Boring your Readers to Tears

As bloggers, we know the power of linking. Links raise your Google PageRank. Links send pingbacks to other bloggers in your field. Links make your blog more interactive for readers.

But the real question is this: With all the linking you're doing, are you really ever saying anything new? Or, are you boring your readers to tears?

Reporting on news stories or directing your readers to new content is a great way to better your blog, but there seems to be an epidemic lately in the blogging world. One blogger will write a fun, interesting post...and then everyone blogging in the same topic regurgitates the same story. This happens over and over and over...until the blogger who originally wrote the post is no longer recognized as the inspiration. And us readers? Well, I don't know about you, but I'm bored to tears. There'd nothing I hate more than googling a topic that interests me and finding 700 websites with the exact same information.

So what's a blogger to do? How can you make the most of linking without boring your blog's readers?

• Tie in a news story to "tips" for readers. For example, say you write a gaming blog and you're writing a story about technical problems with gaming system. After you report the story, give your readers "ten gaming websites to check for solutions when you have system problems" or "what information you need to keep to make sure your warranty isn't voided."

• Give your opinion on the original piece. If you post a link back to a blog post called "The Top Five Sports Stars of 2007," don't just list their picks - talk about what you would have done different picking the list. Readers value your opinion.
  

• Point to other resources. If you just to have anything else to say about the topic, create of a list of places where readers can go for more information and opinions. These should NOT be other sources reporting the same information, but rather supplemental sources.
  

Blogging Jobs for December 27, 2007

(A new list will be posted every week to help you make your million through blogging too! Good luck to all applicants!)

New York City Vacation Blog Posts: If you're visiting the Big Apple, you can send a blog post about your trip to NYC Pocket Blog for posting consideration. I'm a bit "iffy" on the details. I don't think that there's payment, but rather you get free Broadway tickets. (Proceed with caution on this one!). Read more information about this job here...

Political Blogger: A website devoted to the dislike of Hillary Clinton is looking for a blogger. They want informative, hard-hitting pieces, not slander. This is DEFINITELY an unpaid job, but they will give links back to your blog, so it might be worth it for current political bloggers. Read more information about this job here...

Blog Set-up: A social networking site is looking for someone to help them install a blog. Pay is $80. Read more information about this job here...

Fashion Blogger: Not a lot of information posted on this one, so email them for more about pay and job duties. Read more information about this job here...

Virtual Assistant/Blogger: Virtual assistant needed to help set up a blog, deal with e-shopping carts, create newsletters, etc. Pay is $20 per hour. Read more information about this job here...

Blogger and Admin Work: You must understand SEO techniques and be able to work in Whittier, CA. Pay is $11-15 per hour. Read more information about this job here...

Alternative Energies Blogger: You'll be writing the blog, creating emails, handling the RSS feed, and so forth. You must have at least 2 years of marketing or journalism experience. Read more about this job here...

You can find more great writer opportunities at Deb Ng's Freelance Writing Gigs!

Please beware of blogging scams and other online dangers. The above-posted blogging jobs are not sponsored by The Millionaire Blogger, so always proceed with caution. If you come across any jobs that are unpaid (and not advertised as such), pyramid schemes, or other scams, please comment here or contact me immediately!

Blogging Jobs for December 20, 2007

(A new list will be posted every week to help you make your million through blogging too! Good luck to all applicants!)

Business Blogger: b5 Media is looking for a blogger to join their business team. I personally know the channel editor, and she's definitely the kind of person under which you want to work. And, b5 is a great network...I know, I have my BCS Football blog with them. So, if you're knowledgeable about business, apply, apply, apply! Read more information about this job here...

Hubpage Bloggers: Hubpage is hiring bloggers, but be aware that your earnings here are purely a percentage of the ad revenue (ie, there's no pay per post). On the plus side, you can blog about absolutely anything, so it may be a good way to get your foot in the blogging door. Read more information about this job here...

Parenting Blogger: Babies online is looking for a mommy or daddy who can blog. Read more information about this job here...

