Completely 100% Free Advice on How to Make Money Blogging

Bored with your job? Want to get out someday?

If you've ever wanted to quit your 9-5 job and make money by blogging, or you blog now, and want to, someday, use blogging to make money; or if you want to blog and use it as a vehicle to promote your work (and make money by your work), whether that work be book writing; business consulting; selling your art or paintings; getting people to know your music or films; or just to spread the word about you and promote yourself and what you do, then today's blog is for you.


Today I am going to tell you exactly how to make money blogging and how to start to get out of your regular job. There are no costs, books to buy, courses to study or gimmicks or catches at all. This is the simplest, and most direct, way to make money blogging. If you follow these short tips, then, within 2 ~ 3 years, you can start cutting down your regular job hours and start shifting over to the job you dream of doing and all because of dedication to blogging. All because of a desire to do with your life as you want.


And it's all 100% completely free.

Today's blog is especially for people who have a "regular" job yet they have a dream someday to escape that job and the rat race and to make enough money to do what they want with their life. Today's blog could also be for people who want to make a good amount of money by using blogging so that they can live well.

With blogging, as a vehicle to promote or market yourself or your work, that is possible. I, myself, do not do this as 100% of my income, yet; not even 50% of my income. But my teachers do. For myself, after study and effort (mostly effort), I can now see where this is possible very soon for me and am slowly climbing that mountain to where I can see from the top on exactly how to do that. 


I have very good teachers showing me how to do this - two of them are very famous people and, with their help, I am giving you this information.

If you do any sort of Social Media or Internet surfing (and, if you didn't, you wouldn't be here) then you've seen tons of messages and notes about how you can make money blogging. It's true. You can make money blogging. You can't make a lot of money blogging and using banner click-through advertising (unless you are FARK). 

Of course, the most widely used and understood way of making money blogging is by having click through banners on your blog. But I don't really want to talk about that at all. I don't think that is a good way to make money blogging. I mean, if Google asks you if they can use your blog to advertise then you know they are the ones making the money. 

But I will say that, in the last year, I been asked twice directly from companies in the USA and the UK to place banner ads on my site but have politely declined. Why? It was only for $150 a year (about ¥11,000 yen) and it looked like it might be a hassle. Also, why in the world would anyone pay $150 to Japan when the bank transfer fees are $70 dollars a transaction? I wouldn't. That made me figure that those folks, while meaning well, didn't really have any idea what they were talking about. 

One of my friends is a blogger well known all over the world and, while not telling me a dollar amount, he told me that the click through ads were nice but they only pay for dinner a few nights a month. You might think, "Wow! Free dinners a few night's a month?" But when you realize that my friend's blog gets 1.2 million hits per day, you realize that banner click-through advertising is not all its cracked up to be.  

He, by the way, makes well over a quarter million dollars a year as a financial advisor. Do you know how he gets his clients? You guessed it, people read his blog and then ask him for advice. That's how he makes money blogging. It is an advertising tool for his services. 

This is the way to use a blog that I want to talk about.

I have been asked to give advice five times in the last year too. That's where the money is. Even though I haven't made large amounts like $10,000 (USD) a month directly by blogging I can say that I have made over $1000 a month indirectly by blogging. I did this because, through blogging, I have been hired as an advisor (like my friend above) to companies who have jumped into the Social Media realm in order to market their products. In fact, as I mentioned above, I have been asked five times in the last year. I took four of those jobs and two of those were in the last month. 

Even though I averaged over $1000 a month in the last two years by use of blogging, one month - a year ago or so - I made $5000.


Like I said, you can do this too. 

There are three things that you must do in order to set yourself up for a situation whereby you can start to consider using blogging to make money. They are:


1) Consistent daily blogging
2) A focused topic
3) Interesting writing


That's it. Just those three. Now let me briefly talk about each one.


1) Consistent daily blogging: Yes. This is hard. But you must do it. You must make daily updating a habit just like brushing your teeth; you can't sleep until you do it. And not just any trash. Good, consistent, interesting writing (I'll talk about the interesting part below). Why constant writing and updating your blog is important is because you must understand how the Google search engine works. The (new 2010) Google search engine is called Caffeine. The old search engine gave priority to blogs and web sites that have many links. Caffeine does not. Caffeine gives priority to consistent and regular updating. Please read the link about Caffeine. But here's an example to show you that I do know what I am talking about. This blog is called "Modern Marketing Japan." That's not a generic title at all. But "Modern Marketing" is an extremely generic title. Do a Google search for "Modern Marketing" and you should see this blog listed in the Top 3 ~ 10 or so of 22,400,000 results for the entire world (the results change constantly with Google Caffeine). That's proof of the power of consistent blogging.


