How to write a successful blog (don't laugh!!)

My assignment this week was to write a blog post about "How to have a successful blog".  Yeah...that has yet to be accomplished. But I can tell you how I plan on doing that, and give you some helpful tips if you are thinking about joining the blogging world yourself. 

I started this blog as an assignment for the creative writing class I'm taking this year.  I was pretty excited, because who wouldn't want to have a place to vent your feelings and write whatever you want without worrying about who's listening? Writing really is a great outlet.
At first, I didn't really want anyone to read it, because I was worried about criticism and judgement.  But now, I've overcome that fear, and enjoy the feed-back from readers.  Blogging really has been a fun experient for me, and I definitely plan on keeping a blog when I have a family of my own someday. 

Monetizing your blog

Many people out there in cyberspace start a blog in hopes of one thing: Making some extra cash.  I am certainly not one of those people!  I enjoy creative writing, and I have learned so much through writing this blog.  I am not what you would consider "tech savy" so it is good to know some of this stuff!  Anyway,  If you decide you're interested in monetizing your own blog, here are a few ways you can do that.

1. https://www.google.com/adsense/www/en_US/tour/howitworks.html This link will take you to Google Adsense and walk you through the steps to signing up for yourself.  This is a great, easy way to start out.  If someone clicks on an ad displayed on your web page and buys something from that site, you get up to 8% of the profit.  I'd say that's a pretty good deal!

2. PPC programs- There are numerous programs out there known as "pay per click" sites, which tell you how to include ads in your blog that will give you money every time they are clicked on. The profit is pretty small but it's better than nothing!

3. An Amazon account- by creating your own account at: http://www.amazonservices.com/content/product-ads-on-amazon.htm?ld=AZPADSFooter you can start selling books and other things right on your blog.
With these ads, you can choose for yourself which products to display on your page.  If a purchase is made on that product through your site, you get a small portion of the profit. 

These are just a few ways to successfully monotize your blog.  There are obviously other ways out there, as some people make millions through there blogs. 

SEO

Search Engine Optimization- This is probably the KEY to having a successful blog.  You want to be recognized by Google.  It's as simple as that.  Labels, H1 tags, key words, relevant titles, and specific information are just a few of the ways to make your blog stand out from all of the rest, and hopefully make your way to the 1st page of Google someday!

Design

This is one of the best ways to drive traffic to your page.  Especially from a female's perspective, we all enjoy cute, tastefully decoration.  And the possibilities are endless! In the design section of your blog, you can customize almost all of the settings to change the appearance of your blog.  You can upload your own images from your computer, or take them from the internet.  Your blog should be eye-catching and easy to read if you want to lure readers to follow you.

I am no expert, but my teacher has definitely helped me along on this unfamilar adventure into the world of blogging.  It's easy to get overwhelmed at first, take it from me.  But if you stick with it and put in the time, effort, and research to making your blog work, you might just be making yourself some easy dough in the near future!