real blogging tips

Lately most of my “A” list blogs that I read have really begun to get on my nerves. As Jason over at TheUniversityKid.com has already said “Make Money Online Blogs Are Shit.” and I have to agree it seems that the hubris knows no ends. The further into the future we slip the further the credibility of many of these blogs slip into the toilet. Things were not always this way as I remember it, and on many of the major blogs you were able to find at least some scraps of knowledge to put to work for yourself. Instead of reading an editorial filled with over monetization at every possible turn, and as if this was not bad enough now the body of the content in most of these sites is nothing more than a poorly made attempt at a veiled paid post.

While I do not think paid posting is bad, I do believe disclosure should be required. I also think these guys are going to derail whatever is left of the track that niche has been running on by puking the type of content they have been into their blogs and onto our beloved blogosphere. This brings me to an important topic which is “Blogging With Integrity”. This can mean the difference between short term gains and long lasting staying power. While hype always works for short term it has yet to make a lasting impact in any industry. How about a Pepsi Clear with that?

Many bloggers have been called into question about promoting all sorts of new services. Many are promoting a service or website regardless, just as long as it can make them some money. How is one to know if a website is going to make money or not if you have never made money with it before?  This plays into trying to start fad’s and riding the short term profit train. I think many bloggers do not even think about the long term impact of such hastily made decisions and end up with closed doors because of poor judgment. Being a minion of the “A” Lister is a great way to make them even more money and leave yourself out in the cold.

I don’t want to make you think that everything posted in the stratosphere of our blogosphere is this way, but a certain amount of caution should be used when eating , breathing and sleeping what “they” think. Try not to just endorse a program because you read somewhere else that it is the next best thing, and when you think you are ready to post how you feel about a program make sure you know who owns what and who you are making money for. If their is no “Quid Pro Quo” then you may need to think about why you feel the need to endorse it. Are you going to benefit from this in the long term or is this your way of appeasing someone who would otherwise never pay you the time of day, and then think really what you are getting in return vs long term gain/loss.

Bloggers should be much more careful on what they promote and really how they do it as well. By offering a generic promotion that I have read elsewhere over a dozen times it is really a major turnoff.  Period. By offering something unique or a different outlook on the program, I may be more persuaded to sign up under the referral link. Most importantly you should be honest, do not promise your readers that they will make money etc, before the website even launches or before you have made money with them.

With all of the drama going on and bloggers “selling out” to make a buck, I think reputation, honesty and integrity will become even more important for those of us that were not in the game for the short term but rather looking further down the road at something we enjoy doing. I disclose and I encourage you to as well. People appreciate knowing where any conflict of interest may be and why you are posting what you are.

If you are not familiar with what it means to “disclose” then I invite you to take a look at the disclosure page I have which was built using disclosurepolicy.org

One theme you can go back to day one on for this blog is that I pledge to write Honest and Quality content. I also will not hock any product, service or person for money UNLESS I have used the system, agree with the person or actually USE the service. This is something that anyone can go through my archives and test. While I am talking about it, being an affiliate for a service you do not otherwise use does not qualify you to endorse it to me or ask me to sign up except under the terms of what it stands that you will gain financially or otherwise get in return aka “Going Green”.

Many approach this subject differently, but rest assured anything even remotely appearing shady to any ready and you are wajoring short term gain vs long term stability.

I think that many of the recent blogs that have died very slowly can attribute it to poor posting habits and poor returns on what they thought they would get because the “A” list sold them some Arizona Bay property and once disenfranchised they lost the will to keep trying as the expected “blogging for profit” madness has mostly worn off especially since adsense is no longer a new thing, and actually takes a major amount of work to get more educated readers to click through. All this being said I am really curious as to what many of the readers of this blog think of my stance, actions etc on the subject and how they feel vs some of the “A” lister sites.

Related posts:

1. Five Fast And Hard Blogging For Cash Tips
2. Effective Blogging Media For Your Success
3. Blogging For Profit 101
4. Effective Blogging And You.
5. Common Blogging Mistakes And How To Avoid Them