Jerry D. Russell

If you author or write for more than one blog or website you may have run into the this issue. Even with a stack of ideas for each and every project you are associated with, one or more of those projects simply does not get attended to in a timely manner or it gets overlooked completely.  Worse yet is the possibility that you will miss a topic that has relevance today, but will be overlooked tomorrow because someone else has beaten you to the punch and released the same information before you had the chance to do so.  Any of these things happening can lead to some very real frustration.

Generally a gap in content production isn’t due to any lack of passion for the topic. After all, most people never would have started writing about something that they weren’t interested in. Occasionally you will discover that you’ve lost the desire to write on a certain subject matter any longer but most often this type of gap in productivity is caused by organizational issues. By attempting to just “wing it” on a writing schedule or trying to handle too many things at one time, you are setting yourself up for a less than stellar experience and most likely a lot of wasted effort.

Lapses in writing can also be caused by this thing I like to call “Life”.  Even if, like me, you make your sole income from blogging or writing for the web, there are simply going to be days when you can’t make it to the computer to do anything.  Children, family issues, appointments, a sick dog, car troubles and any number of other interruptions can halt your day at the keyboard.  These are facts of life and you have to roll with them.

More important than the things that can stop you from writing is how you actually manage your time when you are writing.  Do you have a posting schedule or are you content to simply post frequently?  Do you participate in blogging events that release posts on specific days or simply write as you can, getting information or opinion out as soon as the mood strikes you?  Are you only writing for one blog while producing a ton of content for online writing services, or are you writing for a number of blogs, all of which demand your attention on a day-to-day basis?  These questions need to be answered if you are going to effectively manage your time, and in turn keep your visitors returning and new visitors arriving.

What organizational method is right for me?

Unfortunately, there is no one method that works for everyone.  If there were the world would have a much larger number of very prolific writers.  For some people just setting up a to-do list or a set of calendar reminders is a more than adequate method of making sure everything gets completed on time.  Then there are those people I call “Post-It-Note Ranchers”  Their lives revolve around a collection of sticky notes that reminds them of what to do next. Still others work with folders, index cards or notepads.  The methods depend on what works for the individual, and none are right or wrong, just incorrect matches for the person that can’t seem to make them work.

Generally speaking, a completely creative personality will work better with a visual organizational system.  Things are arranged and stored for this type of person in a way that holds a very vivid visual cue as to what is supposed to be in any given place.  Color coding is a great way for the creative personality to get a grip on their organizational skills, even down to color-coding days of the week on a calendar so that just a glance will let them know what’s on the agenda for that day.

A completely analytical personality will tend to prefer a system in which everything is filed away neatly so that they can simply reach for it or open the proper document when necessary.  Closed and labeled files, neat stacks of papers and a variety of lists and to-do entries are what this type of person craves.  “A place for everything and everything in its place”is the rule here, and systems that focus on order will lead to a great boost in productivity.

Unfortunately most of us fall somewhere in-between completely creative and completely analytic, and our methods reflect this. Both my wife and I are creative people, but we have completely different needs when it comes to organizing our workspaces.  To further the confusion, the methods that will work for you are probably going to be different than the systems that we have in place, but I’ll go over ours briefly.

My wife works well in controlled chaos.  She thrives amid stacks of papers and books in a world where no flat surface is free of something.  Everything is within reach and she knows exactly where everything is, though it would be a miracle if someone else could find it.  Her workspace is an explosion of colors, textures and knick-knacks that she loves. Her electronic filing methods are much the same, with many different project documents in the same folders and an email inbox that contains thousands upon thousands of emails.  To her this is inspiring.  It fuels her creative side and keeps her content, so for her, it’s the perfect system.

On the other hand, I thrive in a workspace that is neatly arranged. I’m a compulsive filer, each project rests happily in its own folder, I prefer my desktop clear of anything that is unrelated to the project I am currently working on in order to avoid distraction and the only decorative items in my workspace are photos of my family and a few small gifts that my children have given me over the years.  My electronic methods mirror this, with each project in its own folder and all of those folders arranged in a hierarchy that I can manage easily.  My schedules and due dates are kept in my email suite (kontact, in my case, but I will probably switch to Entourage when I finally get my Mac. for Windows users, don’t overlook Outlook!) These methods keep me going, along with a  lot of very strong coffee and some loud music.

