"C" and "V" are two baby-boomers who have been best friends for more than 50 years. They consider themselves cowgirls, and their friendship began when riding stick horses all those years ago.
They signed up at blogger.com 2 years ago (September 2008) and started blogging together. You'll find their blog at Stickhorse Cowgirls where they co-blog often and generously.
It's a fun blog, and one I enjoy reading from time to time myself. They cover a variety of topics, and definitely keep it interesting. One thing I can say about these ladies is that they definitely love to blog!
But the time has come for them to ask the question: "How can we support it?"
As a group, let's take a look at http://stickhorsecowgirls.blogspot.com and give them some collective advice and ideas on how they can begin to monetize their active 2-year old blog...
After reading through several posts and pages myself, I would guess that the idea of plastering ads all over their blog is not really appealing to them. That, or writing reviews and product recommendations, which might interrupt the flow and change the entire tone of their current "writing from the heart" style.
They have more of a personal blog with a genuine readership, than a highly optimized commercial blog. People subscribe and read Stickhorse Cowgirls because they like the content and the authors. They read it for enjoyment. "C" and "V" write it for the same reason - because they enjoy it.
Options to Monetize the Blog Include:
- Very gently weaving contextual affiliate links into your posts. It may be easier to start with archived posts at first, than to try to write with this in mind. For example, in this post: C: Information, Please you could easily use Amazon affiliate links to hyperlink your Trivial Pursuit graphic to the game on Amazon, and also the iPad image & text. You could hyperlink "Best Buy" with an affiliate link to their website. There are actually several opportunities to casually hyperlink to resources & mentions as an affiliate in this post and others.
- Accept Donations. This is not one of my favorite methods, but it has been popular and even successful for some bloggers. You can simply add a PayPal button to the sidebar with a note, or there are plugins you can use for this as well.
- Work with Sponsors. This may be a great option if you have a loyal readership and good traffic numbers. Unfortunately Blogger doesn't give you traffic stats (or they didn't last time I looked) which could be a problem. But you may very well find interested advertisers or sponsors that would like to reach your audience.
- Create Your Own Products. You can create a store through CafePress and offer fun relative items. Perhaps themed products that go with topics your readers really relate to. You might also take your writings and create a book - a memoir or collection even. Items like this are fun and personal and will appeal to loyal readers. They can also be used in giveaways to generate interest.
Obviously you can work in a combination of these methods, and weave them into your writing in a way that interests your readers. Many bloggers make the mistake of plastering Adsense or other advertisements all over the blog, which can be a big turn-off (and even cause a "reader revolt"). If you decide to create a book, talk about the creation and process of it as you go. If you take on a sponsor, introduce them to your readers and let them know why you chose that particular sponsor, etc.
One last note...
I highly recommend that you get your own domain name - at the very least. I would love to see you switch over to WordPress on your own hosting account as well. But at the least you do need to be in control of the address in case you ever need to change the location of your blog. See: Blogger vs WordPress for good reasons to consider this.
Feedback From ClickNewz Readers
You've heard my ideas - now let's hear from YOU! ClickNewz Readers are some of the brightest and most creative people I know. Take a look at the blog and leave a comment below for "C" and "V" with any ideas that come to mind:
http://www.stickhorsecowgirls.blogspot.com
What advice do you have for them?
Best,
About Lynn Terry
I would probably do the same and get a domain name asap at least then you have more control... Blogspot have been known to pull blogs.
The blog is nice and clean and tells a story... I can see why they dont want to fill it with ads and cb products.
Maybe just simple adsense and possibly selling a few ad slots whether it be for backlink purposes as there SPOT has nice PR and gets a fair bit of traffic.
Danny
This is an adorable blog, Lynn. I'd never seen it before. You have some really great ideas. I would be interested to know what their readership numbers are. If they have a good following, maybe they can work with a sponsor and get some swag donated to sell.
I think I would be pretty interested in an "I'm a Stick Horse Cowgirl" T-Shirt. 🙂 It's funky and fun. Lord knows I'd never get away with wearing an "I'm a real cowgirl" shirt, and there is a huge market for the cowgirl stuff.
