Blogging Jobs for January 31, 2008

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

Breast Cancer Blogger: This is another job opportunity with b5 Media, a great blog network that pays per month + CPM. Read more about this job here...

Male Sex and Relationship Blogger: You must be willing to be open about your relationships. Pay was not specified. Read more about this job here...

Denver Entertainment Blogger: You'll be writing about things to do in Denver. Pay is $500 per week. Read more about this job here...

Blog Reviews Needed: Self-help topics. Pay is $20-30 per review of 400 to 600 words. Read more about this job here...

DIY Blogger: They need 2 posts per day, 5 days per week. Experience in real estate, construction, home improvement, gardening, etc. is a plus. Pay is $5 per post. Read more about this job here...

Wellness Blogger: Writer needed for we-relax.com. 4 blog posts per week. Pay is $50 per month. 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!

Results of the Great Commenting Experiment

Last week, I told you all about how I would be conducting a little experiment about commenting. For the first half of the week, I didn't comment at all. For the second half, I went comment-crazy on other blogs, putting my link out there for all to see.

We'll call Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday the "first half" of the week and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday the "second half" of the week. I'm including Wednesday in both because I started commenting around noon, and am assuming it took a little time for people to actually notice my comments.

During the first have of the week, I got a moderate amount of pageviews. Stats spiked, as this always do, when I posted my blogging jobs on Wednesday, but since I'm counting Wednesday in both halves, I'm going to say that this post didn't make a whole lot of difference. During the second half of the week, my stats increase by 40%. I left a total of 25 comments on blogs of all topics - about 50% writing/blogging related and 50% otherwise related.

So, 40% that's pretty good, right?

Well, yes and no. This is a tiny blog, and it isn't like I get hundreds of page views every day. So, numbers wise, 40% isn't amazing. It is ok. But, if my numbers were naturally bigger, it would have still increased by the same number of pageviews, meaning the percentage would be smaller.

Overall, is commenting worth it? What have I learned?

First and foremost, I learned that commenting is a good way to attract the attention of other bloggers. While readers may not click on your links as often as you would like, the blogger running the blog where you commented will, in most cases. I collected at one pageview from almost every single admin page of blogs where I commented. Bloggers like to see who is reading their site. While they may not comment back, you are now on their radar. Comment a few more times or link to their site, and you'll make a fast friend.

Secondly, I learned that commenting means more on smaller blogs. Yes, few readers will actually read your comment. They will be, however, more likely to click to your blog. When there are 30+ comments, others may respond to you, but they are less likely to click to your blog.

Lastly, I learned that, while commenting is great, it is not the best way to build traffic. If you're looking for long-term readers, there are other techniques that work much better. Try swapping guest posts, running a contest, submitting to social networking sites, using twitter, and participating in blog carnivals. All our better options if you truly want to raise your stats.

In other words, comment often to show support to your fellow bloggers when you love what they've written...but don't comment for selfish reasons alone.

Launching Your Blog: Tips and Tricks

As many of you probably know, I'm currently helping my friend JW launch a new video gaming blog at Binge Gamer. It's a trying process, filled with my amateur eyes hunting through code for tiny mistakes. Blah. James is officially "launching" his site on March 1, and today, we've spent the afternoon coming up with some launch strategies.

Not every blog needs to throw a huge launch party to be successful. But...when you launch, having more than just a "welcome to my site" post can really boost your views from the start. If you want to be an authority, you need to have more than one post up for your readers. Your site has to be rarin' to go! Here are some tips for creating a successful launch:

• Have a welcome post, but also have at least 5-10 other posts live as well so that readers don't feel like they walked into an empty room.
  

• Post an "about" page. This is CRUCIAL to making your site more professional. Include information about both you and the blog topic.

• Include a contact form or contact email address so that people can reach you.
  

• Add a poll to your page. This is a great way to kick start reader interaction, even if soliciting comments doesn't work.
  

• Promote, promote, promote! Don't just assume that others will chance onto your site. Promote your URL everywhere you can!

What launch tips can you give us?

Twitter with me?

Do you Twitter?

I'm not sure I have my head wrapped around it yet, but then again, sign I first signed up with MySpace, I didn't understand that either.

From what I gather, Twitter can be an amazing promotional tool for your blogs. You can also use it to stay in touch with friends and family members.

