The Real Way to Make Money as a Blogger
Writing for Business Owners the Key to Making Significant Dollars
Feb 10, 2009
When blogs first burst on the scene, freelance writers flocked to them as one more way to make money on the Internet. Unfortunately, most blogging sites still offer little in terms of pay: Many blogging jobs pay on a revenue-share model, offering writers a set amount of money based on either page views or Google Adsense clicks. Others pay per post, but offer such a low amount, it's hardly worth writers' time.
Like much online writing, freelancers are forced to write quickly to generate enough posts to make any real money.
But blogging doesn't have to work this way. Freelance writers who actually ghostwrite blog posts for the Web sites of established businesses can make solid, dependable money each month.
A New Approach to Blogging
Rather than seek out blogging networks, writers should instead search for business owners who could benefit from a regularly updated blog. Just about any business professional -- from real estate agents to restaurant owners to dentists -- can use an active blog that would help them market their services. They just need skilled writers to help them craft these blogs. And writers just need to sell these business owners on why they're the perfect professionals to do this.
Usually, freelance writers will ghostwrite the blogs in the name of a business' owner or staffer. Rarely, writers may get credit for their own words. That's OK, though; when it comes to blogging, most writers are looking for dollars, not fame.
Finding business owners who need a blogger can be simple or complicated.
In the complicated, but usually more successful way, writers can scan the Web sites of local or national businesses. Many businesses may already have blogs. But these blogs may be infrequently updated, perhaps boasting just one or two posts a month. Other blogs may have been updated regularly for a month or two, but may have been ignored since then. Other businesses may have Web sites but no blogs.
These are the businesses that writers should target. Freelancers should jot a quick query letter -- much like they would to land most other freelance assignments -- and send it to the business owners, making sure to find the name and title of the right person to contact, by mail or e-mail.
Making the Case for a Business Blog
In this query letter, writers need to clearly explain to business owners why they need a blog. They must also explain why they need a blog written by a professional writer. Freelancers should explain that a blog filled with spelling and grammatical errors looks unprofessional, while one that is rarely updated reflects poorly on a business.
The second way to find a business person in need of a ghost blogger is through the help-wanted ads on sites like craigslist or JournalismJobs.com. The challenge here is that writers will be competing with countless other freelance bloggers eager for the same position.
The benefit of ghostwriting a blog for a business owner is simple: Writers can negotiate a fair price, whether it's by the post or per month, with the business person. And more often than not, that fair price will be significantly higher than anything writers could make by blogging for a blog network or trying to monetize their own blog.
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