and ads
Frequently post outside of your blog's theme
When you link to other blogs, provide no compelling reason to actually visit them
Never, ever say thank you

Why Squidoo Might Be For You (or Why Everybody Hates You)

2007-03-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the top Google result for "laptop bags" is a Squidoo lens? Now, why didn't you think of that? Never fear, there are many more opportunities to write about such thrilling, unique - and frankly, damn sexy - topics on Squidoo. If you possess the vision.

Are you destined for the upper echelons of Squidoo society (c'mon, admit it - those lenses are pure gold)? If the following list describes you, you just might be.

The very mention of "niche keywords" engenders in you feelings not unlike hunger or lust
You see no incongruity in the following sentence: "The Wheel, Cuneiform, and Adsense" (except the deeply flawed order)
Your favorite websites tend to begin with enormous headlines and end with multiple payment options
The concept of unique content is a real turn-off
You feel the term "snake oil" is merely a tool of the envious
You know that this is just a damned lie
You are an enhanced homo sapien; this includes immunity to cold stares, ire, and the concept of individuality. You also lack the capacity to love

Why Not To Have Guest Bloggers

2007-02-28T13:59:00.000-08:00

Having a guest blogger can be a winning situation for everyone involved. In theory:

The blog owner wins because he gets free content and possibly a break
The guest blogger wins a free link and possibly new readers
The readers win fresh content from a new perspective

That's the theory. In practice - and please correct me if your experience differs - guest bloggers are usually (not always) akin to a big rickshaw full of ZZZzzz. Yeah, a rickshaw.

Here is Rowse saying how to get one, and here is ChrisG saying how to be one.

And here are some reasons not to have guest bloggers (any one of which can cause your readers to catch the first rickshaw to anywhere else):

Failure to Meet Expectations

Regular readers develop a perception of your blog, and consequently, expectations for it. If we read a guest post that doesn't meet our expectations (or is boring, which they usually are), not only are we going to come away with a negative experience, but we could also develop a negative perception of your guest posts in general (i.e., "Bleh, another lame guest post. I'll pass.)

Just Not Good Enough

General calls for reader-submitted posts: Worst. Idea. Ever. This might be a nice thing to do for your more self-promotional readers, but even the cream of the crop here tends to be sub-par compared to what we expect of your blog.

If you can't find someone who has impressed you enough to approach personally, we probably won't be impressed, either.

Good Blogger, But Wrong Blogger

If you wouldn't link to their blog in the first place, spare us the pain. There's more than one reason you might not link to someone else's blog, even if you're a fan. Their content, style, or sensibilities may not be appropriate for your readers (or minors, you sick, sick individual).

Even if they're successful or well-known in a general sense, it doesn't necessarily follow that we'll be interested in what they have to say. Again, expectations: what are they, why are you looking for a guest blogger, and do those interests conflict?

In Sum

Having guest bloggers is a double-edged sword. Bloggers (especially popular, busy ones) are becoming increasingly seduced by the allure of "outsourcing"; however, there are so many blogs out there that finding good ones is getting tough.

So, if you're going to act as a direct filtering agent, be a damn good one. Otherwise, consider just letting the post frequency slide while you're away. We'll forgive you. Really.

This is The Greatest and Best Post In The World... (tribute)

2007-02-27T15:46:00.000-08:00

You had a personality (and it didn't suck)
discovered something new that made us want
to try our luck

No "How To" post for love of Digg,
it's something new you said -
no millionth link to Problogger (which we've already read)

You made us think, or maybe smile
(sans web-A.D.D crap),
you made us STOP, or be inspired -
no sugar spinal tap

The title hooked, the promise kept
to rss we fed it,
and there was no link to Copyblogger (we've already read it)

What Blog Networks Fight About

2007-02-26T09:36:00.000-08:00

Read Why Blog Networks Failed. Yes, the post itself is interesting. Yes, your eyes will glaze over long before the 84th comment.

No, you will not be able to reclaim any brain cells lost whilst researching blog networks.

That is all.

Winners Use StumbleUpon

2007-02-25T15:10:00.000-08:00

Cool points are hereby awarded to StumbleUpon. Think of it as a mid-point between del.icio.us and Digg, with a great social element. Here's why winners use it:

It's fun, and the toolbar is actually useful.
It's easy to integrate into your blogging/surfing habits.
It connects your blog to a larger community.
The 'Stumble Effect' is arguably better, and far less painful than the 'Digg Effect' (traffic over time as opposed to all at once)
The friend/contact mechanism makes much more sense than, say, MyBlogLog's.
You get ME as a buddy. (This clearly should have been #1)

The Basics and More

The Basics: There's really not much to using StumbleUpon (I like this). There's a toolbar you'll use to find, vote on and review new pages, and there's your profile page which includes a mini-blog that catalogs your Stumble activity.

The Toolbar: The main functions of the toolbar are the "Stumble" button, which takes you to various websites within your areas of interest, the thumb up/thumb down buttons (i.e, 'this is cool'/'this is ass') and the 'reviews' button, which lets you see the reviews of a page and/or add your own.

The Profile Page/Mini-Blog: This page describes who you basically are and shows (via the mini-blog) the pages you think are worth visiting.

If you aren't regularly writing reviews for the pages you like/dislike, you are going to look fairly boring, as your mini-blog is just going to be a list of post/article titles; and if all your recommended pages are from your own site, you're just going to look lame. If you are writing reviews of the various cool sites and articles you find (including your own site's best stuff), your personality will be much more apparent, leading people to follow your links, vote positively for you, and add you as a friend.

About Friends: Where friends and contacts currently mean very little on a service like MyBlogLog, they're highly significant in StumbleUpon. Who you choose as friends will determine much of what you're shown when you click the 'Stumble' button, as you'll be seeing the pages they've voted positively for. Likewise, if they befriend you in turn, they'll be seeing your submissions.

Since you have a limit of 200 friends at any given time, spamming the friend button is counter-productive. If they don't have similar interests, you're going to be seeing a lot of pages you aren't interested in; and they're highly unlikely to make you a friend in return.

And More: This is a good guide to promoting your site with StumbleUpon.

Social networking is all but required for promoting your site these days. There are right and wrong ways to do this. Don't look at StumbleUpon as merely a tool for self-promotion; instead, put in the effort to actually join the community. Winners do it.

All The Breaking MyBlogLog News (That Isn't)

2007-02-23T23:33:00.000-08:00

Shoemoney revealed today (for the last time! really) that MyBlogLog tracks Adsense and YPN ads. Soon after, Jensense spotlighted Shoemoney's aforementioned startling discovey.

Um. Who didn't know that?

The unique outbound-link tracking feature is supposed to be a cool thing. How can anyone not notice that it tracks Adsense clicks the first time they look at their stats?

Jensense did note that the code MBL uses for tracking Adsense ads appears to be lifted straight from another program designed to do the same. That's mildly interesting, but we don't really care. Noone sees MBL as a marvel of engineering. It's just kinda' cool.

Anyway, this is supposed to be some dire warning to uber-Adsense/YPN bloggers. It's hard to believe that anyone that uber wouldn't have noticed it by now, though; it's very nearly a touted feature...

Some would (VERY FOOLISHLY) say that Shoemoney is childishly attempting to strike back at MyBlogLog for, you know, banning his ass. Some people; not me. No.

Alas, the Shoemoney/MyBlogLog drama waxes thin. Bored now.

Update: MyBlogLog decided to un-ban Shoemoney.

See Also: 10 Reasons to Use MyBlogLog

Join A Feedburner Network

2007-02-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

Randy of Besting Adwords is looking for more people to join the KBCafe feedburner network. If you'd like to monetize your feed, this is a good opportunity.

"Two plus weeks ago, I started promoting a FeedBurner ad network called KBCafe. Just over two and we've already sold 10% of the inventory. Today, I dropped one blog from the network because I'm selling it. This'll increase the sold percent (12-13%), but drop the sub count about 20%. I'm looking for people that want to join this network. Normally, a FeedBurner blog only gets ads when an advertiser specifically buy ads on your channel. By joining a network, you get additional exposure and ads. Send me an email, if you'd like to join."

You Might Be A Professional Blogger If...

2007-02-23T02:13:00.000-08:00

All these professional blogging reality-checks I'm seeing lately are groovy. Recurring themes are patience, passion, self-evaluation and (bleh)hard work.

Which got me thinking. What separates the pro-bloggers from the amateurs... a big blogging income? If Darren Rowse had to start over from scratch today, would he suddenly cease to be a professional blogger? I'm thinking that's a negative.

So, it would appear that being a pro-blogger isn't something as quantifiable as your blogging income, but rather a state of mind. If that's so, asking yourself the right questions would allow you to evaluate how close you really are to being a pro-blogger; leaving financial goals to time, patience, the lap of the gods, or whatever.

With that in mind, I'm going to seed a pro-blogger self-evaluation list, and tag a great blogger for the next item. Like-a-so:

You Might Be A Professional Blogger If...

You find working countless hours with no assurance of compensation exciting.

Tag, Liz - you're it.

Posts of Note - 2/22/07

2007-02-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

Performancing - Becoming A Professional Blogger Was Never As Easy As Today

That's a bold statement, my friend. Nevertheless, this info is practical and will get you thinking. Bookmark-worthy.

901am - Becoming a Professional Blogger Was Never Harder Than Today

No, this post wasn't created just to be contrary (that would be if I had written it); but it does offer perspective. What is a "professional blogger", how attainable is that goal - and is it really what you want? This one's even better than the first.

Shoemoney - Banned From MyBlogLog

Jeremy's been (dare I say, gleefully) posting the exploits he finds in MyBlogBlog. You'll often see the MyBlogLog devs replying in the comments. Looks like he went a little too far with the last one and got himself banned. Read the comments for your drama fix.

Update: more sweet, sweet drama.

Problogger - 10 (+5) Requisites for Professional Bloggers

#11 is for winners.

How to Take the Digg Effect Like Rocky Balboa

2007-02-21T15:51:00.000-08:00

Write something good enough to make it to the Digg front page.

Endure obscene, INHUMAN levels of Digg traffic; fall down.

Against all odds, get up. Write this time about the beating Digg just gave you.

It shoots to the front page! Your site takes enough Digg effect to render it clinically dead this time.

Get up... "eye of the tiger, man."

Repeat until you've gone the DISTANCE.

CONGRATULATIONS

You Have SHOCKED THE WORLD!

The Hot Web 2.0 Video + Interview

2007-02-21T12:09:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen it, you have now. Battelle interviewed its creator, a professor of cultural anthropology, here; wherein he reveals the tools he uses to track the global conversation and answers questions posed in comments. Go forth and absorb the goodness.

