In general, I think those days are long gone due to the amount of people now blogging and advertising. It sounds ironic, because the mass amount of people blogging is a huge viewer ship for our eyes to see advertisements. Almost everyone I know who blogs has a Google Ad Sense, Amazon, or both on their site's side bars. It's Advertisement flooding. Most people who read blogs, have blogs, and have ads of their own, so they don't click on the Ads on other peoples blogs. As much as I read blogs, I've never clicked on a google Ad once, let alone purchased anything from one of their ads. No Amazon either. If I want something from Amazon, I know their website, and I know how to search for what it is I want specifically. Maybe I'm just not all that into Ads. I take it back. When I first got my blog going, I clicked on Google Ad Sense, and Amazon, to get their gizmos on my site. By the advise of some people I’ve read posts on to boost your rank, and traffic, the less cluttered your site is with nonsense ads, the more likely people will come back to visit your site. So, I've since removed them. I might put them back on someday. My traffic has increased substantially. The more I blog, the more content is out there to hit on through Google searches, etc. I don’t really think it has anything to do with having or not having Ads. on your site. Plus if I have more traffic from not having Ads., what difference does more traffic make?
I must admit, I do check my stats from time to time just out of curiosity, but the longer I blog, the more traffic I get, & the less I seem to be caring about stats, and trying to make money blogging.
Quite honestly the only thing I've ever purchased through a blog is a really cool Sturgis T-shirt that I got from The Beach Cruiser. Had it been on a Google Ad Sense Ad, or Amazon Ad in the side bar of their blog, I would have never looked at it, let alone purchased the shirt. I saw it through their Sturgis Store because it was a post, not a side bar advertisement. Side bar advertisements seem a little over rated to me. I could be wrong, but have chatted with some pretty big players in the blogging world, and they seem to sometimes have trouble making any dough doing this as well. Let me know if I'm wrong here. Hell, I'd love to be wrong on this one. I'd love for someone to tell me how I can make all this money blogging without it becomming my new full time job. Just some side mulah would be nice.
I must admit, I do check my stats from time to time just out of curiosity, but the longer I blog, the more traffic I get, & the less I seem to be caring about stats, and trying to make money blogging.
Quite honestly the only thing I've ever purchased through a blog is a really cool Sturgis T-shirt that I got from The Beach Cruiser. Had it been on a Google Ad Sense Ad, or Amazon Ad in the side bar of their blog, I would have never looked at it, let alone purchased the shirt. I saw it through their Sturgis Store because it was a post, not a side bar advertisement. Side bar advertisements seem a little over rated to me. I could be wrong, but have chatted with some pretty big players in the blogging world, and they seem to sometimes have trouble making any dough doing this as well. Let me know if I'm wrong here. Hell, I'd love to be wrong on this one. I'd love for someone to tell me how I can make all this money blogging without it becomming my new full time job. Just some side mulah would be nice.
For now, I’m going to continue blogging for free and as a hobby. I make nothing doing this, but its fun, & entertaining.
I hope you all enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy reading yours. Because of blogging, I get to talk with some of the greatest people on this planet (for free).
Are any of you making any money???? If so, I’d love to hear about it.
Disclaimer…..If anyone wants to give me money, I’ll gladly take it!
LOL!
Are any of you making any money???? If so, I’d love to hear about it.
Disclaimer…..If anyone wants to give me money, I’ll gladly take it!
LOL!
17 comments:
I used to have all sorts of ads but in doing some research, I found out a lot of the same things you did: That they were just distracting, annoying and taking up space. I have since removed most of them and now only have one small sidebar ad. It's never made me any money so I don't know why I keep it.
Yes, some people actually make some dough blogging but it's not from the ads. It's from the actual content itself. It's not a lot so I wouldn't quit my day job just yet.
I also had the money in mind when I started blogging. I was told, that if you blog, list ads, you'll be receiving royalties in no time. Hot dog! Show me the way!
After about 3 months, not getting any big checks in the mail, I looked at my ad account. I accumulated a whopping $1.62! Woo Hoo!
I keep thinking I'm going to tweak on this a bit and get something more attractive on my site, but I have since changed my outlook on this whole blogging deal. I've made new friends and I've discovered I'm having more fun writing than anything else! Besides riding of course. (and maybe one other thing! LOL!)
So, I can't say that I'm going to be able to quit my day job, but my blogging and my motorcycle keep me balanced with work and play. And that, I'm not ready to give up!
It seems there are two niches that generate revenue for bloggers: Personal Finance and Personal Development. The trick with web advertising is one needs HUGE numbers of readers. So you've got to have a topic that will attract everyone, more or less.
Alternately, you could work to become the motorcycle blog that ALL bikers read.
Me, I just blog because I like talking about motorcycles and pizza. :D
I started blogging for a couple of reasons. I really wanted to connect with people who really get out and ride. The second reason is it just provided me an outlet for my head. I never really even thought many people would read my blog. I had no expectations of money. I found alot more than I expected. I get to ride when I can't ride. My blog has kept me out of trouble. (no doubt)
Ads? I put them in because initially because I didn't have enough content I thought. Lol, it was just filler to make it look busy. I took my ad-sense off a few weeks ago. I have had a few offers from various companies but I have ignored them. (stupid? I don't know...maybe.)
So I don't make a dime, but honestly, I get something much more valuable than money by far. I get the joy, peace, laughter, anger, pain and sorrow of fellow riders. I get paid in a different way. If you can make money in addition, then more power to you!
