MEA CULPA

     I know I have been absent from the blogosphere for over two months, and I beg your forgiveness.  

     The truth is that over the last year or so I have been battling stomach and intestinal symptoms which have led to a diagnosis of Colon Cancer stage IV.  I spent most of the last month in a hospital undergoing 2 major  surgeries.  I still have a ways to go and Chemo therapy ahead,  but I will try to stay in touch and resume the Blog.  Stay Tuned

Are There Really Twits on Twitter?

     I started this blog as a way to document my successes and failures in the work at home world.  I do not think of myself as an expert on any of the subjects I have talked about, just sharing  what I have learned.  I was not expecting to write an article about Bullying.  Bullying is not just for kids in school, there is quite a bit of it in the workplace too.   I just was surprised to find it here, I work alone!

Take the Positive and Skip the Negative

     I have seen Bullies all my life.  They come in all shapes and sizes and ALL have something to prove.  

Social Media is Not SAFE

     I have been on Facebook for years and just recently joined Twitter as a way to promote this blog.  Overall I have had very Positive response on Twitter.   I have had lots of positive feedback and even some very good constructive criticism.  I thank you all for your input.  In the last couple of days I had a Bad experience with a Twitter follower that I want to share here so that others can avoid being a victim to the abusive nature of this person.  A person calling themselves Browserweb named me in a tweet "Browserweb.com ‏@browserweb  May 15

@graywolfsway why would you write less that 350 words on #seo n post it on blogger rather than your own url? sounds like cocaine affliction" I think the first "Offense" I committed was that I use Blogger to publish and not Wordpress like this "Expert". I also did not devote enough "words" in a single post to please this person. I wrote more than one post on this topic and felt I had covered the topic well for the audience I was trying to reach. I have had quite a few folks retweet and favorite these post. I responded to this bully "@graywolfsway  May 15

@browserweb Maybe if you had read the rest of the blog you would understand. Are you out of Ritalin? Hard to keep that ADHD in check?" and " ‏@graywolfsway  May 15

@browserweb Thank you by the way for being the most negative comment since I joined Twitter" to which they replied "Browserweb.com ‏@browserweb  May 15

@graywolfsway Not a problem Treat it like the warning on the side of the cig pack, but you will keep coming back for real #seo advice anyway". I was offended not by the word count of my post but by the drug slur. I mean it is possible that the post by itself did not convey everything there is to know about SEO. I guess I just expected better treatment from someone who is trying to SELL there services to me. I would rather light my hard earned Dollars on fire than give even a PENNY to an arrogant bully like this. So before you or anyone you know follow are purchase from these folks look hard at the way they treat folks. And on a personal note....Hey Browsbeater web more than 350 words and all about YOU

FREELANCING II

     I mentioned awhile back that I was exploring Fiverr.  It has been almost 2 weeks since I started posting gigs on the site, so time for an update.

What is Fiverr??

     Fiverr is a job listing site where you can post jobs you are willing and able to do with a price point starting at $5.  On the surface it looks like a good place to begin a freelance business, offering small tasks to get you in the door.  As a beginner. you will be limited to the entry level postings and no extras till you prove yourself.  As of now I am still a newbie so can only post $5 gigs with no extras.  I have 8 Listings at the moment and in the 13 days I have been on the site I have accumulated some 2600 pagevies.  Most of those have come from my own promotional efforts as I have had mostly low clicks from impressions on the Fiverr site.  For all those page views I have had only 2 potential buyers ask questions and have 1 "pending" sale but the buyer has not provided the info for me to complete the job.  

     So I am still waiting to see if Fiverr is a good fit for me.  If you have had success on Fiverr let me know.  I look forward to hearing from you.

WORK FROM HOME PITFALLS

     Many folks have the desire to work for themselves. Some of the folks who try will fail, not because they can't but because they fall into a variety of traps.  

Dedication

     When you start working from home it is very easy to fall into bad habits.  There always seems to be SOMETHING else that you need to be doing.  Suddenly you have fallen behind on making new products or posting blog posts and your page views and revenues fall off or disappear.  Before you realize it, you have lost your momentum and alienated your followers.  

Boss I need the day off to.......

     If you are working for someone else you wouldn't ask for the day off to wash your car or do your laundry.  If you did that on a regular basis you wouldn't have a job.  Treat your work from home business the same way.  I found in the beginning that setting regular work times and sticking to them kept me on track.  I now can juggle the "work" to fit the rest of my schedule so that I deliver the posts to my blogs on a regular basis and have time to promote my blogs with social media.  

FREELANCE FREEDOM

     There is another way to make money from home.  You can Freelance.  Many folks out there have the skills that are needed by a variety of individuals and businesses.  

What is a Freelancer?

      A freelancer is an independent contractor that fills a specific need for a business or individual.  Freelance workers are not connected to an employer for the "long term" just for the project duration.  Many freelance workers work for multiple employers at the same time.  There are a growing number fields that people can freelance in.  Fields like: journalism, copy-writing, photography, translating, social media,  and web design just to name a few.  

Who can Freelance?

     Anyone can freelance.  All you need is to offer a service that someone else needs.  Some types of freelance work can be done entirely from you own home.  

How do I get started?

     There is no ONE way folks get stated freelancing.  The main thing is finding a way to let others know you have a service available.  Ads on Craigslist or Google Adwords may work.  Blogging about your work may also help.  Sharing on Social Media will help as well.  Another way to get started is a site called fiverr.    This site allows you to to get started with small gigs starting at $5 each.  I recently looked into fiverr and at first glance it looks very promising.  I am looking now at finding some successes or failures to tell you about in another post.

IS SOCIAL MEDIA A SOCIAL DISEASE?

     Writing a blog presents a unique set of challenges.  Most people find it easy to share their thoughts with a group of  friends over dinner or drinks.  Many are even able to stand before an audience and deliver a speech.  Yet, place them in front of a keyboard and..........BLANK.

Why Can't I Write a Blog??