I am by no means an expert on Twitter (yet), so instead I'll point you to some really great articles by Darren at Problogger on this tool.

How To Use Twitter: Tips for Bloggers

9 Benefits of Twitter for Bloggers

If you Twitter, follow me! Username: allicat275

Blogging Jobs for January 23, 2008

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

News Satirist Blogger: This is a job opening on the Business Channel at b5 Media, a network where I work. Pay is a combined CPM rate + pay per month based on experience. Read more about this job here...

Marketing Bloggers: Writers needed to write 200-word posts on several blogs about marketing. Payment is $4 per post. Read more about this job here...

Blog Designer: This is a job for someone who knows a lot about graphic and web design. It is also an adult blog design job, so if you must be willing to deal with that kind of content. Read more about this job here...

Teen Style Bloggers: You must have a working knowledge of Movable Type and experience in the teen fashion industry. Read more about this job here...

Real Estate Reviewer for Blog: You'll be responsible for reviewing 10 company products and services per month. Pay is $500 monthly. 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!

Blog Love: My Commenting Experiment

Does commenting really make a difference in your blog's popularity? We're about to find out.

On any given day, I spend plenty of time commenting on other blogs of interest. I comment on blogs that relate to sports and leave me BCS Frenzy address in the "URL" line. Or, I comment on blogs about blogging and writing and leave this address in the URL line. Or, I just comment on blogs I love and leave whatever address I want to leave.

I don't comment simply for the sake of driving traffic. Yes, it is a good way to find others, but I'll rarely, if ever, comment on a post that I don't find interesting. I have to have something to say. Commenting just to drive traffic...well, that's what I like to call a spommet (spam comment). No spomments, please.

However, I use other techniques to get the word out about this blog as well. So, it is hard to tell if my comments are really helping to drive traffic to this site. So, I'm doing a little experiment. From today, tomorrow, and Wednesday, I will not comment anywhere leaving this address. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I'll beef up my commenting and leave 30-50 comments on various blogs. Then I'll report back here and let you know if I saw a jump in stats.

I'm willing to bet that I'll see that jump. What do you think? Have you ever seen increases in pageview due to commenting?

If I had the money...

Every day lately, I find myself saying, "If I had the money..."

All my cash seems to fly out the door as soon as it comes in. Do you have this problem as well? No matter how good I am at budgeting, pinching pennies seems to be my fate.

Well, the purpose of this blog is to dream big, right? If I had the money RIGHT NOW, I would...

• ...take a tour of California's wine country with a dear friend of mine.

• ...buy some new pots and pans for our kitchen (we totally need them!).

• ...pay off my college debts.

• ...buy my cat, Godiva, one of those super huge kitty palaces.

• ...plan a trip to Disney for me and my boyfriend.

• ...buy my little sister a laptop for college.

What would you do "if you had the money"?

Vlogging Tools

Do you Vlog?

I have to admit, when I first heard that video blogging was becoming popular, I wasn't sure that it would ever be feasible for the typical blogger. I saw vlogging as an epidemic - kind of like MySpace. Everyone with a webcam or a camera phone that takes videos would be posting junk on the Internet.

And you know, that did happen. People vlogged about ridiculous shit just to be on YouTube. That crying Britney guy? Stupid. I mean, come on.

Something wonderful happened, however. Real bloggers began getting webcams and doing awesome video updates. My mind goes to Darren at ProBlogger, for example - he regularly video blogs about topics of interest to his readers. Podcasts became more common as well, and hearing a person's voice or actually seeing their face makes me, as a "reader," become more interested. I feel connected.

Vlogging is a wave for the future. I think we'll see more and more bloggers take up the art, at least on a part-time basis, to help connect to their communities. Do you blog? If you don't yet, like me, then you're at least probably thinking about it. I've been doing my research, so here are some of the top webcams for vlogging that you should consider:

HUE HD Black PC / Mac Webcam from Clique



Just don't be fooled by the name. Everything I've read on the web says that this is an amazing tool for PC users, but a pain in the ass for Mac users.


Logitech QuickCam Messenger WebCam

If you're on a budget, this one seems to be the king of the inexpensive webcam. I'm willing to guess that picture quality will be more chat-room worthy than vlog-worthy, but if you're just experimenting with video blogging, it might be a good way to see if this is really what you want to do.