Christian Blogger: The topic is relationships, but it must be written from a Christian perspective. They're looking for both article writers and bloggers. Read more information about this job here...

Tech Blogger: If you're interested in all thing technical, Boston Technical Recruiter is looking for help with their blog. You have to be able to drive traffic (this may be more of a social networking job than a writing job, but I'm not sure). Read more information about this job here...

You can find more great writer opportunities at Deb Ng's Freelance Writing Gigs!

Please beware of blogging scams and other online dangers. The above-posted blogging jobs are not sponsored by The Millionaire Blogger, so always proceed with caution. If you come across any jobs that are unpaid (and not advertised as such), pyramid schemes, or other scams, please comment here or contact me immediately!

Sneak Attack: Affiliate Links Gone Wrong

Affiliate links can really boost your blogging revenue. One one of my sites, just a single purchase left me with almost $50 in my pocket this month. Woo hoo!

That said, affiliate links can also really suck. I mean, really suck. If I'm visiting a site that has an affiliate link that is hidden in the post, I get pissed...and I probably won't return. What do I mean about hiding affiliate links?

Take this ad box for example:

You can tell that it is an affiliate link...and a good one at that. The ad is related to my topic (blogging), so it is relevant to the reader, which is most important.

That's not the only way to include an affiliate link in a decent way. Say, for example, you don't want to include a big ad box like that for your product. Instead, you might blog a bit about it...say, review a great new book you just read, and then include a link so that interested readers can buy WordPress For Dummies. It is clear to the reader that you're promoting a product to sell and if they click on the link, they'll go straight to a place where they can make a purchase.

I can even get behind a mention with a link that leads you to purchase the product. If I'm telling you that I used my Hercules Webcam to upload a video on my blog and link to the product in this fashion, it isn't the most efficient way to include an affiliate link, but it won't surprise you when the link leads to the product itself. You're less likely to buy, but it still isn't intrusive on your blogging experience.

There is one type of affiliate linking techinique, however, that I CAN'T STAND. And that's what I call the "sneak attack."

That's when I bait you. I make you think that there is more relevant information behind the link. For example, maybe I'm talking about a blogging technique and I mention how I touched on the subject last week, but I'd like to talk more about using pictures today.

You click on that link, thinking it will lead to more information and where does it go? To an unrelated Amazon product.

Not only are you less likely to buy it, but I've probably pissed you off for trying to coerce you into purchasing something from me. I'll say this only once, so listen up:

YOUR AFFILIATE LINKS ARE NOT NINJAS!

Affiliate links can be a great way to earn money from yoru blogs, but use them responsibily. Be honest about it - you're trying to make a buck - and provide links to products that your readers may actually want. Enough with the sneak attacks, people.

Are You a Lazy Blogger

I have a confession to make. Sometimes, I can be a lazy blogger.

It's not that I'm not motivated to make my blogs the best they can be. I am. And I love my blogs' subjects (blogging, college football, and Bravo television). But, some days, I just not motivated to blog at all. Does that ever happen to you?

The problem lies in the fast that we've all been burned out. Last year, Jaime over at Fiction Scribe gave us some really great tips on how to stay motivated, but all said and done, it can be tough. Here are a few things I do to get out of my whining "I don't want to blog today" mood.

• Start typing. It doesn't always work, but sometimes if I just open a new post and start typing, it becomes a passionate post.
  

• Update on a news story. If I'm not in the mood to write, my old standby is to find a recent news story of interest in my topic and update readers about it. While this isn't the bulk of any of my blogs, it can be important for your readers.
  

• Skip a day or two. Gasp - I know what you're thinking. She SKIPS blogging. Yep. I do. If I don't feel like blogging, I'm not going to give you crap. I'm going to wait until I feel more motivated and give you something that you really want to read. My anti-blogging moods never really last more than a day or two, so it isn't as if my blogs are empty for a week.
  

What do you to when you can't seem to get into the mood to blog?

Build a Better Blogroll in Three Easy Steps

Last week, I talked about how to make your posts linkable to other bloggers, but today I wanted to cover another important aspect of linking - creating your blogroll.

