Wednesday, January 13, 2010

When A Blog Becomes A Business: Four Dynamic Blogs To Help You Build Yours

I wanted to switch gears a bit.  I've been learning more about blogging recently, both by doing it myself and by checking out some great informative blogs that discuss blogging as a business option.

The first thing to note is that there is no shortage of blogs out there that cater to the "work from home" crowd.  Once one hears that it is possible to make an income by posting on a blog, it is amazing how many jump in to test the waters.  With just a brief search you can find many aborted attempts left adrift in cyberspace.  Most of these would-be blogs have simply been abandoned by their creators.  The posts are months old; there's nothing new to report.  Sometimes, the topic dries up and sometimes the blogger caves to disappointment when their financial hopes aren't met with the blog.  There are many reasons for this.

In fact, there the reasons probably vary with the individual, but I think there are some common reasons.
  1. Flawed expectations - This is pretty common really.  When you start a blog you may have been led to believe that blogging can be a guaranteed work-at-home opportunity.  You might equate it with some sort of get-rich-quick plan.  It could be simple misinformation.  Take your pick.  When what you expect to happen doesn't happen when you believe it should, you get disappointed; you may even quit.
  2. Wrong Topic - It may be just a bad choice of topic on your part.  It's okay.  We all make mistakes.  The challenge is to keep searching.  You might turn around and find a subject that both interests you and has better chances of generating traffic. 
  3. No Strategy - This one is a pretty significant reason - and it is one that probably the most common.  Many people have a tendency to "look before they leap" or  "bite off more than they can chew."  In other words, you may have left a blog behind simply because you had no definite strategy to take it to the next level.  That idea brings me to the main subject of this post.
Four Blogs About Blogging

Here are four great blogs I'm following on a regular basis.  They're listed in no particular order.

1. Entrepreneurs-Journey.com with Yaro Starak - I found this site because of another internet entrepreneur I've been following for several months was interviewed by Yaro about the launch of his successful business. It was an interesting interview.  More importantly, it introduced me to someone making money as professional blogger.  In fact, Yaro has made money online through a series of blogging and business ventures.  Entrepreneurs-Journey.com was created to share information with fellow bloggers about what he did to get results.

2. DavidRisley.com: Confessions of a Six-Figure Professional Blogger - David Risley's blog is the one I'm following closely right now since I was introduced to him recently.  I like his style.  I've downloaded his reports on blogging for my own purposes and get updates directly in Facebook.  He, like Yaro, offers his services to help get a blog up and running - and generating an income via his Blog Master's Club.

3. Problogger.Net with Darren Rowse - Rowse has been offering information on his site for a long time now.  He has a reputation that precedes him.  I've only started following him lately.  Perhaps, that puts me behind the blogging knowledge curve.  Still, I know enough to realize that he's a gold mine for resources and useful wisdom about the blogging business.

4. RobbSutton.com - This guy is my most recent addition.  I'm still in the process of evaluating his site and persona online.  Sutton writes decent posts too.  He also sells his consultancy services for those who wish to create a winning blog.  (I think this is something that all of these bloggers have in common; they wish to share their knowledge about blogging so you and I can have the opportunity to join them as successful online business owners.)

The Breakdown

For me, the idea of blogging is just another part of being a writer.  I hope to share what I know or maybe a different take on what many of you reading this may already know to an extent.  I am a voice among many.  Still, it's my voice.  Blogging is tool in the hands of the freelance writer.  It is one I hope to use for the benefit of those who read mine and to help myself grow as a writer.  (Money is nice too, but obviously secondary to providing something worth reading. Otherwise, why bother?)

Take a look at these four sites.  Get a chance to see what sort of value they are offering their visitors.  That's a key that you might use in your own blogging endeavors.  Good luck.

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