Good post Mr.M You know something, I have found that the more ads there are on a blog, the less time I spend there. Even on the internet, you can tell where peoples motives are can't you.
Amen Dave. Good comment.
Good point. I have the Google ad sidebar and I've never seen a dime from it. Like Dave said, initially it was just to put something else up to fill space. Maybe I'll get rid of it now.
One thing I don't understand. How can any of us make any money when these blogs really don't belong to us? It's all through blogger, owned by Google, so how would we have a right to claim any money, even if our blogs were producing many hits for ads we had on there?
I can see if you have it set up like Road Captain does, where he has his own URL, that's different. I don't see how any of us on Blogger can do it.
I do not have any ads on my site, but Big D does, or did for a while. I don't think he made one cent!
I don't click on this ads as a rule...I don't have any money to spend anyway!
I don't blog for money, that's for sure. I blog mostly to empty out my head...it's scary in there! ;)
I've made $87 for about a year of blogging! LOL! I keep thinking if I can just make a hundred here or there it might add up to some bike parts and why not give it shot, of course we would all like to make shit loads writing about what we love, but I don't do it for the money. I like to blog to share what I love and "meet" people. It's kind of a challenge I suppose to get the "hits" etc. I think if you have some really good content people find it. I have like one good post for some reason that gets a lot of hits that I did on jetting a while back. I use my blog to look back at some of the information I have gathered, trips I took, maps etc. so at least it's usefull to me, and it's fun! I think if the ads were more relevant they would work!! I've always wanted to sell buggies or something online, so I guess this is the half-assed approach :)
I'm really glad you all agree with me here, I think.
I'ts nice to have such agreement for once, but in this case, I was hoping in a way I was wrong, and all of you were going to tell me how to make a million, like all of you do. LOL!
Great points were made here. Thanks.
I like Dave, think my pay is talking to all of you.
Peace, and thanks.
Contrary to some of the opinions here you can make an nice extra stream of money doing this. You may not be able to quit your day job, but you can pay for this motorcycle addiction! :)
Rick,
Hmmm, interesting!
Interesting post, Mr M. I've opted to skip any advertising on my blog because I felt that if I took someone's money for advertising then I'd feel obligated to keep up my post count instead of writing only when I felt like it. I learned a long time ago that one way to ruin a hobby (I used to own a hobby shop) is to turn it into a business.
I do know some people who have set up motorcycle forums that became popular, sold ad space, and are now making a nice amount of money each month from the forums. In two cases the guy was indeed able to quit his day job. The trick there (as with a blog) is to do something that is the first of it's kind or stands out from the crowd and generates LOTS of traffic.
Doug
Doug,
I'd love to be one of those folks who made a ton, but on the same token I would not want to give up the friends I've made doing this the way I am doing it now. I fear if I had the blog set up more as a money maker than a friendly informational and chat format, that I would not have the tight knit group of regular readers and folks of which I consider even if only on the internet so far, to be my friends, Including you. Maybe I'd have more random hits, who knows, but not worth the same to me. I think once I made a lot of money doing this, it would become more of a job trying to keep it up than a hobby.
And let's face it. How difficult would it be to come up with that one really unique idea, or format that would generate alot of traffice with all the blogs out there now. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it would be difficult.
I want it all damn it! I love the creative outlet that blogging provides and I really enjoy the friends I have made. I do hope that by providing valuable and interesting content that in the end I am able to make some money doing something I enjoy.
I hate the Google Adsense bar because I have no control over the avertisements... but the few dollars I make a month is more than if I didn't have it; so I will keep it until something better comes my way.
Making money at this takes a lot of time and hard work. Definitely more than a year to even get established.
You have to be clear on what you are trying to accomplish and be true to your goal. Many of you have fantastic blogs and do it for the pure joy and friendship it brings you and I wouldn't want that to change.
If anyone is serious about making money doing this then I reccomend you do some research, dig in and prepare for this to be a second job.
Now for a little advice... if I could custom paint motorcycles then I would use my blog to generate some jobs. Just one paint job and you kick Google Adsenses butt! I would also look into sponsorship or advertising from companies like PPG.
Road Captain,
I think your ideas about using the blog to promote my custom paint, and trying to get sponsorship from a paint vendor, are great ideas. I may consider them in the future But for now at least, my only problem, is I already have a full time job that requires more than full time hours, two teenagers with their schedules to go along with them, and I don't want my blog to be work. It is what I like to do for fun, and relaxation when not working. I used to custom paint for a living. It was my dream job. Eventually, it just became a job. Now that I no longer do it for a living, I love to custom paint on the side here and there for a few bucks, and as a hobby. I'm glad it is a hobby again so I can love doing it, instead of dread doing it. I get to do a few paint jobs each year by word of mouth. It is usually more than enough with my busy schedule. I would not turn down good work if it was put in front of me, but I really don't need to pursue it.
Thanks for the great advise. Like I said, If life ever slows down a bit, I will consider wht you said.
I think you would have to work at the google thing everyday to make the kind of money that people say they do. I've got my t-shirts and my little Amazon store but I'm not in it for the money. I've made about 25 bucks...wow...I can retire! I'm in it to write and the best thing that has happened out of the experience is the great friends I've made along the way.
IHG,
I'm with ya on what you said totally.
I won't turn down the opportunity to make a buck or two, but the friends are the best.
Plus I need a place to unload my twisted mind sometimes.
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