Everyone has seen the commercials. “Freelance writers wanted!” screams the pages of nearly every freelance job site on the Internet. “You can get paid to blog!”
Many individuals would consider this to be a dream job. If you have a blog (and according to Google, a few thousand of us do), chances are you’re blogging for free right now, either because you see blogging as a good way to drive traffic to your website, convert traffic that’s already there into sales, or simply because you think you have something to say.
If this describes you, you’ll naturally jump at the chance to be compensated for something you’d do for free. Who wouldn’t want to? And if you’re a freelance writer seeking work, you’ll undoubtedly jump at the chance to: you write, you get paid. What could be easier?
Unfortunately, the paid-to-blog business isn’t quite that straightforward. You see, you’re not getting paid to blog. What you’re doing is blogging on someone else’s website in exchange for a cut of the Google Adsense income generated by your postings — in most situations, 50% goes to you, and the rest goes to the web page publisher.
Does that still sound good? It very well may. After all, content is king on the Internet. Google Adsense can make you a lot of money (the programme whereby you display Google adverts on your website and are paid every time someone clicks on them). Isn’t there one?
There is, in fact, one. However, in order to generate money from blogging on an Adsense site, you must be able to do more than just write. First and foremost, you must be able to find a niche in which to write. This cannot be just any old niche: it must be one on which you can consistently produce content – stuff that people will want to read.
You must also understand how to drive visitors to the information you create. Some traffic is already present on paid-to-blog sites, but in order to generate genuine money from this form of writing, you’ll need even more traffic. What are you going to do with it? What knowledge do you have regarding internet marketing? What about directing traffic to websites? What are your thoughts on search engine optimization? If you want to make money blogging, you’ll need to know all of these things – and even if you do, you’ll need the energy and desire to blog every day.
Assume you have everything. What can you concoct?
In theory, there is no limit to what you can create. There are folks that make a good income off of blogs and AdSense. However, there are far more people who are unemployed. In reality, you’re considerably more likely to be in the second group.
So, is blogging for money a good way to make money as a freelance writer?
In a nutshell, no. Blogging networks are wonderful places to go if you want to make a few money each month doing something you’d do for free anyway, or if you want to join a busy blogging community. They are not intended for professional freelance writers who wish to make a career from their writing.
Do you still want to make money blogging? Find a corporate behemoth that need someone to manage their blog and is willing to pay for it. Keep the paid-to-blog network for when you have free time.