     Getting your point across to friends or even an audience tends to be easier than writing about it because you get instant feedback.  Writing on the other hand is Solitary.  When I was in college I majored in Mass Communication.  I wanted to be a Photo Journalist, but I discovered the school had its own Radio station.  I thought I was a well spoken and sometimes even funny person until the first time I sat in front of that microphone.  My first words on the air were uhmmmmmm.  Suddenly I could think of nothing, it was just me sitting in a small room  ALONE.  Just me and the mic and it gave me no feedback, no clue how to proceed.  I was STUCK.  I managed to survive that first horrible shift and found out that almost everyone in that situation had the same response.  No one told me the REASON that happened but on some level I must have known.  For my next shift I brought a friend with me and my performance improved greatly.  Eventually, I was able to get past the problem of not having anyone to provide feedback and even made a living for a time as a radio announcer.  Writing is the same, that bastard monitor gives you no feedback.

Feedback Stimulates Creativity

     Getting input about your blog can truly help it improve.  To paraphrase an old saying "If you write a Blog and no one READS it..... " So how do we as bloggers get that feedback?  We have many ways available, such as the comment section on our blogs, Likes on FaceBook, Favorites and ReTweets on Twitter, Pinning on Pinterest and Clicks on the ads.  So if a Blog pleases you or even if you disagree let the Blogger know, he will appreciate it.  I know I am very grateful to all the folks who have liked and hated my views.  

See you next time

MAKING MONEY ONLINE

BRANDING II

     When I started this blog, I had a general idea of where I wanted it to go.  The further I got into the more I learned and the more I had to share.  I am pleased to report that I am still learning.  

What is BRANDING?

     Put simply BRANDING is how you are recognized.  People don't got to Progressive to buy cookies. So use your knowledge and expertise to create a blog that people can associate with you.  I currently have two blogs, this one to share my experiences with trying to get started blogging and a car buying blog to help those with fears or challenges to getting cars.  Both are based on my experiences.  I sold used cars to folks with less than perfect credit and know the ins and outs to make the process easier for them.  I could probably make more money if my blogs were about the Kardashians or Justin Bieber but thankfully I know very little about them.  So I will stick to my niche for now and hope for the best.

What Should I Blog About?

     I have had that question put to me many times and the answer is always something you are knowledgeable and passionate about.  Your readers will be able to tell very quickly if you are "faking" it.  A couple of my friends have been very interested in blogging.  One has a "political" point of view and would make for a very interesting read.  He is not blogging yet, just posting his views on Facebook.  The other is a real estate broker and motivational speaker and has even guest posted on this blog.  So chose your passion and blog on.

"ADSENSE  H A T E S  ME"

     I have heard from some new bloggers that it is impossible to get Adsense to place ads on their blog.One of the most common reasons Adsense does not approve a site is that there simply is not enough content yet for them.  It may also be that the blog has not been around long enough.

Patience is a Virtue

     Many of us are geared towards instant gratification.  When something takes a little while it frustrates us greatly.  I myself had a bit of frustration about the length of time it took for Adsense to recognize my blog and allow me to monetize it through them..  I have to report that now Adsense ads are on my blog and  I have been pleased with the results so far.  

But I Want It R I G H T Now

I know the feeling because I went through that too.  Remember there are other players in the game besides Google.  Google may be the big dog but it is not the only one.  While I was waiting I signed up for an Amazon affiliate account and began ads on my blog.  So try other options and share your success or failure with the rest of us.

WORKING FROM HOME

MAKE MONEY ONLINE

     As I said in my last post, I have added some responsibility to my online activities.  This week I added the social media marketing for my sister blog http://aislingtriesetsy.blogspot.com/.  

     I have also been experimenting with ways of scheduling  posts to social media like Twitter and Facebook so that I don't have to sit in front of a computer 27 hours a day.

     I found 2 free programs to do just that.  The programs are TweetDeck and Hootsuite. 

     Tweetdeck is available as a Google Chrome App and as a download.  As you might guess Tweetdeck is for Twitter only.  It will allow you to access multiple twitter accounts and schedule your posts at any time to your Twitter feeds.

     Hootsuite is a similar product that also allows you to integrate feeds for other social media.  It has a basic package that allows you to manage up to 5 social media platforms.  More features are available on the paid versions.  Hootsuite is available at https://hootsuite.com/‎.  

Let me know how they work for you

MAKING MONEY ONLINE

BLOG ON

     As if managing and promoting ONE blog was not enough,  I have begun managing social media for my sister and niece's shop www.etsy.com/shop/AislingsNeedfulThing as well as started a NEW blog for car buyers http://carsforcreditchallengedbuyers.blogspot.com/.  

     It has challenged my time management skills.  I do find that all the lessons I have learned from this blog have eased the burden greatly.  I want to assure you that this does not mean the END of this blog,  If anything, it will provide LOTS of inspiration for more topics.

     Feel free to check out my new projects.  I want all my readers to help me support the Etsy shop as my niece is on kidney dialysis and this is her way of making some cash.  Remember all her items are 1 of a kind handmade and there will not be another like it.  So if you like it, get it before it is gone.  

MAKING MONEY ONLINE

BRANDING

     Lets play a game.  What is the first thing you think of when you see a duck on TV??  Or a gecko??  These companies have created a marketing strategy that associates their product and brand so that you recognize them immediately.  

     As bloggers how do we create this?  First we have to provide quality content.  We have to provide value to our readers so that they will continue to read.  Sadly knowledgeable content is not enough.  We also have to ENGAGE  the reader and make them care about us as bloggers . 

               In other words We create a BRAND

     For the vast majority of us, the information we provide can be found elsewhere on the web.  Our readers have to feel a kinship with us.  I feel that a good way to do this is let your PERSONALITY come through.  Facts and figures may be necessary  but let your readers come to know YOU  as well.  Your writing style canbe be a reflection of you.  I try not to WRITE so much as TALK to my followers.

