Using Social Media to Build a Blog

By Kathryn

Blogging eats up time when you get into it. Adding forums, visiting other blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media can leave you staring at the computer until the wee hours of the night. Balance must become a factor for you to successfully maneuver through the web of connections online. But there are some social media tools that can help you build up the following on your blog.

Twitter – this is a newer social media tool that lets you send messages to others in under 140 characters. One of the keys to using twitter is to follow people that are posting things of interest to you. You also want to spend a few minutes of each Twitter day replying to others and retweeting their posts.

Facebook – many consider this a more adult version of Myspace, but I find that I get just as many game invites and “gifts” so I’m not sure that is completely true. I ignore all of these aspects of Facebook and focus on making connections and sharing links.

LinkedIn – is the professional site that allows you to join groups with similar interests to your own. I have not yet mastered this particular media but have used it to make a few connections that might otherwise have been missed.

Forums – there are literally hundreds of forums out there that you can participate in. I actually got my online career started writing for some of them (but that’s another story for another day). Google or do a search for things that you are interested in and you will discover some of them. Jump in and participate. Two that I love are forum.athorityblogger.com and christianwriters.com because of the interaction and the relationships I have made.

Blogs – visiting other blogs and making comments on those blogs or even guest posting on them can add to your own visitor numbers and especially your authority level. When you find a blog that you like and that goes along with what you are doing then offer to do a guest blog. The worst that they can say is no – or maybe that’s “yes, please do one a week.”

Building your blog and setting up your online writing to make money all comes down to numbers. Those numbers are built through relationships. You have to make time to reach out and get to know the others on the internet. Social media can help you make those connections.
You can connect with me on twitter at http://twitter.com/Kathrynclang or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/Kathrynclang?ref=name.

One more tip – social media can get out of control fast. I have recently started using tweetdeck. It is a free, downloadable program that will let you monitor your accounts without having to constantly step in, refresh or stop what you should be doing. It integrates Facebook and Twitter and sends me a popup when someone posts.


Let’s get connected. Where can other Alabama Bloggers find you in the social media world?

Blogging for Money – Ready to Leap

By Kathryn


Once you have the basics of your blogging plan in place it is time to start putting it into practice. Putting up a blog is not difficult but putting up one that has the ability to generate money can be a bit trickier.

Steps to Building a Money Blog

1. Choose a format that will allow you to add advertisements and affiliate links. A self-hosted Wordpress blog is one of the best ways to have complete control over the add-ons to your blog.


2. Research affiliate programs and ad programs to see what works for your site. Google AdSense may not make you rich over night but it could give you a steady amount of income. The down fall is that you do not have complete control over what is advertised. Amazon Affiliates allows you to add specific ads or scrolling ads to your blog and anything that is purchases when a reader clicks through will count towards your total. Other companies also offer affiliate programs, so find the one that suits your website content.


3. Keep your blog design simple. Too many ads or an overwhelming theme will make it difficult for visitors to find what they are looking for and they will likely click back and search again. Be sure to get some feed back from other bloggers and do not get offended if they make suggestions for improvement.


4. Talk to companies directly about running ads on your site. It might be that you have to build up a visitor base first but you may also be able to offer a trade – service for ads – that you could work out (like a website designer giving you a discount).

There is no guarantee in any business but if you want to launch a blogging business then creating a website that has room for ads is a great way to start. The next step is to get visitors.


Kathryn Lang writes about writing at Successful Freelance Writer. You can also learn more about her writing and speaking career at her home website - Kathryn Lang.com.

Transforming Your Blog to Make Money

By Kathryn

Most blogs start out as journals. We post about things going on in our own lives, around our community, around the country or a combination of all things depending on the mood and the day.

There is nothing wrong with a blog that meanders along. It is like one of those scenic roads or country roads that will give users the benefit of amazing views. The trouble with meandering blogs (and scenic roads for that matter) is that companies are looking for high traffic. This means the main interstate – niche focused blogs or blogs with EXTREMELY high unique visitors each and every day - get all of the great stores, restaurants and most all of the ads.