2) A focused topic: As far as the Internet is concerned, we are talking about Long Tail Marketing. Focus on your topic. In the Internet world it is better to be a big fish in a small pond. Read about the Long Tail here in A Primer on the Long Tail and Is the Long Tail all Junk? also read why the Long Tail is beneficial for you even against the Internet giants as it is, for example, damaging Google's own business by reading: Why Google Worries About its Own Future. 


Now, my blog is supposed to be about Japan; media; and marketing and sometimes it gets all over the place, but trust that I do always try to think of a Japan, media or marketing angle for everything I write.


3) Interesting writing: This is the hard one. All I can say are a few things. First, write with your own voice. Stop trying to write like you're Hemingway or writing a business prospective. You're not. If someone wants to read Hemingway, they'll buy the book. If they want to read a business prospective, they won't be 
looking at your blog. People read these things because they want real. They want to hear what real people think. Readers of blogs don't want bloviated nonsense. If they want that, they'll go to CNN's site.

Now, here's a hint on how to write with your own voice and to help yourself have good topics all the time. It's not 100% but it will definitely help you. It helps me immensely. How many times a day do you think about something and then think, "Wow! That's a great idea for a good blog post!" Only to, a few hours later or the next day, not remember what that good idea was? I used to do that all the time. But I've stopped recently. Now, I almost never forget good ideas (good ideas, remember, are money in your pocket!). How do I not forget? I use a notebook. I've written about the benefits of always using and keeping a dollar notebook in the back of my pocket in Pocket Notebooks: The Secret of Millionaires and People Won't Listen! I always have my notebook. So when I have a good idea - about anything - I write it down. It helps me greatly especially when I am stuck for an idea on what to write about. 

As with everything in life, practice makes perfect. If you think that you are going to just start writing one day and become a good writer than you are dreaming. Keep doing it consistently and you'll get better and better as you go.

Like I said, focus on what you are doing; do it consistently; do it well. If you keep doing these three things, for a period of 2 ~ 3 years, then you can start to use blogging to make money.

I know. I've done it. Anyone can. You can too.

NOTE: Please look over my May and June 2010 blog postings. There you will find many articles that will help you to do your blogging smarter and better and tips on how to make money. You might as well read those so that you can learn in a few minutes what it took me a few years to find out on my own. Good Luck.

Also read: Ways to make money from your blog for a pretty generic answer to the question.

This blog is dedicated to my friends Andrew, Peter, Ryu and Jimbo. It might seem tough guys. I know. Been there, done that. But never lose sight of why you do this in the first place. There is a reward down the road.

Marketing Japan: Why Google Worries About its Own Future....

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

Google is dominating the Internet scene today and seems like they have destroyed the competition. But did you know that there are rumblings below the surface? Did you know that Google themselves fear for their position in the long run? It's true.

If you stop to think about it for a few moments, you can see where Google may be headed for some bad times in the very near future. Some reasons have to do with Google being so good at what they do that they have created a hole in their armor that can be exploited.

Today, I will lay out just a few of the reasons that Google and outside Internet experts alike seem to think that Google won't be king of the hill for too much longer. Here's why....

Have you ever asked the question, "Where will Google be in 10 years?"

I think a look at what has happened to major terrestrial TV broadcasting stations, or what has happened to Rock "hit" radio in recent years is a good indicator of what might probably happen to Google. If you consider the shape these two entities - TV and radio - are in today, as compared with their dominant position just 15 years ago, then it's not too far of a stretch of the imagination to see Google as, perhaps not a bit player, but not the dominant player.

Why?

I think it has to do with a few things; first the fracturing of the audience and the variety of choice given to us by the Internet due to the Long Tail. Because the Internet allows us so much choice, that choice allows people to exercise their quite unique individual tastes. This is damaging the "hit" market and exponentially growing the "niche" market. When people have many choices, they will exercise that choice.

When there were only 4 types of jam for toast, for example; strawberry, grape, blueberry or orange marmalade, people bought one of those. Now that there are hundreds - and the online stores can carry thousands - people are buying the peach, plum, or Canadian Boysenberry.

When a customer, buys one product, like Canadian Boysenberry, that's money displaced that takes away from a purchase of generic strawberry. That is what is called, "the Long Tail."

(See brief information on the Long Tail see "A Primer on the Long tail" here and "Is the Long Tail all Junk" here. For an in-depth analysis, please read Chris Anderson's definitive work in The Long Tail.)

The Long Tail

What does all this have to do with Google? Ah, there is the crux.

Think of Google search engine like a TV station. The TV station must have very broad appeal in order to survive... Today, this broad appeal actually has started working against them in the long run.

Take the example I often use of TV Tokyo. Let's compare TV Tokyo and, the Food Channel on TV:

TV Tokyo has over 1,000 employees.
Food Channel TV has about 20 employees.