The Secret of Link-Baiting For Small Blogs

2007-02-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

So you discovered the concept of link-baiting, but it isn't working for your readership-challenged blog. Chances are, you're baiting the wrong people.

Who are the right people? Why will they read our blog? ~~Who do we have to lay~~ What do we have to do to get a link in this town? The answers are so, so simple.

Who Are the Right People?

The right people are bloggers somewhat more successful than ourselves. Additionally, we:

Like them
Read their blogs regularly
Actively contribute to their community

Why Will They Read Our Blog?

Because we provide them with readers. Oh, yes. Call it enlightened self-interest.

Want to get the right people to read your blog? Follow this simple rule: a link is not enough.

Me, I'm easy; if you link to me and click that link, you're fairly assured of a visit (because, you know, I'm bored). The majority of popular/busy bloggers are not. Therefore, if you're going to link to someone, make that link damn compelling. Actually liking the post to which you're linking is a good start; then accurately convey that interest to your readers. When you start sending readers someone's way, they are highly likely to check you out.

Why the Right Readers Will Gladly Link to You

You did them a favor and it's likely that they'll be happy to return it - if they can. To get this reciprocal love, make it easy for them by doing all the work: give them link-bait.

Not just any link-bait, though. Ours needs to be a cut-above. No spammy digg-bait like "942 Ways to [Do Trite Thing]". We want fresh, solid, scannable content with a great title. (If you want just any-old link-bait, remove "fresh" and "solid").

This is just the kind of content that any blogger wants to link to; and if you've got a positive relationship with that blogger... oh yeah, you'll be feeling the link love.

The secret of link-baiting for small blogs? Bait the right people.

Did you know? Copyblogger has a sexy guide on designing surefire link-bait headlines (it's all in the title, after all).

Posts of Note - 2/16/07

2007-02-16T11:53:00.000-08:00

Dosh Dosh - A Very Simple Method to Increase your RSS Subscribers & MyBloglog community members.

The idea is that instead of pointing your comment name-link to your blog, use your RSS feed or MyBlogLog community page instead. Cool points awarded.

ChrisG - Are You Burning Blog Bridges?

Some people (NOT ME) are fond of using a snarky, snide, and otherwise smartass-y writing style. While this may get you some short-term attention and link-baitage reward, you could be hurting yourself in the long run. A good reminder for those of us (NOT ME) who's mouths and fingers get us into trouble a little too often.

Kumiko - AGLOCO Will Not Make Money Online! Ever!

While it is indeed possible that AGLOCO will fail to deliver, this is the most wrong-headed analysis I've seen yet. I like all the exclamation points, though; that's passion.

GMail Affiliate Program In The Works?

2007-02-14T20:08:00.000-08:00

Google just announced that GMail is now open to all - no more of that "invitation" nonsense. What's interesting, though, is this AP article reporting Google's intention to add a paid to service to GMail (thanks, Avinash):

"Now that Google has more computing muscle, Brin said the company will start selling additional storage capacity to e-mail users with extraordinary needs. Google still hasn't figured out the specifics, but Brin indicated the e-mail storage and fees to be introduced later this year would be similar to Google's photo-hosting service that charges $25 annually for 6.25 gigabytes and $500 annually for 250 gigabytes.

'We can't afford to give away everything for free,' Brin said."

All I can say is: affiliate program, please- thanks!

See Also:

How to Make $100 (Without Spending a Dime)

10 Reasons to Use MyBlogLog

2007-02-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

1. You genuinely want to connect with other bloggers.

2. You genuinely want to connect with well known, popular bloggers. So you can spam the hell out of them.

3. Your hit counter says "0" and you want it to stop doing that.

4. You want to find out how many bloggers are actually
~~sexist pigs~~ sexy chicks in bikinis.

5. You want to witness the link-spam fiesta that is the comment section at any blog of sufficient popularity. (No Akismet for you!)

6. You want a long list of "Admirers" who have never seen your blog but somehow want to be your buddy. (Contact collection as a meta-game. Go ahead and cry.)

7. You cleverly understand the decoy-value of MyBlogLog, as the spammers and hangers-on swarm to your unmoderated MBL presence under the illusion that you and your community are more "accessible" there.

8. Your blog is an island nowhere near as lively as Gilligan's.

9. You want the cool outbound-link tracking function.

10. Tracking, schmacking. Did you know that ~~sexist pigs~~ scantily-clad women are running a bunch of blogs?

"Googe" Is All In Your Mind

2007-02-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

People are getting kind of excited about Google's supposed failure to spell-check.

The 'L' is there, you drama queens. The artist was being a little too right-brained for all the left-brainers out there, evidently.

AGLOCO Update: Viewbar Release Date, Forms of Payment

2007-02-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

AGLOCO continues to gain momentum. A Google search for AGLOCO returns 1.5 million results. Not too shabby for a two month-old company. When they release their viewbar and start paying people, it's going to be a viral marketing explosion (ala AllAdvantage) all over again.

Two news items of note:

The viewbar is slated to be released in March

Planned forms of payment include direct-deposit(ACH), PayPal and credit card.

If you're new to the concept of AGLOCO, sign up - it's free. See "related posts" below for further reading.

Source: AGLOCO Company Blog

Update: Make that the second half of March.

Related posts:

Posts of Note - 2/9/07

2007-02-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Brian of Copyblogger is threatening people again. Evidently, if we don't differentiate our blogs, he is going to free us from this mortal coil. There are two reasons that I'm linking to this post: 1.) It allows me to say "Brian is threatening people again," and 2.) I think the title of the post is great. Great titles = more traffic.

Liz of Successful Blog(gers) fame encourages us to mind our goddamn manners. While I, for the most part, have no intention of doing so (for Liz I'll make an exception), this post draws you in. Posts that draw you in are valuable. Read and learn.

Last but not least, Chris Garrett of Performancing.com talks about the lameness of using digg for self-promotion:

"I think Bloggers especially are in danger of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. So many of us are hooked on the sweet sweet Digg traffic high that we are using Digg for what we can get out of it and the whole system is being subverted. We need to stop this Diggaddiction before we all become junkies."

I don't see it. My contact with digg.com consists of going to popurls.com and clicking whatever interest me. I don't care if a front page story initally came from a blog owner who dugg themself or not. Isn't spam-prevention inherent in the digg/bury mechanism? Help me out, here.

Problogger's Best Money Makers (BONUS: FTM's Unwanted Comments)

2007-02-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Interesting reading, of course. Informative, but not overly practical. Below, I take a look at the list and add some practical info. If we're lucky, Darren will do the same at Problogger.

1. Chitika (Cool, but exlusive)

Chances are, you'll be making pretty good money from Adsense and other less restrictive programs before you'd be accepted into Chitika. Beside some undisclosed traffic requirement, they seem to reject applications for various, arcane reasons (never explained). One reason appears to be that they're prone to screw up.

2. Adsense (Your friend and mine)

Let's not bother with this one, since every single site in the known universe is running Adsense.

3. Text Link Ads (See Chitika)

Another program that seems to (more or less) require a well-trafficked blog. They'll check your Alexa traffic info as well your backlinks via Yahoo. A new-ish company (like Chitika), their customer service and communication methods can be less than polished, to hear tell.

4. Amazon Associates (Snaz')

In my experience, Amazon is easy to join and offers their affiliates flexible, sexy ad options.
It's also hard to find a blog theme that Amazon won't work with. Most high-traffic site owners I've heard from see Amazon as a nice, steady earner. This is definitely an option any blogger should consider.

5. Private Ad Deals (Whateva')

Applicable to about 1% of the blog-for-money crowd, max. From what I understand, by the time this becomes an option for you, advertisers will be seeking you out, not the other way around. I'm not criticizing Darren's inclusion of said ad deals - he's just answering reader questions - but for the average money-motivated blogger... whateva'.

6. Miscellaneous Affiliate Programs (Solid)

This option is available to any blogger. Commission Junction is still the king of affiliate networks (1500 or so programs), but Linkshare and Performics are also good; and if you're feeling naughty, Clickbank is still all-too-popular.

7. BlogAds (are cooler than you)

Yaro said it was cool (over a year ago), Darren says it's semi-ass, and Randy says it's a complete bucket of ass. Additionally - for some reason - membership is by invitation only. Does your blog have 900 readers per day and a razor-sharp focus? If so, I'm pleased to inform you that, according to BlogAds, that just may not be enough.

To summarize, when your blog traffic has surpassed your wildest dreams and you're drowning in Adsense and Chitika revenue, look up the Blogads guys; the amount of revenue they provide may be laughable, but now you, too, can act like you're Too Cool For The Room.

That is all.

Update: Randy of Besting Adwords has revealed his own list of top money makers.

The AGLOCO Hype is Spreading

2007-02-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Scoble, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and now Problogger. I think I read that they're up to 300,000 members now, is that right?

Anyway, probably should hop on this one and keep an eye on it. You can Join AGLOCO here.

Related post: Paid to Surf - Regurgitated

The Lowdown On AGLOCO

2007-02-02T05:52:00.000-08:00

Two of the founders of a bubble-era, paid-to-surf company that raised $200 million in venture capital and grew to 10 million members before the dot-com crash pulled it screaming into oblivion...

...are back; with about eight Stanford MBA's and a plan to take internet social network revenue-sharing to the next level. I've even heard that their model scared Google into announcing revenue-sharing for youTube.

The old company that croaked was AllAdvantage. Not only did they popularize the phrase "Get Paid to Surf the Web", but they're also considered a prime example of successful viral marketing. (They had a multi-level marketing thing going, where you could refer a new member and get a share of the revenues they generated, so people were, shall we say, quite motivated to help grow the userbase - to the tune of 10 million).

Don't quote me, but my understanding of why the company went under was due to a too-aggressive pay schedule combined with the dot-com crash which saw web advertisement demand dry up.

Enter AGLOCO (A Global Community), which is NOT AllAdvantage, or so they say. The main differences being that there is no venture capital this time, and no promised pay level.

Okay, the other main difference is that the company is going to be 100% owned by the members. AGLOCO is currently in the process of getting listed with the London Stock Exchange. All stock will go to members (you earn it with the viewbar thingy), with 10% of profits going to the management team (management does not get shares).

So, the model breaks down like this: you run a "viewbar":

... while you surf. The viewbar serves up contextual ads, a search bar, and so on. AGLOCO makes money from affiliate sales, referral fees, search credit from Google, etc.

The way members make money is by running the aforementioned viewbar, and from the new members they recruit (same multi-level marketing idea). Although the AGLOCO site says members make money in "Four ways", as far as I can see, three of the ways are the same thing, with the fourth being the referral system (but then, what do I know).