For those of you who are new to blogging, a blogroll is, in its simplest form, a list of blogs on your sidebar that you like. Some blogs have very, very long blogrolls while others (especially newer blogs) have only a few blogs listed.

Blogrolls are important for three main reasons:

• First and foremost, having a blogroll helps to encourage a community on your blog. The more resources you have for readers, the more likely they are to consider you a valid source on your topic. Having other bloggers on your blogroll also helps encourage them and their readers to visit and comment on your site.
  

• Secondly, blogrolls help your Google PageRank. Although PageRank is still a mystery at times to even the most experienced bloggers, one thing is certain - links are crucial to success. The more blogs you link and (more importantly) the more blogs link to you, the higher your PageRank will climb.
  

• Lastly, when you have a blogroll, you're helping to drive traffic to other sites. Of course, the hope is that they will return the favor, and most blogs do, as long as you're providing good content. Driving traffic from blog to blog is what makes the world of blogging work. Even if we break a news story first, we can't compete with the big online sources like Yahoo! News. Your traffic will only increase if people are pointing to you as a source. Over time, this will help you build up "regulars."

But building a blogroll isn't good enough. You need to build a good blogroll. Every day, I see sites with mammoth blogrolls that are uninteresting and unhelpful to readers. So, here are my top three tips for building a better blogroll:

1. Include links that you use. Trading links with others is a great way to build that blogging relationship. However, don't compromise your blog's integrity simply to build your blogroll. If someone who is clearly running a splog or has a message with which you don't morally agree, you shouldn't feel obligated to put their blog on your blogroll. Remember, your links should have some worth to your readers.

2. List three or four "powerhouse" blogs. Even though everyone in the blogging world already knows that Problogger is one of the best sources for blogging news and tips, I still include Darren's blog on my blogroll. Why? He's a powerhouse. Powerhouse blogs are those blogs which are almost household names. Although your readers don't need a link, it makes them feel better to see that link on your blogroll. If you only include a bunch of obscure blogs that few people read and that rarely update, people will wonder if you've really done your research on your topic. Look for blogs in your specific topics that are powerhouses.

3. Break up your blogroll. Having just one blogroll on your blog is fine - if all of the blogs are related to your topic. However, if you want to list blogs you simply enjoy, you should create a separate blogroll. Some readers are coming to your blog to read about your subject, so they are only interested in blogs that are also related to your subject. Other readers are reading your blog because they like you - and those people will be interested in other blogs you like, regardless of the topic. If you combine all of those blogs into one, you're going to confuse the heck our of readers.

Before your blog goes live, start your blogroll. When you're new, having a short blogroll is fine - it should always be a work in progress. Link love is the best way to reach readers, and a blogroll is often the best way to do it.

Blogging Jobs for December 12, 2007

(A new list will be posted every week to help you make your million through blogging too! Good luck to all applicants!)

Business Blogger: Payment is per post. You must understand business on the Internet. Read more about this job here...

Fashion Blogger: If you're connected to the pulse of the fashion world, this sounds like a job for you. You must live in or near Los Angeles, though! Read more about this job here...

Bloggers, Editors, Social Marketers for a Earth/Spirit Blog: Bloggers are paid at the rate of $250 per month for 3 posts of 400 words per week. They also are looking for editors and promoters. Read more about this job here...

TV and Radio Advertising Blog: Need a blogger who can market the blog using social media sites, VOIP, Rss feeds, etc. Read more about this job here...

Positive Thinking Blog: Help needed with a blog that is already live. Pay is per post. Read more about this job here...

You can find more great writer opportunities at Deb Ng's Freelance Writing Gigs!

Please beware of blogging scams and other online dangers. The above-posted blogging jobs are not sponsored by The Millionaire Blogger, so always proceed with caution. If you come across any jobs that are unpaid (and not advertised as such), pyramid schemes, or other scams, please comment here or contact me immediately!

