Indirect Effects of Blogging - Can I Get an Amen?
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Today’s Blog of the Day honors go to Blogging for Business for what could become Businss Blogging’s quote of the year. If you can just understand this one thing about blogging, you’ll be great at it, maybe even become an A list blogger one day- or just get lots of traffic because people can sense your sincerity.
Here’s what Ted said in a blog post called Indirect Effects of Blogging Trump Direct Revenue:
For most people, the indirect effects of blogging will always be more important than any money made directly from blogging. That isn’t to say that some people don’t make a big hootful of cash, or you can’t make a few extra bucks directly (from for example AdSense).
It’s “Blogging for Business” or better, “Blogging as a part of my Business,” as compared to “Blogging is my Business.” Most of us won’t quit our day jobs. Hopefully you, like I, love your day job and don’t want to quit!!
So yes, blogging can be an endeavor that helps you get on the gravy train, makes you lots of money, gives you a chance to retire early or quit your job. And if your job is head-entrepreneur-in-charge, business blogging still isn’t just about the bottom line.
Ironically, the more the people I work with are seeing blogging only as a means to a cash-laden end, the worse they are at it.
I truly believe that thinking primarily of exactly how keyword dense your page is, or how many links you can get today by commenting, or whether you can get an A list blogger to write about you has an effect on what you write in your blog and how it comes across.
If your only goal is blogging to get people to click on your debt consolidation ad, you’ll be focused on all the shortcuts, and all the technical aspects behind that goal. But if you set out to inform people about their debt options, and where ever they land in clicking that ad is just one of the ways they can do it, you’re writing to inform.
Which makes your blog more useful.
Which brings you more readers.
Which results in more traffic.
Which means more people will be around to click your ads in the end.
The same thing goes if you’re blogging to get more attention to a product you sell at your site. If I wrote every blog post trying to shove an increase in your blog traffic down your throat every day, you’d stop reading. What would be the point? You know what I’m going to say and why I’m saying it.
That’s actually the first time I’ve mentioned one of my products in weeks. And that’s because, while I hope you want to buy my books, it’s not the only reason I’m here. It’s not that I’m a saint (lol, if only you knew.)
I just know that informing you and serving you works a lot better than shouting one thing at the top of my lungs all day every day, and hoping that one percent of the people who hear won’t be too annoyed to buy.
Ted says this better than I ever could. So don’t forget to stop by and see him.
How To Get Unstoppable Traffic? Go Evergreen. Read the true story of how one of the site owners, ill and preparing to retire, created traffic so powerful that she couldn’t turn it off.
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22 Responses to “Indirect Effects of Blogging - Can I Get an Amen?”
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Amen, St. Tinu.
Great! I had this feeling that the majority of bloggers are blogging for a sense of community rather than becoming millionaires over-night, but that’s not the impression you get from the advertisements.
Cheers
Amen
Oh, wait, can I say that about my own post
Thanks for the link Tinu!
Hi Tinu,
I subscribe to your ezine and also browse your blog when something in particular catches my eye.
I do advertise using Google and Amazon on my blog. The Amazon one is an Astore which I’m running to show books I recommend, as you know you make very, very little when people buy a book.
The Google ads are pretty low key and the posts are the most important part of my blog.
I’m very passionate about copywriting, marketing, the internet, business and success coaching so I’m actually not that bothered about making an income from either Amazon or Google.
The other angle is I like to experiment to see how things go so I can let my clients know for their web sites.
As an example of experimenting: like you I’ve been a blogroll subscriber for a while but never really used it before.
Now I’ve got Recent readers (like you) and also the top 5 links. It’s fun and readers get to see who else arrived and read the blog, as you know!
Keep on blogging
Jim
mcewan,
foshizzle my frizzle. don’t believe the hype. you can make money, but it seems the paradox is you can only make money if it’s not only about the money.
Ted,
Yes you can and you’re welcome.
Jimsym,
Thanks for commenting. It’s the number two way I remember which blogs I miss reading.
I can tell from reading you that you’re a passion blogger. Money from AdSense is Great, don’t get me wrong… I have sites that make AdSense money, I’m just not one of the “I make a million bucks a year from AdSense.”. And I think your style has to change for each site, but if you blog with heart and care, no matter your other motivations, you’ll come out on top.
I’ll be by your site more often.
One free traffic tip I can give is to always leave your blog URL in the Website field when you comment on another blog. You forgot to do that today
on my blog.
LOL… it was on purpose. My first comment to any blog, I always leave my link out. But given the purpose of the post it would have made sense.
Thanks for coming by!