How do YOU get a blog that is main interstate material? That is the million dollar question and one that does not always have the same answer. It is much like writing a best selling FIRST novel – if the answer could be found then everyone would be doing it.

Tips for Transforming a Blog

1. Find a niche with little competition and strong interest. I heard about one lady that had started a blog because she was dealing with a sickness in one of her children. The blog was intended to help family and friends keep up but it went viral (meaning it spread like a cold in preschool). She was soon up to 15,000 unique visitors each and every day. Now that it is interstate material.


2. Create a blog that is focused on meeting a need. Flylady is an extremely popular site that is helping women get their homes and lives organized.


3. Learn the internet. Find forums, blogs and internet leaders to follow. Begin to ask questions about what, when and how you should do things on your blog. Remember that no ONE WAY is the right way. Use the tips and suggestions to find your own way.


4. Sell something. Creating a blog just for writing is probably not the easiest way to make money online. Having something to sell – whether it is your own expertise or you create an online store to sell products that match your niche – is up to you. There are a number of places that offer affiliate programs (where you have an ad up on your site and when people click through and buy then you get a percentage of the sale). Look into the income potential and then follow one of them or all of them. Remember that you are your only limitations.

Transforming your blog may mean starting a new one or just tweaking the one that you have right now. Always remember that if you are not passionate about what you are doing then you will struggle with the doing. Find your passion and the pursue that to the income potential.

Finding Your Audience

By Kathryn

Making money online typically requires a strong showing in a niche area. There are a few exceptions to this rule – there are always exceptions to the rule! But most bloggers have to hone in on a particular area or subject to make money online.

The majority of casual bloggers are writing about their lives. The posts are random in that the only connection is the blogger. The material can cover everything from marriage to parenting to cooking to lawn care. Finding the thing that drives your passion will help your develop a blog that has the potential to make money.

Finding Your Niche

Christina Katz has written two great books that help guide new writers to the subjects that will fit well for them. “Writer Mama” and “Get Known Before the Book Deal” both help you discover your audience so that you can write for them specifically. Here are a few pointers:

1. Write out all of the titles that you are (mom, writer, wife, sister, friend, leader – you get the idea).

2. Write out all of the jobs that you do or the responsibilities that you have.

3. Write out all of the things that you enjoy doing.

4. Combine these lists into groups. Some of the items may have a home in more than one area.

5. Pick out three or four that speak loudest to you.

6. Who would want to read about these items? This is your core audience and the ones that you want to speak to in your posts.

Finding your niche is only the beginning. Making money with a blog is just like building any business. It may take some time to build up the blog that will draw advertisers and provide you the income that you desire.

There will be a giveaway on my successfulfreelancewriter.com website for Christina’s book, “Get Known Before the Book Deal.” Stop by and comment if you want to be in the running.

What do YOU Want from Your Blog?

By Kathryn

Everyone wants to make money doing something that they enjoy. Bloggers are no different. Anyone that has taken the time to build a blog and then contribute to that blog on a regular basis would love to find a way to make money using that blog. There is good news and there is bad news.


The Good News

Anyone can make money off of a blog – the amount of money will depend on the blog subject, the internet interest, the advertising dollars available and the determination of the blogger.

The Bad News

Making money from a blog is just like any other business. It will take work, energy or the luck of being in just the right place at the right time (although even those people know the market and how it works so that the can BE in the right place at the right time).

The Bottom Line

Monetizing a blog develops from different directions. Understanding more about your own needs and desires will help determine those directions.

Who are you talking to in your blog?
What do you want to make from your blog?
What are you doing to get advertising for your blog?

My own personal journey into online income has led me to write for other blogs and I make my living doing that (and writing for other companies and magazines as well). Monetizing my blog has become less important and I am able to focus on providing quality posts instead of SEO, links and page rank.