What works for you is a matter of trial and error, so don’t be afraid to experiment!

What does organizing my workspace have to do with managing my writing schedule?

Having your workspace organized is a key component in getting work done effectively.  If you are constantly hunting for a piece of research or fishing around for a pen, you’re wasting valuable time.  If you have no set method for getting that next post out or any way to remember which blog you need to update next, you’ll find that things get left by the wayside.

As an illustration of my point, I’ll describe the method I’ve begun using to manage my blog writing schedule:

In the past I’ve tried to-do lists, task schedulers and calanders marking which blog needed to be updated on a certain day.  Enter life, and I find that there is a day in which nothing got updated.  According to a daily update list, I should just forget what I was going to do and move on to the next calendar day.  Unfortunately this means that I have several days between posts, or that my posting schedule is completely inconsistent.  This bothers me, which leaves me working to try to get more posts out in one day than I can manage without a great amount of stress, and those posts are not up to my normal standards.  They feel hurried, rushed and unpolished.

Once I conceded that a day-by day schedule was not going to work for me, I decided to apply a system that does.  I use a virtual adaptation of a rotating action folder system.  In this type of system, all projects are in their own folder.  Those folders sit in order of importance at or near the workstation and are done in turn.  When one item is completed it is moved to the back and the next folder in the group is tackled.  This process simply continues until you’ve gone through everything and the folder that you started with is at the front of the line again.

That is a simplistic overview, of course.  There are times when a folder in the middle has to be given attention, but if that is the case it goes right back in the middle of the stack, not to the end. In this way you ensure that everything remains equal and that all projects get the attention they deserve.

I apply this method to my blogging schedule by having one instance of firefox open at all times with tabs for each one of my blogs open.  I do not surf in this window, it is intended for writing only.  I look things up in a different window.  Since firefox allows for reordering tabs, I simply start writing on the first tab that is open, then drag it to the back when I’ve done a post for that blog, then move on to the next one.

The result is that I produce more content of consistent quality and remain focused on the topic at hand without worrying that I’ve forgotten something.  I may not always have posts out on specific days, but they are posted on a regular basis which readers like and I am comfortable with.  If I have a flash of inspiration for an article on a different blog or at one of the other services that I write for, I just jump over to that tab and jot a quick draft, save it and go back to what is at the front.

In conclusion

Once you’ve found a system that works for you, don’t let it fade away.  Take a few minutes at the end of each writing session to get things back in order.  When you’re done with one subject, make sure that evreything is ready for the next one.  It may seem like you’re adding senseless steps into the writing process, but in actuallity you’re setting yourself up for a more successful experioence in the long run.

Perhaps it’s a bad reference to some of the language faux pas made by America’s 43rd president, but the theory is still applicable.  The same holds true of the term “Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket”, if something happens to that basket you’re out of eggs and out of luck since there isn’t a way to get more, at least until tomorrow.  The same holds true of revenue streams.  If you only have one source of revenue, you’re up a creek at those times when income is slow or worse, simply dries up.

I talked about using differing streams of advertising revenue in an earlier post, but advertising is only one of the methods a blogger can use to generate income. Remember this;  The only difference between a blogger and a professional writer or journalist is perception.  If you blog every day or even every few days, you are a writer.  The same skills you use in your blogging can be leveraged outside of your blog to help you earn a recurring income.

So just where can I use these skills, oh opinionated one?

There are several different services on the Internet today that will pay you to write content for them. The three that seem to have the most potential at the time of this writing are Associated Content, Helium and Triond. All three services offer to pay you to write and I know of several people who are making a pretty little income doing just that, and I’ve joined in on the fun myself, though not for long enough to see any results yet.

The basis for payment from these services is simple.  You are paid a percentage of advertising revenue based on the number of times your article is viewed.  Broken down to its most simplistic, this simply means that you have what, in essence, is an unlimited earnings potential.  If you write the hot article for the month and pull a million views, you can expect a pretty hefty payment to be coming your way down the road.

