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14.7.09

Where to buy & sell your ad space

Are you trying to monetize your blog by selling advertising slots on it?

Selling ad space on your site. You are new to the blogging world and have just started your very own blog by using one of a dozen blogging services or have discovered wordpress or blogspot and have just set up your blog on this blogging platform. You may be asking yourself now what? Now you need to write blog posts that are relevant to what your blog is all about. Once you have got quite a number of these posts up and have got a constant number of visitors to your blog, then this is the time to start looking at ways of monetizing your blog.

Forms of advertising on a blog. Let’s take a look at the various monetization options out there that you can adopt to start earning something extra online.

  • The most common money making tool out there that a lot of bloggers are using is Adsense by Google which is easy to implement for beginners. If you have got a great stream of traffic to your site you will make some good money from this.
  • Another tool that is easy to implement is Kontera which are ads that are shown within the content of posts and when someone clicks on these ads you are paid for that click. This is another pay per click alternative, this works well if you have high volume traffic stream to your blog.
  • Then you’ve got websites out there like Text Link Ads which sell text links in their big market place which are displayed on your blog as text link ads normally in one of the blog columns.
  • Then the big one is the banner ad which can fetch some big money in the blogging world. If you have high volume traffic stream to your blog and it has been around for awhile then you can use banner as tools suchas OIO Publisher that allows integration of all types of ads like: banner ads, inline ads, text ads, paid posts and you can also customize your very own ads. OIO Publisher is a great tool and I would suggest it to advanced bloggers who have well established blogs.
  • If you are really into your writing you can utilize your writing skills and make some money by writing reviews of websites through sites like Pay per Post which has a larger market place where you can advertise to write a review for people and their websites or blogs.

New bloggers. A great place for new bloggers to learn how to buy and sell ads online is through Entrecard which works with credits, this is where I learnt very quickly how the whole online selling and buying process for ads on blogs worked, so if you are new to blogging and would like to learn more on advertising online and how it all works head over toEntrecard which will give your blog site great exposure a must for all bloggers.

23.3.09

Adsense Products to Make Money Online

If you are new to blogging or have a website that's rich in content rich and are looking at ways to generate an online income or some extra cash from it then I'd suggest you check out Google Adsense. Google over the past few years have added various streams of online income to the Google Adsense portfolio which I will be highlighting further.

So What's Google Adsense?

Google Adsense is an advertisement application run by Google. Website owners can join this program to enable text, image, and video advertisements on their websites. These advertisements are run by Google and generate revenue (income for the website owner) on either a per-click or per-impression basis.

Different Google Adsense Streams

Let’s have a look at these 5 current online money making streams that Google Adsense have to offer:

  • Adsense for Content - Display ads that are targeted to your blog or site’s word content, this is a great way of generating some extra money online.
  • Adsense for Search - Offers your users site searches or web searches while earning revenue from ads relevant to their search terms from your blog or website.
  • Adsense for Feeds - Place relevant ads in your Blog’s feeds which Google manages for you. If you have a high number of subscribers to your feeds then why not benefit from their earning potential and earn some additional income through your feeds.
  • Adsense for Domains - Have you got some domain names that are sitting around doing nothing then why not utilize these domains and make extra money by displaying ads on your parked domains.
  • Adsense for Mobile - Mobile internet browsing is becoming popular on mobile devices like the iphone, you can unlock your mobile sites revenue potential with targeted Google ads.

So there are lots of forms of revenue to be made through the Google Adsense program. If you are new to this program, then just visit Google and find out more about the program in a bit more detail or you might be a more advanced Adsense user and was not aware of some of the other Google Adsense streams that you could apply to your mobile site or to your Feeds to help increase your online earnings.

If you have any ideas or tools to share on how to increase your Adsense earnings please leave a comment. All ideas are welcome.

11.2.09

Tips to Make Your Blog Stand Out

With a new blog being started every second it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. Following are some tips on how to differentiate your blog from the millions of others out there.

