This topic is a tough one. All I can think about is that with mo money, comes mo problems (see below for the song). Last week when I did that blog talk I purposefully stayed away from really talking about how to make money. There are a few reasons for that. (1) I have never made any/much money through blogging. However, I have never given it much of a try. (2) Lots of people try to sell you a money-filled dream, like they are selling you a booklet on how flip houses like a pro, via blogging. Making money whilst blogging is not easy. Being a sleazy car-sales(wo)man type blogger is easy. Watch: Do you like money? Do you want to make some? Read my blog and learn how! That’s all it takes. Then I just need to superficially scour the surface of pro-blogging and sucker you into joining a program or buying my book. And (3) lastly, even though Google Ads and Text Link Ads are so common on many blogs, that doesn’t necessarily make it appropriate to do it here, on my site.
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The only reason I signed up to be an affiliate for Uneetee.com is because I really liked their unique approach to an online business and they have really creative, fun shirts and I wanted to support it. I wanted to support it both by providing them some advertising and in return get a little money to buy more shirts. Well, as it turns out, I have made $10 already. And this, and really no other fact, has made me re-think whether or not to have ads on my site.
I also know that my friend Lee puts Adsense and TLA on his blogs, including Video Rambler which I help with. I know he doesn’t make a ton of money, but he does make enough to be a worthwhile endeavor.
What does it take to actually make money?
- A strong readership
- They need to click on the Google Ads…
Well, there are plenty of different ways to make money. If you have a solid readership you should be able to make some money. The ways to get that readership… well that’s another topic. Why is making money online all of a sudden an issue for me again?
When I first started blogging (on Blogger) a year ago I tried Adsense, it was fine, but being that I had about 4 people reading my blog a day it didn’t do anything. $0 earned from that. Six months ago (maybe only 3-4, can’t remember) I tried Text Link Ads. I never sold any links. $0 earned. I think things may have changed since then.
The number of people visiting my site has grown to a point at which I think I could likely make some money. But then I come against the problem of whether it is appropriate or not. This is a personal site. It’s here to advertise me. The only other thing that I advertise is because I have tested the product and found that it was good. However, with Google’s Adsense or TLA or anything else, I can’t personally guarantee the product. And when there is a listed product on my site, does that not mean that I am endorsing it? I think it probably does. On the other hand, should I resist for making a couple hundred bucks a month via ads due to a fairly minor (?) scrupal?
Biggie knew what he was talking about—mo money, mo problems.
Even with your pretend desire to make out with an 18 year old...
I’m trying it out.
Well my friend, I am interested in this debate as yours. As an up and coming prolific blogger, i am assuming this conundrum will be something that i will have to deal with later than sooner. One of my main thoughts on the subject revolves around my hatred for the capitalist system, and even though, i am already very much participating in it, i think that by consciously choosing to be an internet advertiser i will be choosing to further fuel to the fire that is destroying this beautiful world that we live. On the flip side of this argument, is that I would love to get paid to tell people what i think (including how evil capitalism is). All that being said, I likely will be taking a holiday from blogging, until I can dedicate more time to it, because i hate doing things half assed.
Yes. I have put Google ads on and I will leave them there for a couple months and see how things progress and of course the Uneetee thing. I just ordered three more shirts. I can’t stop guyz.