      

ADSENSE EXPLAINED part III

     Placement of your ads is very important, it means whether your readers click on your ads or not.  No two sites or blogs are the same, so what works on one may not work on another.  Try a variety of ad placements and ad colors to find what works for you.  

     Adsense offers help for placement here support.google.com/adsense/answer/1282097?rd=2

     Once you place your ads you will need to monitor it for a few days.  You may need to change it several times to get the most clicks.  You may also want to use colors that complement the colors of your site to attract your readers eye to the ad.  The more attractive you make your ads, the more clicks you will receive.

     I hope this helps get you plenty of clicks.

ADSENSE EXPLAINED part II

     The first thing you will have to have is a Google account.  You will have to put in your Email and select a password.  Then you will want to submit your site to Google for review.  They are going to send a confirmation email and from there it may take a couple of days for the review process. If your site is not approved Google will tell you why and you can resubmit after you fix any problem.  After you are approved the fun begins.

     Now that you are approved, it is time to place your ad.  Go to the Adsense site and sign in.  Open the Set up tab and click " adsense for content" Follow the instructios.  It will genereate a HTML code for you to paste on your site.  After you place your code it may take Google awhile to actually start place ads so be patient.  Whatever you do remember to not click your own ads as this violates Googles TOS.  

ADSENSE EXPLAINED

     

     One of the secrets to making money online is you have to MONETIZE your content.  One way to Monetize your blog is Google Adsense.

     So what is ADSENSE?  

     Adsense is a PPC program that you can join.  It allows you to place ads on your blog that your readers can CLICK on.  The ads are based on the CONTENT you publish so that it is relevant to your readers needs.  If your readers do click on the ads you get paid.  

HOW DO I JOIN?

     It is free to join Adsense.  You will need a Google account and a WORKING webpage/blog.  You will also have to have some content for Google to analyze.  5 to 10 post of your content should get you going.  Be sure to stay on topic, if you have too many different directions on your page. your adss may not be relevant to your readers.  

More in part II

THE SECRET TO WORKING FROM HOME

     I get a lot questions from people.  The most common is "what is the SECRET to making a living from home?"

     Right now the answer to that is work, work, and more work.  

     Unless your name happens to be Justin Bieber or Lupita Nyong'o you are not going to have a ready made audience.  You will have to work hard for each reader of your blog and PRAY they click on your ads.  You can help this along by writing for SEO or including trending topics in your content.  You have to tirelessly "self promote" on social media.  As I have stated before, social media can feel like a full time job in itself.  It can be difficult to balance time between self promotion and creating content.  You do need to do both.

     In other words, the "Secret" of success online is the same as in any other venture.  Work hard.

AHHHHHH  STATS STATS AND MORE STATS !!!!

     You work hard writing posts.  You work hours a day on your social media. Then you study ALLL those NUMBERS.  

     The BEST advice I can give to a new blogger is not to get too wrapped up in the statistics.  You can get very overwhelmed checking your page views and revenues every few minutes.

     I have found that I can  check my stats once a day and get all the same info I would have gotten if I had gone by every 5 minutes or so.  The benefit I have found from this is that a days worth of stats look very good, giving me encouragement.  If I look every few minutes, I find myself getting frustrated by what looks like slow or no growth.

     It is far better to look at the stats once and see the BIG picture than to focus on the minutia.  This allows you to focus on the REAL tasks.  So go create good content and GROW.

WORKING FROM HOME

BLOGGING FOR FUN AND PROFIT

     I started blogging just about 2 months ago.  My sister and niece  started their craft business about the same time.  In that time, we have both learned valuable lessons.

     The first lesson is that no matter how good your product or blog, people don't just "find" you.  If you are not doing marketing, and I mean a lot of it, you probably WILL NOT get traffic to your product. In order to make the sale, you have to drive TARGETED traffic to your site.  No traffic equals no sale.

     Next, my sister learned that if your descriptions of your product are not as good as your product then you do not get the sale.  In the online marketplace, your customer cannot touch or examine your product.  This makes it more of a challenge for them to fall in love with your product.  The more details and descriptive words you can use, the more likely your customer will be to buy it.  Describe your  product from the customers perspective.  Look at it not as a creator but as someone seeing it for the first time.    

     I have found that there are many people looking for the answers to making money from their passions.  Like me and my sister.  I won't tell you we have all the answers, but as we go along I will share what we learn.  As we applied the lessons we have learned, we have both had some little successes making money.  Granted, neither has made enough to "quit our day jobs" but it is a start.  I will keep you posted

 WORDS OF WISDOM

     Today we have a Guest columnist Greg Newhouse. 

When you attempt to change for the better, old ghosts will rear their ugly heads.
" Friends" and loved ones will point to your past as an indication of the future. Ever heard these...

You can't hold a job.

You are useless.

Everything you have ever had was given to you.

You just don't fit, you never have

I am miserable

MY FAVORITE!!!---->How are YOU gonna motivate anyone, you can't even motivate yourself? 

WATCH AND LEARN
 

People are used to seeing what they have seen, some say you have to prove it.  I think you struggle to make yourself better.  You are who you are and getting better.
If you are truly improving and moving forward, let nothing or no one stop you.  Listen to good advice, and note when you may be incorrect.
Although, people become used to hearing these negative things. They start to say it to themselves. They question if this is true. Be very aware of people who seek to drag you down. You are stronger, do not absorb their poison of fear, hate and doubt.   Stronger still, when you have support systems of more people.  People who preferably have mutual trust and faith or at least the same goal.  Know that a few people will never think this way and they will continue to be miserable regardless of whatever they do. They chose misery, you don't have to.  You cannot motivate a person, that person will chose and persevere on their own.  All you can do is help point to some of the answers.
If you aren't right with yourself, fix it, so you can be right with others.

