potsamoney.com

Hello world!

Welcome Everyone! I look forward to sharing this experience with you and hope to make lots of friends and money along the way.
This blog is about blogging and how to make money doing it. Not that I’m an expert you understand. In fact I am a total blogging novice but I’m reliably informed that this is a way to make money so I’m going to give it a shot.
Why blogging you may ask? Well I suppose the simple answer is that anyone can do it as long as you have a reasonable idea how to use a computer. You can do it part time, full time and from anywhere you happen to be in the world. Young, old – blogging is open to everyone.
But what do you write about might be your next question? I guess the answer is ‘anything you like’. Most people are good at something or at least have an opinion they would like to share. Whether it’s ‘how to build a wall in a straight line’ or maybe ‘how to cook a gourmet meal for 6 people with 3 screaming kids running around the house.’ Perhaps you have an alternative view on how to achieve world peace or do you know the secret of ‘how to domesticate the man in your life’?
A blog is a sort of online journal where you can share your thoughts, wishes or expertise with the world.
This is mine. I hope you find it informative and entertaining but most of all, I hope it inspires you to try it for yourself and if possible, make a little money on the way.

Head off down to the bottom of the page to read how I’ve got here in 10 easy steps.

Find out more About me!

Tags: blog, blogging

Blogging for money – Update 3

Hi Everyone! For those who’ve been following my blog from the beginning (and I know there are a few of you) I guess you’re wondering where I’ve been and how it’s all going. I’ve actually been very busy pursuing my first love which is building websites. You see, I’m very easily distracted. I get an idea and chase after it even if I’m in the middle of doing something else. That’s exactly what’s happened since I last posted on the blog. One minute I was writing up the blog on an almost daily basis when  suddenly I was inspired to set up a flight comparison website.

Now you’re probably wondering where on earth the idea for that came from. Actually I’m not too sure myself. It’s not as if there aren’t already plenty of flight comparison websites out there. But still, I quite fancied the challenge and off I went and set up www.gogetaflight.com. The principal of the site is in fact quite similar to this blog. You affiliate yourself to other companies who let you place their advertisements on your site and pay you for any custom you send their way. I’m pleased to report the site is already attracting visitors and although I’m not quite in Richard Branson’s league I think with a bit more promotion it should start earning me a steady little income.

So now it’s up and running I’ll be turning my attention back to this blog. Keep your comments coming in. I look forward to reading them and thank you so much to everyone who’s taken the trouble to write to me.

Until next time …….

Blogging for money – Update 2

Here’s a quick update to let you know how things are going. I’ve been doing lots of studying and researching into this blogging business to find out if I’m going about things the right way and if there’s more I could be doing to make my blog more profitable. One of the pieces of advice I read recently was that I shouldn’t mention anywhere in the blog that I want to make money – doh!! Seems like I’ve made a boob or have I?

You see I think it’s important to be straight and honest with people. The object of this blog from the outset has been to try and make money. I’m not making a secret of that, why should I? I want an easier life as much as the next person. And if it works I want other people to copy what I’m doing and make money too. Simple as that. This blog isn’t about providing false information or misleading anyone. I genuinely want to build a successful business and show others how to do it in the process.

When I first started out building my websites I had nobody to show me how to go on. Everything I learned was self taught and believe me it’s not easy when you reach a ‘certain age’. But I persevered and I’ve achieved a degree of online success that I’m quite proud of. Now I’ve turned my attention to blogging and I intend to achieve even greater success. So watch this space. I’ll keep you posted.

Tags: blogg, blogging, blogging for money

Blogging for money – Update

Well it’s been a month now. My blog’s online, I’ve joined numerous affiliate programs and I’ve spread the word to everyone I know. Potsamoney, the blog about blogging for money is up and running and I’m on the road to riches. Well, in theory that is. In fact I have to be honest and admit I haven’t made a dime. As yet the pounds, dollars and euros haven’t materialised and the six figure incomes I keep hearing about still seem like a distant dream. So am I about to throw my hands up in dismay and give up? In short, the answer is NO and here’s why. Because slowly but surely people are starting to visit my blog. How do I know? Because the affiliate programs I’ve joined keep records of every single visit and click that’s received on the logos that are displayed on my blog. What this tells me is that my blog is starting to attract traffic. Of course some of this traffic will have started out with family and friends who I’ve told about the blog but all it needs is for them to tell someone else and those people to tell others and before you know it I’ve hopefully started to build up a steady stream of visitors.

Now I’m not naive enough to think that’s all there is to it. There’s a lot more work to be done and I’ll keep you posted on the progress I make every step of the way. But for now my hopes are still high and I’m looking forward to promoting this blog using every method I can think of.