1. Select a unique topic - it is easier said than done to choose a topic that is unique from everyone else today in a blogosphere as crowded as we’re currently in - however opportunities do arise to start blogs on topics that are new trends, products or ideas. Being first doesn’t guarantee success - but it can help.

2. Develop a Unique Voice - while it may not always be possible to choose a unique topic it can sometimes be easier to cover that topic in a way that others do not. Finding a unique voice or style can set you apart from the rest.

3. Design - using a unique blog design doesn’t mean you need to pay big dollars for a custom design - start with a default one and tweak it with a unique logo, colors and layout. Visual first impressions count and can be the deciding factor as to whether people subscribe to your blog or not.

4. Useful Content - perhaps the best way to stand out from the crowd and make an impression upon people is to produce content that impacts them in some way. Write something that matters, that helps people, that solves a problem, that enhances people’s lives and you drastically increase the chances of them coming back and bringing a friend with them.

5. Love Your Readers to Death - this is key in the early days of a blog when readers seem scarce. The reality is that the 10 readers that you DO have already are a powerful resource - focuse upon them rather than the thousands of readers that you DON’T have. Love them - thank them for their comments - involve them in your blogging - promote them and the sites that they have and in doing so you’ll be building loyalty, trust and relationship that one day will pay off. Each reader you have has their own network and can open up new audiences to you.

6. Be Original - there’s nothing more dry than coming to a blog that has much the same content as every other blog that you’ve already read that day. Don’t just rehash news and talk about things in the same way that others are - dare to be different, play devils advocate, look for new angles in stories, translate the news for your readers and help them to work out how it impacts them etc

7. Express an Opinion - people who express opinions seem to get more attention than those who simply report news. Tell people what YOU think and you’re bound to get discussion between those who agree with you and those who do not.

8. Use Titles with Bling - post titles that draw people to read your post are essential and can be the difference between someone visiting your blog from a search engine, social media site or another blog and visiting someone else’s blog that has a more intriguing title.

9. Longevity Counts - many blog readers are looking to journey with someone and can be a little suspicious of new blogs and wonder how long they’ll last. Blog consistently for the long term and you build credibility, trust and profile in your industry.

10. Build Momentum - one mistake that many blogs make is that there is a sense that the blog is not really going anywhere. Posts appear on the blog that rarely relate to one another. I find that when I’m in the middle of a series or writing content that builds upon something that I’ve written before that readers really respond well. Its also this momentum that builds a sense of anticipation on a blog - which in turn builds subscriber numbers.

11. Drive People to Your Archives - one of the weaknesses of blogs as a medium is that in they often hide their best content. The content that gets most attention is the latest post - whether it is good or not. Blogs that not only highly what is NEW but find ways to highlight what is BEST in their archives draw readers to the content that is most likely to convince them to stay around for more.

The above points will have some impact upon helping your blog to stand out from the crowd - however the key is to work on more than one because together they make a significant difference.

20.1.09

Free Paying International Online Surveys

I’m going to list and discuss what some free top paying international online survey sites are able offer. Some will offer you money for taking surveys online, monthly prizes or incentives for bringing new referrals to these online survey sites.

Get Paid with Survey Savvy
Survey Savvy has more than 3 million members worldwide and is an online division of Luth Research, which is a leader in Market Research. More than $13 million has been paid out to members participating in internet survey taking. For participating in the program you get paid up to $20 or more for completing a survey online. If you have an IT and computer background then Survey Savvy offers some great earning opportunities. They offer a good referral program where you get paid $2 for each online survey that is completed by your direct referral and $1 for each survey by your indirect referral. If you don’t qualify for a survey, 50 individuals are selected to receive $10 each and every month out of a pool of entries from all members.

American Consumer Opinion Survey Panel
Evaluate new products, test new advertising, and tell companies what you like, don’t like, and want in the near future. The American Consumer Opinion Panel pays you cash to complete online surveys and is a reputable market research firm. They pay you between $4 and $25 for each completed online survey. You can expect to receive your payment within 4 weeks in the form of a check or American Express gift checks. They also support 9 different languages, including Chinese and Japanese. Make your opinions count and earn money!