     Greg Newhouse is a blogger, Motivational Speaker, and Real Estate Broker.  Check out his work on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NewhouseNow

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING: 101

     What is the easiest way to market your new blog or business?  Social Media.   Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter reach millions of people everyday.  If you don't believe it just look around you.  Everyone seems to be on some sort of device "checking in".  If your house is like mine, you can have the whole family in the same room, each on their own device.  I even saw an ad on television where a young man had to send his girl a text in a coffee house to get her to look at him so he could propose!!  

     Social Media is very similar to "word of mouth" in that as your blog/business is seen by more people, they in turn send you more people. A TV ad for shampoo from when I was younger summed it up with...."you tell 2 friends and they tell 2 friends and so on and so on...."

     I have covered Facebook in previous posts, any business or blog should have its own Facebook page.  You can promote that page on Facebook to reach beyond your core of friends and family for as little as $5.00 a day.  Like any other advertising, the more you invest the more return you will see.

     Pinterest and Instagram are 2 that I have not personally tried.  I understand they are for posting images and since my blog is currently short on images, I have not tried them.  If I were an artist or crafter I would pursue this avenue to get images of my work in front of potential buyers. If you have tried these I would like to hear from you as not all my readers are bloggers and they might benefit from your experience.

     Twitter has been my most successful social media so far.  I have been able to interact directly with other folks like me and been able to bring much more traffic to my blog.  The down side of this is that I have been spending more and more time "Tweeting" and less time working on my blog.  I am looking into many ways of doing both but have no answers yet.  When I have my solution I will share it. For now I have to work on good old fashioned "time management". 

BROTHER CAN YOU SPARE A "CLICK"?

    I told a friend of mine I was making money online and she immediately assumed I was hosting a porn site because "they are the only sites that make money on the web". 

     It is true that internet porn is a big business, but it is by no means the only game in town.  Sites like Etsy, Amazon and Ebay are big business too and there are  huge numbers of independent blogs and websites for every topic under the sun.  Most are "free".

     People who produce "free" web content are just as dependent on advertising as are the network television stations or newspapers.  Think about it, all over the web people are producing content with the hope that someone will check out their sponsors.  For most it is a passion that they will pursue regardless of pay, but wouldn't it be nice for them to get some sort of pay for the hours of work they put into creating their blogs/webpages.

     Knowing what I do now, when I visit a blog or website I "click" on at least 1 ad to help the producer. It only takes a moment and I feel like it is only fair. If more of us would do that we might see a surge in quality content on the web.

     

PPC

PAY PER CLICK DECLASSIFIED

     When I started this blog, I was truly a novice.  I had no idea what to do or expect and did not know what any of the initials like PPC or SEO meant. I looked into SEO in a previous post. 

     Let's explore PPC.  PPC or Pay Per Click , seems kinda dark and mysterious.  In reality it is very simple.  I have explored it from both sides and will simplify it for you.

     Advertisers go  to places like Google Adwords, create an ad, and choose which words will trigger the ad being displayed.  The advertiser pays for the number of people who "click:" on the ad hoping that a percentage of the clicks will turn into sales.  Depending on the ad it can cost the advertisers a few cents to several dollars for each click.  These advertisers "bid" for placement on the search engine and that is one of the key factors in the cost of the "click".  

     As a site which displays the ads,  our job is to bring targeted traffic to the advertiser by providing content that brings the type of person the advertiser is looking for to the advertisers ads.  In return for this, for each person that "clicks" on the ad, we are paid anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars.  Even if the "click" does not result in a sale.  Remember, the advertiser is counting on a percentage of the clicks to convert to sales and is willing to pay to get the numbers to look at the ad so they make sales according to that percentage.

     So, when you are visiting sites and see an ad that you might be interested in don't hesitate to click it.  Many of the products or services are high quality and may be just what you need.  They may not meet your needs at this time.  Either way , you are helping both the advertiser and the host.

MAKING MONEY ONLINE

     There are many ways to make money from home.  So are understandably easier than others.  I have chosen to monetize this blog to learn the ins and outs of making money by placing advertisements on the blog and letting my readers buy the products or services offered by my advertisers.  The hard part of this is getting traffic. the right traffic, to the blog.  

     There are plenty of ways to get traffic to the site,  Some I have tried and some I have yet to try.  Of the ones I have tried I have had some success.  

     I began on Facebook.  My friends and family are supportive and Like/Share my posts, but the views to my blog were very low. 

      I also set up a Twitter account and began to get followers.  As the followers grew on Twitter the hits to the blog grew by leaps and bounds. 

      I also tried Google Adwords.  Adwords did send me traffic but at the moment I need to increase my base revenue to be able to afford advertise the blog in that way.  That being said, if I were selling a product instead of ad space on my blog I would lean towards that or maybe even some form of Email advertising such as Constant Contact.  I would love to hear from some of you that have tried any of these.  Share your successes and failures so we may all learn.

GIVE ME PATIENCE....R I G H T N O W !!

     Patience is a virtue.  If you are like me, it is hard to come by.  One of the key things to remember when you start you blog is that it will take time to get it going.  You will have to establish a history of posts that readers want to read and come back to.You will also have to regularly post new material to your blog to keep your readers engaged.  

     The "Work at home" scams will tempt you with immediate income and promise you will get residual income for doing nothing.  NOTHING could be further from the truth.  The only people making money from these schemes is the one YOU send money to to buy their system.  Don't be fooled.

     Legitimate money can be made online over TIME.  The legitimate bloggers who make decent income have been blogging for YEARS.  It took time to build the audience.  It took quality content to keep them.  And, it took the right ads to reach that audience.

     Blogging is definitely not a way to "GET RICH QUICK" .  It can be a way to earn income,  Like any other business it will require patience and hard work.

MAKE MONEY ONLINE

1 MONTH UPDATE

     I started this just over a month ago, and I thought I would give my readers an update.  

     Since going live with the blog I feel that I have learned volumes about the mechanics of making money on the internet.  I feel that just in the last month I have completed a Masters course on social media and self promotion.  There have been Highs and lows.

