Personal Blogs - What Good is a Blog If You Can't Monetize It?

When I tell people that I have more traffic at myblog. Their content, since they don't have to
personal blog than I do at all of my niche blogsconcentrate on keywords and SEO, is entertaining
combined their response is always - "So what? Whatand informative and it gives their visitors some kind
good is a personal blog? You can't monetize it?" Andof an idea about who they're actually reading. It's not
that's where I think a lot of niche bloggers makejust regurgitated streams of information. It's a
their biggest mistake. I not only have more traffic atglimpse into the personal style and life of each
my personal blog, it's how I make my living. Myblogger. Their content forms a connection with each
personal blog pays my bills.of their readers and the readers return post after
I agree that a niche blog can make you some prettypost.
decent money. But only if you bring in the traffic.Look at the way you yourself surf the net. Do you
And it has to be targeted traffic, too. If you're nichehave a niche blog that you visit on a regular basis
blogging about Yoga you can have thousands ofbecause it's so fun and interesting to read? Chances
people a day visit your blog and not one of them willare - you DON'T. That's because most niche blogs
be interested in buying that $97 eBook you're tryingare nothing but post after post of regurgitated
to push about Niche Blogging For Profit because allinformation presented in a robotic tone with maybe a
they want is Yoga information.little sugar on top but most times not. So if YOU
The thing about niche blogging is that you have towouldn't visit your blog every day, how can you
spend so much of your energy concentrating onexpect someone else to?
keywords and SEO and finding the right product thatSo how DO you make money with a personal blog?
you often forget to concentrate on the actualHow do you even get someone to visit a personal
content of your blog posts. Especially if you're newblog? I promote my personal blog the same way I
to niche blogging. And if writing is difficult for youdo my niche blogs. I belong to a couple of forums, I
anyway, it's even tougher when you're trying todo article marketing, I have an opt-in form and I do
concentrate on getting all of your keywords into allgiveaways all the time and then I promote to my list,
the right places. By the time you're done your blogI do bookmarking, etc.
post sounds like it was written by a five year old orBut I don't worry about keywords or on-page SEO
a robot and that's not going to keep your traffic onand I write about the topics that I want to write
the page.about. I use lots of music videos and polls to keep
We've heard it said a million times that Content Ismy visitors interested and keep my blog light and fun.
King. But Content does NOT equal Keywords.And I've monetized my blog by using it to promote
Content is your message - it just happens to includemy writing. I'm a freelance writer and I do eBooks
keywords when you're niche blogging. And keywords,and articles for people. So when someone asks me
when repeated often enough, can get to be a littlehow my blog is monetized, I just point to the page.
bit monotonous. Like a robot!But I didn't even think about using it as a promotional
Think about the blogs that you like to visit. Most oftool until I realized how much traffic I was getting.
the blogs that I go to on a regular basis are personalThe biggest mistake most niche bloggers make is to
blogs. They may be based around a central topic likeworry about monetizing their blog. It doesn't matter
fashion or cupcakes or school, but they don't havewhat product you're promoting or how much effort
any particular keywords or SEO structure to them.you put into promoting it if you don't have the traffic
They're just fun, interesting blogs. That I visit threeto buy it. And it's estimated that your traffic will have
or four times a week.to see your offer at least 7 times before they
Yet these personal blogs I visit are all monetized inactually pony up and buy it. Are each of your visitors
one way or another and they all get tons of traffic.coming back to your blog at least 7 times? If not,
They don't have AdSense ads, they don't have athen you need to take a look at your content - not
bunch of flashing banner ads but they all makeyour product, not your keywords and not your SEO.
money - and some of them make a lot. And it'sLook at your message and make sure it sounds like
because they have tons of traffic.something YOU would like to hear. When you treat
Now these are personal blogs and most of themyour niche blog more like a personal blog your visitors
didn't start out with the idea of making money withwill start coming back for more!
their blogs, they just started out to have fun with a