TV Tokyo has a extremely wide target audience of anywhere between 6-years-old kids to 84-year-old seniors.
Food Channel TV has a focused target audience of women between 34-years-old to 50-years-old.

It costs about $150,000 (USD) to buy 25 commercials on TV Tokyo.
It costs about $8,000 (USD) to buy 25 commercials on Food Channel.

Now, the question is; "You are a manufacturer of kitchen appliances and cook ware. Where will you advertise?"

It is obvious that you will take the focused marketing that the Food Channel offers.... Now, extrapolate this into every segment of manufacturing, goods, services and possible sponsorships. What do you get?

You get a market that demands specialization. Isn't it obvious? Isn't that the way everything has been going? What restaurants do well? The family restaurant that has everything, but nothing is especially tasty, or the specialization restaurant that only serves, say, Italian food, or the sushi shop, or the Chinese restaurant?

The catch-all shops are, in many ways, still useful and profitable (see WalMart), but they are getting fierce competition from specialization and will be in the future. People, when given a choice, will choice specialization.

I touched on that in more detail here in "Marketing Japan: Why Digital Conversion Will Destroy TV Tokyo and TBS":

When there are 300 TV channels competing for your attention and sponsor's money - both of these critical factors to the survival of TV (audience and money) will be more widely dispersed.

Think of it this way: You are the maker of, say, outdoor goods like tents, bicycles and barbeques. Say, the price for 25 TV ads on a TV station like TV Tokyo is about $150,000 (USD). The price of 35 TV ads on the sports channel is $14,000. Sure there are more viewers on TV Tokyo, but Sports TV offers a targeted audience of men who like sports (and, by the way, many are probably are married, have families, and like the outdoors).... TV Tokyo's audience ranges from 10-year-olds to 80-year-olds; Sports TV target audience is mainly 30 ~ 50-year-old men.

Now, where would you spend the money if you were the sponsor? 

It is obvious that you would go for the Sports TV. It will be the same for all manufacturers whether they make diapers or women's fashion brand shoes. The diaspora of audience will make targeting even more important as time goes by.

Now, keep this in mind... Sit back and consider... Like I said, if Google were a TV station... Google is a catch all search engine... Whatever you want to search for, Google search engine has...

But wait a minute! What about specialization?

What if some smart Internet site, say a Food Channel, decides that they wanted to corner the market for Internet searches for "Food" and anything at all related to just food and food only.

Some might say, well, "Google will make one too..."

No, they won't... They can't... They might try though...

Think back to the Long Tail and all the millions and billions (more!) niches there are! There are niches inside of niches! Google cannot compete with that...

But a small company focusing on their niche and that niche only can... And they can do very well at it.

Then imagine that every niche in the world had their own search engine. Think of it; anything to do with cars might have their own specific search engine, travel only (then inside of "travel only" sub-niches like "Travel in Western Europe" or "Travel in Lower New Jersey"); the same with sports, medicine, shopping for women's clothes, you name it.

Can you see? Google could never keep up with that.

Google would become like today's catch all TV station and the niche search engines would eat them up.

From what I am seeing, I am beginning to think that this is inevitable... I suspect that Google does too!

-----------


Keywords:
Google search engine, mike rogers, Marketing Japan, Google, Long Tail, travel, food, TV, TV Tokyo, sports, medicine, cars,  The long Tail, Chris Anderson,  Mike in Tokyo Rogers, niche, niches

Marketing Japan: Is the Long Tail all Junk?

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

After reading my "Primer on the Long Tail" where I explained what the Long Tail really is, one kind reader wrote to me claiming that most of the stuff (products, services and merchandise) on the Long Tail is "crap" and claimed that the proof in this lay in the fact that the average product in the Long Tail doesn't sell well. This, he claimed, is logical because he reasoned that it doesn't sell well because the average person doesn't want to buy it. So, in his reasoning, if the average person doesn't like it, then it hasn't mass appeal; If it hasn't mass appeal then it doesn't sell well so it must not be "good."

He claimed that sales are the ultimate determining factor in deciding whether or not something is "Good" or "Bad."

Is this pile of junk the Top 40 Charts or the Long Tail? You decide!

Well, I won't go into the subjectiveness of "Good" or "Bad" as what I think is good you might not like or vice-versa (or what is an "average person" - I like to think that I am not average and I hope most people realize that they are special too!) But the idea that one person's "Good" translates into "Everyone's Good" is, I believe, a little bit too simplistic so, I think you will have to find someone more intelligent than I to debate that point with you. But! I will show you how, without a doubt, for many smart companies who are doing intelligent business in Japan, the Long Tail provides them with better sales, profits and opportunities than the "hit" products. And I will prove to you, once again without a doubt that, when it comes to quality, what the the "average person" buys can often be a poor indicator of quality.

Popular and best selling? Yes. Quality? No comment (not from me at least).