     Lets take a look at the numbers.  Since it started I have had over 1000 visitors to the blog. Some of those visitors were other sites and search engines.  But all in all most of those visitors were regular folks like you and me.   

  The biggest draw to the blog came after I started a twitter account.  Prior to twitter I was fortunate to see 2 visitors a day.  After I got the twitter account, I began to see 30+ visitors.  I don't want you to think that all I did was set up a twitter account and sat back and the readers came.  NO it has been WORK.  Tweeting and Re Tweeting links to the blog several times daily to encourage folks to take a look.

     As the readership increases, the potential of sales from the ads on the blog increases.  I have had Amazon ads on the blog almost from the beginning,  Google Adsense is now looking int placing ads on the blogs.  As of this writing, I have had NO sales or clicks but I feel it is simply a matter of time.

     I will keep you posted

HOW TO START BLOGGING   UPDATE!!

     I received a question on my Facebook page from someone who wanted to know just how to go about setting up a blog.  Thanks for the great question.  I should have covered this sooner.

     The first step to creating your blog is choosing your topic or niche.  You must also decide what you want to accomplish with your blog  .Some blogs are really no more than online diaries for their creators, some are meant to share information or opinions with a few friends,and some want to reach a large audience to make money from the blog.  The more people are interested in your topic, the more likely they will visit your blog.

     When I started this blog, I had no idea where to go or what to do.  I asked around and found that the two most popular sites were Blogger (www.blogger.com/start‎) and Wordpress (wordpress.com/‎).  I tried both.  Both were easy to start and even a technochallenged person like me could create a good looking blog.  I posted the first post to this blog on both, then I got lazy and just posted everything to Blogger.  Please note, I did not find one better than the other Blogger was simply the first saved and therefore the default blog. Both sites have good templates with a variety of widgets.  Both sites allow for personalization.   as time permits I do plan to revisit the Wordpress site and do a more thorough try of it.

     Once I had my topic and template set, I began to look for ways to get ads on my blog.  I am still exploring options for this aspect of my blog, but for now I am using Amazon (affiliate-program.amazon.com/) As I try more I will keep you posted .  For more of my trial and error successes check my other posts.

Hope this helps.  Feel free to ask your questions in the comments section here.

     Last night I received a comment on my Twitter account to the effect that anyone who wants to start blogging should just go to Blogger and start.  While that is good advice, it is a bit oversimplified.

   The original question had more to do about how to make money from blogging, and was by someone like myself who really had no Idea how to go about it.  I will continue to share what I learn to make it easier for them.

     Since I posted this, I have added Google Adsense as an advertiser.   It is still too early to judge the earnings from this, so I will keep you posted.

ZEN AND THE ART OF PROMOTION

     As bloggers we walk a fine line between self promotion and begging for readers.  

     We start with friends and family, showing them and getting their input.  Then we actually publish a post or two, we share it on Facebook and...???  Now what??

     If the goal is to monetize your blog as well as to inform your reader, that lag in radership can be frustrating and does not put any money back into the project.  

     Step back a moment and ask "how do other creative folks promote their product?"

     Major movie studios spend large amounts of money advertising upcoming movies.  Then as the release date nears, they put the actors, writers and others on the "talk shows" to drive more viewers to the theaters.  

     Authors do things very similarly.  After months or years creating their work they then travel town to town setting up in bookstores signing copies of the book and meeting readers.

     As bloggers we promote on the web via social media.  It will take time to get the word out about your blog.  Patience is truly a virtue in this business.  

     You can search Amazon for books to help with your strategy, I have provided an Amazon search box to the right.

     

IS THIS THE GOLDEN AGE OF BLOGGING?

     I can compare today's Blog atmosphere to the early days of radio and television without stretching too much.  

     In those golden early days of both radio and television, announcers and even the stars of the program would promote the products shamelessly.  They would gently (and not so) prompt the audience to purchase the products.  Advertisers exercised great control over the programs that they sponsored.  Many early television programs were brought into our homes with only one sponsor.  Daytime dramas are a great example of this, still to this day bearing the name "Soap Operas".

     I have spoken to several potential bloggers who are AFRAID to monetize their blog, feeling that it makes them look greedy.  Other bloggers will say that they would monetize but "I am not a salesman".

     Affiliate programs really do not require salesmanship.  They do require that the visitor to the blog click on the link and buy the product.  And sometimes we as bloggers do have to remind our visitors that we are here to make money as well as share information.  

     To that end..."We will be right back after a brief word from our sponsors".  I will say a couple of things about a book that is helping many bloggers get on the right track.  The book is "Problogger:  Secrets For Blogging Your Way to A Six Figure Income"  By Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett.  The book is full of great information from a SUCCESSFUL blogger and is available by clicking the link to the right.   Many thanks to the authors for some great information.

HOW TO START BLOGGING

PART III

     The blog is all set up.  You have written a few posts, and gotten a few page views.  You are on several social media sites....and all of a sudden you find that you are spending more and more time on the social media.

     As a new blogger you cannot afford to get overwhelmed by the social media.  While it is fun to see who is doing what and with whom, you cannot afford to allow it to take away from the time you would spend creating new content for your blog.  

     I have found that if I schedule times to write, research, and promote then all goes well.  If I allow myself to get distracted then I don't do any of it well.  

     I struggled at first to find the balance between promotion, social media, and research for new content. not to mention writing new posts.  

     It is also important to set aside time to read and reply to other bloggers that follow you, remember they need the same things you do.  So budget your time wisely and all will be possible.  

HOW TO START BLOGGING II

     By now I have had this blog running for just about a month, and like most new bloggers, I was struggling to drive traffic to my blog.  

     I had the hope that just because of my writing style and topic that readers would flock to my blog, read my posts, and click on my advertisers.  In my defense, I didn't REALLY think that was all there was to it.  

     I have been involved in business in some form or another for more than 25 years.  As a young man I worked on the edges of the radio advertising world and got to see first hand the effects advertising had on a businesses chance of survival.  I saw how a good ad could drive customers to a business and how placement of those ads was key.

