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10 Network Blogging Survival Tips

Posted By Darren Rowse 18th of June 2008 Blog Networks 0 Comments

Do you blog at a blog network? If so this post from Deborah Ng from Freelance Writing Jobs might be worthwhile checking out.

While the income from blogs I own is rising steadily, the bulk of the money I earn blogging comes from maintaining blogs for other networks and individuals. It’s the network blogging thing I’d like to talk to you about today.

Many people balk at the idea of writing for a network because they feel there are too many rules or the pay is too low. I’m here to tell you this doesn’t have to be the case. Network blogging can be a great career boost – and very lucrative if you give it your all.

What follows are a few network survival tips.

1. Don’t balk at the base – Don’t let a low base pay keep you from blogging for a network. For most networks that’s just a starting point. The key to making money for a network are the traffic bonuses. With blogging, you get what you give. If you work hard to promote your blog and bring in traffic, those bonus bucks will add up. Trust me, I know. I’ve made four figures a month with my network blogs – mostly due to good traffic.

2. Don’t Choose a Topic You Know Nothing About – Because you’ll be blogging every day, you really do need to be passionate about your topic. If you choose a topic you don’t really know or enjoy it will soon be clear to you – and your readers. The most unhappy bloggers are the ones who aren’t blogging their passion. People who enjoy their topics never run out of things to write about.

3. Be a team player – When I worked in a corporate office I hated all mentions of teamwork. With network blogging it’s a different story. When I worked with a team in an office, someone else took credit for my work and very rarely was I rewarded for my efforts. With blogging, you want to work with other bloggers to promote each other and raise awareness and bring traffic to your blogs. Do take advantage of channel wide promotions and be free with your link love. Other bloggers will appreciate your efforts and do the same. You’ll also find yourself making some wonderful friends.

4. Stick to a schedule – The best way to meet your monthly quotas is to create a schedule and stick to it as best your can. When you’re blogging for a network it’s all about meeting your monthly quota. If you’re juggling multiple blogs, this isn’t so easy. I had a couple of bad months when I strayed from my routine. When you don’t post on a regular basis, and meet your weekly or monthly obligations, your pay and traffic suffers.

5. Establish a relationship with other network bloggers – With blogging, it’s definitely who you know. As mentioned above, successful bloggers scratch each others’ backs. If you find yourself unable to meet your obligations due to illness or emergency, your fellow network bloggers are always happy to help out.

6. Take advantage of channel and network-wide promotions – Many networks or channels have particular theme days or promotions. Do take part. They’re a lot of fun and can be a great way to introduce others to your blog. Usually those participating in the promotion will post links to all participating blogs.

7. Don’t be afraid to take on a co blogger – If you constantly find yourself behind but don’t want to give up your blog(s) consider taking on a co-blogger. I recently did so and found it to be a very positive experience. It brings a new voice to the blog and relieves some of the pressure of posting daily.

8. Take advantage of network training sessions and chats – If your network has regular chats or training sessions do yourself a favor and attend. They’re a goldmine of information! You’ll learn traffic tips, SEO tips, tips for writing content and more. Attendance isn’t usually mandatory, but where else can you get free training from experts in the field?

9. Don’t be afraid to have fun and inject a little personality – Many times bloggers feel that because they’re an authority, they should sound…well…clinical. This is fine if you want to put your readers to sleep. By all means, be factual, but use your real voice to keep people interested. And don’t be afraid to use humor, videos, cartoons, polls and quizzes to make things a little more interesting.

10. Speaking of video – Use it! I recently invested in a little Flip camera and use it to show product reviews and DIY updates. My readers respond to this because they get to hear my voice and also, I get to show them as well as tell them. I especially like video for product reviews as the reader can see what the product looks like, judge its size and also have a more honest review.

Are you a network blogger? If so, what survival tips would you like to add? If you’re not a network blogger, are there any questions you’d like to ask regarding blogging for a network?

You might know Deborah Ng from her blogs Freelance Writing Jobs, which is the number one freelance writing community online, and Network Blogging Tips . For a peek at jus a few of her network blogs visit Deb at Simply Thrifty, The List Maven and News from the Glamorati.

About Darren Rowse
Darren Rowse is the founder and editor of ProBlogger Blog Tips and Digital Photography School. Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Comments
  1. That’s great, thanks. I am now subscribed to rss at nbt.com.

  2. This may sound ridiculously naive, but how does one become part of a blogging network? Thanks a bunch!

  3. Right on Darren. Thx for the information. This really got me thinking outside the box on what is possible through my blog and the extension of a “network” in this manner. Great stuff. Now I’ve gotta go and do some planning and work! :-)

  4. Thanks for the tips, these are really useful.

    http://pixblix.com

  5. Excellent read! I have the same question as Shanel. Any suggestions?

  6. Helpful tips, D! I’m bookmarking them for future reference! I am not a blog networker yet but I’m looking into a few closer to my political/cultural niche.

  7. Darren, I got several questions :

    Q1. Who owns the blog network?
    Q2. What range of payments do they offer?
    Q3. As others asked, how do you find one? Google it ?

