Damien at the Speed of Life – DATSOL

Click on image to view the Excel spreadsheet.
This month’s theme: “Automation.”

Here are the textual results:

Postcards from the Funny Farm – PFTFF
9,651 Backlinks
8,630 Visits (in June ‘09)

Dynamite Lesson Plan – DLP
3,123 Backlinks
2,030 Visits (in June ‘09)

Damien at the Speed of Life – DATSOL
5,376 Backlinks
1,422 Visits (in June ‘09)

Net for all blogs= $207

Sources:
Backlinks-Yahoo
Visits-Google Analytics
Net-PayPal

Notes: Last month I used this word: “automation.” I suppose if I were putting out a CD I’d call it that. That’s the name of the game these days for my blogging life. I have just about everything automated to produce money and traffic. Backlinks are a little harder to produce that way but I’m working on new ideas every day. As a teacher who is getting more responsibility at work every day, I don’t have the time I used to devote to blogging.

Automation methods:
Backlinks: The only automation I can think of for these is submission to Article Avenue and the like. Many of my backlinks however are the result of people linking to my articles or blog because they like them. This would lead to the ultimate automation technique: “Write good content.”

Visits: In my experience, Stumbleupon and other social media has produced the largest increase in traffic. Find classy ways to ask people to read your work through social media. The following sites are the ones I am leveraging for traffic-

• Ping.fm – Choose the services you post statuses to and send a status and a link to your blog out to all of them with one click.
• Twitter – Ping.fm can take care of this one.
• Facebook – This is often a small group of a hundred or so friends. I usually use Ping.fm to drive my Facebook statuses but there are other features you can use on Facebook other than statuses to promote your blog.
• MyBlogLog -
• Blogcatalog – Send bulk messages to members of your community.

Net: Automation methods are Text-Link-Ads. I am making over $20 a month with my 3 blogs with this service. Google Adsense has made me very little money, but it is always increasing. Getting Adsense on a site is a good idea. The more traffic I get, the more Adsense will make for me.

These are the automated methods I use to make passive income. It is a small percentage of the total I make monthly but they are a substantial chunk. The rest of the pie consists of hard work writing and doing sponsored posts. I never do 2 paid posts in a row. Every other one is a rule I have for myself.

I encourage you bloggers out there to use the services and methods I have talked about.  Also, remember that each blog is its own animal.  What works for mine may not work for yours.  The thing that makes bloggers great, in my opinion, is their ability to create and innovate ideas that work for their blog.  I will continue to look for ways to automate my backlinks, visits, and net. Your comments are warmly invited.

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Blog Stats from February 28 to March 28, 2009
This is a monthly feature here where I measure my 3 blogs’ progress. My goal with this series is to provide 100% transparency for my readers and advertisers. You can browse current and past entries in the CAN… category. First I list the CAN data for each blog. Then I reflect with a few notes.  You might define what I do here as “de-bugging” for my blog the same way the amazing product Frontline keeps the fleas and ticks off dogs.

Legend
C = Circulation, or backlinks
A = Analytics, or number of visitors
N = Net, or the amount of money earned by the blog

Circulation (# of Google backlinks)
Postcards from the Funny Farm: 218
Damien at the Speed of Life: 21
Dynamite Lesson Plan: 14
The Damien Riley Podcast: 0

Analytics (# of visits last 30 days)
Postcards from the Funny Farm: 6,074
Damien at the Speed of Life: 606
Dynamite Lesson Plan: 903
The Damien Riley Podcast: 368

Net – (Click to enlarge)

TOTAL: $235.38

Notes: Circulation dropped quite a bit.  I know this is affected by 2 things: Other people linking in to my relevant content or me doing guestblogs and linking back to myself.  I did only one guestblog last month and didn’t really work the seo angle to make my posts “discoverable.”  As a result, my network of readers did not link back as much.  This did not affect my net so I don’t really regret it.  I do know however that a site will not get ad offers if its circulation continues to sink.  Therefore I must concentrate on backlinks in April.

Analytics also dropped for all a little.  Postcards was pretty much flat.  The podcast rose almost 20%.  That is encouraging.  I work hard to keep that blog presentable and I create what I feel are entertaining and quality podcasts each weekend.  As for the rest, I need to make a 3 day a week Entrecard drop.  This has brought me some traffic and I feel it is a good way to bring the analytics for next month.  I will also continue to blog-hop via Google Reader.  This isn’t bringing me much traffic but I am connecting with friends and that is always a good thing in this networking occupation.