     I also learned that money couldn't buy the most valuable advertising.  Word of Mouth is by far the best form of advertising.  A pleased customer will bring you business for life. but a DISPLEASED customer can have devastating results for a business.

     How do we as online bloggers create that word of mouth?

     The first way is create good content.  There really is no substitute for quality.  If  your reader feels that they receive good value they will tell others.  By the same token, if you offer a bad product or give poor quality, these customers will tell many more people about how bad you are.

     The next way is to reach out to people via social media.  I started with my friends and family on Facebook.  Even with my friends sharing my posts, I only got a few visits.  It was growing, but at a very slow pace.  Being that I am a bit techno--challenged, I did not have an existing Twitter account. So I set up an account for the blog. Within 2 days on Twitter, I had made more contacts than on Facebook, and generated more traffic to the blog than Facebook gave me in a month  I will be exploring other social media and types of paid traffic in other posts

Stay Tuned

What is SEO III

SEO Declassified

     

     So how do you know which keywords to use?  There are services out there where you pay money to get keywords, or you could just ask Google.  

     Google provides a tool to find keywords in its adsense product.  You can sign up and use this tool for free.  

     Go to Google Adsense  www.google.com/adsense and set up an account. 

     Once you have that go to TOOLS AND ANALYSIS.  

     From ther you can click on SEARCH FOR KEYWORD AND AD GROUP IDEAS.

     Then all you do is type in your topic and Google suggests the best keywords.

     After I get the list I do some searching on google to see which of the suggested keywords work best for me.  

     I prefer longer keyword strings they tend to be more specific and bring me a more targeted audience.  I include words such as "who what when where and why".  

  

HOW TO START BLOGGING

     I received a question on my Facebook page from someone who wanted to know just how to go about setting up a blog.  Thanks for the great question.  I should have covered this sooner.

     The first step to creating your blog is choosing your topic or niche.  You must also decide what you want to accomplish with your blog  .Some blogs are really no more than online diaries for their creators, some are meant to share information or opinions with a few friends,and some want to reach a large audience to make money from the blog.  The more people are interested in your topic, the more likely they will visit your blog.

     When I started this blog, I had no idea where to go or what to do.  I asked around and found that the two most popular sites were Blogger (www.blogger.com/start‎) and Wordpress (wordpress.com/‎).  I tried both.  Both were easy to start and even a technochallenged person like me could create a good looking blog.  I posted the first post to this blog on both, then I got lazy and just posted everything to Blogger.  Please note, I did not find one better than the other Blogger was simply the first saved and therefore the default blog. Both sites have good templates with a variety of widgets.  Both sites allow for personalization.   as time permits I do plan to revisit the Wordpress site and do a more thorough try of it.

     Once I had my topic and template set, I began to look for ways to get ads on my blog.  I am still exploring options for this aspect of my blog, but for now I am using Amazon (affiliate-program.amazon.com/) As I try more I will keep you posted .  For more of my trial and error successes check my other posts.

Hope this helps.  Feel free to ask your questions in the comments section here or on my Facebook Unofficial: Coffee and Cigarettes Blog.

What is SEO II

SEO Declassified

    What is the secret to good placement on a search engine ranking?  Since Google has the biggest share of the search market, I will be outlining methods for good Google placement. While there are multiple ways to rank on Google, some of them are "frowned on".  We will concentrate on a few very effective "good" ones.

     The first way is to put your "keyword(s)" in the web address or URL.  Assuming that your blog is about cooking you might want your web address to be "www.myrecipes.com" or "mysecretrecipe.blogger.com"

       The second way is to include your keyword(s) in the TITLE of the post.  Something like "My Secret Recipe for Haggis Tartar"

     The third way is to include your keyword(s) in the BODY of your article.  Maybe "....everyone has asked me for my secret recipe for haggis tartar so here it is...."

     The last and most important way is to write a quality post.  If you do not deliver good content to your readers, you won't have readers for very long.  

     So you see it is important to place your keyword(s) in the right places, but how do you decide what those keyword(s)?  Tune in NEXT time for that

What Is SEO?

SEO Declassified

     SEO those 3 letters are as scary and mysterious for bloggers as the IRS is to the rest of us.  So what is SEO?

     SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.  Simply put it is the way a search engine ranks your post for relevancy to the search criteria.  For example, if you are searching for cookie recipes then you would not be interested in pages or posts about "tracking cookies".  The search engine "reads" your search and by the terms you put in the search bar gives you the most relevant results to your request.  The search engine has software that scans the posts and pages for matches to the words in your search to those posts to give the best results first.  

     How then do you get your post/pages to rank high in the secret world of SEO? Do you have to wave a magic wand over your keyboard? Do you make a deal with the devil to get good results?  No.   You simply do some research and include the right keywords in the title and body of the post to ensure your readers find you.  

     In part 2 of this post I will show some simple and FREE ways to do this

THE SHIFTS OF FORTUNE TESTS THE RELIABILITY OF FRIENDS

CICERO

     So you have an idea for a blog or website and you are ready to start.  You have lots of WONDERFUL  friends on Facebook and you just KNOW they will get involved.  So you post it on Facebook or other social media and......... ????

      You will be surprised who doesn't help spread the word.  Not all of your "friends" and family will help, some may not even look at your posts.  Some folks are just not comfortable helping others.  Unfortunately, some just like to see others fail.  Some will not understand what you are doing.

     Instead of focusing on the ones who don't help, focus on the ones that do.  Make these folks the core of your new audience.Ask them for feedback and input.  Learn from them what works and doesn't.

     Feel free to ask the ones who don't help for their reasons, but don't expect to convert them or change their minds.   Maybe some will answer and you can incorporate the results into your blog or website and attract them or others like them.   

     Remember, all "failures" are really an opportunity to succeed.