Tell me what you are looking for and I will try to help uncover the key to get you through that door. Comment with your questions or thoughts about making money with a blog and I will respond to those in a follow up post.

Make Money with Your Blog

By Kathryn

Make money online. If you haven’t seen an ad about how to make thousands of dollars each month then you haven’t been on the internet very long. Everyone has the potential to make money writing online. It comes down to how much money you want to make and how much time you are willing to put in to making that money.
Keys to Making Money Writing

1. Unlock your passion and discover what it is that you love. People respond more to the passion you have for a subject than to perfect structure, excellent grammar and big words.

2. Create a plan for your success by setting up a plan for writing just like for any other business. Have goals, objectives, a vision and a mission for your writing career or your blogging income.

3. Learn the tools by researching HTML, Adsense and affiliate marketing. The more you know then the more you can make with what you know.

4. Keep your day job. Building an online income does not happen over night – despite what the ads might say. Keep working where you are until the online income is at a place where you are comfortable walking away (and you should also have 3 to 6 months worth of income put back in savings just in case you hit hard times).

Blogging can be a hobby for you but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a little extra income with your blogging talents. You may never get rich (or a book deal) from the words that you blog but you can still find ways to make money online with your writing.

Growing Your Platform - Blogging Secrets to Learn and Use

By Kathryn

There is always something new to learn about blogging. The internet is growing and changing even as I write this article. Keeping up is not always easy, but knowing the secrets and trends can help you to expand your blogging position on the Web.

Blogging Secrets

1. Keep it interesting - Write about something that others are interested in reading. It doesn’t matter how often you blog or how eloquent the posts are if no one is reading what you write.


2. Add passion – The things that you write need to something that gets you excited. If you are bored then your readers will be bored.


3. Use social media – Facebook and Twitter are both great ways to share what you are passionate about.


4. Give it away – post on other websites (like ezinearticles and other free articles sites). Be sure to rewrite the post so that it is “new” and include a link back to your blog. If possible include a link to your blog in the first paragraph as well – but not all sites give you this option.


5. Use subtitles – Breaking up your article into sections makes it easier to read and also allows you to make your keywords bold at least once in your post.

Everyone blogs for a different reason but most of us would appreciate an increased in followers. Followers help a writer feel like he or she is doing something that is right and not just putting words out in the air. Uncovering the secrets to successful blogging is not necessarily difficult but it is ever changing.

Find Inspiration for Writing

By Kathryn

Getting the right idea for your blog is sometimes just under your nose. There are ideas for articles and posts every where you turn but ideas can be sneaky. It is important to learn to recognize great ideas and to get them down on paper or the computer before they get away.
Uncover Writing Ideas

1. Use the waiting room as your personal resource. Each magazine will have dozens of stories that can give you ideas for great articles.


2. Break down the sermon each week. You may get one post, you may get a series of posts or you may end up with something completely unrelated to the actual sermon.


3. Watch the news. As long as a pop icon hasn’t died there are often a dozen interesting stories that can spark your inspiration.


4. Ease drop on others at the restaurant, in the elevator or any where you can get away with it.


5. Go to the park. Kids are always a great inspiration for articles.


6. Go through your pictures. Write an article around your images.


7. Review a movie or book. Try not to give away the essence of the movie but do let the reader know what you thought of the movie.


8. Visit other blogs to see what people are reading.


9. Let the rhythm move your soul. Turn on some tunes or just use your favorite lyrics to guide your posts. Do a series with your favorite song titles as the title of each post.


10. Do a top ten list. Lists are always fun.

There are no restrictions on where you can uncover inspiration. The key is to get that inspiration on paper. Carry a notebook, a recorder or some way to lock down your inspiration before it gets away.

For more tips to help you find your inspiration for your blog visit Successful Freelance Writer.