Saving Money around the House

All that blogging money I'm making? It seems to go out the door faster than it stays in my bank account. A huge majority of the money I spend, however, doesn't get twittered away on stuff like movies and clothing. No, it goes to household expenses. So, here are my top five tips for saving money around the house:

• If you qualify, apply for heating and housing assistance. There's no use in just "scraping by" if you don't have to. State-funded programs can help you save money on your rent, utilities, and food, and the money you save can then go toward thigns like paying down your credit card debt.

• Shop around for cable options. Chances are that there are at least two companies offering cable and Internet in your area. Compare plans and prices to find the best deal for you, and take advantage of anything promotional they're offering.
  

• Learn what is tax deductible. As a blogger, you have to report your income for taxation, which can really take a chunk out of your profits. Learn what is tax deductible. You may be surprised to know that you can write off a percentage of your rent, heat, electricity, Internet, and so forth if you do your work from home.
  

• Get the energy-saving light bulbs. I resisted for a long time because they are more expensive upfront, but now that I've tried them, I'll never go back. You'll save a ton of money on your electricity bills, and they last longer too!

• Cover your windows with plastic in the winter. Like energy-saving bulbs, this may cost a few bucks upfront, but you'll see a significant savings on your heat bill every month.
  

What tips do you have to saving money around the house?

Blogging for Money...Is it Still Fun?

By far, one of the biggest debates in the blogging world is whether you should do it for fun or for money. Clearly, here at The Millionaire Blogger, I'm all about squeezing pennies out of my blogging experience. But, does that mean that it isn't fun?

Bloggers who are doing it "for fun" have my full respect. Running a blog full-time is a lot of work, and if you aren't getting paid, running ads, or participating in affiliate programs, than you must have a really good full-time job and a complete love for your blog and the topic about which you're blogging.

What about the rest of us? Can I blog with integrity and still make some money doing it? Or, does that make me a total sell out?

Although their is, and probably always will be, a feud between the "for money" bloggers and the "for fun" bloggers, I think we can come to a mutual understanding - you're only a sell out if you compromise the the quality and content of your blog in order to make more money.

Why do you blog - for money or for fun? How do you feel about blogging for money?

Link Me Please? Catching a Fellow Blogger's Eye

Links make the world go 'round...at least, the world of blogging. However, as a new blogger, it can be very frustrating to try to create those new links with other members of the blogging community. How do you say, "LINK ME!" without sounding disparate? How do you make your blog post attractive to others so that they not only want to talk about the same topic, but they want to directly source you?

• Be the master of links. You can't expect others to link you if you never link them (or, at least, link relevant blogs). Linking is like hugging - if only one person participates, everyone feels awkward.
  

• Have a new twist on that old story. Let's say that you have a celebrity blog and Paris Hilton does something crazy. Of course every new source out there will be reporting it, and other blogs will likely link to "powerhouse" sources, like Yahoo! News. Find that new angle and run with it. We don't just want your opinion on the story - we want to link to something really insightful .
  

• Comment. If you're simply looking for blogroll links, commenting on other blogs is a great way to let people know that you're available. Build your own blogroll and then make a point to comment on other sites in your topic area at least once or twice a week.
  

• Proof your posts. No one wants to link to sloppy writing that is full of errors.
  

• Make yourself available. Make sure that other bloggers who want to trade links know how to contact you - you can either use a form for contacting or post your email address.
  

Breakin' Up Is Hard To Do...

Today at Deb Ng's blog, Freelance Writing Gigs, guest-blogger Jennifer Chait posted a really interesting piece about "breaking up" with your blog. When is is time to quit?

It’s hard to let go. It’s honestly akin to real life break-ups; at least for me. Also, I hate feeling like I’ve failed (which by the way is not true — quitting a blog does not make you a failure maybe just smart enough to know when to end it) read more...

Back in the day, when having a livejournal or xanga was the cool thing to do, I became one of those first bloggers out there who just logged online every day and updated her friends about her life. I've since learned that posting personal information on the web really isn't a good idea...not to mention that few people actually wanted to read about my latest crush on a boy in Algebra class. So, those blogs are dead and gone.