REMEMBER THIS MY FRIENDS WORK IS A FOUR LETTER WORD

     When we were young someone taught us not to use bad words, you know FOUR LETTER words.  They forgot some of the worst......WORK......LOVE.....WIFE....  Ok so I am just kidding, but WORK can be a real bear.  Working from home has taken more of my free time than any other career.  It is not just the writing of this blog, it also includes many hours of research on the topics for the blog and for the strategies to get exposure for the blog.  I am finding that one of the hardest things is having the patience to see results.  

     I am trying to get traffic to this blog in a variety of ways.  You may remember, the first way I tried was to advertise on Facebook.  Facebook took several hours while the "bots" scanned my work, then refused to allow me to advertise my page because my topic is about working from home.  To Facebook, the only POSSIBLE way to make money from the web is to SCAM people.   WAIT  doesn't FACEBOOK  make money from the internet???  By their own logic then Facebook is a scam!!  I am not really suggesting that Facebook is a scam, but My blog is not a scam either.  I would just like the same chance that Facebook affords others.  Facebook does allow for an appeal but evidently does not respond to those appeals.  I must say that I was VERY surprised that Facebook does allow "dating" sites and other questionable products to be SOLD from their pages, but seems to be prejudiced against sites that want to help you avoid scams. So, I ask you to show Facebook what you think but liking these posts on your page and asking ALL your friends to do the same. Lets show Facebook who the real bosses are

'

NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH UNTIL HE DRINKS OF COFFEE'S FROTHY GOODNESS.

SHEIK ABD-AL-KADIR

     Sales is nothing more than offering your customer what they want at a price they will spend.  Figuring out what the customer wants is the BIG TRICK.  Just don't become so focused on your market that you lose sight of all associated markets that are available

     I like coffee.   Regular coffee.  I remember a few years ago a friend and I traveled from Orlando to Los Angeles.   With all the security regulations, we had to be at the airport HOURS before our flight left.  We were and are both coffee drinkers so after getting through the security process, we went to find a simple cup of coffee. Many of you are fans of the "coffee boutiques" and can spend several minutes ordering a cup of coffee and that is what they cater to.  My friend and I could be best described as two old cowboys and we drink our COFFEE plain.  We waited in the line, and when our turn came, the young man behind the couter couldn't understand.  He was not prepared for the simple order of a "large black coffee", he kept asking "is that vente or grande????"  Fortunately, a young lady was working who was fluent in "cowboy" and she brewed us a pot of plain unflavored coffee. The coffee shops of today cater to a "specific" client and I no longer am that client.

     As you build your pages think of the customer base you are trying to reach, and provide what they want.  You may also want to set up areas for sub groups of your audience to capitalize on all aspects of your market.

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR WORK TO ALLOW YOU TO PLAY

     It is not wise to spend ALL your life working.  Those of you who know me know that I am not a TV addict.  I have been just as happy with antenna TV as I would be with cable or satellite TV.  

     When I moved to my current residence I only received  very minimal antenna reception.  My sister and her daughter had the same problem and between the three of us we have tried a few different solutions.  

     The first solution was a more powerful antenna.  $30 later and the reception was no better than with a bargain antenna.  

     Next, the girls started using a Wii console to stream online content.  The Wii retails new for $280 and you can find used units for around $50.  That worked reasonably well but some of us found the "remote" a bit of a challenge to use.  

     After the Wii,   the girls tried a Roku and found the remote more familiar.  The Roku retails for $98.  I found the navigation of the "channels" confusing and add to the fact that it is another remote to keep up with.  The girls spend a lot of time trying to find the remote so they can enjoy a program.  

     My family gave me a Google Chromecast unit for Christmas.  The Chromecast retails for $35 or less and is very portable.  With it you can stream content from Netflix, Hulu+, Pandora, Youtube and others.The Chromecast unit does not have a separate remote, instead it is controlled by your laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Compared to the cost of the other units I would recommend the Chromecast.  The Chromecast device is simple enough for even a tech challenged person(me) to use.

MAKE MONEY FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME

     There are many was to make money on the internet.  Until now I have focused on just one way.  Today I will introduce another.  

     When I was a boy, my mother started a home based business creating arts and crafts and selling them at craft shows and fairs around the region.  She spent many hours every day creating her products so that once or twice a month she could load it all in her car and travel to a mall somewhere for a three day chance to SELL her products.  Most of her products were very popular and her sales revenues were usually good but the time spent travelling and set up selling kept her from producing more products.  

     People who are creative or can make something out of nothing can open up "stores" in a variety of online marketplaces. Unlike the old craft fairs theses shops are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week and can reach a far greater number of potential buyers for the products.  Sites like Ebay and Amazon offer advertising and name recognition for new vendor.  For the more crafty there is also Etsy a relatively new venue for handmade products.  All these sites offer your a place to sell your wares and reach a wide variety of customers.  

     My sister and her daughter have recently started creating handmade products.  The first step after making the products was listing the on Ebay.   The products were not right for the Ebay marketplace.  Her next try was Etsy a marketplace designed for handmade products.   As of now she has just started on Etsy and I invite all of you to check out her site and look at her products at www.etsy.com/shop/AislingsNeedfulThing?ref=search_shop_redirect

     Let me know what you think......I will keep you posted.

       UPDATE

     My sister is still waiting for her first sale on Etsy.  She is getting a lot of looks and we are hopeful that it is only a matter of time till that first sale comes in.  Go by the shop and pick up your favorite.  Prices cannot stay this low forever.

TO SUCCEED IN SALES, SIMPLY TALK TO LOTS OF PEOPLE EVERY DAY. AND HERE'S  WHATS EXCITING -- THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE!

JIM ROHN

     Sales is a numbers game.  Whether you sell cars, houses, or paperclips. it boils down to the number of people you reach versus the number of people that will buy your product.  In the "lingo" this is called you closing ratio.  When I sold used cars my closing ratio averaged 20 to 30 percent.  In other words, I sold 2 to 3 cars to roughly every 10 people I worked with.  Your online closing ratio will most likely be MUCH lower. somewhere in the 1 to 5 percent range.  This means you will need to reach greater numbers of potential customers to make your sales.  

