Show me the money honey

This has been debated for long. I know a lot of newbies hop on to blogging to make a quick buck. But soon they realize that its tough to crack. I have kept ads on my blog, so that I can make up for the hosting charges that I pay.

Though not as sucessfull, but still someday I may get the pay check.

Hi

The question appears to be why do people blog? If you were to believe Indiblogger people are people because they blog. 'We blog. Therefore we are.' Nice and catchy. But seriously, why do we blog? I think we do because we want others to read what we say. There may be some who write for their own sake. But I think they may be few. Afterall, how many of us had kept a journal before blogging came into vogue? People need to communicate. And the more difficult it has become to communicate in our personal lives, the more this need will be felt.

Regarding ads on their blogs, what's the harm?

Ravi

http://salaamreaders.wordpress.com 

Some blog for fun, others for money and then people like us wonder whats the harm in earning a little while having fun? I personally do not have ads on my blog and I’m not thinking of having any either. When I click a blog infested with ads I close the browser. I find them repulsive perhaps coz I always am worried that clicking on them would infect my comp with adwares or such things.. I am not that tech-savvy so you know.. btw I have pondered over this topic many times and would surely love to know if people really ‘earn’ in this manner …

However ‘increasing traffic’ fundas are quite amusing.. whats the point of increasing traffic on your blog if the people dropping by aren’t interested in reading what you write.. ? just for money? I guess.. to each its own .. :)

Exactly, to each their own. I write because I enjoy doing it.

And at some point I made a conscious decision to sell a few ads to keep my journal self-sustaining, financially.

You are right what's the use of the blog post that no one reads.  But think when a blog starts, no blogger invite anyone to read as that is the readers' prerogative.  By and by people like you become the regular visitor and of course the reader of those blogs.  Dont think that the search engine traffic are not readers.  They come and go swiftly but what interests them they read.  It is a proven fact that they exit via ads or other links.  it is for this reason, some bloggers provide less exit points and only provide or insert ads as exit points. 

By writing consistenly, people hone their skill of writing and this skill is used by them professionally.  I am a writer and currently searching for publisher for publication of my novel.  Earlier i was not that consistent and was writing casually or whimisically.  it is after blogging, i rediscovered my creative personae.  Remember, these bloggers are the writers of the contents that you read in other big sites.  I have rewritten many articles and those contents are later fed to the net by the buyers.  Recently, i sold 21 articles to a buyer and the contents are available in the internet for people to read.  Those articles are so written that they would fare well in the search engines.  Those are content writing.  Titles of those are articles are researched from search engine and what people search on a given day is taken as keyword and an article is written on that topic. 

this is very complicated, isn;t it?  But this works.  I am not that consistent in earning as i have my job that is primary to me.  All these i do as part time activities.  I have made many friends in various parts of the world.  All these became possible for my blogging.  Now you say, whether my content is read by others or not, i am earning in the background.  This has enhanced my skill of writing.  Apart from a writer i am also a voracious reader.  And i read many stories or articles in blogs.  Now you say when i am reading, how can i say that others are not reading? 

Today blogs are newspaper and you can read indepth articles in blogs.  These articles would enhance your information and enrich your knowledge.  Blogs have been providing informations, photographs, videos, podcast, tourist guide and many things.  Dont you come to internet to know more.  Wikipedia is being writte by amateur people that every one reads as professional articles.  In the world many people are doing background jobs that we appreciate.  When we know a bloggger personally, we tend to ignore or praise too much.  Because someone is near and dear loses charm.   Internet is the writers world that readers browse to get their eyes open. 

Blogging is for fun, no doubt but when money can be earned then that is not a bad deal.  LOl

thanks

Pundit.. I checked that link. I am quite amazed and glad to know it works.

Sudama.. your comment is an eye-opener for me. It is a tad complicated as you said but I wasn't aware of these possibilities of being able to sell your articles in the manner you described.. or perhaps I never considered them seriously. With the related benefits of honing your skill and forming ties worldwide if one can earn too.. then why not!  I am sure others who read your comment would benefit too.

what I meant was- whats the point of 'increasing traffic' of random people who wouldn't be interested in your writings. I for one never write for readers and even if no one reads I'll maintain my blog.. just coz I love to write.