AGLOCO could work. The founders certainly know how to build a company, and that number of Stanford MBA's is an unusual concentration. I imagine the company's success is really going to hinge on how much they actually pay their members. With AllAdvantage, the pay plan was set in advance, which quickly motivated exponential growth (viral style), which attracted more advertisers, and so on.

With no venture capital (just seed money), the payment amounts are going to grow (or stagnate) depending on the size of the userbase. While tens of thousands of people are certainly joining up in the pre-launch days, it remains to be seen what kind of growth we'll be looking at when the money starts to flow.

The viewbar is currently in beta and slated for release in March. You can sign up under my account here.

Scoble Show interview with a few of the founders:

So You Want to be a Professional Blogger

2007-02-01T02:43:00.000-08:00

Yaro's often a good read. He's got a five-part series goin' on down at the Journey which assesses the current state of professional blogging, and what the Big Names are doing that most of us aren't. Parts one through three, in particular, are excellent.

Start reading here ("Is Professional Blogging A Sustainable Business Model?").

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled SLACK

2006-10-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well hell, Liz poked me awake so I had to climb out from under the bridge. And you're looking at one grumpy troll, let me tell you. (Liz is "The Nice One" up there.)

Trolls bite people as a matter of course; but a little known secret is that when they're grumpy, they bite harder. So, in the spirit of much grumpiness, I looked around for someone to chomp.

Sadly, noone around appeared particularly biteable (and Liz had long since run away, giggling). So instead, seeing as misery loves company, I decided to find some other cranky pro-blogging types (I have a Google Adsense PIN now, you see; so that makes me think I'm a "pro-blogging" type. Don't you roll those eyes at me). Anyway, well, I found some.

First up, Brian at Copyblogger (someone who dared to call me a "smart ass" once - the nerve), is Pissed at the Pedestrian Pedantry of a so-called copywriter.

He's probably right, but I wouldn't know. Half the stuff Brian teaches - while probably comprehensible by your average middle-schooler - has a tendency to fly into the right side of my brain, twirl around for a few seconds and then go *poof*.

But Brian's cooler than that other guy, so he wins. Brian's only real character flaw is that he doesn't link to me. But I only occasionally hold that against him.

Anyway, check out the rest of Copyblogger while you're there (and no, he did not write "What to Do When Your Idea Sucks" after reading this post). Brian teaches people how not to write meandering, off-putting, sloppy posts that noone will ever read (do not say it).

Moving along, my second-favorite crank today is Randy of Besting Adwords . On this fine day, two out of his first five post titles contain the words "sucks" or "pathetic"; which is a sufficient grumpiness ratio for my purposes.

Randy is a professional blogger who also happens to know a hell of a lot about Adwords, Adsense and the like. Furthermore, having linked to me on several occasions, I can assure you that his character is flawless. Those interested in Finding The Money must go to his site.

And there you have it; all the grumpiness you can read in 10 minutes.

Now, if you don't mind, I have some very important slacking to do. Bloglines readers, I apologize for any injuries sustained while falling off your chairs at the discovery of a new post at Finding The Money. I can only promise that it will happen again, when you least expect it.

That is all.

Earn Money By Sharing Music

2006-08-11T05:12:00.000-07:00

Since many of us are already downloading and sharing music as a way of life, it's the perfect time to monetize the process. Enter Weed.

With Weed, you can download and listen to songs up to three times (they're using DRM for rights management), at which point you have to buy them to get rights for unlimited play/burning. Song prices are usually around $1 dollar.

Most of the music is from Indie artists, but Heart, Chuck D and others are using Weed, too.

The fun part is, you can freely share these songs and when someone else buys them, you get a %20 percent commission. Beyond that, when someone buys a song from you and then proceeds to sells it to someone else, you get a further 10%. If that person sells it, you get 5% percent. They've got a whole MLM thing going here. Pretty innovative, really.

If you're a musician yourself, you'll be getting 50% percent for every sale. If you're looking for an easy way to make your music available for sale, this is yet another way to diversify your exposure.

Add P2P file sharing to the process and there's some potential here. This also seems like a good fit for music blogs/dynamic web sites. I guess MySpace would work, too.

Earn money by sharing music. Viral marketing, P2P, and support for indie music. This is good love.

See Also:

How to Make $100 (Without Spending a Dime)

Tags: weed, earn money, music, p2p, mp3, music, commission, blogs, myspace

Adsense and Blogger.com - Since People Don't Seem to Know

2006-08-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

Well-known fact:

Google owns Blogger.com.

Evidently little-known fact:

Blogger.com does not take an extra cut out of your Adsense earnings.

That is all.

Spam Costs You Money

2006-07-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

If time is money, spam costs you. Digital Inspiration points us to two "disposable email address" services: SpamBox and Mailexpire. These services allow you to set up a temporary email address with a predefined expiration point.

So if you need to, say, sign up with a website that requires email verification, you could set up a disposable email address that expires in one hour. You get what you need, and the spammers get an email address that bounces back on them. This is good stuff.

Google Adwords Now Offers Click Fraud Stats

2006-07-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

Well, ain't that a kick. About time.

FYI: you can get monthly invalid click stats, but not weekly.

Inside AdWords: Estimating invalid clicks:

"One of the most controversial issues related to the topic of click fraud has been estimating how big the problem is. Estimates from third-parties (usually from consultants who have a financial incentive to make the problem seem very large) have been both inconsistent and greatly exaggerated due to their methodologies. Advertisers have always been able to compare their log data with their AdWords charges to calculate an estimate of the number of invalid clicks in their own account. This new tool will make estimating invalid click activity much easier."

Clickbank: The Eighth Circle of Hell

2006-07-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

Let's take a trip down to the Circle of Hell reserved for liars, otherwise known as ClickBank.

Does ClickBank promote scams? I'm sure they've had a real scam or two, but in general, no. The word "scam" is legally loaded. It's technical.

However, when people do searches like, say, "Is Data Entry Pro a scam?", they're not usually looking for the legal status of the program. What they really want to know is if the system works.

Well, technically, most ClickBank programs "work" - however, the fine print tends to "work " better than the big promises.

Big promise:

Make $1,000 a Day!

Fine print:

(Maybe)

The fine print technically exempts the programs from the term "scam", but not from being big fat liars.

So, let's take a look at the current top programs running at ClickBank:

"Data Entry Pro"

Their line (of BS): "Who Wants To Make a $1000+ Per Day Just Entering Simple Data From Home?"

This program has nothing to do with "data entry". You pay around $100 dollars in order to be informed about and directed to CPC programs like Adwords. CPC programs are not "data entry", and noone needs "Data Entry Pro" to learn how to use them.

Conclusion: Liars.

"Forex Enterprise"

Their line (this'll kill you): "Who Else Want's To Earn $1,000 Per Day, With Our Amazing Multiple Streams Of Income System?"

Hey, guess what: this program has nothing to do with "Forex". Nothing. You pay around $50 dollars to get information on affiliate marketing, "paid surveys", "click for cash", and whatever other information they can find for free on the internet.

Conclusion: Liars.

"Survey Income System"

Their Line (of BS): "Discover an unbelievably quick and easy way to give yourself a big fat pay raise, without leaving your home or risking one penny of your hard-earned money ..."

The money you're "risking" is the $35 dollars they charge for this worthless "system". Beside the fact that there are better, free sources for information on paid surveys out there, there is nothing "unbelievably quick" about earning or getting paid for completing them.

The site is fond of promises like: "I've had earnings of up to $150 an hour!"

Besides the "so what?" factor, even this sort of promise is deceptive; because if the actual hours spent completing surveys were averaged out, most people would be lucky for low single-digit dollar results, if not cents per hour.

Conclusion: Liars. As a bonus, it's even more worthless than the previous two; which is probably why it's at #3.

Bored now. If you simply must use Clickbank, preserve your dignity - find a product you believe in. I'm sure if you dig deep enough you'll find something, probably somewhere around the last (i.e. "least popular) page.

Want to change your blog's design? Here's a good place to start.

2006-07-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

glish.com : CSS layout techniques

Blogspot's templates get the job done, but that stock Minima template is getting a little old, don't you think? There is bound to be a fairly easy way to get your design a litte more in line with your preferences/style here.

3 columns, 4 columns, static width, fluid width, menu bars, etc. This site conveniently shows the code from every page in a resource box at the bottom.

What kinds of designs might you be able to come up with? Here's a good place to see some examples.

Blogging at Over 100° Degrees

2006-07-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

Or, in this case:

Updated: 2:53 PM PDT Observed at Burbank, California
Temperature	111 °F / 44 °C

We're not going to let a ~~little~~ LOT of heat endanger our mission, are we?

There are various articles on defeating the summertime blog slump. Whatev'. Who cares about short-term traffic - we're in it for the long haul.

Keeping your blog going through the heat is worth fighting for, but not dying for; so, follow my 6 Easy Steps to summertime blogging ~~survival~~ bliss:

Step 1: Scowl at your puny little California air conditioner. It needs to feel guilty. If you don't come from California, it is likely that your slacker AC unit does.

Step 2: Remove shirt, put it in sink.

Step 3: Soak it.

Step 4: Wring it out, put it back on.

Step 5: Return to computer and fan.

Step 6: Blog away. Repeat as necessary.

IT WORKS

Now Even Liz Strauss Thinks I'm an SOB

2006-07-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

Behold the vicious attack.

(Thanks Liz)

If You Remember No Other Traffic Tip, Remember This One

2006-07-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

WARNING: I AM BREAKING THE RULES HERE. This post is neither short, pithy, or catered to web-ADHD. This post is for people with an adult-level attention span. If that is not you, go check out Gawker or Boing Boing for your sugar rush. Thanks!

There are too many traffic tips out there. Way too many. There are too many Top 10 lists and too many How-to articles about getting traffic to your blog.

With so many "Easy Steps" lists relating to traffic, why is blogging such a revolving door? It is, you realize. There's a reason that most of the "professional blogger" sites cater their content to newbies and neophytes.

New bloggers quit, newer bloggers show up.

Old bloggers don't need all this advice. They need some, but not this much. You see, new bloggers are, in fact, a market segment. Are we tracking?

It's far too easy to find newbie blogging tips. The bitch of it is, most of these lists omit, downplay or vague-out on the most important tip there is.

Let's look at a few tips lists from respected pro bloggers and see if they have it.

Now, it's customary to provide a link when you refer to another blogger's material. However, nobody who isn't going to reveal one of the top traffic tips in their newbie list, doesn't deserve a link.