I had to go back and read more over lunch. I really like your memoir idea, especially since they appear to chronicle certain life-changing events (I.e. divorce). Some of those posts have a large number comments.
I would venture to say their readers may be slightly different than though of us that are living, eating and breathing online, though. Maybe they would do better selling tangible products than digital.
One reason why they need their own domain? My job has blocked blogspot.com as a "social" site. It only costs 10 bucks a year for the domain, and antoer 5-10 a month for hosting.
Lynn, your ideas are great! My first thought when looking at the blog was that they should definitely purchase a domain. Perhaps, maybe utilize WordPress as well since it's great for those who are not technically savvy. I may even suggest doing some keyword research based on what the readers may seem to have an interest in. Moreover, adding google adsense and maybe also coming up with an SEO strategy for the site.
One more comment I would suggest doing a research on all things cowgirl and see if there's a need out there for it.
I agree on their own domain. I won't hardly read blogger anymore. There's no easy way to subscribe and I don't use Google Friend Connect because it's basically pointless.
This is such a cute blog full of life and great heartfelt stories. C and V could make this a super popular blog simply with a well designed catchy WordPress theme. It would reflect their personalities so much more than this plain page, like a true home on the internet.
Having a theme designed for them wouldn't be too expensive if they are careful and work with the right person. I'd love to see this blog succeed. I think the Cafepress store is a great idea. I'm going to send this blog over to several people I know that would enjoy it too.
I also agree that they need to get a self hosted wordpress blog. In the meantime, blogger has some great new templates available, maybe they can experiment with those and adsense?
In addition, they could spread the word even further by using a service such as ComLuv.
Creating a product of their own would also be great, even if it's just delivered in PDF format, and at a low price. Say, $5.00 per download.
You can put Google Analytics on a Blogger blog by going to Edit Layout, picking "add a gadget" (I usually do this at the bottom of the blog, choosing the HTML/Javascript option, and then pasting your Analytics code into it.
Absolutely must have some sort of tracking on there, and I agree about having their own domain and preferably hosting on a WordPress platform. I've heard too many stories of people losing their blogger blog and, with it, all their content.
This is a new blog to me, but they seem comfortable to blog about products they use so I don't see why they shouldn't include affiliate links when they do.
I love the idea of creating their own products.
Lisa
They could use Sitemeter also - I have that on my original blog which is semi dormant on Blogspot. I still get 14 visiters a week even though I haven't posted there for the best part of a year.
Get some stats software on there somehow - moving it to their own domain would be a start for that if there is no other way.
Then, find out which posts get the most traffic and think of how those posts can be monetized. Adsense is a start but amazon might be an option. Or find any companies with affiliate programs that have products that may match what people are searching for to reach these pages.
And... Build a list!
I agree with you and just about everyone else when you say they need to get their own domain, especially if they plan on monetizing their site. Blogger has been shutting down blogs that have affiliate links on it and you don't want to lose all your readership because google shuts down the blog.
As for monetization of the site, it may be a little harder because it is more of a personal blog and I'm guessing that don't want to stick ads all over their sidebars and things like that. A few affiliate links here and there may be a start but not sure how they would actually convert. They could also post a survey on their blog to see what people like most about it and then go from there either developing their own product or promoting some products.
Interesting niche for sure. One thing I see many established site owners doing is creating an ebook on their topic. This niche seems RIPE for a book. If they already have the traffic and followers, the foundation is already in place and THAT is the hard part.
If placing ads or using affiliate marketing is not something they feel comfortable doing, then IMHO a product is the next best thing. Although it's not easy, it is very doable. (Hint Hint) It can be outsourced.
You can get your own domain name and redirect it to blogger so you don't even need to pay for hosting.
I would make sure you keep a back up though.
Monetization
Blogger makes it easy to add adsense (you control the places so you won't have them all over the place)
Amazon is also very easy to integrate. Anywhere you talk about physical products you can add in amazon links. Since you are using the device others may be interested. It will be a low CTR though since you aren't really trying to sell it.