Panasonic BL-C131A Network Camera Wireless 802.11



Willing to splurge? If you already know and love vlogging and what to get a bit more professional, the Panazonic BL-C131A is for you. It's wireless, it has great picture quality, and it is easy for an experienced user to install and set up. Of course, with a price tag like that, this webcam isn't for everyone...but consider it if you really start to rake in the dough with your blog!

Which vlogging tools do you recommend?

Blogging Jobs for January 17, 2008

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

Parenting Bloggers: Parenting Squad is looking for new Mommy and Daddy bloggers to add to their network. There's not outright compensation for this one, so beware. Instead, the company pays you 100% of the ad revenue. You likely won't make much money (at least at first), but if you were going to start a parenting blog anyway on your own, this might interest you. Read more about this job here...

Blog Updater: Someone with TypePress experience needed to upload pictures and edit comments on a newly transferred blog. Pay is $200 Read more about this job here...

Vlogger: Video blogger needed. Read more about this job here...

Technical help needed for Blog: This job will take about 10 hours. You must know HTML very well. Read more about this job here...

Sports Blogger: The Sports Cartel is looking for a blogger who can write about the Washington Nationals. They'll also consider talking to you about blogger for other teams. 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!

The Time Crunch

Lately, you may have noticed the lack of posts on The Millionaire Blogger. I've fallen victim to the time crunch, something many of you have experienced, I'm sure. The time crunch is my little term for feeling like there aren't enough hours in the day for everything you need to do. You're crunching about 48 hours of time in 24. Ouchie.

So how do you overcome the time crunch and still get everything done? Here are some tips I use to rise above my lack of time (and I promise to be more diligent about using my own tips in the future!):

1. Use the "post ahead" function. No matter what blogging platform you use, figuring out how to write a post today that goes live tomorrow is a must-have skill. That way, when you have a free day, you can write a week's worth of posts and have them slowly appear on your site over the following seven days.

2. Have a set time to blog. For one of the blogs I help to run, Bridella, I have a self-imposed due date of Monday morning and Thursday morning. So, that means that Sunday and Wednesday night, I'm blogging. I do this every week, and although it may not work for news-heavy topics, it works well for a topic like weddings.

3. Read and respond to comments on a daily basis. It doesn't matter if you get 100 comments a day or 100 comments a year - if you fall behind, you'll never read them all. That, my friends, is poor blogging. The thing that separates a column from a blog is that a blog's readers get to interact with one another and with the blogger. If you aren't interacting, what is the point?

What tips can you give us about overcoming the time crunch?

Blogging Jobs for January 10, 2008

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

Mobile Phone Blogger: This is a full-time opportunity for a blogger who can post at least 10 times per day about the mobile industry and mobile phones. Pay is $250 per week. Read more about this job here...

Science TV Blogger: As far as networks go, b5 Media is top of the line. They're looking for someone who can blog about science related shows like those found on the Animal Planet or Discovery Channel. Pay is per month + CPM. Read more about this job here...

Celebrity Bloggers: Content Quake needs bloggers to fill celebrity spots. You must have prior experience blogging. Read more about this job here...

Relaxation Blogger: We-Relax.com is looking for someone to post about 4 times per week about aromatherapy, massage, and other relaxation topics. Pay is $50 per month (so, about $2.50 per post). Read more about this job here...

Women Family/Mother Bloggers: Looking for 5 female bloggers that can write about families and babies. The pay is listed as "good." Read more about this job here...

Logo Designer: A Photography Blog needs a logo for his/her blog. Also may need help editing a WordPress template. Read more about this job here...

Pictures Needed for Blog: A fashion blog is looking for pictures of stylish men. All pictures accepted will receive a free item from their collection. Read more about this job here...

Niche Bloggers: An unnamed blog network is looking for bloggers in all kinds of niche topics. Pay is per post and CPM. 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!

Internationally Appropriate Pay

In my previous post, I talked slightly about how much bloggers should be paid. One of my readers, Randi, made a really interesting comment:

I also think that it has to do with the area of the nation you live in. For instance, here in VT most people make less than 9 bucks an hour working at their jobs. My husband, who has worked at the same factory for 14 years, still makes less than 15 an hour. So, for me, making 5 bucks per 500 words is excellent, as I can whip out three or four per hour and get the additional benefit of staying home.