But now that I've been blogging professionally for a few years, I've learned just how hard it is to really give up a blog - these blogs are my hard work, my sweat, my tears, my babies, as corny as that may sound.

In October, I gave up my first major blog, Find Religion, strictly because I felt like the scope of the blog going in a direction where my personal views on religion were not going. I had been blogging there for a year, and had regular readers. Giving it up, I felt like I was letting down everyone who had ever read my blog.

And yet, it was the right choice. I didn't have fun with the blog any more and I wasn't making any money - and in my opinion, you either have to have one or the other, and preferably both.

Have you ever given up a blog?

Saving Money Around The Holidays

At the end of this little experiment, I'd like to actually have as much of that million dollars in my savings account as possible. I have to admit, though, that there is one time of year when I tend to overspend every day - the holiday season.

And, as the holiday season is upon us, my credit card is screaming at me and my bank account is crying. It doesn't matter if you'd made a million dollars if you twitter it all away on Christmas decorations and presents!

I have come up, however, with a few ways that it really is possible to save money around the holidays. Check out these tips - they work for me; let me know if they work for you too, or leave some comments sharing tips of your own!

Do a Secret Santa exchange instead of buying for everyone. This doesn't work with every family, but take my boyfriend's family for instance - he has two brothers, one sister, and a brother-in-law (and me). So, that is six of us in total. Buying for six people = spending $300 or more. Ouch! So instead, we pull names out of a hat and spend $50 on one person. It makes much more sense.

Buy Christmas stuff in January. Everything goes on sale around January 1, so you can get decorations, gift packs, wrapping paper, and more for next year at really cheap prices.

Kids are all about size and "coolness". The little ones don't know how much you spend, so this is the area in which to skimp. They don't realize that the cool doll you got them is from the dollar store or the neat shirt you got them is last season's style.

You'd be amazed at what some spray paint can do for creating a Christmas-y look...Instead of going out and buying expensive Christmas decorations, look for stuff like silk flowers, decorative boxes, or vases that are on sale. Then, with a little gold, red, and green spray paint, go to town. Or, take glass items you already have and fill them with Christmas-colored items. For example, fill some margarita glasses with red hots, group them together at different heights on gold-sprayed boxes, and you have a dazzling, cheap holiday centerpiece.

Shop all year long. Whenever you see an item that reminds you of someone on your Christmas list, pick it up and stash it under you bed or in your closet until December. Bonus points if you can snag the stuff on sale, but even if you can't, at least it won't be seem like December is so hard on your wallet because you've been paying for things all year long.

Decorate with old Christmas cards. This is the ultimate frugal tip - instead of throwing out those cute cards you go last year, use them for decorations this year. You can display the cards themselves or use a decorative scissors to cut shapes from the pictures on the front. Add a but of ribbon with some hot glue, and you've got yourself some fun Christmas ornaments.

What are your best holiday saving tips?

Stumble = A Blogger's Dream Tool

Now, I'd like to start off by saying that I hate downloadable toolbars. HATE. But the SU toolbar is different. If you like to surf the web, I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend it. And if you're a blogger trying to increase your stats? Well, short of getting on the front page of Digg, there are few tools as nifty as StumbleUpon.

StumbleUpon basically allows you to stumble onto great sites. So, if you're bored, you can type in a keyword or click on one of the hand pre-made categories and hit "stumble." SU will take you to a random site on the Internet. That's it. That's all there is to it. No annoying ads or popups or anything like that. Just click "stumble," and you're surfing the web--but only finding websites of interest to you!

SU uses a user rating system to determine how often a site randomly appears when someone stumbles a keyword. So, when you find a site you like, just look at the keyword and click the thumbs up button to show your approval. At the same time, if you stumble to a dumb site that isn't useful or interesting, you can hit the thumbs down button so it is stumbled less often. Keep in mind that if you only stumble your own site, it won't have much of an effective. The more actively you stumble more your opinion will be worth.

