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So you want to make money with blogs? Good decision! Blogging for money is a simple and enjoyable way to build a presence online and make some cash while you're at it. Actually, blogging for money is the bread and butter of internet marketing in this day and age, and there are millions of people making a small fortune doing it. The first thing you need to do is make a decision as to whether you wish to blog about a subject that deeply interests you (hobbies, sports, politics, pop culture, yourself!), or whether you wish to build a blog which is primarily designed to be a money maker. If you choose the latter, you will need to identify a niche market that you can blog to. This can be almost anything, from horticulture to antiques, but the more targeted the better. For example, instead of targeting the general antiques market, aim for 19th century French ceramics. After you've decided the subject of your blog, you will then need to register with a blogging host. The most popular blogging hosts are Blogspot and Wordpress, both of which offer their service for free. Just go to their websites, follow the instructions and get your blog up and running. You can then spruce up the look of your blog by choosing between pre-designed templates, colours, fonts and designs. The penultimate stage is to monetise your blog. There are two main ways in which to do this. The first is to add Google Adsense to your blog, and the second is to add affiliate links. Google Adsense is an advertising scheme in which advertisers pay a pre-determined sum of money to have their adverts placed across Google search pages and websites; as a blog publisher, you can add the advertising from Adsense on your blog and get paid every single time a visitor clicks on one of the ads. Google Adsense is absolutely free to sign up to. The second method of monetisation is affiliate links, which are simple text links or banners from vendors who are selling products. Typically you can expect a 50 - 60% commission on sales of digital products. Go to Clickbank to sign up for affiliate sites. The final stage is to actually drive traffic to your site! If you're blogging for money, then you're going to need actual visitors to help make your blog an active cash machine. Getting traffic to any website is an art in itself, and there are many methods you can try out. One free method you can use is to post in related internet forums and message boards with a link to your blog in your forum signature. Another method is to submit articles to directories which, again, have a link to your blog. This really is a general overview of blogging for money, which is a big picture. But do be reassured of its relative ease. The most important thing is just to make a start. Identify what you wish to write the blog about, register a free blogging account at Blogspot or Wordpress, and then start posting! After that, you will surely pick up hints and tips about monetisation and driving traffic along the way. Many internet marketers will confirm that blog optimisation is a lifelong learning process, so do not feel you have to get it right first time. Blogging for money should be fun, so ensure you enjoy the process. Jack Silver is an internet marketer based in the U.K. He only started internet marketing earlier this year, but has already quit his job to work at home full-time. The lure of wearing pyjamas and drinking limitless coffee during the daytime proved irresistable. Jack has published his rags-to-riches story for free public viewing at http://www.moneyinpyjamas.wordpress.com.
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