I chose to do my report on the book titled ‘ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income, Third Edition.’ Co-authored by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett and published by John Wiley & Sons in 2012 on March 20. I found accessed the book using the Community of Southern Nevada online library Safari Books Online. This book is a good read and one that I would highly recommend to any individuals who have seriously entertained the thought of blogging as a means to make money.
The book begins with each author giving a brief introduction of themselves and the stories of how they got started with blogging. They talk about how each started blogging at different points in their lives from their early beginnings as hobby bloggers and their evolution into becoming full time bloggers. It was not an easy road for them and that there were many difficulties along their journey. They stress that turning blogging into a moneymaking venture is not an endeavor to take on lightly and should not be looked at as a get rich tactic.
After the brief introduction, they start with the most basic question. What is a blog? They put it simply and describe a blog as a particular type of website. They site content, syndication and conversation as the three main areas that make blogs different from other types of websites. One of the best ways to have a successful blog starts with choosing the right topic. It is a much more important factor than one may think. It can be the main reason your blog succeeds or fails. They suggest choosing a niche topic that targets a specific audience or demographic. This method allows you to have a more focused approach with the content you provide and grow readership more effectively.
Next, they go into the different blog platform options you have to choose from at your disposal. There are many factors such as capability, complexity, popularity and price to consider before making a choice. Then they weigh the pros and cons of hosted and self-hosted blogging platform services that one must also take into account. Once a platform is chosen, they explain how important it is to carefully select a domain name that gives a sense of credibility and professionalism to your blog. They go on to emphasize how critical quality content is to the success of your blog. It is imperative to have not just good but captivating content that entices readers to return.
Next are the meat and potatoes of the book. How do you earn money from a blog? They describe two methods of earning money from a blog, direct and indirect monetization. Direct monetization is income that comes from your blogs such as advertising, sponsorships and paid reviews. Indirect monetization is income you gain because of your blog such as freelance contracts and consultancy opportunities. They go into detail about the advantages and disadvantages of each and explain it is not an either or situation. They also help you decide which method will best suit your needs. However, those are not the only ways to make money from a blog. If you are able to create a successful enough blog, you might have the opportunity to sell the blog outright. It is a lot like selling physical property.
As I stated before I found this book to be very insightful about the possibilities of how to earn money from a blog. My only small complaint while reading is the constant references to go to their blogs within the book felt a little self-serving. Nevertheless, I liked that they started you out with the foundations of how to create a successful blog because it all starts there. I also like the fact that throughout the book they remind you to temper your expectations and to remember that success is not a guarantee. I would recommend this to anyone who might want to pursue being a problogger.