Thanks guys!  Now I  hope to earn too on my blog, someday :)

1). Don't make money while blogging OR if I may rephrase this sentence - don't write blogs for money? Not done. Why not make some money when you work so hard? Firstly, a desk top or a laptop computer costs about Rs. 45,000/- and then you need to buy the broad band connection also and pay its monthly rent, which in my town is about one grand a month. Then it takes you a lot of time to think on the next topic  to write a blog on - unless some 'breaking news' crops up. Then, it takes 3 to 4 hours to complete the draft of the blog - then another two or three hours to chop, churn and beautify it with punch lines for your readers to enjoy the topic and the smooth flow of it's content.  And then you need to market it. Its a full two days of effort to post one blog. If there is so much to be done, why not derive some benefit out of it?

2). And now on to the face cream - "Mirror mirror on the wall - who is the fairest of them all? What is all this humbug about fairness and how will a cream help? What is that measuring tape they are giving free with the cream - to measure the waist or waste? Every product which is being sold in India nowadays is -  'German technique se bana', Italian technique se bana, Japaneese technique se bana' - become fair in 15 days - fair in 10 days - fair in 5 days. This business has a 4 crores turnover in India alone and the cream is not worth enough the cost of the tube it is sold in. Are Indians  so dumb that anything manufactured with foreign technology has to be great? No - it is the ad world which is creating a wrong image in the minds of the people. If you want to know more, please drop by for a couple of minutes to read - 'The Idiot Box' at my site and if you need to click a few ads for your own GK, I have no objection.

Best of luck.

Ravi Matah

http://bedtea.in.

Why this gloomy attitude.  You people prefer to see a movie with hundred of ads still you seem to be talking against ads.  Come on, accept it.  Unless there is ad no site can be maintained.  The free bloggers platform that google or wordpress provides are nothing but sharing a part of income they get from ads or from sponsors.  Unless the same is available how come one can blog.  The hosting cost is too high and one cannot host a blog unless there is a stream of income.  If you need any services shown in ads then what is the harm in clicking those ads.  I often click ads and have even own a Nokia N95 by clicking such an ad.  Right from the begining i have inserted ads in my blog.  What is the harm in earning some income to cover the cost of net browsing and hosting. 

Where the money Honey the title shows the frustration.  Unless one has got too many search engine traffic one is not expected to get any income.  Big sites like Ibibo, Orkut, Facebook or Indiatimes or rediffmail expends too much money in popularising their sites.  But we bloggers lack that much money to popularise.  Hence it is by and by traffic increases.  And one will have to write quality contents to attract organic traffic or search engine traffic.  Two or three years is not much to reach to that position.  if some keywords work in the search engine and your page comes in the first page that is among 10 results then there is chances of visitors coming to your site.  You will have search some hot topics and write articles on those and will see that such article and keywors will come in the fist page of search results.

This is a time taking business.  So dont think otherwise.  if you have got a network of friends and followers write for them for fun or sharing.  If you are frustrated that no one is reading you should leave that feeling as one day your blog will be read and traffic will come to your blog.  You need to be consistent and do some hard labour. 

it is proven that your friend will not click on your ads as a culture has developed in the meanwhile among many bloggers.  They woul click ads in big sites but will not click the same ad on your blog.  You might have come to this site from a referral or ad, isn't it?  This is the power of ad. 

So dont worrry, money will come but you will have to wait and watch.

Thanks

I make money from my blog; I just resort to nefarious ways to do it. I can't imagine someone willingly (as in not by accident or ignorance) clicking an ad clearly marked an ad.

I take your question even further: Who browses the web without plugins like ad-block for their browser? I rarely even see ads, let alone click on them.

Lol no, and yet I have adsense links on my own blog. The reason why I've put it is because I thought if people like my articles perhaps they would click on one of these links. I don't blog to earn money, but earning a little along the way while blogging doesn't hurt, does it? :)

i personally would prefer people appreciation for the blog, than little money. I would be very happy if someone left me a comment if they liked my blog, than click on the ad. But thats just me, well you are happy making that little money, good for you.

I agree completely with Roohani. I blog to get people's views & comments. But hey now a little pocket money can't hurt now can it?