Started a blog, but have questions???

Mr-Kilner

Hey all

I have started a blog to collate some of the helpful tips I have found over the years in one location.

As link posting isn't allowed I have added the link to my profile.

I would be grateful if you would take a look and provide me with some feedback positive or negative.

Along with the blog I have setup a twitter account to tweet out codes and offers to the followers.

HOWEVER.

My burning question, how do I get people to follow not only my blog but also my twitter account?

Advertising is a no no, as its a blog about saving money not spending it.

Link posting in forums like this is against the rules, and I can see why as it would bring on a boat load of spam!

Any suggestions again I would be really grateful.

(Come on be my first follower!!! I'll tweet you well......)

wileycat

Do you want to help other savers only?

Or make some money on the side as well?

purple12

Follow and comment on related blogs. Most people check back the links of those who take time to contribute to their blogs - especially if the comments are useful and the blog is relevant.

There is masses of information on the web about starting blogs and getting them up and running - really, it's as much as a google's search-worth and you should come up with lots of ideas.

Ultimately if you work on original and interesting content and make use of networks with other bloggers, you should be noticed. It doesn't happen quickly though.

And good luck with it

Just some quick feedback on the blog - it looks like it has potential - put out some links to other similar blogs and honestly, I'd go a bit easy on the adsense because it looks like over-kill and frankly, I think one block or the other would be enough.

Mr-Kilner

Thanks for the comments, I would like to earn a little for the time I put in but I know its not going to make millions!

I guess if people like the material and they are willing to donate a little for more than its a bonus.

- I will continue reading, you are correct in saying there is masses of information out there!!

Thanks again

rao_2

Mr-Kilner wrote: »

My burning question, how do I get people to follow not only my blog but also my twitter account?

If you've already got a button/link from your blog to your twitter then you could add a button to your posts to make it more easier for people to share it if they like it.

http://www.addthis.com/

Advertising is a no no, as its a blog about saving money not spending it.

If you mean that you need to spend money to advertise then thats not actually true. Lots of free methods of advertising a website. Just do a Google search for articles on free methods of advertising and you'll get a boatload.

Link posting in forums like this is against the rules, and I can see why as it would bring on a boat load of spam!

Most forums allow you to link to your own website in your signature. And comment replies on other blogs allow a link on your name. Just so long as the content of your comments and forum posts actually contribute to the forum and not just to advertise it wouldn't be spamming.

Good luck with the blog.

ChefBungle

Hey,

Bit of feedback for you - I had a look at your blog and the content generally seems good if slightly basic/superficial.

The main thing you need to sort out early on is your spelling and grammar. In the first couple of articles I counted several mistakes, which I find really distracts me from the content. For example :

"its" when it should have been "it's"
"As the week comes to an end, and the cupboards begin to get bare. We sit and devise a menu plan for the week ahead." You should have a comma after "bare".
"...plan what we you are going to have..." - doesn't make sense.
"Done! how simple is that." - doesn't make sense.

And that's just the first article!

Sorry if this seems picky, but without correct spelling and grammar your blog will come across as second-rate, regardless of how good the content is.

Mr-Kilner

rao....

That addthis.com link was ACE. Thank you very much.

And the comments you left again really help.

Mr-Kilner

No not picky at all, I wrote some of the blogs on my mobile. The small screen isn't great for tapping out lengthy blogs, so lesson learned.

I also tend to write the blogs on a night after work when my eyes and brain are wishing they were asleep, your comments have pushed me to make extra effort when proof reading!

Cheers.

ChefBungle wrote: »

Hey,

Bit of feedback for you - I had a look at your blog and the content generally seems good if slightly basic/superficial.

The main thing you need to sort out early on is your spelling and grammar. In the first couple of articles I counted several mistakes, which I find really distracts me from the content. For example :

"its" when it should have been "it's"
"As the week comes to an end, and the cupboards begin to get bare. We sit and devise a menu plan for the week ahead." You should have a comma after "bare".
"...plan what we you are going to have..." - doesn't make sense.
"Done! how simple is that." - doesn't make sense.

And that's just the first article!

Sorry if this seems picky, but without correct spelling and grammar your blog will come across as second-rate, regardless of how good the content is.

wileycat

Use affiliates for link to get a bit of revenue share of the money...gives you a bit back..
Cashback sites use referral schemes, most shops use affilate networks. Its not advertising so keeps the site tidy.

Mr-Kilner

wileycat wrote: »

Use affiliates for link to get a bit of revenue share of the money...gives you a bit back..
Cashback sites use referral schemes, most shops use affilate networks. Its not advertising so keeps the site tidy.

Can you explain the affiliates scheme, do these pay for clicks to the sites they host? or do they pay for any link you put on the sites, a bit like a man in the middle?

rao_2

Affiliate Ads = CPA tracking "Cost Per Action" such as a user going to a site and signing up, buying a product or other 'action'. Say for example you comment on various survey sites and give useful, informative and unbiased information on each and your experiences with them. Many on MSE do this for free daily. This is basically like you are advertising for them but you don't get anything back for it usually. However if any of the survey websites have an affiliate program you can get paid for having mentioned them. If someone reads your article/comment and then goes to the site with your referall/affiliate link and then decides to join up or whatever the program stipulates you get a comission for your effort. To keep credibility and earn trust you'd probably also include sites without a referall/affiliate program (but lets hope for the day when all of them offer you something for having mentioned them to your friends etc. so then you're never biased/just-mentioning-them-for-the-money and everyone wins/earns easier ).

Site Ads - These are a mixture of all really CPA, CPM, CPC depending on the network. Mostly though these are CPC aka Cost Per Click and CPM aka Cost Per Thousand (apparently the M is the Roman abbreviation for thousand) advertising such as Google Adsense etc. are the ones that pay for clicks (CPC) or whenever the ad is shown for certain ads (CPM). These are usually banners, text link ads and the like. They're randomnly generated usually as new advertisers come and go so because of this you wouldn't be able to write about them. They're more for sprinkling around your layout. Certain ad networks are primarily CPA based too though and require an action.

I didn't link to them because I thought maybe you would of already seen them but here is a couple of useful threads on the ways to monetise a blog and affiliate marketing:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1654189

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1894337

There's lots of specific forums just about Affiliate Marketing because its really a huge topic and quite a lot to consider:
http://www.doshdosh.com/26-affiliate-marketing-and-webmaster-forums-to-help-you-make-money-online/