I've always wanted to blog. I have lots of ideas and I have a direction I think I want to go. So my question is - other than for the fun of it (I do like writing) - is there a way to make money at it? I haven't done much research yet, but I thought I'd ask all the smart Mommies here. Does anyone know if contributors to the articles/blogs that appear on the home page of Mamapedia get some kind of payment? Thanks in advance!
Mom:
You would need to contact Mamapedia directly for that one.
Marc West is the CEO of MMP. (____@____.com). Tell him what you want to do and see if there is a job for you!
Good luck!
Google search "websites that pay bloggers."
There are paid blogging sites, companies that hire writers etc.
Or, you make and create your own website and blog.
And therefore YOU need to research tirelessly.... about advertising it, getting it ranked on search engines, getting followers, how to monetize it or not etc.
It takes TONS of, research. Books are written about it.
LOTS of things to learn and do, if you create your own since you want it for profit. Versus, some just do it for a hobby or a love of writing. And then sometimes, it gets picked up due to popularity etc. and therefore, it might become profitable.
But neither of these scenarios happens overnight.
It takes hours of dedication.
I have researched this.
And telling others how to do it or not, would take weeks.
You need to fully research this, study other blogs, read about it, ask Bloggers questions if they answer, etc.
Just putting a Blog/website out there in cyberspace, does not mean it will be popular or "profitable" or rank high in the search engines.
You have to, get traffic to your blog, build followers, advertise it, join other types of websites, and write about things you have a passion for or love doing despite. And it also depends on the format of the website.
My understanding is that if you 'monetize' your blog, you get paid per click to the links offered. A commission of sorts. You would need to find a platform that offered this, but be prepared-- you don't get to pick and choose what shows up on your blog. (Which is why I will not monetize... I don't want to use my blog to promote things/products I personally would not stand by. That includes political ads, by the way, so think long and hard....)
As far as I am aware, Mamapedia doesn't pay for submissions they use. The idea is that it will add traffic to your personal blogsite.
Check out Whole New Mom. She is a blogger who makes money as an affiliate. Check out her articles, the type of writing she does, the promos she does, her special Wednesday allergen-free day, her extensive, in depth investigative articles, etc. Her blog is her part-time, at-home job. She makes money off people buying things she endorses/affiliations she has set up with different companies. It looks to me like it's a lot of hard work. She is very passionate about what she blogs about and only endorses/affiliates with those products she is very attuned to (her family uses).
Personally, it looks like a lot of hard work to me. Yet it could be peanuts if you're endorsing products and things that mean a lot to you and that you want to help other people acquire.
The lady who owns the site/blog is very nice and personable; she might be willing to chat with you about what it takes to set up such a Web site/blog.
And you have to be willing to keep a consistent schedule of posting informative information. I am on her e-mail newsletter, and I receive at least 2 new postings every week from her, sometimes three.
I really, really like how she has her blog set up, and I am also very interested in what she has to say/talk about and the products she recommends.
A FB friend who is a blogger wrote about this last year. I'm not a blogger but I read it anyway because I thought it was interesting. Doesn't sound like it's enough to make a living off of, but if you can make a hobby pay, why not?
http://ohamanda.com/2012/02/08/monetize-it-how-i-write-a-...