Blogger also has built in stats now. Not the greatest but better than nothing. They should have a good idea of traffic to help find a sponsor. They don't even have to think of a big business, just one that is looking to get in touch with their demographics.
Just guessing but I would say it leans to the female side, experienced in the world (not teeny boppers) and more stable.
I can think of a lot of groups that would be interested in that demographic to sponsor a blog with decent traffic.
Also they can use Kontera (I think it is still easy to set up on Blogger but not sure) to provide contextual links automatically.
Create some "stickhorse" content, like how to build a stickhorse (http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-make-a-stick-horse-a100048), with some funny photograph, or how to organize a horse theme party for kids (http://www.suite101.com/content/horse-theme-birthday-party-ideas-a44167), and get some adsense on these pages. And/or create a pdf booklet with these things inside, with some funny stories about the authors when they were small cowgirls 😉 And some grandma's style recipe, too.
I must add that I found the links in my previous post with a quick search on Google, I've nothing to do with them. I'm not a pesky spammer! 😀
Thanks everyone for the advice! We have been considering moving our blog and "C" has already purchased our domain on Go Daddy last year! We just haven't acted on it. Our main problem is that we are babyboomers and not nearly as technologically savvy as our adult kids are!! We have considered trying to attract sponsors, but not sure on how to approach them. Also, our follower growth seems pretty slow--We've considered Facebook advertising that can be directed specifically to women in a certain age range (babyboomers), but that might be cost prohibitive. Do you guys think it would pay off? Also have heard of "seeded buzz" as a way to get new readers. Any ideas out there on how to attract new followers. We've noticed that we have lots more traffic (readers) than commenters. We are going to offer a giveaway - a Coldwater Creek handbag. I have heard that there are some blogs that you can list giveaways on. Apparently lots of people are looking for blog contests to enter for free stuff. Any opinions on that?
"C" is interested in speaking at blogging conventions--she is a great speaker/debator--Of course that fits right in with her career as a divorce/family law attorney. Just think her as the Suze Orman of family law!lol She has already written a book for women on how to navigate the muddy waters of divorce. Many people have told us that this is a niche that has NOT been filled. Even my own sister has said "I wish I had had that handbook to help me protect my interests. Many women friends have complained that they had no idea what questions to ask. Ok, any ideas out there?
Good Morning! Do you have a Facebook Fan page? It's a free of charge.
I've offered further down to set up your blog for free - simply because I'm on a roll setting up my own sites. It's a bit like knitting - there's a limit to how much you can do for yourself and family and then you have to start knitting for others - if you see what I mean. Plus I'm a little babyboomer and us gals have to stick together. I use Bluehost for hosting so I would recommend them to you.
It's easy to import posts to WordPress.You would then need to get a header designed and have a techie do some tweaks but it would be 90% done . See my sites http://www.socialmediaeverything.com - I did all that myself and the header is an image I created by screen printing the header on one of my other sites. It only takes me an hour so you would't need to be uncomfortable that you took up my time.
Offers there - your call !
I definitely agree about using the domain and moving to WordPress. You really don't want all your hard work gone which can happen in a split second with Blogger, have heard many horror stories.
Next do you have a Facebook page and Twitter profile for this blog? That will definitely help grow your readership. As for giveaways, they are OK but people are just looking for free stuff and I think there are better ways to gain new quality subscribers like a mailing list, social media like I mentioned, guest blogging, etc.
I would also recommend cleaning up the side bar (too many categories/labels, remove the blog roll or at least put it on it's own page and things like that). Oh and you could have a separate About Us page to put your info on.
It would be easier to read if you used a more tag where the reader just sees a bit of the post and then can click to read more. I have to scroll a lot on your blog to get to more content. I especially like that you use images in all of your posts!
I know we are supposed to be talking about monetizing here but I think some of the things above really help because for me personally if there is too much blog clutter, I skip away really quick which obviously means I don't click through to buy anything.
And most definitely do keyword research and SEO (search engine optimization) plus use affiliate links to monetize your blog. Loved Lynn's recommendation of linking the Trivial Pursuit game and iPad.
