Blogging for a second income - does anyone else here do this?

EndlessStruggle

My main blog is making about £30 a month now, not a huge amount but the blog doesn't need that much effort put into it, I blog about once a week and when you search certain terms my blog is at the top of google. It gets 30-60,000 views a month. Also started a few more blogs on subjects I like but they only have low views at the moment. I am focusing on getting lots of content in and then backlinking to the blog as no point when there is little content on the new ones.

Angel_Jenny

Tombo wrote: »

I wanted to set up a few blogs but after reading through this thread I am more confused than ever. I don't know where to start and all the lingo is confusing the hell out of me.

I found blogspot super easy and I am not technical at all!

I don't blog for profit though and everything is a bit random on there. My last few posts have been about pumpkin pie, stained glass windows and old fashioned proverbs!

shmeeko69

ice-queen wrote: »

Hi there,

I'm new to blogging and was just wondering about adding images. Where do you add them from? Google images for instance?

I dont have my own pictures of everything I talk about and I think my blog would benefit from a piccy or two, but dont want to steal other people's stuff, especially if there may be copyright issues.

I'd appreciate your comments

Thanks in advance

Hi ice-queen

If you're using Wordpress.com blogs then click the little box above the main article body were it say images and upload the required image from your PC to the desired area of your blog. You can also change the description in the text box and insert your affiliate link. This is quite straightforward process, but a crucial part, as people want to see the image of the product.

Mark

red_devil

if you have a good audience does anyone know who to contact for free stuff?

Angel_Jenny

red_devil wrote: »

if you have a good audience does anyone know who to contact for free stuff?

I think you would just contact individual companies. I don't know what number of viewers / subscribers would lead a company to give you an item in exchange for a review though.

Arfa__

shmeeko69 wrote: »

Not everyone likes to write articles for their own product review blog as it can be a bit tedious. The way round that is to hire decent writers from places like fiverr.com, where you can get a good 300-400 word article for $5 and that saves on your own time.

This is one aspect of review blogging I've always been uneasy about. If you're providing a good honest review, surely you need to actually check out and use the product in question to see how it fairs. But if you're subcontracting the writing to someone else, do they have access to the product to review it?

Or do you just let them know the good/bad points etc that you found, then they write it all up?

Or am I just too honest, and most people don't even bother getting hold of the product and just write up a review based on what they've found out about the product from other websites?

shmeeko69

Arfa__ wrote: »

This is one aspect of review blogging I've always been uneasy about. If you're providing a good honest review, surely you need to actually check out and use the product in question to see how it fairs. But if you're subcontracting the writing to someone else, do they have access to the product to review it?

Or do you just let them know the good/bad points etc that you found, then they write it all up?

Or am I just too honest, and most people don't even bother getting hold of the product and just write up a review based on what they've found out about the product from other websites?

I have my two of my own product review sites and don't own the majority of products, as it would be way too expensive. What you are doing is giving someone a brief overview of the spec and what benefits the said item may bring to them. I think people have a general idea that, you haven't bought the 200 or 300+ reviewed items, but giving an opinion based on the available information and whether it offers value for money. If truth be told most webmasters who own these type of sites carry out the required due diligence without taking ownership of the product.

If you use a freelance writer then, they are more than likely to use similar review information to you in order to be accurate with the product information.

It's important not to mislead people and say that, you use this product yourself or it's the best thing since slice bread. Keep it straightforward and honest and tell them what company you are recommending them to buy from and why.

Mark

daz501

Tombo wrote: »

I wanted to set up a few blogs but after reading through this thread I am more confused than ever. I don't know where to start and all the lingo is confusing the hell out of me.

I would do just the one blog for now. Stick to a niche that you understand and are passionate about. When you're starting out, the last thing you want to be doing is trying to write good content in an over saturated market, all while trying to understand the basics of design, layout and code.

if you focus on a niche, you stand a higher chance of being the best at what you do, rather than competing with other people's website and looking half-baked by comparison.

You need to be thinking long term. Will you get bored if you take on too much? Honestly - go for the niche, and good luck

EndlessStruggle

My blogs are entertainment type blogs and all the information is available on the internet just people are too lazy to read through it all to find the gossip and seem to like it when someone like me has put it all together in one blog post for them to read.

I use blogger/blog spot is so easy to use.

Bigbase

Hey guys sorry was unable to access my account for a while (and didnt want to create a new one)!

I've PM'd everyone back...

My sites are still going strong but they have dropped a little bit, not sure why, I put it down to the sites being less busier in the summer (not that we've had one), than the winter months.

A new site I started (but havent updated for months) has been doing ok-ish. Making about £2 a day. This is great considering I do no work on it.

Another site I started is picking up and doing around £150 a month, with about 4 hours a week work.
Google adsense. (Had to blur out certain numbers as google requires this)


Ill try and go through the thread and answer anything unanswered.