Posted by Paige on July 16, 2011 at 7:11 pm
A few years ago, the word “blog” did not exist in most people’s vocabularies, and now it seems that everyone is expressing themselves with an online journal. You may have heard stories about people making money with their blogs. It’s true! Here are some tips on how to monetize your blog.
Google’s AdSense program is a great way to get started. Submit an easy application at AdSense and once you are approved, you just add some html code to your blog and small text ads will appear on your blog. Google will display ads that share a common theme with your blog. When one of the people reading your blog clicks on an ad, you get paid! The amounts vary, and clicking the ads on your own blog is strictly prohibited.
Affiliate marketing is another great way to make money by blogging. Most companies have an affiliate program, where they pay people to advertise their product online. In most cases, you will be paid a percentage of the sale of an item. Most affiliate programs have many different ads you can choose to include, ranging from full-color graphic ads to simple text ads. You can find affiliate opportunities through Linkshare (www.linkshare.com) and Commission Junction (www.cj.com).
Pay per post is somewhat controversial, but still a way to make money blogging. When you are being paid to post, you are actually paid to write about a certain product. In a nutshell, you can register your blog with a company and they will give you a list of things you can choose to blog about. Once you have completed your post, you send a link back to the company and if they accept your post, you will be paid. There may be certain guidelines to be approved, such as the amount of time your blog has been online, how many times you have posted in the last 90 days, and if it is indexed in search engines.
The most important thing to remember is to keep your target market in mind. If your blog is targeted to stay-at-home moms with young children, you will want to keep your ads focused to things that would appeal to them. Do not try to create a blog that appeals to the masses. If you have several different target markets in mind, it will be easier and more profitable to create several different blogs that cater to individual markets.
Until next time . . .
Write On!
Paige Jackson
http://www.paigejackson.com/business/
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Posted by Paige on July 13, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Two of the top questions that people ask about mini e-books are a) what is a mini e-book, and b) why is it important in the scheme of my business? So I thought I’d take a stab at explaining this latest, fast growing phenomenon.
What is a mini e-book?
A mini e-book is a small book, typically 5-25 pages – it can be an executable file or PDF document and it is a selling or reference tool to a niche topic.
Why A Mini E-Book?
A mini e-book can be used for a number of different purposes, though the most common one is to convey a secret or ‘twist’ within a niche topic that no one else is sharing. It makes mini e-books a great, low time investment to get your message out there.
So what’s the difference between an e-book and a mini e-book? A mini e-book is usually much more focused than a regular e-book because it doesn’t aim to be all encompassing. Instead, it is targeted to deliver crucial information about a technique or idea. Successful publishers will often going beyond a preset scope in their mini e-book.
Mini e-books are still salable, through venues such as ClickBank or direct from your website through PayPal or other shopping cart options. The only limit you’ll ever encounter is the limit placed on your account by your third party processor.
Additionally, you can use mini e-books to get your name (or business name) out there. You can give them away for free in Joint ventures or in exchange for the email address of your downloader which you can then email with some back-end sale or offer to entice return readers to your site – and perhaps generate sales from new customers.
Now you too can answer the questions why a mini e-book, and what can they do for you? They are short reports, e-books, white papers, or article compilations designed specifically around a focused niche that allows you to generate traffic, revenue, or both. There you go, nothing to it!
Until next time . . .
Write On!
Paige Jackson
http://www.paigejackson.com/business/
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Posted by Paige on July 13, 2011 at 6:55 pm
The word freelance was first coined by Sir Walter Scott, a renowned Scottish historical novelist and poet, in 1819 when he wrote his novel Ivanhoe, to refer to a medieval mercenary warrior. The term has then shifted into more figurative meanings. In the 1860s, freelance became a figurative noun, and in 1903, it was officially recognized as a verb by etymologists like the Oxford English Dictionary.
Today, the word freelance has changed into different forms: as a noun, freelance or freelancer; as a verb, a photographer who freelances; and as an adverb, he works freelance.
Working freelance has become a career and lifestyle choice. It has given more people a variety of benefits and these people feel that there is no better option than the ones they have due to the flexibility of work.
More people today choose to leave the security of their day jobs and engage in freelance work due mainly to the following factors:
- Variety of jobs. More people are drawn to go freelance for this reason alone. Freelance work offers a greater variety of assignments compared to regular employment. And with the internet offering more opportunities, freelancing becomes a mine for those who seek good opportunities and better projects, not to mention higher paying jobs. A freelancer can also take on different jobs at one time. He/She can write feature articles while designing a website.
- Fast turnaround of projects. Most freelance jobs are time bound. These jobs are usually done fast and allows freelancers to move on to new projects as soon as they finish the job.
- More freedom, more flexibility. Going freelance can give a person the freedom to choose the place, date and manner in which to do work. Though some freelancing schemes require contracts, freelance still spells a no employer-no employee relationship. Freelance work offers more freedom for someone who does not want to be confined in an 8 to 5 or 9 to 6 work scheme. The freelancer is free to choose his working hours and be his/her own boss. Because of the freedom in work schedule, freelancing gives a person more time to pursue other interests or take on more jobs. Other freelancers also consider the fact that they can even take care of their family better as soon as they start working freelance.
- Improved income and savings. Freelance workers can usually command higher income rates for their projects because they are hired for their specific talents and skills. This is a big plus because they are paid high but do not have to work full time. Though income rates for freelancers vary, most of them still benefit from the setup. They charge either by the hour, by the day, or on per-project. Others use value-based pricing methods instead of imposing a flat rate. Payments are arranged based on the agreement, and could be done upfront, percentage upfront, or paid whenever the project is completed. For others, a staggered payment scheme may be agreed upon.
Today, freelancers can easily find work through the internet. The internet has been a good facilitator of freelancers and employers around the world. These jobs can range from writing short articles to language tutors to architectural designs. The demand to complete projects through freelancing is still very high, as shown by the thousands of projects posted on the Internet.
To celebrate the world of freelance I’m going to spend the next few weeks penning a series of articles devoted to this worthy subject that is so close to my heart.
Until next time . . .
Write On!
Paige Jackson
http://www.paigejackson.com/business/
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