  8. Might be as easy as hard, remembering most of people just are not enjoying their current job, hahaha.

    “Not for you, Darren, … not for you…”

  9. Agreed with Asoka. haha

    I definitely enjoyed this post, as it really got to the heart of earning money and blogging ambition.

    Great job!

  10. Q1. Who owns the blog network?

    A1. Depends on the network. b5media has multiple founders and the CEO is Jeremy Wright. Other networks may have one “owner” only, or may work with a team of people who are all “shareholders” in some way.

    Q2. What range of payments do they offer?

    A2. Also depends on the network. Your best way to find this out is to find a network/blog you’d like to work with, apply for the job, and find out what they offer. The ProBlogger job board is GREAT for this – you can find a varied number of blogging jobs and networks there to inquire to individually.

    Q3. As others asked, how do you find one? Google it?

    A3. As mentioned in A2, check the ProBlogger job board, or yes, Google “blog network”, go to blogging forums, sites like ProBlogger, and pay attention to the sites you like, because it’s almost a guarantee that if a blog belongs to a network, there will be other blogs in that network listed on it, as well as the network’s name and site. The author of this post, Deborah (no, not Darren) also runs a site (that’s linked to in the beginning of the post) about freelance writing jobs as well, and I’m sure you could find loads of info there as well.

  11. I know this question might have been asked, but how does one break into the blog network?

    Also, is it best to network with those who blog about the same topic or to diversify?

  12. Wow I never thought about network blogging before. I own two blogs and write on them but some extra cash could be handy

  13. Leadership quality would be a plus point.

    It’s tough to break into a blog network, but, having a good blog at our end before applying is big factor I think, this greatly helps the recruiters to get a fair idea about the applicant.

    ~Sahil

  14. I blog on a few networks and my personal blog is also syndicated to various places. I’d add the following: keep backups of your own posts and make sure you have permission to post them yourself i fthey ever disappear from the network. I’ve lost some writing in the past when a network failed and it sucks.

  15. Last tip: Don’t give up!! :)

    –blog for dream–

  16. nice tips again, darren. One will know the value of these tips only if he experiences them.

  17. Hi – I’m so sorry I got here so late in the game. Different networks pay and hire differently – but there are a few ways to find blogging jobs with networks – the first and best is through jobs boards like ProBlogger and Freelance Writing Jobs.

    You can also go to the networks themselves and see if they have jobs posted or if you can suggest your own blog.

    If you know of other network bloggers ask them if they know of any openings, word of mouth is another great way to find a blogging gig.

    Incidentally, if you’re only thinking of network blogging as a gig to help supplement your income, there’s more to it than that. Thanks to my experience, I’m now Community Manager for Blog Talk Radio. It’s a full-time, salaried gig. I expect to see more of these jobs in the near future.

    @MathBlogger – It can get tedious for some to talk about the same topics day in and day out – but that’s where passion comes in. If you don’t know about your topic, it’s soon apparent. If you’re passionate, you can blog about it forever.

  18. Thanks for the tips and for sure I will try to follow them and increase my viewers and comments.

  19. Thanks Deb for the advice.
    When you first started writing for a network, did you maintain an independent blog as well? I’m assuming the network would want exclusive content that can only be found on their site (rather than cross-posted from your own site)?
    Thanks!
    Dan

  20. Good stuff as always. Networking really is at least half the battle when it comes to creating a successful blog.

  21. @Dan – I had several of my own successful blogs before taking on the network blogs. Networks do want exclusive content though, and I never used the same thing on different blogs.

  22. Thanks for the tips and for sure I will try to follow them and increase my readers

  23. I am kicking myself for not accepting the offer made to me months ago from B5 Media.

    If only for from the list above, #8 – Network Training Sessions and Chats. That is a BIG PERK.

    Maybe i will apply again, or try another network. Good post, Deb.

  24. Shanel Yang makes a valuable point.

    I was hoping to read how exactly one can get established in a blogging network?

    Perhaps that could be you next posting.

    In any case, thanks for the insight.

  25. “Establish a relationship with other network bloggers”

    Exactly! About 4 years ago I quit a lot of relationships online. I thought that this people waste my time… It was my worst business decision!

  26. Thanks for the tips, I’ve recently started up a few blogs and need more great info like this:)

  27. great tips to build network…thanks for sharing

  28. We found a nice blog network system at Indonesia (spyonad.com) that publish content automatically into 72 website blog. We need your comments about the SpyOnAd system. It’s good or not?

  29. I still am trying to get my head around the Blog Network thing. Interesting post by someone making money on a Blog Network.

    Thanks Deborah NG

    Rick

  30. Fours figures from blogging for others sounds pretty healthy. Any idea of how much you would get if you stopped posting and relied on the traffic bonuses from previous efforts?

    The only things about blogging for others that makes me hesitate is that with that time I should really be posting content on my own blog, so it’s bit of a catch-22. Post for income or post for possible future income!

    The more I learn the harder it seems to get. lol. Thanks for the ideas in this article though. More food for thought.

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