Blog Herald

Don’t use blogrolling
Pinging to weblogs et al is good but trackbacking to sites is better
Offer to exchange links on your site under your links section
Link to other small sites without exchange
Submit your blog to ALL the search engines
The most important feature of all (not -ed): post regularly and post often.

Definitely not there.

Seth's Blog (not going to list all 54, sheesh)

Write about blogging.
Digest the good ideas of other people, all day, every day.
Invent a whole new kind of art or interaction.
Post on weekdays, because there are more readers.
Write about a never-ending parade of different topics so you don't bore your readers.
Post on weekends, because there are fewer new posts.
Don't interrupt your writing with a lot of links.
Dress your blog (fonts and design) as well as you would dress yourself for a meeting with a stranger.
Edit yourself. Ruthlessly.
Don't promote yourself and your business or your books or your projects at the expense of the reader's attention.
Be patient.

Hey, he almost said it there!

Yaro/Entrepreneur's Journey

Focus on your content, don’t worry about the traffic.
Start commenting on similar blogs.
Start building relationships with other bloggers.
Link to other blogs with trackbacks.
Be prepared to work long and hard before big traffic comes.

Another near miss.

I'll add something else from Yaro:

"The reality is you have to pay your dues for success online just as much as you do in the real world. Nearly all big time bloggers have a history of hard and consistent work, only as a snapshot in time *after* something great has been built does it look easy."

Had enough? I have.

Let's realize something about these "Probloggers": we are their customers. If they don't say what we want to hear, we're going to go away; and that means we won't sign up for their newsletters, buy their products or click on their Adsense/Chitika/CPC ads. Suffice it to say, it's in their best interests to say what we want to hear.

That's not to say that they can't give good advice, offer valuable services or are necesarily, uh, bad. What many of them have a tendency to, however, is to be a little selective in what they emphasize.

Indeed, on most of their blogs you'll find advice here and there advising us to "be patient", or to not get discouraged if we don't have many readers at first. But that advice, to say the least, is not emphasized.

Why? Because we don't want to hear it.

What do we want to hear?

How to "fastrack" our blog traffic.
Top-10 lists of how to do anything related to making money with blogs
More on Adsense optimization, even though our traffic is little to none
Guides on writing posts that read more like sales pitches - when we aren't even selling anything.

Okay, on the last one, someone is going to say "Yes, you are - you're selling yourself". Sure. Then again, that doesn't mean that the average reader is in the market for buying blog authors. More likely, they're at your blog in order to get something, and once they have it, they're going to leave.

Hey, if you want to write your posts like a slick marketer or a used car salesman, knock yourself out. But that approach isn't for everybody, even though that's the implication we're receiving. Hell, look at the Shoemoney guy; his writing skills leave much to be desired, but his blog is pretty damn popular. Real value sells. Duh.

But I digress. I'm not a "problogger" and if I can avoid that title, I will; but my internet marketing and blogging career is, unlike many bloggers, a damn site longer than the average McDonald's employee. In other words, I know several things. In fact, I know what I believe is the most important thing.

This thing I know, is more important than any item on those Top 10 lists up there.

Posting frequently is great, if it works for you. Linking all over the place is fine, also; but let's not be naive about why those guys encourage us to go link-crazy (or to euphemistic, to be generous with our linking): they know we're going to link to them. And unless your post is the cure for cancer - or is critical of them - the attention you're going to get for linking to most of these guys is going to be nil.

My advice on linking is: if you find something good or useful, link it. If it's not, don't. Don't suck up with trackbacks to lame articles just because someone else is where you want to be. Don't be such a traffic ho' that you force yourself to comment on a lame post hoping to cash in on some professional blogger's traffic. It's not worth it; you're looking for quick fixes.

Digression: 2, John: 0. Back to the most important thing.

Time.

Time is more important than writing masterful posts. Time is more important than posting frequently. Time is more important than getting links. Time is more important than making e-friends, or ~~sucking up to~~ networking and making strategic blogging relationships. Time should be #1 in any discussion about traffic for new blogs.

Perform this experiment:

Make a new blog on any topic you like.
Add 20-50 useful, informative posts. Long, short, in-between.
Add a traffic counter of some sort.
Submit it to various search engines, or if you're lazy, just submit to Google.
Walk away and forget about it.
Come back and check your stats after six months or so.
Marvel at the daily traffic to your 182-day old content.

I doubt you're going to do that, but that's okay - I already have. The above is exactly what happens.

Time.

Time to get indexed. Time to get out of the Google sandbox. Time for the algorithms to do their thing with your rankings. Time to become like an old reference book to a few web surfers. It all happens in time.

Most of the advice coming from the popular blogging gurus is just fine. In fact, if you follow the good advice, when your blog comes of age it is going to fare far better than if you hadn't.

But that traffic you want so bad right now? The ironic thing is, if you stopped updating your blog and walked away from it right now - forgot all about it - you'd likely get that traffic, in time.

Time.

I'm impatient. You're impatient. Most newbies are impatient. Indeed, most newbies quit blogging before the three-month point. Let me tell you how to avoid newbie burnout:

Stop checking Adsense. Better: Take Adsense off your site. Take all your advertising off your site. You do realize that (currently) you won't see a cent of Adsense earnings before you reach the $100 dollar mark, yes?

If you're making $1 dollar a day, you're doing great. If your weekly earnings can be measured in cents, seriously, lose Adsense. If your Adsense earning correspond with the tiny trickle of visitors you receive, you really don't need the monetary pressure Adsense brings to the table.

Now, if you have a lot of traffic, then it's time to think optimization. If not, it's time to think development.

You don't need to deal with TOS's and rules right now. You need the freedom to experiment. You may want to play around with traffic exchange programs or other things that various advertising programs would frown upon.

You need to be able to say what you feel like saying. The more traffic you have and the more ways you monetize your site, the more locked-in to your format you're going to be. The less freedom you're going to have. Use this time to settle on what works the best for you and feels most natural.

All that money, all that traffic, comes with time. Read the professional bloggers, but take their advice with a grain of critical thinking.

Problogger.com is a great, popular site, right? It is. Did you know that Darren Rowse doesn't make much money from it? Where does he make the money, then? Now you're critically thinking.

Speaking of Problogger, I read an "X Easy steps to fast traffic"-type article over there recently (ostensibly targetted to new bloggers) , and really, it didn't much apply to newbies. Use Technorati tags, yes. Use trackbacks, yes. Leverage your existing site, uhhhh... no. Leveraging an existing site would require:

Time.

Which, unsurprisingly, was not mentioned in the article.

It's a simple concept, it's a single word. If you remember no other traffic tip, remember this one: Time.

Google News: Increase the Cash, and Seriously, We Don't Like Click Fraud

2006-07-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Off your knees, boy; diagnose the Adsense crawler and make sure you're getting top contextualization:

Inside AdSense: Run, don't crawl, to the new Site Diagnostics page

"We really really really really really really don't like click fraud. Seriously."

Official Google Blog: Findings on invalid clicks

Calacanis' Huge Red Flag Blows a Zinger at TechCrunch

2006-07-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Huge Red Flag is waving on a populist breeze today as Jason Calacanis tells us why the web 2.0 and media elite are so upset about paying amateurs.

"I tell you what Mike, if you're so offended by the concept of people getting paid for their work, why don't you work for free. Take down all the ads on TechCrunch and you can pay your rent in the good vibes from the Web 2.0 community. Oh... I'm sorry, you're making tens of thousands a dollars a month with your business... oh... I'm sorry. Go right ahead and tell the very talented cool hunters who find hundreds of cool things that they shouldn't get paid. Really."

Hoo' Lord. I dunno' Jason, not sure I buy the underdog angle, but I do give you all due props for smart PR.

Of course, people are saying that Netscape's social bookmarking bid isn't going to make any significant dent in the competition; they are wrong. Not necessarily wrong about the outcome - Netscape may indeed fail to achieve its goals here - but wrong because:

It's the safe bet. Noone asserting the easy answer gains any significant cool points; especially successful bloggers who are obviously resting on their laurels.

Calacanis is coming from the right angle. An age-old angle. If he does it right - and keeps it up - there's a very decent chance that it will work.

Netscape is opening up a new way for regular ol' internet users to make money online. This is good, and we don't need six-figure netrepreuners telling us otherwise - especially when they're not even in the business of giving us alternatives.

My advice? Vote for online money making; take advantage of this BlogoDrama and get behind Calacanis. If you're of the persuasion, analyze the top social bookmarking contributers and start your ProMarking career right now, before the idea becomes the institution.

If you liked this post, give me some e-love and spread the word: Digg It or add it to De.licio.us. Even better, link to me.

Update: Netscape can come, too.

Related Post: About the Digg/Netscape Thing

Stop Posting So Much? Gah!

2006-07-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

A very interesting view on why frequent posting doesn't matter anymore.

My slacker side is liking this.

About the Digg/Netscape Thing

2006-07-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Blog Herald: The Blogosphere freaks out again over content producers making money

Well, of course people are going to freak out. Monetizing the social bookmarking process (from the user end) carries with it the potential of change. Despite any arguments about the 'purity' of the process or the need for disinterested submitters, it's just the same old discomfort with the idea of changes to the status quo.

Indeed, the process is neither pure nor disinterested anyway - not if you're talking about Digg; and Digg, my friends, is what this is really all about.

As you may or may not know, a very small minority of popular submitters greatly influence what appears on the Digg homepage; and like many other social aspects of the internet, it all boils down to an e-popularity contest.

Why is that lame article near the top of the Digg list? Because a Digg A-lister submitted it, and all his little e-cronies followed suit. Why is another great article getting buried? Hmm.

Knowing all this, do we really care if money is involved? Can money really make it worse? Hell, if anything, it could make things better. At any rate, monetary motivation certainly seems no more ignoble than the search for e-popularity.

How to Make Money with Your Blog Site?

2006-07-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

Evidently, the secret is to have more ads than content as the first thing your readers see.

There's More to RSS Than Just Having the Feature

2006-07-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

Sure, the RSS option gives your readers an easy way to subscribe to your feed; but that's not all.

Just about every time I see YET ANOTHER write-up on the benefits of RSS, they leave out a huge benefit of having a site feed.

Can people who have been in this business for years stop writing the same old How-To-For-Beginners-Blogging-101-10-Easy-Steps drivel for one second and offer something more?

I mean, you can't say "Get more traffic by implementing an RSS feed," and just leave it there. Well, you can, if you want to be lame.

God.

So anyway, an RSS feed gives you access to, let's say, a slew of blog directories that only accept RSS feeds. There are so many blog directories, in fact, that's it's actually going to seem like work if you submit your blog to all of them.