Looking forward to seeing what you do with your blog!
This is a great blog Lynn! Yes, as everyone says, go with wordpress, it's the best! I think they could possibly do some book reviews for amazon books for what's on their "bookshelf" if they are reading something that relates to their blog, and art.com has a great affiliate program.
I noticed they had some images in the sidebar that could be links to posters at art.com if they would affiliate they could have these images link to art.com with their affiliate link embedded.
The links for their images within posts, such the ipad, could be an amazon affiliate link as well.
Just some ideas.
The first thing is to move this over to a WordPress install. Get some advice from folk on here re. the best theme to use. And then immediately put an ad in the sidebar with a graphic of C's book! You've got an audience and loyal following. You may not sell a lot of books but it will get you started in advertising.
Great article Lynn! I started on blogspot about 6 years ago and have since moved to WordPress but if I were the ladies I would keep my blogspot and move to WordPress. I didn't want to give up blogspot becasue I have over 5000 backlinks and when my main site got hacked, blogspot saved my fanny!! I had plenty of sponsors with blogspot, they can tell if you have a great blog with traffic! Good Luck!
Sponsorship can usually take MANY forms. Fram a passive sponsorship (where the spnsor does not ask for anything in return) or active sponsorhip (where they are expected to announce publicly who is supporting them, there are plenty of options inbetween.
And I completly agree with you on that last point. If they want to start monitising the site, first they will have to invest on it with a shiny new server and a domain name...
As far as a domain name goes, Blogger makes this easy. You can register a domain name and, in your Blogger settings, set the domain name to replace your Blogspot name. All links to the Blogspot name will still come to your site, but links the new domain will, too. Blogger will host your domain for you, but I would do it as a separate hosting service like Godaddy (to make host moving easy if needed).
This way, if you wish to move off Blogger to a paid hosting setup with WordPress in the future, you will have already established links with the new domain name.
On monetization, consider starting an email list using an autoresponder service. Possibly these emails could feature some slightly different angle related to your content. Put together a weekly email series with an organic inclusion of an affiliate link or self-produced product at intervals of once a month or so. Check around Lynn's site for details on list building.
I think they should add an autoresponder like aweber to market to, instead of just the rss subscribe feature. They can also promote things like books for empty nesters, divorcees, music and movies they love, etc through a great autoresponder series.
This is a nice blog and I think monetizing it would not be hard at all.
Oh, just noticed, the guy above me mentioned the email list, so I'll second that 🙂
The idea of plastering ads all over there site is not a good idea in my mind either.
I think most people are more successful trying to pinpoint one thing to sell than rather the shotgun blasts that don't really work.
One should go for contextual ads only. Just show some relevant to the point ad to the readers. For e.g. if you have a blog about reading books, then have ads about books only, no point in having ads about cars.
I definitely agree with the others. Get a wordpress blog hosted on your own domain. If you don't want to plaster ads all over your blog, find some affiliate products that relate to your posts. For example, you could link to a store that sells cute hats in your post about hats. You had me wanting to buy another hat after I read that post and I need another hat like I need a hole in the head. WordPress is not that hard, I promise!
This case study is very timely for me. I have a blogspot blog (though with my own domain) and have been trying to come up with ideas on how to monetize it. So all the advice here will apply to many bloggers in the same situation. I will be reading very thoroughly.
Hi Lynn,
Great post w some helpful ideas. I agree with all your suggestions. Here are a couple I'm surprised I didn't see yet:
1. Start a membership-type community for a super-low monthly fee - a la Artella. I think they charge $3-$5 per month. On the inside readers can get access to special members-only posts and a members forum. Perhaps they could hold a monthly phone call / teleseminar on topics their members are interested in. Use Wishlist to develop it - or outsource someone to do it (I have a resource if anyone's interested who is awesome!)
2. Sponsorship is available for a number of things, as I'm learning from my friend, Shannon Cherry in her sponsorship class. BlogWorld doesn't pay it's speakers, but you can easily get sponsorship dollars to pay for your whole trip & then some.
