More Than a Hobby
Although I initially thought of blogging as more of a hobby, it has become a little bit more for me now. I view it as a passion and a challenge. The passion comes from writing and sharing my thoughts. The challenge comes in trying to actually make a little bit of money on the side and create an income stream that can be used to pay off some debt. I have not been very successful at that aspect yet but I have learned a lot.
Meeting New Friends
There are a lot of people that I have met online and lest I forget anyone will not name them one by one. Suffice it to say that I have a blog roll full of those whom I follow closely. These bloggers offer much advice and encouragement. They will post their results whether good or bad. If you are just starting out, find several bloggers that you can follow and with which you can grow. I have learned that bloggers are a rather friendly lot who will help you out.
Build Your Own Site
Yesterday, my OptionsDude.com traffic was higher than HubPages or any of the other content sites where I have articles. I have been blogging there and then commenting on other blogs. I am not earning a lot but the fact is that in 3 months, I have been able to get more traffic there than anything at HubPages or even this blog speaks volumes. First, I am doing a much better job of marketing the site through blog comments. I even have a guest post out there. Second, I am so much more motivated to make it a success because I don't feel as if I am working for someone else.
Diversify for Income
This is a biggie if you want to make money. The Panda update really demonstrates the need for diversification. I was very dependent upon HubPages and its authority to get traffic and earnings from AdSense. That isn't happening any more so it is vital to develop my own site. I think I like the blog format and WordPress better than the static type site so I will be starting my own WordPress style blog using HostGator over the long holiday weekend and seeing what I can do over the next 2 years. I would bet that I will be much farther along.
These are just a few of the things that I have learned about making money online over the last 2 years. Of course, I have gained a lot of technical type knowledge about SEO, backlinking, etc but that wasn't the main point for me. The point is that I am enjoying what I am doing, am meeting new people who enjoy what they do, and have this wonderful opportunity before me to make some extra cash that is only limited by my own effort. Time to get started.
Posts
Oh dude! You are soooo hooked! When I first started online (before I realized I could earn money), this was a hobby for me too. Then I got hooked.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 2-year anniversary Kidgas. I have the feeling you're about to see quite a bit of growth once you create your own self-hosted site.
Thanks for sharing, Kidgas. I'm reaching my one year mark. I think I spent six months "considering" it, then about six months reading (I call this my starting point) and I've been humping it for six months now working hard. Now I'm renting servers, got eight sites up, content on all of them, and am backlinking moving towards those mid-competition keywords. I didn't start at the small level like a lot of folks so I haven't seen much return yet. But I believe when I hit #1 it'll pop! I believe its the same for you. You've gained tons of knowledge and now you are seeing results on your own dot com. I love it. I'm glad for you. You've been an inspiration for me. 2 years down! In the next 2 years, you will move forward so far! Hollaaaaaaa
ReplyDeleteFelicia and Jared,
ReplyDeleteWell I am awfully worn out today. I had the day off work and figured the best 2 year anniversary present for myself was to get my own WordPress blog. I signed up with HostGator, purchased a domain, installed WordPress, added a free theme, made a few modifications, added AdSense, put the URL channel on my AdSense tracking, got the site tracked by Google Analytics and verified by Google Webmaster Tools. Plus I made my first welcome post. Still need a privacy page and maybe an about page but I am done for today and going to bed. Goodnight.
Kidgas, I literally laughed out loud after reading your comment. As you create new blogs (and I know you will because you're hooked), you'll be surprised at how quickly you'll set things up.
ReplyDeleteI've created a checklist so my process is almost automated.
Felicia,
ReplyDeleteI bet you did find it humorous. Do you mind sending me a copy of that checklist or posting it somewhere so I can spend less time on the next one? Thanks.
How much traffic do you have and how you made 1.5 k links to option dude
ReplyDeleteI don't have a lot of traffic but the links seem to multiply. I have placed it in a few of my forum memberships signatures so that is a bunch of links plus I have been commenting on blogs but not 1500 comments.
ReplyDeleteSure, I'll send the checklist over to you. I first have to neaten it up. I've got it tailored specifically for my WordPress theme. I'll remove the specifics and send you a generic checklist.
ReplyDeleteGo Colts, fellow Hoosier! Love your blog and updates. I just started setting up a Wordpress site so that I own my own "real estate"! Quite the challenge for me as I am not very computer techie! Success to you!
ReplyDeleteWould it be possible for me to get a copy of the checklist too? I follow NoJobForMom - what an inspiration!
Steady,
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and good luck to you. Glad to hear from a fellow Hoosier. I hope there is football this year. I will go nuts if not. I haven't gotten the checklist yet but will forward to you when I do. Great job getting out there and getting your own "real estate" on the web. It will be slow going at first, but you will get the hang of it.