That's where my blog (or your blog) comes in. If you like this site (or your own site), you can "stumble" it, by clicking on the "thumbs up" icon on your stumble toolbar. That means more people will get to visit this site randomly as they're stumbling. You can also click on post titles to stumble just a specific post. For example, I've stumbled Five Reasons Why I think Tom Colicchio is Fabulous on my Reality on Bravo site. Good things to "stumble" are timeless items that will still be relevant to stumblers next month or even next year; they're not short news pieces.

You can "stumble" (ie, vote for) ANY site on the Internet. If you're the first person, you've "discovered" the site, and you'll be asked to "tag" it with a few keywords. If you're not the first person, you can leave a review or simple thumbs up/down.

In any case, I hope you'll look into using this tool. It really is a great way to support the sites you like to read and to kill time when you want to surf the Internet, and as a blogger, it is a great way to increase stats.

Blogging Jobs for December 5, 2007

(A new list will be posted every week to help you make your million through blogging too! Good luck to all applicants!)

Fashion Blogging: Canadian and UK bloggers wanted to run The Budget Fashionista, part of Simply Good Media. More details here...

Blogging about Blogging: PureBlogging.com is looking for bloggers who have experience in the following areas: blogging, website promotion, search engine optimization, search engine marketing, making money online, affiliate marketing, website design and development, and blogging platforms. More details here...

City, Music, Celebrity, and Other Blogging Topics: 451 Press is hiring bloggers to fill the spots currently open on this growing list of blogs. More details here...

Snarky News Blogging: Splashpress Media is looking for a blogger to run a snarky blog about current events. Pay per post on this one. More details here...

WordPress Designer: (Boston) Must have a high level of design know-how. More details here...

TV Blogging: Starpulse.com is looking for TV critics. Please note, however, that this is a non-paying assignment currently. More details here...

New York Vlogging: A New York-based company is looking for people who love the city to be "vloggers" (video bloggers). Must be local to NYC or the tri-state area. More details here...

Green Blogging: You must be passionate about beauty and fashion, as well as the "go green" movement. The blog will be about natural/organic style. More details here...

Please beware of blogging scams and other online dangers. The above-posted blogging jobs are not sponsored by The Millionaire Blogger, so always proceed with caution. If you come across any jobs that are unpaid (and not advertised as such), pyramid schemes, or other scams, please comment here or contact me immediately!

What is the Millionaire Blogger?

Hi! I'm Allison...and I'm far from a millionaire...but someday I would like to be one. Who doesn't want to be a millionaire?

I'm sure you're like me and gets tons of spam email every day advertising AMAZING websites that will help you become a millionaire working at home. And for the most part, those websites are bullshit. You can't just read an ebook and make a few grand every week. Becoming a millionaire is hard work. Most of us will never do it, simple because being a "millionaire" requires you to have a million dollars all at once.

Here are the millionaire blogger, I'm not looking have it all at once - I just want to make my millions day by day, over time. Even if I only make a few dollars every day, I'll get there eventually.

In addition to The Millionaire Blogger, I also operate a number of other blogs, including BCS Frenzy (my college football blog) and Reality on Bravo (my Bravo network blog). I also run some blogs under other names and I help to run some owned by other people. In all, I work about about 6 blogs every day!

During the past three months, I've made, on average, $300 a month blogging. At that rate, starting now, it will take me about 3,333 months (277 years!) to make a million dollars through blogging...and I don't have that kind of time (haha!). So, starting today, it's time to vamp into high gear. My first goal is to jump up to $1000 per month...which will then mean it will take me 83 years (I'm 22...so I'll have to keep blogging until I'm 105...which is DOABLE...erm, well, kinda). Baby steps though.

You can help me by visiting the advertisers on this site, buying things though my affiliate links (hey, why not, if you're going to buy things anyway!), or donating to the cause via my paypal button.

And your kindness won't go unnoticed - every week, I'll post lots of information about how to blog for money - what works, what doesn't work, and what secrets I've picked up along the way. I hope you'll join me on this journey to a million dollars!