The good thing is, this is a way to actually get more traffic to your blog. So next time you see one of these slackers not explaining the full benefit of RSS feeds, bite them, hard.

Ready to work? Get crackin'.

How NOT to Market an Ebook

2006-07-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

It's bad enough to make those fake-looking book graphics in a plea for some sort of credibility, but even worse when it looks like it was made in about 10 minutes using PaintShop Pro.

(And no, I'm not going to link to the site. Hell no.)

Worth Reading: 10 Step Plan to a Profitable Blog

2006-07-18T23:38:00.000-07:00

This isn't a slacker's approach to blogging (i.e., blogging only about what interests you), but if you're willing to put in the time and effort, this will make you money. GO

How to Engage Your Readers and Get Their Links

2006-07-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

I discovered two great posts that taste great together today.

Now it's your turn:

The chocolate: How to Write a Killer “How To” Post That Gets Attention | Copyblogger

The peanut butter: Successful Blog - What to Do Before They Ask What Do You Do?

Brian's article on killer "How to" posts is about, of course, sucking readers in with good, informative content.

Additionally, he dangles before us the idea of getting links from social bookmarking sites. Why? How-to articles are particularly popular in those circles. Chocolately.

Liz's post on answering the "what do you do?" question is a little more abstract. The basic idea, however, is answering that question - not with a conversation-ender - but with an invitation to more interesting and deeper conversation.

Which got me thinking: wouldn't it be cool if every aspect of our blogging communication were an invitation for interaction? That's what blogging should be all about, no? If you look around Liz's site, it's clear that she thinks so. Peanut-buttery.

The basic premise behind Copyblogger's article is that a great how-to will get you linked; but in a passive way. He's right, of course...

... but are we passive?

No, no we aren't.

I come from a big family. Big families are all about interaction; and believe me, if you don't ask for anything, you don't get anything.

The internet is more forgiving; but it remains true that those who ask get far more than those who don't.

So you made your killer "How to" title, and followed it with a killer how-two article. Maybe you have a little "Digg This" or "Add to Del.icio.us" flare at the bottom. Sitting there quietly. Passively. Converation-ender? Very likely.

Why not invite readers to interact instead? Engage them - ask for the link. Make them a part of what you're doing. Perhaps something like this:

"If you enjoyed this article, the greatest thanks you could give is by spreading the word! [insert social bookmarking links]"

For a really great how-to post, isn't it worth engaging and interacting with your readers by inviting them to share the knowledge? After all, great posts get buried under the information overload that is the internet every day. We want to minimize the chances of that happening, don't we?

Yes, yes we do.

So, take a tip from Brian and engage your readers with both a killer how-to title and a killer post following it. Take a tip from Liz and don't finish it with a conversation-ender.

And while you're at it, take a tip from me: on your killer posts, engage your readers from start to finish, and let the conversation end with an invitation to bring new readers back to the beginning.

42 Ways to Make More Money With Adsense

2006-07-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Miracle Traffic Bot

Remember: Adsense doesn't make you money; traffic makes you money
Write posts that link to good content on higher-ranked sites in your niche. If your traffic is low, click on those links yourself - webmasters will take notice.
Post on forums in your niche and add your site to your signature
Submit articles to article directories
Use Technorati Tags
Submit your best articles to Digg and Del.icio.us
Comment on other blogs with similar themes to yours
Become a regular on several similarly-themed blogs you like
Use Google Sitemaps
Write about well-known people in your niche
Use a blogroll, but only add sites that you would really recommend. Less is more.
Read Problogger
Remember: Good content + good advertising = traffic
Choose a niche you're passionate about
Post/write an article/add content every day (update: or don't)
Make your content unique and useful
Be timely: break news, comment on new information, become a valuable source of interesting new stuff
Be yourself. If you're funny, be funny; if you're not, don't try to be. Be confident that your personality will draw like-minded readers.
If you can't think of anything interesting to post about, find something interesting to post about.
If you can't find anything interesting to post about, keep looking.
You just read something interesting that has nothing to do with your site's theme. Find a way to make it relevant. Use it as an example or integrate it into a story. Use it.
Read Copyblogger
Remember: Traffic + Adsense = Money - So don't get kicked out
Read the Adsense TOS and don't break it
While you're at it, RTFM
Do NOT encourage readers to click Adsense ads
If you're placing a picture specifically to subtly draw attention to Adsense Ads, make sure the ads are clearly distinguished from the image (borders or a line between the two)
If you're unsure if your ads comply with the Adsense TOS, ask them for a review
Better yet, design your ad concept on a hidden page and have Google review it first
Remember: Traffic + Adsense optimization = More Money
Study the Google Heat map
Place site-relevant pictures near your ads
Color images are often better than black-and-white
Animations are lame
Integrate your ads with your site design
Place ads between blog posts
Place ads in blog posts
Consider borderless Adsense ads
Use wide ad formats
Be Patient: Time, trial and error are what you need to succeed
Give your Adsense implementation a few weeks (at least) before drawing any conclusions
Use channels. You are going to want to know which ads are being clicked and which aren't.

I Knew Nick Denton Was a Bastard

2006-07-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

Related Post: Are Professional Bloggers Out of Touch?

How to Create a Successful Spam Blog in 6 Weeks

2006-07-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Click here to learn how to suck.

Related post: Sassy My Assy

Google Doesn't Really "Let" Adsense Click Fraud Happen

2006-07-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

Not that they ever said they did. In response to certain posts, however, they did feel the need to issue a rebuttal:

Eric made clear from the very beginning that he wasn't describing our approach to click fraud and was answering hypothetically. He introduced his answer by saying: "Let’s imagine for purposes of argument that click fraud were not policed by Google and it were rampant ..."

There is a hype beginning to grow around Adwords/Adsense click fraud, but really, nothing new is being revealed that advertisers don't already know. More often, the hype is just being used to market competing/alternative ways to monetize websites (or otherwise make money online).

Links:

Stick it to The Man: Monetize Your Art

2006-07-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

Bypassing the music/entertainment industry to sell your own art has always seemed like a great idea to me.

YouTube, Myspace and the like have provided exposure for independent artists, but don't offer direct ways to make money from what you create. Enter Panjea:

Panjea is where the world’s creative people come together to make a living from their dreams.

Panjea empowers you to easily express yourself online in words, music, photos, and videos, while earning rewards for your participation and cash for your creative contributions.

There are two ways to make money with Panjea:

1. You can sell your songs, videos, photos, etc directly to fans

2. Panjea shares their advertising revenue with the artists

Another cool feature of Panjea is that users get "points" just for browsing around, with which they can buy videos/songs from other members.

So, if you're an artist, consider adding Panjea to your exposure portfolio. We artists need all the help we can get. Stick it to the man.

And while you're checking Panjea out, be sure to swing by my new Panjea page (there's even a song on there.)

Links:

Panjea Press Release: "Panjea, Today’s Hottest Social Media Network, Kicks Off Lady Sovereign Contest"

Monetizing videos: The rush is on

John's Panjea Page (that would be yours truly)

Related post: Create an Internet Sensation: Cha-ching?

More On Google's Click Fraud Issues

2006-07-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

Because we just can't get enough. Wired says Google and the click fraudsters are in a high-tech arms race. Meanwhile, Google is dealing with several lawsuits from people saying they aren't doing enough.

Google's $6 billion-a-year advertising business is at risk because it can't be sure that anyone is looking at its ads. The problem is called click fraud, and it comes in two basic flavors.

Wired News: Google's Click-Fraud Crackdown

technorati tags:google, adsense, click, fraud, wired, news

What A Little Digg Can Do For You

2006-07-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

This little article was only Dugg 6 times, but made some very decent money in Adsense revenue from the resulting traffic.

Getting on Digg's front page would be cool and all, but don't discount the power just a few diggs can have in bringing very targetted traffic to your blog.

Note a few things about the article:

1. The title, promising another blogger "list" post (we like those).

This got people to click it.

2. The numbered list below it (as the title promised).

This got some people to Digg it.

3. Interesting pictures.

This helped in getting people to read the whole thing, as evidence by:

4. The "related posts" line at the bottom.

...which a high percentage of people clicked, bringing them deeper into my web of doom.

So, when you write an article you think is interesting, informative, or just plain sexy, do some shameless self-promotion and submit it to Digg.

Even if you don't make any immediate advertising revenue out of the deal, there's still the potential for links, return visits and new subscribers. Just be sure to pick your best material, give it a good title, and give people a reason to stay.

A little Digg can do a lot.

By the way, if you liked "6 Adsense Tips", be sure to Digg it!

Related posts:

You Can Even Buy Adsense Click Fraud on Ebay

2006-07-12T02:31:00.000-07:00

Sad.

(Reportedly From the Actual Ad Copy)
We don't deal with worthless hits/clicks. These are real people clicking on your Adsense ads. Real money flowing into your Adsense account.

People are selling on Ebay the " I'll look around your site and click ads " scheme. THIS DOES NOT WORK. You will get banned from Adsense right away. Receiving multiple clicks from the same IP address will get you banned. That's why you should NEVER click on your own ads.

Thus being said, the traffic you will get will be: never from the same person (or IP address) in a 24 hour period.

Now, the only other thing you MUST watch out for YOURSELF is your CTR (click thru ratio). If you win this auction and I bring you 250 clicks, your Click-thru will soar up - Google will then most probably ban you. Bring in a constant flow of traffic to your website. Keep your Click thru rate between 1% and 3%.

Now, I can't guarantee that you will get a certain number of clicks or that you will not get banned. I'm not Google - who knows what they do. However, I have been bringing in clicks and making a steady $1500 a month and haven't gotten banned using this source.

It looks like Ebay cleaned up their act shortly after auctions like the one above were reported by some bloggers. Anyone have a screenshot?

On the retarded side: this, is almost funny.

Related Posts:

6 Adsense Tips

2006-07-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

1. Ads at Top and Left: Are what we want. Check out the Google heat map.

It does show the page bottom as a hot spot as well, but depending on your layout it may not be a hot spot for you (my footer is waaaay down there).

2. Hide Borders and Backgrounds: Adsense ads that don't blend into your site are begging to be disregarded. Ads with borders and uncomplimentary backgrounds scream, "banner!".

Begging and screaming can be cool, but not necessarily in the context of advertising. Many people find that ads with invisible borders and backgrounds get clicked more.

3. Attract, Don't Distract: We want the title of the ad to draw the most attention. The text is there to draw attention back to the title.