  " How do I do THAT????"  you ask?

ADVERTISE!!!

     Promote you blog/website in a variety of ways to "drive traffic" or draw those potential customers to your site.  Begin by using social media like Facebook, Twitter and the others.  Tell all your friends and relative about what you are doing.  Those things will bring SOME visitors your way.  Remember, only 1 to 5 percent of your visitors will ACTUALLY buy the products you advertise, so unless you have 100s of thousands of friends in your network your rewards will be very low.  So what now??? How do you reach all those people?  

     The first way I promoted this blog was on Facebook.. I started a "fan" page for this blog and Facebook will advertise it on the Sidebar for 5 to 20 dollars a day to expose you to more people anywhere from an estimated 6 to 100 "likes" per day.  You get to decide how many days you advertise and by spending more per day you reach more people.

     We will cover other ways in later posts.  See you next time

I COULDN'T WAIT FOR SUCCESS, SO I WENT AHEAD WITHOUT IT.

JONATHON WINTERS

     The main goal of this blog is to record my successes and failures at making money online.  As I noted in a previous post, the first way is taking online surveys.  The second way is this blog.  I do not mean that I am selling the content of this blog, simply that I am making space available on my blog to advertisers who will pay me a commission if any of the readers of my blog chose to purchase the product(s) advertised there.  

     I have read of several ways to sell the ad space on my blog and as I go along I will try several and post my experiences here.  

     The first one I tried was Google Adsense.  It is supposed to be very easy to use.  In the descriptions it seems that you just sign up and google chooses the ads and you make money.  In practice it was easy to sign up.  As of this post Adsense still says that I dont have enough content for them to place ads here.

     Since I am trying a variety of ads, I decided to try another source.  I have now joined with Amazon as an affiliate marketer.  The sign up was relatively simple, and painless.  I did not have to spend one cent to become a part of the Amazon network, and Amazon provides ample tutorials and tools to make it possible to advertise for them.  Amazon offers a variety of "widgets" which are placed on the site to catch attention.  If a reader is interested in the product they simply click on the "widget" to make the purchase.  The referring site is then credited with the sale and a commission is paid.  

     I will be keeping you updated with the results.  Stay tuned

"WHETHER YO THINK YOU CAN. OR THAT YOU CAN'T YOU ARE USUALLY RIGHT"

HENRY FORD

     Henry Ford has always been a hero of mine.  He did not invent the automobile or assembly lines, but saw a way to merge the two together and bring us affordable transportation.  Look at us now nearly every household has at least one car,  Ford opened up an entirely new market.  He took the "novelty" automobile from being a toy of the wealthy to an affordable mode of transportation for everyone.  

     Keeping a good mental attitude is key.  Making money online is not easy nor will you "get rich quick".  It will be easy to lose sight of  your goals if you let negativity in.  

     The first way I tried making money online was taking surveys.  There are several sites out there that will pay you money for answering questions on any number of topics.  I tried a variety of these sites and preferred the ones that told you how much money you were earning as opposed to "reward points".

       I made a decision to use ONLY money I made online to make this business work.  So I joined a couple of online survey sites.  It took a couple of weeks and LOTS of surveys to get my first payout. I will continue to use surveys as a way to finance my web adventures.

     Most of the surveys I have taken paid from 25 cents to a dollar and took 20 to 45 minutes to complete.  I know, I know most of you are like me and feel your time is worth A LOT more than that. When I started the surveys I had NOTHING but time and SOME money is better than NO money.  As I stated, it is also a "risk free" way to finance online activities.

     The survey route is also teaching me to be patient.  Patience is a virtue I have always struggled with.  Some of you will want to bypass this step and move on to the next step, and that is ok.  Some of you have a similarly tight budget and will want to go this way.  Just remember, this Blog is a record of how I did it and what works best for me.  For me, the surveys also made me look into the more profitable ways to earn my money.

     Feel free to share your successes or failures in the comments section.  Others may learn from them

  COVER YOUR ASSets

Work at home or making money on the internet can leave you exposed if you are not careful.

 Lets talk about some practices to safeguard you on the web.

     First thing I did was set up an email address just for my online activities.  I chose Yahoo mail for the spam filter and BELIEVE me when I say you will get TONS of spam.

     The second thing I did was to get a prepaid debit card so that should the BAD GUYS get access to my account they would not get very much from me.  Netspend and WalMart both offer reasonable prepaids. Both are relatively easy to load money onto, and both offer ways to track spending.

     The third thing I did was to set up a Google Voice account.  Many of these sites want a phone number and I was not comfortable giving my home or cell number.  Judging from the times I  received some calls I am glad they didn't get my number.

     Finally, be very careful how much personal information you put on the web.  I cannot think of a good reason ANYONE on the web needs my Social Security number. I also am very careful about answering questions about the number of children under 18 are in my household.   Just use common sense and ask yourself WHY someone would need the info.  Protect yourself.

"DEVELOP SUCCESS FROM FAILURES.  DISCOURAGEMENT AND FAILURE ARE TWO OF THE SUREST STEPPING STONES TO SUCCESS.'

Dale Carnegie

     Some of the readers of this already know my story, most who read this do not.  

     At the time of this writing, I am in my late late 40's, male and unemployed.  Over the course of my life I have worked in restaurants,  as an apartment maintenance man, as a plumber, and in a variety of sales positions (including real estate and used cars).  I was moderately successful at most of these jobs and careers.  In all of these I was working for someone else.  In other words I am just like a lot of you out there.  I feel it is time for me to try to be my own BOSS.

     This will serve as a record of my successes and FAILURES in the work from home/ money from the internet world.  I invite your feedback and questions.  I also invite you to follow this blog so you don't miss a post.  If you have a blog you would like me to follow, send me a link.

I believe that together we can figure it out!