I’m not sure how effective blogs are for marketing, particularly when the keyword dense ones are often obviously in sole existence to advertise…wouldn’t this hurt rather than harm their usefulness?
Hi Tinu
Of course we all know that there is nothing wrong with making money, but you are spot on, in that if you stop caring about your subscriber/visitor then you will lose them pretty darn quick.
Again, there is nothing wrong with making recommendations about tools or products that you genuinely feel will help people, but (as you do) we need to deliver valuable content as well as pointing people in the direction of products that will help them.
Love your stuff by the way, and I recommend you as required reading to all my own subscribers.
regards
Roy
Nice article Tinu. I think people are too smart and can see right through a blog thats sole purpose is to generate money. Don’t get me wrong I like to make money like everyone else but I like to add value to other people’s lives too. I give information on how people can improve their lives in every area and I love it. I hope I can therefore get repeat readers not one-timers.
There’s only one word to say .. Amen!!
That is the best piece of advice that I have heard from a blogger. As soon as you get started, it is true to say that it is very hard to stop. Once you get by the 1st few months and start to see returns then you are always far more willing to put more into it when the returns are more tangible.
Money is not what good bloggers blog for. It is for bringing out reality!.To me good blogging is to bring out what you feel is right!.
http://www.formatnreload.blogspot.com
I agree that the indirect effects of blogging can
be much more beneficial to you than it would
seem at first.
It seems the more links you give out, the more
that you actually get back - which can only
help your traffic. There seems to be a lot of
people willing to help you in the blogosphere!
how can get free traffic for my page????
I totally agree. The blogs I visit that I enjoy, if there are ads I give them a click if they interest me at all, if the blog is just slapped together, never moderated, or it seems obvious it’s all about the money for the blogger then I don’t click and usually don’t go back.
I have ads and referrals on my blog but I don’t expect to make any real money off of them. If someone clicks on something great but I would much rather them read and leave a post to let me know what they thought of it than do a random ad click and move on.
kerriella
This is an intriguing post. I’m acutely aware that how we promote our blogs can affect how it appears to others.
For instance, I’ve been offered to participate in “blog carnivals” or “blog trains” to promote my blog, but have so far respectfully declined… not that I’ve been tempted, but I just feel posting that kind of thing would decrease the quality of my blog.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post.
Paul Hancox
P.S: If you get a moment, please hop over to my blog and leave a comment, because I’d really appreciate it.
I haven’t been back to this page in a while. Looks like this is where everyone left their comments while I was sick. Thank you all so much.
Paul, since your comment was so recent, I’ll answer you first, as I’m sure everyone else has forgotten about me…. *dramatic sob*
I understand how you feel about Blog Carnivals. At first, so did I. But like anything else, it all depends on the quality and caliber of the carnival. Some pretty much suck, but many are run by top-tier online businesses who are respected. If you’re a mid-level blogger, not in say, the top one thousand blogs, but definitely in the top 40K, then it’s a matter of finding only the quality carnivals. All it would take for you to participate is to submit a post - you don’t have to link to all the other posts all over your blog, just go back and edit in an addendum linking back to the main carnival page.
Even that isn’t required and is more like etiquette. It can bring you lots of new readers, and can be a good way to network.
Blog trains are a totally different animal. I rarely participate in memes, though I’ll do so if tagged, just as a bit of fun. If you can’t have fun once in a while and help other people who get less attention than you, heck, what is the point of blogging in the first place.
Thanks for coming by! I’ve already been by to comment, and I actually stop by every blog that’s linked from here, and comment if it moves me.
I agree. You sure can get an “Amen!” from me! It is so much better to come across a blog that is written passionately and freely rather than a blogger who is worrying about using keywords and linking to affiliates or their other sites. Where’s the fun in that?
Tinu,
AMEN! I love it when I get to a website and see nothing but 125×125 ads, adsense blocks, and text links!
Seriously… I’ve been teaching people for years that if you are not passionate about what you’re writing, or selling, then you shouldn’t be doing it. People can see it. And in the long run will not return to your site when wanting new information.
Amen! There ya go!
I do have a couple of personal blogs, and I stopped trying to make money off them ages ago and just went back to blogging. I used to do PayperPost on one of them - after a while, it just didn’t feel right - I felt I was forcing myself to like the product I was promoting. And then Google stepped in and started penalising paid posts left right and center.
The last straw for me was when I asked myself ‘who owns this blog? Me or them?’
And now my blogs reflect more of me than they ever did. I feel good about that.
Beth,
I don’t know either.
Tim,
I think people are afraid of passion.
Jasmine,
Exactly. You’re there to serve your audience, and ultimately, you’re in control of how you do that.
Welcome everyone!