I know making money online is possible. I’m already doing it with my websites: www.flatstomachplan.com and www.essentialtenerife.com. However I like the diversity of blogging. I can take it in whatever direction I want and promote or sell anything I like. So I’m hanging in there.

Until next time….

Blogging for money – Part 10

Well I’m feeling quite pleased with myself. Less than 3 weeks ago I didn’t even know what a blog was, let alone that it was possible to earn money from one. I’ll be honest here and say – yes, I am familiar with websites and the internet but blogging always mystified me. And yet here I am now with a fully functioning, up and running blog complete with affiliate links and banners, just waiting to be catapulted onto an unsuspecting public sitting around somewhere out there in cyberspace. Not bad even if I say so myself. Of course this is really just the beginning. Everything I’ve done so far has been to simply lay the foundations for what I hope will be a new lucrative online business ready and waiting to be promoted.

So in this post I’m going to summarise what it’s actually taken to create this blog including all costs incurred.

• Domain name from GoDaddy.com – World’s No.1 Domain Name Registrar €11.47 (£9.58/$14.40) for 2 years registration
• Web hosting from HostGator
  $4.95 per month (cost varies slightly depending if you pay monthly or annually

Affiliate registration with:

• LinkShare - FREE
• Click2Sell - FREE
• LottaRewards – FREE
• - FREE

So far there have been no other costs and I have to say that as well as being an inexpensive way to start an online business it’s also been a lot of fun. Of course I realise that there’s more I have to do in terms of promoting the blog and attracting visitors and customers however I’m pleased with the progress I’ve made so far and optimistic that I’ll succeed in this venture. And if the worst comes to the worst and it all falls flat on it’s face then at least I’m only around $20 out of pocket. Can’t really grumble at that.

If you’ve been following my story I hope you’ve been inspired to try creating a blog of your own. Whether you’re unemployed, looking for a little extra cash or simply interested in joining the internet money making revolution, I urge you to at least give blogging a try. The risks are minimal and the prospects are endless depending on how  much effort you’re willing to put in.

Obviously there are others with far more expertise in all of this than me and I’m more than happy to point you in their direction if you’re planning to make the most of your blogging enterprise. Here are my recommendations and I’ll update them as I find them:

• I Hate My Job ! by Adam Horwitz

• Learn How To Blog! by Gideon Shalwick and Yaro Starak. 10 FREE video lessons packed full of information and advice on how to get your money making blog up and running.

Until next time ………..

Tags: blogging, blogging for money

Affiliate links and banners – Part 9

I’ve signed up to several affiliate companies with a wide range of products so the next thing is to work out how to display the banners and links on my blog. According to my instruction guide, this is what  needs to be done to start making money. Sounds simple enough but then again, these things can be tricky if you’ve never done them before. The first step is to decide on the kind of products I want to promote. As I mentioned before, there’s such a wide range out there that there’s bound to be something to match up with every blog. For instance:-

• LinkShare has around 21 catagories including: 70 travel companies; 98 entertainment and music outlets; 134 sports and finess programs and 335 department stores.
• LottaRewards is a well respected, lottery affiliate program which gives you access to lotteries promoted by PlayHugeLottos.com an online ticket purchasing service with more than 10 years experience. LottaRewards Affiliate Program pays out millions in commission annually and is considered to be one of the industry’s leaders. Simply by placing one of their banners on your blog you could start earning up to 25% commission.

So the next step, after signing up to the affiliate company is to choose something to promote. If you’ve been following me and already set up your own blog this is what you should do now:

• Sign in to LinkShare, LottaRewards Affiliate Programor whatever else you’ve joined. Usually there will be a link labelled ‘programs’ or in LottaRewards case ‘tools’.
• For LinkShare etc select ‘catagories’.  Either click on one of the main catagory headings or to refine your search, one of the sub-headings.
• A full list of participating advertisers will appear. Click on the left hand box then select ‘apply’ on the right hand side.

Most companies will accept you immediately although others may take a little longer. As soon as you are accepted you can start advertising that company’s products. To do this you need to put their link on your blog. Follow these steps:

• Click on ‘view links’ beneath the description section on your chosen catagory. The linking code will usually appear in a pop up box. (LottaRewards) ‘tools’ then banners.
• If you want the banner to appear in one of the posts in your blog select the ‘html’ button on the top right hand side.
• Select the link code in the pop up box by right clicking your mouse and choose ‘copy’.
• Left click on the text in your post where you want the banner to appear then right click and select ‘paste’.
• Select the ‘visual’ button on the top right hand side and you will see your banner displayed.

To place banners outside the posts in the right side column you need to do the following:

• Click on ‘appearance’ in the left hand column and select ‘widgets’.
• Left click and hold down on ‘text’ and drag it into the right hand column.
• Add a title if you want in the title bar e.g. Recommended Stores
• Select the link code in the pop up box by right clicking your mouse and choose ‘copy’.
• Click in the text box then right click and select ‘paste’.  Finally select ‘save’.

