X Marks The Spot : Breaking It Down Since '05!: blogging

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Blogging To The Next Level

blogging, cash, life, money, writing 8 comments

I started this blog just for the hell of it. It seems to be the "in" thing now, and I thought it'd be cool to join in on the fun. After all, it really is fun to write, and it's nice to be able to put your thoughts out there.

Slowly (as in snail-slow), my blog has picked up a few regulars. So I started scouring around the net for more blogs and saw some nice-looking blogs out there. I soon noticed that there was a lot more to blogging than just writing, and what was once considered merely an avenue for my ramblings has turned into sort of like a mini-column. This wasn't purely about writing anymore, folks. Like with cars, there has to be a peaceful balance of style and substance.

So, as recently as two weeks ago, I decided to really up my blogging game. With Kricket's help, I was able to find a better (but not perfect) template. I know skulls and bones ain't really my thing, but damn if that template didn't look hella nice! But don't worry, I'm not emo.

And soon after, I put up some nice YardBarker and BallHype buttons in every piece I wrote, even non-basketball related ones. And I must admit, it doubled my traffic. It went from one to two!

All kidding aside, though, it really did help in gaining some mild exposure. As you can see in Kricket's heart-warming homage to my short stint as a featured blogger, this piece somehow stumbled its way onto YardBarker's Top Stories for the Day. Needless to say, that made me very happy. I know it's not much, but it was a solid start. Along with that, my last two pieces surprisingly garnered around 20 "barks", which is definitely a big step up from my previous mark of zero. Hell, my story was even linked to, once!

Now, yes, I admit first-hand the disgusting self-love currently going on here, but please don't mistake this schoolgirl giddiness for arrogance. I am simply in a great mood because, let's be honest, it feels good to be recognized for something you worked hard on. It just feels nice that, in some weird way, this has turned into something that not only I enjoy.

But that's only part of the reason why I wrote this post.

Like I said above, blogging is starting to evolve. What was once purely about writing has now grown into a mini-industry of sorts. Case in point: the ability to make money.

Yup. First, it was about the content. Then, it somehow became about the appearance. And now, it's more like running your own business.

And that's really what I want to share with all of you right now. I recently read a post on The Sports Dollar on how we can get rich off blogging. And yeah, it's probably skewed towards the sports bloggers, but there are some tips there that are applicable to most blogs, too. Sometimes, maybe, you change BallHype to Digg, but it's not that complicated.

Basically, that's all I wanted to share. Maybe most of you have done way more to promote your blogs than I have... But if you haven't, then maybe it's time to seriously consider upgrading your blogs.

Shit, like I said, we can make money off this! And while writing is still the main thing, it's nice to get some cash on the side. I don't wanna get rich alone... We're in this together!

Here's the link to start you off: 80 More Tips To A Better Sports Blog