3. Start teaching teleseminars on C's divorce area of expertise. Boomer women getting divorced need help. It's an awesome niche and with the book as the lead-in and her attorney status, credibility is huge.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention that I train people how to become speakers, either for free as a lead generation tool or as a paid professional speaker. Speaking is a great way to build your blog readership and you can do it in person at large national events like BlogWorld, small local events, or via teleseminar guest spots without ever leaving your home.
Hope this helps! For any of the resources I mention connect with me on Twitter. I'll respect Lynn's blog by not filling my comments with affiliate links & links to my training 😉
What a cute blog! And it's a great idea for one. I like your ideas, Lynn, especially of using affiliate links naturally within the text of the blog. Or writing their own book or eBook - they would do a great job at that!
Lynn,
This one looks like another "hit right out of the ball park" topic. I'm definitely paying attention to your suggestions, plus the ones in these comments, as I've still not monetized my blog, either. As usual, I have a number of (half-formed) ideas, but nothing I can "take to the bank" literally.
Thanks for this!
Deb
Lynn,
I loved this post. It is so eye-opening and full of great ideas.
I debate with myself all the time of whether to add affiliate links to my horse blog now or next year when I have more content. Or, do I do a separate unrelated site for affiliate marketing... but I already have several blogs, etc. Will continue to peruse your website for answers, as well as these comments.
Thank you.
Vicki,
To get your blog onto wordpress would not be too difficult, someone in this community can probably help you or you can pay someone $20 to get it done quite easily. As for moving from blogger, all the links can be redirected so you don't lose any of the history.
Re getting more followers, I see that you have already started a twitter account. You need to use that to chat with your readers.
Use Facebook to set up a Fan page and also join some groups on there to talk about the family law stuff and get them to join your page too. Link your new wp blog to the facebook fan page and twitter which will give it a lot more exposure.
Build a couple of email lists, one specifically for the family law stuff as there is one distinct market for that and one for the blog in general. Turn that book into an ebook or better yet an online course or membership where the members can have direct conversations for a monthly fee. Hold a webinar on the topic to get more people to notice. On the back of this do some press releases.
Start a forum on the new site to discuss the family law stuff and other topics.
As for monetisation, besides all that has been mentioned above, also look at text link ads, where they pay you a monthly fee for a text link to be placed on your site.
Good luck.
I agree with Missy on the book. I also have this feeling that this is great stuff for Oprah...
Just my couple cents. 🙂
Definitely move to an owned blog before monetising or they could be shut down and lose all their posts. So easy to import into WordPress and the main costs would be hosting (ideally with Bluehost - great for Wordpres and awesome customer service staff) and a domain name (I get all of mine from Godaddy). Putting the site up and then importing would be easy - if you can help them fine, if not I'd gladly set it up at no cost to them and then they can tweak it later if they wish.
Too bad they can't take the blog name with them the way you can take your cell phone number. How about a link?
Lynn, your ideas are great! My first thought when looking at the blog was that they should definitely purchase a domain. Perhaps, maybe utilize WordPress as well since it’s great for those who are not technically savvy. I may even suggest doing some keyword research based on what the readers may seem to have an interest in.
Lynn thanks for hilighting this blog. My suggestions are like other commenters.
1. Register stickhorsecowgirls.com and .net and .org
2. Move their main blogging efforts onto a WordPress platform.
3. Keep the Blogspot as a satellite blog
4. Brand the name Stick Horse Cowgirls on lots of other Web 2.0 sites like HubPages, Squidoo, WordPress.com, gmail, Facebook page, Twitter etc.
5. Start their own Cafe Press store with a cool Stick Horse Cowgirls logo and line of fun baby boomer products
etc etc..... Have them read Gary Vaynerchuk's book "Crush It"
Everyone should read that book.
Thanks for the inspiration
Meg
I think it is very dangerous to monetize blog site with the links sale, because it is against the Google´s regulation. The site that sell links can be punished.
I'm glad I transferred my blogspot site to WordPress that is hosted in my own domain name. Direct advertisers started to contact me for ads placement in my site.