Net: THIS ROCKED!!!  I improved my income from last month by over 200%!  This is due to the fact that I checked my opps multiple times a day every day.  And, when I had a decent opp, I always took it.  I feel there is nothing more I can do to make sponsored post dollars.  I can only hope the opps keep coming in and I’m willing to seize every chance to make dollars blogging.  For this reason I am not setting a goal for net in April.

Want more blog stats fun?  Check out my post on Net Goals for April.

The comment box is waiting for you. You’ve seen my results and read my notes, what do you have to say? Is there something I missed you’d like to discuss? How were your CAN results last month?

If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my FEED Thanks for visiting!

Just like a rock tumbler increases the value of a stone over time, this post is where I attempt to add value gradually to all four of my blogs.  It is meant primarily to keep me focused but also to share what I am learning about blog money with other bloggers (like you).

I’m not happy with the amount of time I spent blogging in 2008 with ratio to how much blogging paid me. Like any frugal person, I am now weighing what I will make in 2009 and using that to determine how many hours I will work and how much money I must make. These posts and the goals I set are part of that process.  First, my last 6 month’s earnings:

MAR 09 $221.38
FEB 09 106.84
JAN 09 251.82
DEC 08 118.51
NOV 08 165.00
OCT 08 90.00
—
TOTAL $953.55
AVG per MO $158.93

Projected Hours I will work per month: (48/month – 12/week)
Approximate hourly pay for blogging: $3.31/hour

My goal is to make over $300/month.  The ways I will actively pursue this are:

*Each day I blog, I will check all sources for income potential.
*I will work to raise my circulation and analytics because this will bring advertisers and sponsored post opps.

Any other suggestions on how I might increase my NET in April 2009? Leave a comment.

Maybe you want to help me make my goal through a donation? Accepted below via PayPal :)

If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my FEED Thanks for visiting!

Blog stats are free bread and butter at the buffet!
CAN Blog Stats is a monthly feature here where I measure my 3 blogs’ progress. My goal with this series is to provide 100% transparency. You can browse current and past entries in the CAN Blog Stats category. First I list the CAN data for each blog. Then I reflect with a few notes. Incidentally, since I started doing this, I have earned enough to purchase memory upgrades on 2 laptops and one desktop. It is a lot of work, but it really works!

Legend
C = Circulation, or backlinks
A = Analytics, or number of visitors
N = Net, or the amount of money earned by the blog

By working on these three criteria, my blogs earn money.  Mobey isn’t the main reason I do it but it sure helps when the wife says “What are you doing on the laptop again?”  To which I can answer: “I just made money let’s go out!” ;)

In all seriousness, it helps to have an understanding spouse and legitimizing your writing on a blog or multiple blogs through earnings is something you should do.  If not through earnings, you should ask yourself why you do it because it is easy to become addicted to blogging with nothing to show for it.

To explore my many updates, income reports, and writings on this topic visit the CAN Blog Stats archive of posts on this blog.

Now, go get YOUR bread at the buffet!  CAN I help you by answering any questions?

For the past year I have grown into what I finally consider a professional blogger.  I started almost 2 years ago just writing newsletters out to my extended family but then Technorati got a hold of my inspiration and I began to see what an established blog was.  I wanted my blog to be that.  With my evolution has come pay.  I use and some other services to make money off all three of my blogs.  I’ve been able to teach and mentor 3 people and help hundreds others through email and messenger.  One thing I have learned is that not everybody can blog.  In the same way, not everybody can make money blogging.

I’ve always been an “everybody can do it” kind of teacher/mentor but I think I am officially becoming closed minded on this issue.  It is hard earned money and doesn’t equal much more than $3-4 an hour when you put in all the hours you are online working.  Most days in the first year are $5 a day to $30 a day.  I’m putting this out there just to get the point across.  I am done trying to help people living in a fantasy land. Some will blame me for not being able to get their blog experience to make money.  Hey, it’s an art.  I can only point the way.

Pro blogging takes more creativity and vigor than most people online have.

Newbies have to learn so much about code and blogging, it is probably impossible to expect any money until 6 months have passed.  Up to that point you are working morning to night to get your blog ready and your posts relevant to entertain an audience and serve the needs of your advertisers.

This post is meant to keep the riff raff out.  The posts on money that follow will share the tricks I have come up with and the way I make a small income through blogging.  If you are serious about what you are doing, hope to see you around.