The URL at the bottom of the ad, however, doesn't do anything at all (beside make it look like an ad); yet the default Google palettes give URL's a different color than the rest of the ad. Not cool.

With that in mind:

Make the ad title the same color as the rest of your site's links.

Make the text and the URL the same color as your site's text.

4. Subtle Attraction: An image above or beside the ad will subtly draw attention to it. When I say "an image", we're not talking about this:

... which is a violation of the rules; we're talking about an image related to your site. For instance, your blogger profile, flickr pics, etc.

5. Syndication Ain't All That: This is more general, but syndicating full content means people don't need to come to your site all.

So, unless you're in the Adsense for Feeds beta (or have otherwise monetized your feed), it may not make business sense to have the entirety of your posts available via RSS.

6. Consider Section Targetting: You can "suggest" which parts of your site Google should crawl (and which it should disregard) when determining contextual keywords. With blogs, Adsense can have a tendency to serve a lot of blog-related ads, which isn't necessarily what we want.

Related Post:

Adsense Optimization: $10 to $1700 Per Day

How to Do it Right the First Time

2006-07-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

Problogger has this little guest writer series going on while Darren is on vacation, which I've been kind of, shall we say, scanning. The series is about what various bloggers would have done differently if they could start over.

Today is a good one. Gina of Lifehacker fame dispensed some worthwile stuff.

I liked that she would have:

"…published more posts.

…focused more on posting things that got me jazzed up, rather than worrying about lack of updates.

…never, ever published a post that started with “Sorry I haven’t posted more…”

Hell yes on the last one, especially.

On the subject of blogging mistakes, I would also say: respond to your comments. Every. Single. One.

Now, if you get metric tons of comments, people are going to understand that you can't always hit everybody; but if you don't, your neglect is going to lose you readers and subscribers. Don't make it seem like you're Too Cool for the Room.

Not that I'd do anything bitchy like unsubscribing from your blog just because you didn't respond to my comments. Nope, bitchy is not my middle name.

Here is the Problogger post.

Here is Gina's blog, Lifehacker. (Which currently is fronted by a post about tying your shoes. Dunno', I'd have gone with Lorem Ipsum. Just teasin', Gina.)

Related Posts:

Google CEO On Click Fraud

2006-07-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

"Let it happen."

According to Eric Schmidt, the problem is self-correcting. At least he didn't use the term "market forces". Read it.

Related post: Adsense Dying? I'm Not Buying

Are You a Blogling?

2006-07-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Tom says you are. Not sure I want to use that particular term, but I like the article. Here's the summary:

1. Join the conversation.

I.e., don't expect traffic to come to you just because you're adding content to your blog. Get out there and comment, people will take notice and check you out.

While I agree with this, it really depends on the kind of content you're writing. For instance, this blog gets a lot more traffic from web searches, Technorati and other blog directories than I could ever get from commenting on other blogs.

I could probably stop commenting on other blogs without any significant loss in traffic; but being a traffic ho' pretty much guarantees that won't happen.

2. Don't spend too much time trying to get links from the big boys.

If a site like Problogger linked to you, you'd get a bunch of traffic; but a site like Problogger probably won't link to you. Focus your traffic efforts elsewhere (say, on blogs that aren't miles ahead of you).

Sound advice. Haven't gotten linkage from any of the Cool Kids, myself; haven't tried. Being a smart-ass has gotten me yelled at by Darren (Problogger) and Brian (Copyblogger), though. I 'm thinking that isn't quite the same thing.

3. Post a lot, comment a lot, become a regular at a few good blogs, follow the golden rule.

All good stuff. I'd add: use Technorati tags, link to good posts and add good thoughts to them, be yourself, and swear like a sailor.

Adsense Dying? I'm Not Buying.

2006-07-07T04:36:00.000-07:00

Adsense, as we know it, is ending.

(Not really.)

But a title at Copyblogger that reads, "It’s the End of AdSense as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)", does make it sound that way. The post itself is referring to this li'l report here; a study finding that advertisers wasted about $800 million on bogus clicks in 2005. It found that 15% of clicks are dirty.

That's not just Adsense click fraud; they're talking about Yahoo and all the rest as well. Are we surprised? Nah'.

Most Adwords advertisers are already well aware that conversion rates on ads that run on independent websites (as opposed to search results) are For Sucks, in general. However, depending on the kind of ads you're running and the ratio of slimy-suck-punk ass websites to good websites they show up on, it can be worth it.

Personally, the ads I run show up on Google searches only. For instance, I'm fond of selling Rhapsody (aff) subscriptions, but running those ads on independent websites isn't going to happen.

Rhapsody comes with a free trial. Which, technically, means free music. Keywords associated with "free music" are sources of huge, non-buying traffic on the internet. Websites capitalizing on those kinds of keywords tend to be slimy. And suck. And punk ass. Not what we want.

Getting back to Copyblogger, the post in question isn't really claiming that Adsense is going anywhere; it's really just saying that - maybe due to click fraud, in part - affiliate marketing is coming back into vogue. And then it gives us an affiliate link to a service that offers coaching in affiliate marketing.

Call me cynical (please), but I'm thinking that's what the title was all about. Feeling a little manipulative, Brian?

I did check out the affiliate link anyway, and, uh, it's time for a Little Numbered Mini Rant.

LNMR: "Affiliate Classroom"
Little. Numbered. Different.

1. In the post, Brian said: "...at less than $30 a month it’s a no-brainer." Eh, pardon me, but $30 dollars a month for a website subscription is not a "no-brainer". For that much, I recommend engaging the brain.

2. Those little junk-mail looking sites with the tacky graphics, red letters and promises of arcane money-making "secrets", are not sexy. Not sexy at all.

3. They used this effect, for which someone should bite them.

But I digress. Click fraud sucks. Fraud, in general, sucks; but fraud goes hand-in-hand with anything having to do with money. Occupational hazard. Business reality. Hence, it's doubtful Adsense will be doing anthing resembling "ending" (as we know it or otherwise) before there's a real, viable, alternative.

Provoking Problogger: Amazing

2006-07-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

As you may (and probably don't) know, a couple days ago I asked the question: are professional bloggers out of touch?

This was in reference to a post Darren of Problogger made, which was a reference to a post (or shall I say, memo) that Nick Denton of Gawker Media made.

Well, my smart-assed comments got me noticed by Darren, who actually bothered to respond. Much respect for that; Darren's a pretty humble guy and I should have expected he'd care about any implied out-of-touchness with the newbie club (even if I'm only the mascot).

Darren said: "Sorry if you were not as interested in Nick's post as I was - but...

as a blog network owner and as a blogger talking about making money from blogs (read by a lot of network owners and network bloggers) I felt it was of real interest because:

Gawker is one of the biggest and best known blog networks. It's obviously making some significant changes and I think other bloggers wanting to make money from blogging would be interested to catch a glimpse of how one of the most admired networks makes such a decision.

I was also interested (fascinated even) by the fact that a blogging company is feeling the pressure of overheads (when people talk about blogging they usually say it has no/low overheads)....

I could go on - but I'd probably bore you as this is obviously not interesting.... :-)

Just because someone writes a post that doesnt resonate with you doesn't make them out of touch in my mind. It might... but perhaps it's one post out of many that just doesn't scratch where you itch... perhaps.... the author was having a bad hair day.... perhaps you as a reader and the blogger are just in different places (we all go through different phases of life).... or perhaps you've lost touch as a reader....

Not sure what it is in this case - but I'm not sure anyone can say professional bloggers are out of touch based on one post?"

To which your truly said: "Touché Darren, thanks for showing up - even though doing so kind of messes up my argument. ;p

But really, what I was questioning was the jarring experience of being directed from Problogger - which I can relate to - to the corporate droning of Nick Denton, who I don't relate to - at all. And unlike you, I doubt he'd care.

I realize that B5 isn't completely dissimilar to Gawker Media, but at the same time it is. I don't see you guys talking about editors, salaries, journalists, reorgs, and how similar you are to a TV network. I hope that stays true. Because reading Nick's memo... I just can't relate, or find anything to admire."

Anyway, far be it from me to let Good Content languish as a lowly comment.

Speaking of feeling special... did I not speak of feeling special yet? Hang on:

Darren commenting on FTM made me feel all special.

Okay, speaking of feeling special: Pam of Random Bytes added FTM to her blogroll. Much love, Pam!

All this attention from people I admire is going to just make me cry. And then you're going to cry, and then we're all going to cry.

(Random confession: The only reason "Amazing" is in the title of this post is that titles with "amazing" in them supposedly get Dugg more. Digg loves posts like this - it's clearly all about technology. I should have contrived a way to put "video" in there, too.)

Get Rich on Ebay? Don't buy it.

2006-07-05T09:11:00.000-07:00

A few people actually have become wealthy selling on Ebay. Will you or I? Probably not. But because someone did, we, of course, need to be barraged by people trying to get rich by selling the idea of getting rich from Ebay.

Some straighter-dopage.

Trying to "get rich" is lame anyway, just do some research. Turning a profit is a lot easier than becoming "wealthy".

Taggage: ebay, get rich

Are Professional Bloggers Out of Touch?

2006-07-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

Darren of Problogger says: "Nick Denton has a fascinating post regarding a restructuring of the Gawker blog network" (read the whole post if you like)

Here's the fascinating post.

So I read it; not because it was fascinating, but because I kept expecting the fascinating part to show up eventually. It didn't. It's some blogging company that runs a bunch of popular blogs, and here's the CEO to tell us all about their new mission statement. Or company direction. Or the new cover sheets for the TPS reports.

Now, if that sounds fascinating to you, feel free to read it. If not, I'll paraphrase:

1. "We're all cool and unconvential." (whatev')

2. "We're removing two blogs from our vast blog empire." (ain't that a kick)

3. "... because advertising revenue for those two blogs is unpredictable" (God forbid)

4. "We pay our editors a lot and operational costs are on the rise". (am I at work?)

5. "The two blogs in question aren't getting enough attention." (an anemic 500-900k per month)

6. "We're like a TV network (indeed you are -ed) so we cut out what sucks and milk the hits."

7. "Some of our journalists are in a rut." (not due to blogging in a corporate environment)

8. "A million hits per month is pissant to us" (we can relate)

9. "So we're selling them and their writers." (almost like a blog franchise!)

10. "They suck for us, but they'll be awesome for you. Buy them." (where's a blog consignment shop when you need one?)

11. "~~We fired~~ A couple editors are leaving the company." (our "efficiency experts" said they were useless)

12. "A guy from Wired is taking over Gizmodo." (noone will miss the other guy; there is no "I" in blog"

13. "...and we're doing a re-org, here are the details." (the fascinating part comes next)

14. The End.

I read blogs like Problogger because they're geared for Real Actual Bloggers from newbie to advanced. The Gawker Media Company and their corporate intrigues are about as interesting to me as a root canal.