Clear Voice Surveys
Clear Voice Surveys is a new survey panel that helps you to earn cash and rewards. As the name suggests, all you need to do is voice your opinions. Clear Voice Surveys stands out from other survey sites because while most survey sites only pay you for surveys you qualify for and complete, Clear Voice will pay you for each survey that you participate in. You can withdraw your earnings as cash through PayPal when your balance reaches $10, or use them to buy gift certificates at Amazon or Buy.com, or you can even exchange them for airline miles.

Spider Metrix Surveys
Based in Australia, Spider Metrix pays you to evaluate websites by taking questionnaires. Other international members are also welcome. You can also earn one point by taking short single question surveys on the site. Members, known as ‘spiders’, earn spider points as rewards. These can be redeemed as cash. Payment is made through Paypal. In Australia, they pay by check too.

Global Test Market Surveys
Global Test Market, a leading online consumer research firm, sends out loads of paid surveys around the globe. Members are rewarded for taking surveys in the form of MarketPoints (typically 50 to 100 per survey). This is an online currency which can be converted into cash. You can redeem your rewards when you reach 1000 MarketPoints (it's about $50). The advantage is that they offer paid surveys in many languages and pay in local currency in many countries. Global Test Market comes out top among online survey sites for sending the maximum number of surveys for international members, so the payout is easy to reach.

These are just a few international paid survey sites. There are many more out there.

6.1.09

10 Ways To Spreading The Word About Your Blog

The question that every beginner blogger asks is, “how do I spread the word about my blog?”

It’s a question that I get every time one of my friends start a blog. There are so many ways out there for any blogger to tell a wide range of people about your blog. The reach is large and can be rewarding if you do it the right way.

The trick is to find where your competitor bloggers are talking about your subject. The best way to go about this is by plugging in your niche + forum in your favorite search engine. Aside from that, here is a list to help spread the word about your blog.

Join forums

Best way to drive traffic to your blog is to join a forum and help other users by commenting of their posts. A blogger can generate a web presence and provide a service to others. Free information is a web traffic resource.

Use Entrecard

Most new bloggers join Entrecard to increase the visibility of their blog. I’m just started experimenting with Entrecard but it is possible to leverage it to your advantage. Check it out and see what it can do for you.

Comment on other blogs

Develop relationships with other bloggers in your niche. Give a valuable comment about their post and engage in conversations. Please do not comment “great post” or “loved it!”. Expand on that thought and tell them why you thought it was a great post or why you loved it.

Twitter

If you haven’t heard about Twitter then you’ve been living under a rock. Get on and join the crowd! It’s a great way to connect with other people all over the world.

Facebook

I’ve always thought that Facebook is the new Myspace. Everyone is networking on Facebook and it’s also another great way to market your blog. Chances are that you have friends on Facebook who you can share your blog with.

Article Submissions

As a blogger, you probably have a ton of articles to share.. right? If so, submit some to a site such as Ezine. You can get credit for your article and even drive traffic to your own personal blog. Some article submission sites pay bloggers to write for their site.

Email Signature

This is a free and easy way to market your blog. Just add your blog url address to the bottom of every email you send. For example, your email might say:

Hey John! I’m fine. I’d be more than happy to babysit the kids over the weekend.

Making Money
http://menjanawangonline.blogspot.com

StumbleUpon

Get your site Stumbled by other users. Visit stumbleupon to get the gist of it but there are plugins for Wordpress bloggers to add to the bottom of every post. By having your readers stumble upon your site, it can get shared to the stumbleupon community.

Write A Guest Post for Another Blogger

It’s nearly the same as submitting an article to article submission sites but you can write a specific article for another popular blogger. By doing so, you give the blogger some great content and in return you will get traffic forwarded back to your own blog. It’s a win-win-win situation.

Sharing with Family and Friends

Spread the word by actually telling your friends and family that you’ve got a new blog. A great friend or family member would do the best thing and tell anothe r person. Next thing you know, you’ve got word of mouth spreading.