These are the steps I’ve taken to put the links and banners you see displayed on this blog. If it all sounds a bit complicated just be patient, take your time and you’ll find it’s a lot easier than you maybe first thought. So now that my advertising campaign is underway I’m beginning to feel quite good about this whole blogging adventure. I’m going to do a bit more research and see if there are any other  interesting affiliate companies to join and then I guess it’s down to promotion and getting my blog ‘OUT THERE’. So until next time…

Tags: affiliate programs

Affiliate advertising – Part 8

Now that the blog is up and running, I want to start making money from it. I’ve read my guide from cover to cover and listened to the advice given in Adam Horwicz’s video ‘I Hate My Job’. Now I’m ready to move on and start putting ads on the blog. So what do I sell and where do I find it?What you choose to advertise depends of course on the theme of the blog. For example, there isn’t much point promoting ladies lingerie if your blog is about rugby. Therefore the key is to find like minded products or services that will complement your blog. So here are a few of the places I’ve found and the good news is that they are all FREE to join. All you do is sign up for an account then you will have access to banners advertising all kinds of goods to put on your blog. If somebody buys something you get paid, as simple as that! No tricks, no hidden charges. It costs you ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! So far this blog has cost me €11.47 for the domain name and about $4.95 for web hosting. It’s hardly a massive investment so my next stop is to sign up for the affiliate programs and get myself some advertising banners. These are the ones I’m going for. They’re FREE TO JOIN so if you’re following me and setting up a money making blog go ahead and get yourself an account now. For the widest range of products and services available to promote I would recommend joining as many as possible. (Did I already mention, it costs nothing!)

LinkShare has an impressive range of products for you to choose from. You’ll almost certainly find something here to suit your blog. Join LinkShare Today! IT’S FREE

Click2Sell has a wide range of products to promote: Sign Up here

LottaRewards Affiliate Program Earn up to 25% commission with LottaRewards by promoting any or all of the following:

*UK lottery * EuroMillions * Powerball * MegaMillions * MiniLottos * SuperEna *

Market Health is the place to go for health and beauty products.

ClickBank Affiliate Marketplace. A great source of products and services.

Commission Junction. Another good marketplace with something for everyone.

Note: Some affiliate companies will pay by cheque or directly into a bank account, however I’ve found that most prefer to pay you by PayPal. In my opinion this is by far the safest, most convenient method of sending and receiving payments. If you haven’t already got a PayPal account sign up for one here:

In the next post we’ll start adding some banners to the blog so hurry up and sign up for the affiliate programs and let’s start earning pots of money! Until next time.

Tags: affiliate, affiliate program, affiliates, money making blog

What next – Part 7

Let’s recap what we’ve done so far to get the blog online.

• Domain name 20% off Hosting at GoDaddy.com – World’s largest Web host!
• Set up a hosting package
• Linked the domain to the hosting package
• Set up a blog using WordPress (automatically available when you host with):

• 
• Start to investigate ways to make money

As I mentioned in my last post I’ve started to research the various ways and means of making money by blogging. It seems to me that the vast majority of people who are earning a living through blogging are doing so by advertising in some shape or form. Some are obviously promoting their own products however there is a lucrative market out there for anybody willing to set up a blog and advertise other people’s goods or services.
‘I Hate My Job’ is a fantastic course by Adam Horwitz which describes how to first of all place advertisments on your blog then how to draw visitors (traffic) and potential customers to your blog.
Click Here! to see a short video presentation by Adam.
Now you’re probably thinking this is all beginning to sound a bit technical and time consuming. Let me reassure you that it’s not as difficult as you think. Most people these days know about facebook, twitter etc and these are precisely the places your visitors will come from, but don’t worry about that just now.

The trick is to find ads that will fit in and complement your blog. The way it works is that you place somebody else’s banner on your blog alongside your posts. When a visitor to your site clicks on the banner and makes a purchase you receive commission. This is what’s commonly referred to as being and affiliate. For a more detailed explanation on all the ins and outs of being an affiliate Click Here!

So now I’m off to join some affiliate programs which are going to make me pots of money (or not) with this blog. See you next time.