Begin the Path to a Better Blog

By Kathryn

Start with a plan. It doesn't matter what you are doing in life. A good plan is the best way to start. Success is guided by a plan that is followed with consistency and determination. Building a blog that does all that you want it to do starts with a plan.
Tips for Building a Blog

• Track your readers - you need to know exactly how many people are visiting and when so that you know what changes to make to increase your numbers.


• Keep It Simple . . . - set up an easy to find RSS feed button so that readers can continue to follow your blog.


• Keep it clean - an easy font, limited widgets, fewer applications and add-ons and basic images will all make your blog easier for the reader to enjoy.


• Make it you - every path to success is a unique path known only to you. Make your journey to your blog your own by writing what you want to write the way you want to write. Passion will do more to draw readers than anything else you have to offer.

Building a better blog starts with a plan. Make a plan that includes a method for tracking visitors, a clean and simple design and content that is unique to your site.


www.successfulfreelancewriter.com

Growing Your Platform: Finding Your Blogging Passion

By Kathryn

There are as many reasons to blog as there are blogs on the internet today. Growing a successful blog means finding your niche and then developing around that niche. The best way to choose the direction of your blog is to find out where your passion lies and then pursue that passion.

1. What are you talents? Make a list of all those things that you are good at doing. Ask your family and friends to make a list as well. You may be surprised at all of the things that you have the ability to do.


2. What are your gifts? These are the things that really can’t be learned like making friends easily or being extremely giving.


3. What are your titles? You are looking for potential readers and you speak best to those that are in the same position as you are in. Do you work at home? You will be in a position to help other WAH individuals. Are you a mother? Your posts could be a breath of fresh air to other mothers. Write out a list of all your different titles.

Put each list in order of those things that are most important to you. By looking at the talents, gifts and titles that you consider to be important you will begin to unlock your passion and discover the best niche for your blogging endeavor.


Kathryn's reason for blogging is to help others fulfill their passions and dreams as she has been able to do by being a freelance writer. She has written an E-book called "Make Money Writing" to help achieve this goal. She is also a Christian, a wife, and a homeschooling mom of boys.

Growing Your Platform: Make Blogging Consistent

This post was written by Kathryn Lang from Successful Freelance Writing. She will have a weekly column here called "Growing Your Platform", which will include tips on blogging, making money through blogging, and many other topics.

By Kathryn

Consistency is always a good thing and it is one of the most important keys to success in what ever you are attempting to accomplish in your life right now. It is not always easy to get into the good habits that help create a better life or a better career, but it is possible.
Getting into a regular groove with your blogging posts will help you make blogging a consistent part of your writing and those good habits can be started by following just a few simple tips.

5 Easy Tips for Blogging Consistently

1. Set up a schedule – Monday Musings for rants or random thoughts. Tactless Tuesday for those news stories that are too bad not to be shared. Wordless Wednesdays for great photos and on. Knowing what you will be writing about will help you get the blog post done.

2. Make an appearance – guest blogging regularly on other sites will push you to get your own writing done (so there is something to link to).

3. Build up a reserve – if you can pre-post on your blog then do that but otherwise have a reserve of general posts that you can put on the blog for those days when the muse refuses to dance.

4. Write one long article with multiple points each month and then plan all your other articles around that one.

5. Use holidays, special events and regular meetings to create blog posts. Attending the local council meeting or creating a post for Father’s Day can be great inspiration for blog posts.

Any action must be done repeatedly before it becomes a habit. Making blogging a natural part of your day or your writing career can be accomplished by following a few easy tips. Get started today and stay consistent in your blogging so that you can be successful at your goals.
For more information about becoming consistent in your blogging visit Successful Freelance Writer.

Kathryn's reason for blogging is to help others fulfill their passions and dreams as she has been able to do by being a freelance writer. She has written an E-book called "Make Money Writing" to help achieve this goal. She is also a Christian, a wife, and a homeschooling mom of boys.