What am I missing? Please tell me where the fascination is. I want to know, but not enough to pick through that "post" again. Because it's not a post; it's a memo.

Now, I know Darren (Problogger) makes five figures monthly from blogging: do I have to make that much for something like this to be interesting? If so, would I really want to?

I got out of the rat-race because, like most people, I hated it. Getting out of it, only to waste cycles (more than, say, one second) finding fascination in the life and times of someone who has turned their corner of the blogging world itself into a rat-race, would be too much irony for me.

If you write a Real Actual Blog, did you stay awake for the entirety of the Memo? If so, do you think the majority of Real Actual Bloggers would?

Create an Internet Sensation: Cha-ching?

2006-07-03T05:57:00.000-07:00

According to eefoof, if you make a video/flash movie/whatever and people like it, they'll share their ad revenue with you.

Now, YouTube costs millions of dollars a month to run (and they ain't profitable); hope this efoof deal has an elephant of venture capital.

They're even asking to be Dugg (on Digg) on their front page. That's just a little bit sad. But they did get Dugg right here; so at least they'll get a nice server stress test out of the deal.

At any rate, if you're just putting the finishing touches on the next "Juggernaut Bitch", might want to skip Albino or Newgrounds and head straight for the sugar. If there really is any. And it doesn't break. And they don't get sued for copyright issues. And they don't run out of money.

Don't Miss This: There's Traffic and then there's Traffic

2006-07-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Darren at Problogger made a post a week ago (give or take) that was Dugg, linked by Boing Boing, and mentioned in some prominent blogs. I don't care about that post, though - I'm not a photographer, and it was about photographing fireworks. Whatever.

What I care about is that he just posted a little retrospective on the traffic he got from those sources; how much traffic he got, and more importantly, how valuable the traffic from each source was.

Interesting bits:

The traffic from Digg was semi-lame, as you'd expect. Digg is a big hype machine and people will click things that appear on the first page whether they care about the subject or not.

Boing Boing traffic was fully lame, which comes as no surprise. Boing is another hype machine with the added twist that it is, itself, overhyped. Web-ADD extreme.

The best traffic he got was from a Real Actual Blog run by Christopher Null (I assume it was this one).

Le post is here.

Contact

2006-07-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

If you need to contact John for any reason, please fill out the form below.

Make Your Blog Better: Don't Make This Mistake

2006-07-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

Please, please: don't post on your whereabouts. We don't care where you are.

Looking around for new feeds to suck on (stop it), I came across a "popular blog" -- or shall I say "successful blog"? -- whatever; it was a blog that people think is all that. The first two posts were all about some trip to somewhere-or-other and what country said blogger currently was in.

Blink. Yawn. Bye.

Sure, the blogger in question probably doesn't care that he's losing a potential subscriber here and there due to putting them to sleep; after all, the money's rolling in. But hey, just because you're making a bunch of money doesn't mean you can't make more. This is America.

And if you don't happen to be a "successful blogger"/"pro blogger"/"numero uno blogger", you really can't afford to be the blogging sandman. So, tell us something cool. Your geographical disposition is, shall we say, not.

If you have already committed this grave sin, delete your "I'm currently in beautiful Hawaii" post and replace it with "Hula girls have really bad attitudes and they hate us all."

Adsense Anonymous: Confessions

2006-07-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

This is just way too much drama over putting a little Adsense banner on her blog. I don't mean to laugh at her pain... and I didn't. I just smiled a little.

Woke Up This Morning: "I don't know if you noticed the adverts that appeared on the left hand side.

I always said I would rather stick a fork in my eye that(sic) put adverts on my site, and let me tell you, if I could find a fork, I might be heading towards a hospital right about now."

(...insert more self-loathing...)

And then the best part:

"If it makes you feel any better, I labelled the div they are contained in "sellout" because that is what it is."

Ouch. Looking over the blog, I'd hardly call it a charity gig. Just a web diary-type affair. Nothing wrong with getting a little ad revenue to cover the costs.

But you know, if it causes you this much pain to use Adsense, why not consider a tip jar? Hell, you could even call it a "Karma Jar".

Hated Things (Not "Things I Hate")

2006-06-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

Being a Ticking Timebomb of Rage (as you do) while surfing around today, hated things started coming to mind. About blog posts.

It's easy to find fault in others (and fun, too); but I started wondering, do I do the same things?

Since it's nearly impossible to impartially judge your own writing, why not judge other people's writing, find what sucks, and then look for the same problems in your own? Next best thing.

So, a list of Hated Things was formed (enjoyable in itself), and then compared to my own posting habits. The results were illuminating.

What this article isn't:

This isn't really about the "rules" of writing, or even advice on how to write well. It's about writing for yourself.

You've seen it; the advice articles encouraging you to "write for yourself first". I can't personally vouch for the money-making power of "writing for yourself first" - I'm sure others can - but who cares? Finding The Money is about doing so without losing your soul.

Doing things on your list of Hated Things can't be good.

Your list of Hated Things:

Don't have a list of Hated Things? Well, what follows is a partial list of mine. You'll be a little Ticking Timebomb of Rage in no time.

Rants Incoming

My list is a little sassy. As I said previously, it's not meant to be a guide to the rules of writing (whatever they are), best practices, or anything like that. Think of it as an example with fangs.

My list of Hated Things:

(The score at the end of each item is how many times I found the Hated Thing in my posts, ie., a lower score is better.)

1. Posts that start with the word "I".

You'd better quickly justify a post that starts with "I" or I am going to press a button that makes your blog go away -- if you have no credibility with me, that is.

What looks more interesting to you (as the beginning of an article)?

This:
"I woke up this morning and thought I'd stepped into a parallel universe."

Or This:
"The funny thing about waking up are the times you wake up in a parallel universe."

Seriously, whoever "I" is, I don't care about how he woke up. The first (sucky) beginning sounded like monologue, the second sounded like an actual conversation.

That goes for the word "I" in the title, too.

Score: 1

Not too bad, I guess. But looking at the post, I saw that it really didn't need to start that way. And now it doesn't.

2. The phrase "goes on".

As in, "He goes on to say..." blah. Trite. It's the first thing that comes to many writer's minds when they're posting about someone else's blog entry. The thing is, unless you're Eric Cartman, I don't want to know the first thing that goes through your mind. Variety, please.

Score: 1

Oops.

3. Links in comments.

You'd better have a compelling reason for putting links to your site(s) in a comment. For instance, if you're the subject of the post being commented on, fine. Otherwise, you suck and your comment sucks. Even if your comment wouldn't otherwise suck, it sucks now.

Most comment forms allow your name to be your link. That's good enough. If your comment doesn't cause people to take an interest in you, you don't deserve any traffic from it.

By the way, every little thing you do online relating to blogs does not have to translate to $dollar signs$. If you liked someone's article, it's okay to just say something nice, without expecting traffic from it.

Score: 0

Thank God.

4. Apologies for infrequent posting.

Kids. I have them. They make excuses all the time. I don't want to hear yours.

You're apologizing because you think you suck at blogging for not posting regularly enough. Maybe you do, maybe you don't; but if you tell me you do, I'll be inclined to agree with you. And then I'll go away.

Score: 0

But then, I've posted frequently up to this point. If the time comes that a few days are skipped, there'll be a good reason for it. Like slacking. Slacking is a good reason.

At any rate, infrequent posting has its own penalties. No need to penalize yourself further by offering lame excuses.

You get the picture. You should be your blog's #1 fan, but that can be hard if you're doing the same things in your blogs that you hate in others.

Indeed, you might not even notice it. The Human Condition, being what it is, forces us to examine our dislikes and actively compare them to ourselves if we want to find our blind spots.

To that end, become a Ticking Timebomb of Rage today -- and then use it positively for your writing.

Related Post: Finding the Traffic (Think Days, Not Months)

Posts of Note - Because You Should Read It

2006-06-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

6/30/06

How-to guides good, remember?

Step-by-step guide to adding Google Sitemaps to your blogger page. Thanks to Randy for pointing it out.

BDSM: Baptist Doing Some Muckraking

Okay, it's not muckraking; but it worked for the acronym. :/

Darren of Problogger interviews an adult-content publisher. Darren's a Baptist Minister, which makes it fun. Great interview, at any rate.

"Content Feed" sounds pretty good (because "RSS" is hard to sell)

You like good content; I like good content. If you, like me, enjoy good content that also happens to involve one blogger trashing another blogger's post, read How to Sell RSS (Or Where the Feed Fanboys Drop the Ball). (And while you're at, build your fan club. I'll join.)

Adsense Optimization: $10 to $1700 Per Day

2006-06-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

Ivan the Optimiser explains how he did it.

"Ivan". Heh.

Problogger also has some stuff on the subject, as I recall.

UMass Studies The Secrets of Blogging Success

2006-06-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

Behind the Scenes in the Blogosphere

Great reading. A fair amount of it is focused on blogs as corporate/business extensions, but there's plenty on successful independent blogs.

Google's Gbuy Going After Paypal

2006-06-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

Google is all over the place these days. Looks like Gbuy may be going beta within the week.

According to CNN: "To attract customers, Google plans to offer an unspecified rebate to people who make online purchases using the service, known as Gbuy, the Journal said.

The service, which would challenge payment options by eBay's PayPal and others, has been expected for several months, the newspaper said."

I also heard that Adwords advertisers would be getting discounted rates as well.

Sweet Post at Problogger

2006-06-27T04:50:00.000-07:00

Get over there and absorb the goodness.

Darren writes: "Following is my A to Z of Professional blogging including blogging tools, platforms, services and ways of making money from blogging (in fact whether you blog for money or not much of what follows should help you improve your blogging)."

Finding the Traffic (Think Days, Not Months)

2006-06-27T01:25:00.000-07:00

Hey newbies, welcome to my club.

Have a new(ish) blog?

Unhappy with the traffic it's getting?

The Voices of Wisdom are going to tell you that you can't expect any good traffic with a new blog. Unless you're a genius, or lucky. Or you bought it.

Far be it from me to question the Voices of Wisdom, but blah blah blah... whatever. Sure you can. Of course, our idea of "good traffic" might not resemble theirs. After all, they haven't been newbies for a long time.

At any rate, I had good traffic within about 30 hours. I say "good" because:

1. It was traffic, and
2. I made Adsense revenue by day 2.

I don't consider it "luck" (this isn't the first time I've had results like this), and if you look around my blog, I'll agree with you this ONE time - for argument's sake - that I'm not a "genius".