I may be opening a can of worms here, but what can I say? It is a topic we need to talk about more now than ever.

Randi mentioned that your paycheck is viewed differently depending on where you live in the United States. I want to open that up even farther - bloggers are based around the world. $1 to me here in central Pennsylvania will buy me a bottle of Pepsi. In some countries in Europe it would not. In some countries in South America, it would buy me 10 bottles of Pepsi. If you're blogging for a network or a client, they'll think of a dollar in terms of what it will buy them, not in terms of what it will buy you.

In other words, if it between buying a post for you and buying a bottle of Pepsi, they might be inclined to buy the post. However, if it means a post from your or 10 bottles of Pepsi...well, they'll have to think about it.

In other industries, this is regulated naturally because you work where you live, for the most part. In other words, if (taking Randi's example), your mortgage is fairly small and cost of living is fairly low, you can afford to work for $15 an hour at a local factory. It's relative. It's why many people commute to the nearest city - they get paid more in the city and the cost of living is lower in their rural neighborhood.

The problem with blogging is that you can work with networks or clients from around the world. So, you can go beyond commuting to the city for a better price. You can work anywhere in the world - wherever you can find the best price. So, if Randi, for example, is making $3 per 100-word post, she's happy because that's GOOD for her local area. Kate (another commenter), on the other hand, is not because that's BAD for her local area.

So, where does that leave us? With a mess, that's where.

Bloggers who live in more expensive areas have to fight for fair prices because there are other writers in less expensive areas who are willing to work for less. It is a real problem in the freelancing industry in general. Who is at fault? The blogger who works for less or the client who offers less? Perhaps a bit of both.

As an industry, it is my feeling that we need to begin demanding higher prices. Or, rather, we need to give clients what they pay for. Instead of thinking about writing in terms of where we live, we instead need to think about the worth of a blog post. After all, if you order a book on Amazon, it is the same price regardless of if you order it from rural Arizona or New York City.

And perhaps this is why, wish some fleshing out of course, an international web writer's union would work. There needs to be a base - and amount that clients MUST pay for a certain length and a certain quality. Of course, it can go up from there, but there needs to be a universal bloggers' "minimum wage." Bloggers shouldn't be forced to live in low-income areas simply because they are bloggers. It shouldn't be about who can do the work for the least amount of money. Because we are from around the world, that simply is not fair.

Thoughts?

Should I Blog for a Network?

There's a great debate in the blogging world over networks. Do they pay enough to be worth your time? Is it better to simply start your own blog? The answers are unclear, but let me tell you my feelings.

I've worked for a number of blog networks (and still do work for one). I've also blogged on my own - this blog, for example, it my own creation. Both have benefits and downfalls...today, though, I want to especially highlight the downfalls of some blogging networks: The Paycheck.

I don't want to get into the whole "blogging for fun vs blogging for money" debate. If you want to blog for fun WHY would you blog for a network at all? They have rules. Sure, you might get a little more exposure, but if you're blogging because you love to blog, is the exposure needed at all? Probably not. So, if you're blogging for fun, not profit, I would absolutely say that a personal blog is the way to go. Make your own rules.

I, however, am blogging for profit. That doesn't mean that I don't love blogging. I do. But, it is my job. And sometimes, with a network, bloggers are not compensated enough for their work.

When you blog with a network, look at output today versus potential. First, a blog network boss is making money from your blog. Therefore, they should be paying you some kind of flat fee, either per post or per week/month. If they aren't, get out of that situation unless, for some reason, you are guaranteed a certain amount of money in ad revenue or CPM profits. If not, you might have less than a dollar to show for the entire month.

If the network is paying you per post, what is appropriate? It depends. Are they paying you JUST per post? If so, then there is not growth potential (other than raises in the future). No matter how hard you work or how much traffic your drive to your blog, your profit stays the same. You are not so much a blogger as you are a writer, and you should not be expected to promote your blog unless you are paid an additional flat fee to do so. As a professional writer, I never recommend less than $3 per 100 words - more if the posts require links/pictures or if the topic requires a lot of additional research. And that's on the low end of the scale, if the blog posts only take you 10 minutes to write. I know plenty of bloggers who won't take less than $25 - $50 per post.

