Blogging, For Fun And Profit

This one was inspired after reading The Wall Street Journal Article here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124329313241952509.html

I didn't agree much with it...

Being a professional blogger can be EXTREMELY lucrative if done correctly. What you have to remember about blogs is that they are read because people care about what you say - and guaranteed, the number one way to get people interested in what you have to say is to talk about the very people you're trying to attract. If you can offer valuable information that will benefit your audience, and speak immediately in terms of your audience's benefit (re-read that part... it's the big concept), you'll build a large community of readers. Where most people believe the money is in blogging, then, is to build a huge readership and sell ad space; but most bloggers know that their readers are only there for good content and because of the relationship you've developed with them - and that for the most part, they avoid the ads... in fact, there have already been studies done that show not only do they avoid clicking, but their eyes don't even glance over them.

How then, do you monetize a blog? Build a following, maintain relationships based upon your valuable, beneficial information, and when you come across a product that would benefit your readers, become an affiliate of that product and post about it. If your readers trust you, they'll trust your recommendation, buy, and you'll make commissions. The larger your readership, the larger your potential commissions. Simple as that.