The REAL way to make big money blogging
Most everyone knows by now that there's money to be made in blogging, yet there's much confusion about how to do so effectively. You've heard all the hype about Google Adsense, and that's a fine option for some people, but honestly folks, unless you can develop content which is undeniably brilliant and original, trying to make money with Adsense can be like putting up a lemonade stand in a McDonald's parking lot. You can make pretty good money blogging if you are a fairly talented writer and you are willing to pound on the keyboard and knock on some doors until an Internet media outlet takes a chance on you. There's also the possibility that you could land a blogging position by being a dedicated commenter in the comments section of an active mainstream blog. The fact of the matter is, that's how I got my gig.
There's a better way to make the big money in blogging which is not often blogged about. It's just a tiny bit more difficult than your run-of-the-mill blogging. The secret to getting yourself into a higher tax bracket by writing on the Internet is actually as old as fiction writing itself, you need to become a ghost blogger.
Ghost bloggers are in the business of blogging for people who are short on either the time or the talent to blog for themselves. Many big personalities in entertainment and politics use ghost bloggers. Additionally, there are a few big time personalities who might wish to consider using a ghost blogger or two. For instance, Donald Trump. Mr. Trump, when it comes to blogging, "You're fired!" ...well, almost.
Ghost blogging isn't a very easy field to get into because until right now, there were no real published guidelines on how to get started. I'll tell you this though, you had better be ready to slug it out with some very talented people. A few of my peers have made it big in the world of ghost blogging, and if you have the time I'll outline for you the basic game plan of how they got started and how they got noticed.
- Get your name recognized: Decide what's the best way to present your name and stick with it. It helps if you can set yourself apart from the pack. If you have professional credentials, don't be afraid to include them, such as John Q. Public DDS, or Miss Mary Writer LPN. If you have the difficulty of working with a name which is all too common, don't hesitate to add your own appropriate moniker such as John (The Mind Mentor) Smith, or Linda (Lashes) Nelson.
- Get a voice: Nothing will relegate you to the realm of $50 per month blogging quicker than being dull and unoriginal. Give your readers something to hang on to. If you blog by presenting snippets from the daily news, find the news pieces that no one else is blogging about. That doesn't mean that you must steer away from the main stream all the time, it just means that you should be dedicated to entertaining your public with material which sets you apart.
- Have a style: Whether it's brash, opinionated and loud, or smooth, classy and provocative, find or make your own style and stick with it. When seeking bloggers to hire, producers want to know ahead of time how you'll fit. Don't leave them guessing who you'll be today. Your online personality must consistently show through your writing. Let the producers and editors tell you if they need something different from you.
- Be consistent: You can't be haphazard about your blogging and expect that someone will pick up your option. Popular bloggers such as Mark Cuban and Jim Cramer will tell you that consistency in material delivery is the number one ingredient to keeping a blog popular. (Being wealthy helps also.) You'll need to produce at least six good blog posts a month if you want to get noticed.
- Slave over the details: Be anal about technique, spelling and grammar. The Internet is just loaded with people who live to point out that you missed a comma. Don't give them that chance. Blog editors are just the same as the newspaper editors always have been; If you submit slop, they'll throw it back at you with a very ugly note attached or they'll publish it with a grin in honor of your laziness. Don't be tempted to commit suicide if you make the classic -their / there / they're -mistake, but try your very best not to let that careless mistake or others happen. We're not talking about your report card here. We're talking about your paycheck.