Of course the chances that anyone will be able to pull of the perfect traffic generating article on a regular basis is pretty slim. The best strategy in a pay-per-impression marketplace is to write quite a few articles and then keep them coming on a fairly regular basis, which will bring people back to read more, which in turn generates more money for you

Sounds a lot like blogging doesn’t it?  I told you that you already had the skills.

So why don’t I just do all this on my own blog?

That’s a good question.  I’m just glad that I have a good answer for you.

Marketplaces like AC, Helium and Triond offer you opportunities that your own sites simply can’t offer.  Unless you happen to be an A-List blogger who is receiving tens of thousands of visits a day, these content networks allow you to get your writing in front of a much larger potential audience than your pieces would have had before.  To top it off, they have already developed advertising partnerships, brand recognition and monetization streams that it might take a single blogger years, if  he or she ever managed to do it, to achieve.  They are doing all the really hard work for you.  All you have to do is what you’ve been doing every day anyway.  You write.

Another advantage to these services is that once you’ve written a piece, you can simply forget about it and let it continue to make you a few pennies here and there for as long as it is displayed by the service.  This means that each and ever piece you submit has the potential to catch a large number of page views over time, and the more you have published, the more you’ll make in the long run.

Also, each piece has the potential to find a large readership at some later date, especially if you are writing content that may apply to your subject matter in the future.  For example, a piece written about Obama three years ago probably wouldn’t have gained much attention, but as soon as he decided to run for President that piece would be extremely relevant and might just become a great money maker for a month or so.  You just never know.

For me the best of all advantages to this type of service is that I don’t always have to use it to serve my niche. Each of my blogs is subject specific, which generally means that I write specifically for the target audience of that type of blog.  With content publishers I can cover any topic I feel like tackling today, regardless of which one of my interests it covers.  I can start on Monday with ways to increase your food budget, move on to a rant about something I saw on the news on Tuesday and on Wednesday I can write about my opinion on the newest line of children’s toys.  The subject matter is flexible, and there is always someone who wants to read it.  I just don’t have that amount of freedom on any of the blogs I currently run.

Which one of the three should I use?

That’s a decision that you will have to make on your own.  I personally signed up with all three services and will eventually publish articles with all of them.  Currently I’m focusing on Associated Content just to get a feel fro the site and how business is done there.  Once I’ve gotten my feet wet, I’ll check the others to see what’s getting read, then I’ll dive in with something that will (hopefully) catch their readers attention.

Each service offers different terms, options and payment rates.  Each also differs in their specific readerships, so it’s a good idea to see what is performing well in any one venue, then jump in on that topic or a  subtopic once you have the lay of the land.  Of course, I just have some pretty oddball things I want to write every once in a while, so I never hesitate to publish those as well.

A few articles that may help you decide:

(Note: these articles tend to be written by members of one or all services and may be biased towards one or the other.  Take them with a  grain of salt.)

• Triond vs. Helium: Their Positives and Negatives
• Triond vs Helium vs PrintNPost vs Associated Content (AC): which one pays off in writing for money?
• Associated Content vs. Helium

And that’s all the time I have for today kiddies.  It seems there is an orkish invasion to be halted, and only I can do it.  You can’t let responsibility like that go, so I must be off.

Until next time.  Keep workin’ it.  Your effort will be rewarded in the end.

The most common question I’m asked about how I make a living online is what tools I use to get paid, and I do get paid, each and every day. For those who might be skeptical of that statement, let me assure you that it is the God’s honest truth. The only reason I might go a day without seeing money deposited into my account is that I was too lazy to do something on a given day. I was paid yesterday, I’ve already seen payment today, and I’ve got several payments slated for tomorrow. I’ve gotten used to it, and it’s not something I want to live without any more.

Is it simple? To be honest, sometimes it is, at other times I end up feeling like I’ve moved mountains to get a check for the day, either way I push through and make sure that something that will make me at least a few dollars has been done. And folks, if I can do it, so can you. There’s no reason in the world that you can’t make at least a hundred dollars per month from your own hosted blog. (It may be a lot more difficult if you’re using blogger or some other hosted service.)