The evidence of the booming business that the Long Tail offers on the Internet is all around, but even with that, some people refuse to see it, so I'll make some simple examples today.

Like I said, sure there is a lot of junk on the Long Tail, but there's a lot of junk at the top of the best seller list too. Would anyone argue that there's not a lot of crap on the, say, hit charts of popular music too?

Whether something sells well or not, is not completely a measure of it being "Good" or "Bad"; it is also a a factor in whether or not something was promoted or marketed well. It has to do with distribution problems and whether or not there was enough shelf space for it in a brick and mortar store.

I disagree that sales, in and of themselves, is a measure of "Good" or "Bad" and, once again, would like to point out what Chris Anderson wrote in The Long Tail to support my arguments. On page 118 it says,

"...for many people, the best stuff is in the Tail. If you're interested in Audiophile stereo equipment, the finest equipment is not going to be among the best sellers at Best Buy."

Think about that, that's exactly right. The best stereo equipment in the world would never be a top ten seller at a discount electronics shop or at K-Mart. Those places sell cheap boom-boxes imported from Asia. The best equipment would have to come from a specialist shop. I doubt that the average person is spending over ten or twenty thousand dollars for the world's best component stereo equipment. I won't argue that the average person is scooping up the compact, battery powered, CD, cassette, radio made in China that K-Mart has marked down to $8.99 for after Christmas clearance.

No arguments there. K-Mart also sells a guitar for $24.99 too... But I think you'd have a very hard time finding a professional quality Gibson or Fender for that low, low price - holiday clearance or not (OK, well, perhaps during the coming of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalyse!)

OK. I think anyone would agree with me on the examples above. Yes?

Now, I'd like to point out that, when done correctly, a company in the year 2010 and beyond can sell and profit more through exploitation of the Long Tail and products residing in the Long Tail market more than they can by just selling hit products.

Because the Long Tail offers a virtually unending source of goods, then niche marketing can find the perfect product to fit exactly what the customer wants... Not so with a brick and mortar store! Think about this: How many times have you gone to the store to buy something but couldn't find exactly what you wanted, so you settled on the next best thing? I know I have many times.

This should never happen with Long Tail retailers.... You search for what you want; find other customer reviews and recommendations, and order the best product to fit your needs. Not a product that is the least of two evils.

Read The Rhino Records Story here

A good case in point how this niche marketing can be hugely profitable is Rhino Records. When I was a student in California in the late 1970's, I used to go to Rhino Records store in West Los Angeles. It seems to me that they had two shops at that time. I thought Rhino Records was dirty and dingy but I also thought it was cool as they sold 60's music as well as the local underground Punk bands too.

Rhino built a strong and loyal niche in that market for the Punk Music, underground, and 1960's psychedelia.... The story would have ended there, but they later made a deal with Capitol Records where they would remaster old Capitol back catalogue and re release it under the Rhino name. From that one deal, Rhino Records became a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.

Rhino Records didn't release big selling artists nor Top 40, yet they became one of the most respected and profitable record labels in the United States. They got that way by being cool and having street credibility. Credibility is hard to get, it is even harder to buy. Rhino got it by sticking to their guns and only marketing to a niche audience... A niche audience who, by the way, were sick of the big stars and the top sellers.

And all from releasing old material and back catalogue.

There is a huge opportunity for all of us in the Long Tail. The Long Tail, like Punk Rock in the 1970's, is taking the market out of the hands of the big corporations and bringing it back to the people.

And that is a key factor here: The Internet is bringing back business into the hands of the people; whether it be a small businessman promoting his company through blogs and blogging, video blogs (vlogs), Social Media and networking sites like Facebook, Linkedin or Mixi; to the housewife who has started a business out of her home utilizing Pick, Twitter, YouTube or U-Stream to freely promote herself and her business, the Internet has opened up an entirely new world to all of us.  

The Long Tail has lots of junk to be sure; but one man's trash is another man's treasure and, on top of that - say in the case of a record store  - the Long Tail has millions and millions of titles whereas the local record store has how many? A few thousand?

So, where do you want to shop? The Long Tail businesses that have these millions of items  - and the list keeps growing longer day by day - that are easy to find at the tips of your fingers from the comfort of your own home, or do you want to have to get up and travel to the brick and mortar shop that only sells a limited number of items in the hopes that they might have what is merely acceptable to you?

Your choice.

---------

Keywords: Pick, Networking sites, Capitol Records, YouTube, Linkedin, Blogs, Facebook, Popular music, Networking, Long Tail, hit charts, Rhino Records, vlogs, business, big corporations, Mike Rogers, Chris Anderson, the Long Tail, small businessman, Mixi, China, smart companies, Twitter, U-Stream, video blogs, Top 40, Mike in Tokyo Rogers, Marketing Japan, smart business, Social Media, Internet, blogging, best seller, Punk Rock,