And God knows I didn't buy it.

So, ruling out luck, genius, or paid-for advertising, how do newbs like us get our idea of "good traffic", quickly?

Well, I'll tell you:

1. Content
2. Good advertising

If you think you have good content, perhaps your advertising sucks. If your advertising is good, time to take a critical look at that content.

What is good content?

Good content is stuff people want to read. Startling revelation, no?

Not going to get too philosophical about what qualifies as "good content"; instead, I'm just going to show you some "content" that I call "good" because people wanted to read it. And then I'll tell you why.

1. Sassy My Assy:

This post got me my first link, because: A., it was funny, and B., I was badmouthing another blog. Most people appreciate humor, and some people enjoy watching bloggers trash each other. I know I do.

2. How to Make 100 Dollars (Without Spending A Dime)

How-to's are cool. Remember that. This post is a practical tutorial showing people how to do exactly what the title says. Some will find that valuable.

3. Posts of Note 6/20/06

Most people on the internet don't have the time or inclination to go sorting through the morass of blog posts to find the interesting stuff. We do. Traffic ensues.

4. Shoemoney Dirty?

Gossip good. People don't do web searches looking for info on my blog (well, actually some people have, don't ask me why); but they definitely search on Shoemoney. People looking for info on Shoemoney will be interested in gossip about Shoemoney. 'Nuff said.

5. 5 Bald Bloggers

This is a little bit similar to #4, in that it references five (six, actually) popular blogs and their bloggers, so it's going to show up in queries about those blogs; the difference is that the title drew people who were similarly amused by the trend of popular blogs run by white bald guys. If you find something oddly fascinating, so will someone else.

What is good advertising?

Should I say it? I'm going to say it. Good advertising is advertising that brings you traffic. After you've recovered from that shocking secret, read on.

If you have good content, traffic is easy. Not huge traffic at first, but we don't care about huge traffic. Real traffic of any size is all we care about at this point. Here's what has brought me real traffic (no particular order):

1. Technorati

Technorati will give you traffic if you give it good content. Simple.

2. Feedburner

Similar to #1, but allows people to subscribe to your blog and read it on just about any browser or mobile gadget, and does a bucket of other things. Here's a good article on Feedburner.

3. Del.icio.us

Social bookmarking is sweet. Bookmark every post you make, others will see it. Some will follow the bookmark. Some will bookmark your bookmark, increasing its visibility; and finally, some will, in essence, subscribe to your bookmarks so they can see any new bookmark you make.

4. Comments on other blogs.

It will bring you traffic. However, don't make lame comments or otherwise be an obvious traffic whore. Be a subtle traffic whore. Add to the discussion.

5. I Post a lot.

If you're already getting bored with your blog, so are others. If you're posting irregularly because you've run out of things to say, you are getting bored; wrong blog concept, start over. Seriously.

Blogging, in large part, is about right now. Recently. Today. It doesn't always have to be so, but if you want "good traffic" now, it's probably going to have to be. Ping your readers regularly and they may just keep you around.

6. Google searches - Google Sitemaps

I was getting Google search referrals within about a week. I signed up with Google Sitemaps and got verified, but didn't actually submit a "sitemap" (doesn't work with Blogspot). At any rate, my blog was indexed within days.

Sign up and get Google traffic; easy as that.

There are many other ways to advertise, but the above has worked for me. I think it will work for you, too. As I find new ways, I'll update the list.

The conventional wisdom is that it can take months to get any "significant" traffic to your blog.

The cool thing about blogging is that it's too new for there to be any "conventional wisdom"; and the word "significant" cannot be defined by anyone but yourself. My idea of "significant traffic" happens in a week or less, and I think just about any blogger can do it.

I hope this article has been helpful to you. If I've missed anything or you'd like to share what works for you, drop a comment. Your fellow newbies are listening.

Pam Made It Better

2006-06-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

This post has nothing to do with cooking.

Blogspot's Minima template is great and all, but I was really needing an extra column. Pam of Random Bytes saved the day. If you want to change your Blogspot template, go there.

That is all.

Posts Of Note 6/25/06

2006-06-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

Google Tutor has a Sitemaps intro you'll want to check out if you aren't using it. (If you're using Blogger, Sitemaps now lets you verify your site just by putting some code in your template; so you're cool.)

SilentBits has a post on top 20 blog designs.

Successful Blog gives info on two standalone trackback tools. Thanks, Liz.

Top blog designs. Huh.

Does a slick design really matter for blogs?

Ebay and Craigslist can apparently get away with being ugly, but those aren't blogs. However, I have seen some evidently popular blogs that won't be winning any beauty pageants (in this dimension, anyway).

Thoughts?

5 Bald Bloggers

2006-06-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

So, I mentioned the trend of popular blogs run by white bald guys. I was so not kidding.

The Five

Darren of Problogger
Blog: General blog money-making stuff.
Random info: What he says about The Bald.

Jeremy of Shoemoney
Blog: Internet money-making.
Random info: Randy of Besting Adwords is mad at him.

Stowe of Get Real
Blog: Tech news
Random info: He changed his picture at some point and somebody cared.

Seth of SGB.
Blog: Marketing-type info
Random info: He thinks all marketers are liars.

Craig of Craigblog
Blog: Whatever interests the Craigslist guy.
Random info: I hate their forum system.

And an Honorable Mention:

Steve of Micro Persuasion
Blog: Marketing and what-not
Random info: You don't get a random blurb for being a runner-up. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Back

2006-06-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

Internet access was down for me since yesterday morning. How dare they? It's back now, and so am I. And bad, I might add.

While I was away my "Shoemoney Dirty?" post got a lot of attention; maybe I'm committing blogger suicide? One can only hope.

What's up with popular blogs being run by white bald guys, anyway?

Shoemoney Dirty?

2006-06-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

YPN Showcases spammer: "I found YPN's showcasing with Jeremy Shoemaker pretty disturbing. Jeremy runs a Website called ShoeMoney.com which I recently found was spamming me. I sent Jeremy a reply indicating that spamming was against the AdSense terms. He replied 'I guess its a good thing I dont use adsense anymore ;)'. I noticed he had converted entirely to YPN. Anybody know the reason? Was he banned from AdSense for spamming? I replied back that Yahoo! doesn't permit spamming either, but haven't heard further. This last email was sent only yesterday and today he's highlighted by YPN. It's pretty disturbing to me that Yahoo! is showcasing a spammer, but it's entirely possible that they don't know he's a spammer, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Please spread this blog entry, if only to educate Yahoo! about who they are dealing with.

http://ypnblog.com/blog/2006/06/21/publisher-spotlight-6/"

Fellow Web-Crazies

2006-06-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

Speaking of web-ADD, if you suffer from Adsense-OCD, get Adsense Notifier.

And use Firefox.

That is all.

Adsense Secretly Doing Secret Things

2006-06-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, Adsense is testing a CPA (cost-per-action) model; e.g., an ad where you get paid when a click-through generates a lead/sale as opposed to just getting paid for a click.

No, this doesn't mean that CPC (cost-per-click) is going away. I'm sure they just want to compete with the big affiliate networks like Commission Junction, Linkshare, etc.

Enhance the calm.

Google: THE FATAL FLAW

2006-06-22T04:59:00.000-07:00

Vroom’s Net Blog - Google’s Days are Numbered:

"Yes, I’m really going to make this statement. You might think I’m crazy, but Google has a nearly fatal flaw. It’s possible that they are aware of this flaw and are madly slaving away to solve the problem, but if not, their days are certainly and definitely numbered."

Vroom's post doesn't really have anything to do with Finding The Money, but it actually got my web-ADD'd mind focused for a whole article. Gotta' give it a mention for that.

"Who you have to lay to get ahead in this town"

2006-06-22T04:16:00.000-07:00

There is, in a fact, an A-list of bloggers out there (B and C too). Not official, but a good source for checking out who has, no doubt, Found The Money in blogging.

Retard Roundup 6/22/2006

2006-06-22T02:25:00.000-07:00

HOUSTON, THE RETARDS HAVE LANDED.

My Automatic Money
Tagline: "How to Magically Force The Internet to Make YOU rich."
Comments: The wide-eyed cheshire grin of the girl on their banner made me wonder if this "opportunity" involved psychotropic substances.

Prosperity Automated System
Tagline: The Only 100% Automated Multi-Income Marketing Portal that Showers You With Hand-Free Cash!"
Comments: This site "showers" you with something, and it ain't cash.

Computermillions.com
Tagline:"Imagine being in total control of your finances, being debt free, and being able to buy just about anything you want. Now, STOP imaging it and discover EXACTLY how to do it."
Comments: This guy is such a used-car salesmen that he actually tries to sell you a car in his video.

Ultimate Wealth Package
Tagline: ""Are You Ready To Make Thousands Of Dollars Every Week. Working Less Than One Hour Per Day."
Comments: No, and your punctuation sucks.

Type at Home
Tagline: "Type at Home and Start Making Incredible Money Today... Working only 30 - 45 Minutes a day!"
Comments: This program saved me money. I typed this smartass comment instead of paying them $50 buck so I could "type at home".

Adsense Wealth Empire
Tagline: "We Made Over $1,000,000 With AdSense !!!"
Comments: Beware of "Millionaires" selling "Secrets".

Global Domains International
Tagline: "Are You Tired of Working Hard to Make Someone Else Rich?"
Comments: "Then work hard to make us rich."

Michael Hamburger
Tagline: "Are you ready to write YOUR success story?"
Comments: Hey look, he was featured in "HBC Magazine". Never heard of it? Me either. So I looked into it. If you need new birdcage lining, look no further: it's free!

Pay-It-Forward 4 Profits
Tagline: "A Completely Different Approach To 'Business Opportunities' Took Us From Broke To $2,500 A Day, Working Only Part-Time – And We're Convinced Anybody Can Copy What We Are Doing Once You Let Us Teach You!"
Comments: A. I did not make that name up; B. Wear sunglasses.

Plug-In Profit Site
Tagline: "Follow 3 Easy Steps And I Will Personally Build A Money Making Website For You That's 100% Ready To Take Orders And Pull In Massive Residual Profits..."
Comments: Read his entire spiel and he will personally make you dumber.

Please, please; don't feed the sharks.

Commission Junction's Sleazy Little Brother

2006-06-20T22:59:00.000-07:00

... is named Clickbank. It's a seedy little scamp, but a lot of people use it.

Here are some of the highly reputable merchants you can become an affiliate for:

Looking at those pages reminds me: is there any way we could petition the government to make the phrase "multiple streams of income" illegal?