Tags: affiliate program, affiliates

Making money – Part 6

I’ve never met anyone yet who doesn’t want to make money. Sure some people are happy to settle for much less than others but let’s be honest, don’t you just wish you had a bit more money in the bank than you’ve got now? I know I do. Which is the whole purpose of this blog and my attempt to make money with it.
So how exactly do you make money from a blog? If you’re anything like me this will probably have you slightly baffled. I mean, getting people interested in what you have to say is one thing, but how does that convert into hard cash? However, my instruction guide assures me that if I follow the steps given it will only be a matter of time before the pennies start rolling in. So the next step is to seek out some more expert advice from someone who is actually making the pots of money that I’m striving for.
I Hate My Job! is a complete blogging course and a great place to start. I love the down to earth approach of the presenter which is a refreshing change from some of the hard selling stuff I’ve come across. Basically this is a young 18 year old guy (that’s right 18!) who’s making pots of money doing just what I’m trying to do. If you’re serious about making money blogging you simply MUST listen to what this young man has to say. Click Here! and listen to the short, inspiring, informative video. You’ll be impressed, I guarantee.
Another invaluable step by step tutorial that should help you on your way is
Learn How To Blog! by Gideon Shalwick and Yaro Starak. 10 FREE video lessons packed full of information and advice on how to get your money making blog up and running.

To access these 10 FREE video lessons Click Here!

Tags: blogging, blogs, making money

Let’s get going – Part 5

Now comes the interesting bit. You see, it’s all very well getting yourself a domain name and putting your blog online but now you’ve got to start adding content. That’s why if you plan on making a pot of money from your blog it’s uber important that it’s based on a subject that you know quite a bit about and is meaningful to you. That’s not to say you need to be a professor with a first class degree but you do need to have a knowledge base to draw on otherwise your blog will run out of steam before it’s even got started and chances are you won’t make a dime.

Let’s say your blog is about cooking. Nobody’s going to expect you to be Gordon Ramsey however it will probably help if you know the difference between a wok and a pressure cooker. Even if you’re not an expert you can still put together some interesting and entertaining posts as you’re trying to find your way around the kitchen. Personally I think you can get quite a bit of satisfaction from starting a blog about a subject where you’re learning as you go. You’ll come across as a real person and people will be interested in finding out how you’re getting on.

So the main thing when starting your blog is finding an entertaining subject that you’re interested in even if you fall short of being an expert. If it interests you, chances are it will interest others. If you’re still struggling finding the perfect domain name trying inserting the underscore symbol _ between words. Or if you’re in the UK the .co.uk domain names still work well. Don’t forget to check out Go Daddy for the best prices.

Okay so now we’ve got that out of the way it’s time to start personalising the blog. Once you’ve signed up for your hosting and linked the name to the package you will end up with a dashboard page for a wordpress blog. Your chosen name should be at the top left of the page, there will be a panel down the left and right of the page and in the centre is where you write the posts and bring your blog to life.
It’s a good idea to browse through the various themes that are available to personalise your blog and make it look more interesting for yourself and other visitors. WordPress have quite a wide selection to choose from for free and at this early stage I don’t think you need to look any further. So take some time, familiarise yourself with the links on the left and find a theme you like. Click on the ‘preview page’ link at the top underneath Edit Page to see how your blog will look. And don’t worry, you can change it at any time.

Tags: domain, domain names

Getting the blog online – Part 4

So with a domain and a hosting plan sorted I’m ready to go.  Here are the steps you need to take if you’re coming along for the ride. As a reminder the domain name cost me just €11.47 for 2 years registration from GoDaddy.com – World’s No.1 Domain Name Registrar and for one of the most flexible and reliable hosting plans available try HostGator

Once you’re ready and sorted the next thing to do is assign the domain name to the chosen hosting package. You should have received confirmation emails from both companies confirming your log in details to both sites. Make a note of the information before you start then you’ll have everything at hand when you need it. Here are step by step instructions which should make the whole process as easy as possible.

• Log in to Go Daddy and click on ‘my account’.
• On the Domains dashboard click on your chosen domain name.
• In the top left hand box click on ‘nameservers’.
• Replace the nameserver information in boxes 1 and 2 with the nameserver details provided in the welcome email from HostGator. It should be something like: NS1***HOSTGATOR.COM   NS2***HOSTGATOR.COM.  Save new settings and you’re done.
  
• Now go to your welcome email from HostGator and click on the link to your hosting control panel.
• Log in with your username and password.
• Scroll down to Software/Services and click on Fantastico deluxe.
• On the left hand side under ‘blogs’ click on WordPress.
• That’s it! You’re done and ready to go!

I should mention here that if you have any difficulty whatsoever along the way, I can’t recommend HostGator chat helpline enough. They offer an extremely efficient, friendly service at any time. However the process is very easy and you should sail through it with no problems at all. Don’t forget to make a note of all your log in details, passwords etc. You should have the following:

• HostGator control panel login details
• HostGator billing system login details
• Go Daddy customer login details
• WordPress dashboard login details

You’ve now got a blog set up just like this one and in the next post I’ll show you how to start customising it and begin adding information.

Until next time…

Tags: domain, domain names, hosting, hosting packages