If there is growth potential, I think it is more than acceptable to take a lower flat fee. For example, say you're paid so much for every 1000 page views (CPM). The more you raise your stats, the more money you'll make. Bloggers working from this payscale have the chance to make hundreds of dollars every month, even if their flat fee is only $1 per post.

So, the bottom line - Networks are only good if they pay you a large price per post OR give you the chance to grow and earn money through more traffic. Paying bloggers one or the other is not a good situation, unless you are guaranteed enough money to make it worth your while.

Blogging Jobs for January 3, 2008

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

Travel Blogger: Bloggers wanted to write about family travel, budget travel, and luxury travel. Pay is $5 per post + 50% of the ad revenue. Read more about this job here...

Real Estate Blogger: You must be able to cover the real estate market in Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport, Darien, Rowayton, and other nearby markets. 12 blog posts per day, $2500 per month. Read more about this job here...

Twin City Blogger: Blogging position for a U of Minnesota student or someone connected to the college. Pay is a % of the ad revenue. Read more about this job here...

Technology Blogger in LA: On-site position for a tech blogger. Pay starts at $12 per hour. Read more about this job here...

UK-based Gaming Blogger: Must be an avid gamer and be able to update at least 2-3 times per day. Pay is $200-400 per month. 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!

Laptops - A Blogger's Best Friend

My little sister is heading to college next fall (when that happened, I have no idea - I thought she was still learning to ride a bike). One of the main questions she had for me was this:

"Should I buy a laptop or a desktop?"

My overwhelming response to her was to go for the laptop. I made the mistake of buying a desktop when I went to college, and now that I finally have a laptop of my own I'm not sure how I survived without it. As a blogger, my laptop is my best friend.


And yet, if desktops weren't good for anything, why would they still sell them? Tons of people are still buying desktops, so do laptops really have the advantage? Here's why I like my lappy, and why I'd recommend a laptop to any blogger:

• My laptop can travel. I like to visit friends and family members, go on vacation, and attend events. To take a desktop with me would be impractical and to blog via my cell phone would be a headache. Remember, blogs are most successful when updated at least 3-5 times per week. Most bloggers like to update every day, or even multiple times per day. You need a laptop to do that while traveling.
  

• I'm not confined to a desk. Blogging is one of the most popular work at home options available, and although the vast majority of bloggers have "day jobs" as well, spending a few hours at your desk every day to blog can be boring. I love the fact that I can take my laptop outside, to Panera or Starbucks, or even into bed with me.
  

• Laptops are affordable. Yes, I understand that the main draw of the desktop is price. They are so inexpensive compared to a laptop! However, laptops have come WAY down in price over the past few years. I bought mine for under $800, which included a longer battery life and Microsoft Office. Don't forget that laptops are also tax deductions if you use the to blog for money.
  

Sure, the desktop is best for a number of people. However, purely from a blogger's perspective, I couldn't imagine ever having a desktop again. Which do you use? Tell me in a comment!

December 2007 Blogging Total

Happy New Year, everyone! This marks the first month of me tallying my blogging total to get to $1,000,000. It was a fairly average month, and hopefully it will only get better from here on out.

Grand Total: $637.89

• from PageViews (paid by networks): $107.89
  
• from Base Pay (paid by networks): $130
  
• from Ads: not enough for a pay out this month
  
• from Affiliate Programs: not enough for a pay out this month
• from Blogging Admin Duties: $86
• from "flat" fees for writing blog posts: $314

I picked up a lot of work this month blogging for others for a flat fee per post. I don't get a byline, but it's easy to update these blogs daily and let the promoting work up to the owner. If you love blogging, especially the writing part, this is a great option.

To Go: $999,362.11

At my current rate, it will take me...er...130 more years (give or take a few months) to reach the million. Time to boost my earnings! Here are some of the things I plan to do in January:

• Spend more time promoting affiliate programs.
• At least double my posting rate on every blog.
  
• Apply for more "pay per post" blogging jobs through my business, ABContent.
• Comment more often on blogs in my fields.
  
• Join at least 10 different blog carnivals.
  

What are you doing to increase your blogging earnings?