Attention bloggers: blogging is not the only way to make money online
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Don’t get stuck in the “blogging = making money online” rut.
Somehow, the meta-blogs (blogs about blogging) grew from a small number into some sort of Self-sustaining Mutant Creature that devoured thousands of bloggers and now threatens to destroy us all.Maybe I’m exaggerating a tiny bit, but I get a little sick of the almost dogmatic chant of “blogging = the only path to money.” And, before you go saying “There’s Michael, being a total dumbass again,” remember that I do think blogging is one of the easier ways to make money online. However, I think too many people are being conditioned into ignoring other opportunities.
John Chow makes $10,000 a month from his blog, while he makes a whole hell of a lot more from The Tech Zone, an old-fashioned affiliate site. Think he’s ever going to tell you how to do that on his blog? Yeah, right. Another of the big-name bloggers is Shoemoney. Though I don’t know what revenue his main blog generates, I know it pales in comparison to his other online e-commerce operations. Again, will Shoemoney ever tell you his real money-making secrets? Doubtful.
So, if you’re asking yourself what other opportunities are out there, or if you’ve just never thought about anything other than blogging, here’s a few ideas:
1. Good ol’ e-commerce
E-commerce was all the rage until the Self-sustaining Mutant Blog Creature devoured it. Back when I was still doing web development full time, every customer wanted to setup an e-commerce site.
“Can you build me a site with one of those shoppy carts and stuff like Amazon,” they’d ask.
“Sure, just write me a check for $5000,” I’d reply.
Now, all an entrepreneurial person needs is a few PayPal buttons and something to sell.
Need some more advice on this? Here’s a few good blogs on e-commerce:
Really, that’s about it for e-commerce blogs with any real advice. In fact, there’s another opportunity for you: e-commerce blogs. Now, get to work.
2. Static informational web sites
Not every website must have daily updates and an RSS feed. Didn’t you read my earlier post? I still have sites in my bookmarks that haven’t updated since 1998, but they still have value to many people. One of my current projects is a static website about health insurance. I plan on building it, writing several articles, and uploading it. I’ll buy some paid links to help the page rank, and then I’ll sit back and let the magic of the long tail earn me money. Really, it works. Not everything has to be a blog.
3. eBay
Good old eBay, she’s been kind to me over the years. I still generate a few hundred dollars in profit each month from my auctions.
Some decent eBay blogs:
Those are just a few ideas to kick start your imagination. Don’t get “blog blindness” and pass up potentially more lucrative opportunities.