OK great, you get paid. Must be nice, but how do you do it?!?

Actually I use multiple streams to make an income through my blogs, and you should too. To rely on any one system of monetizing greatly limits your ability to bring in a regular paycheck and can, in times of difficulties with a given service, render you unable to make any money at all for days or even weeks. Spreading your efforts over different income methods provides not only the knowledge that there is something else you can look into on any given day to make a bit of cash, but at least for me it gives a sense of security. I know that if one of the services or companies I contract for goes under tomorrow, I’ve still got other avenues out there.

The methods available to make money through your blog vary in both type and in the amount of income they generate. Some methods are great for adding up to a hundred dollars a day to my account, while others accrue revenue more slowly over time. I use as many methods as possible, but they really break down into two categories, passive monetizing and active monetizing.

Passive and Active monetizing, my definition:

Passive Advertising:

Passive advertising is any form of advertising you “set and forget.” The most recognizable version of this type of monetizing is the venerable Google AdSense Ad. You simply set up an account, generate some code to add to your blog and forget you ever did it, while hoping that one day they will send you a check. This type of advertising also applies to ad networks such as BlogHer, TextLink Ads, Chitika Mini Malls and a wide variety of other services. The one that will work best for your blog depends heavily on your niche, bit it’s a good idea to look into as many of these services as possible.

Payment for these kind of ads varies depending on a variety of factors and the amount of income that they will generate for you is dependent largely on your audience and the sheer volume of traffic your blog receives. In a nutshell, the more traffic you get, the more likely these methods are to make you a good bottom line. There are rare cases however, where ads are so perfectly tailored to a site’s content that they generate a good deal of money even in low traffic situations.

Your mileage may vary, no warranty is expressed or applied.

Active Advertising

Active monetizing methods is the kind you actually have to put effort into each and every time you want to make money from it. The most profitable type of active advertising in my case is the Advertorial, or Paid Post. The most known companies offering this type of advertising dollar are companies like ReviewMe, SponsoredReviews and Izea. The premise here is that you write an article for or about a company that wants to generate traffic or awareness of their site in and around the bloggosphere and they pay you do do it.

There are a lot of people in the blogging community that feel this type of ad is the equal of selling out, or that posting this type of ad somehow dilutes the purity of all blogs everywhere. I disagree with this line of thinking. Advertorials are a part of every-day life whether you’re watching TV, listening to the radio or surfing your favorite blogs. They’re here to stay, and I’m more than willing to cash in on the method.

Crossover methods

Some types of advertising can either be active or passive, depending on how they are used. The most notable variety here is affiliate advertising. If you just slap some affiliate links in your sidebar, then you are using it as a passive method. (Say you toss up a few links to Amazon products.) You’re hoping that you made a good choice, and you run with it for a while, checking your stats from time-to-time.

If you’re adding affiliate links into your posts and comments, then it becomes an active method. It requires your time and attention a lot more frequently than it would otherwise. This method will generally give better results, since you can tailor what your readers have the opportunity to click on in direct relation to what they were interested in reading at the moment.

So what is it you’re using?

All of the above. If you look over my blog at Cooking, by the seat of my Pants!, you will see all of these methods in use after a few minutes of browsing around. I do a good job of keeping some of these ad types pretty subtle, but they are there nonetheless, and they’re making money.

My other blogs use different mixes of all of the above as well. some rely strictly on in-post affiliate linking, others that aren’t updated as often rely on AdSense and other passive methods, and still others make the entirety of their income from advertorials. It depends on the blog and how much work I want to put in to it.

I’m not going to tell you exactly who I go through, at least not yet. I’d rather cover that information on a company-by-company basis. It gives the opportunity to give the Pros and Cons of each on its own merit, and these companies and services deserve that courtesy. They are paying me, after all.

This overview should put you well on your way to finding a method of monetizing that works for you. Try doing a Google search for Blog Advertising Networks. It’s a good place to start.