Every venture , including {non- profit- making}, requires a form of capital investment. i.e Money.

as a blogger you need money for promotions, another good blog is gistpage

DailyNews:

No you don't, but you need some hardwork, luck and creativity. But then, some popularity will make it more easier for you.

Remember, Linda Ikeji who has now become a mentor for most aspiring Nigerian bloggers, was once a model, so her modeling career, personality and gender helped her a lot. She utilized what she had to explore what she wanted...male bloggers need more creativity, popularity and maybe cash to make it today anyway....nice topic

Don't mind people, Linda Ikeji was already on the radar when she started her blog. And please, let nobody tell me she didn't spend to promote her blog. It might not be lots of money but she did spend! I am too sure.

maclatunji:

I don't believe those stories. Yes! Time, passion and energy are important but you need money to amplify the results of these efforts.

Money is secondary. You need TIME and PASSION.

I do make average of N5m per annum on blogging and I spend less than N150k. I spent more time researching and preparing contents than look for money.

maclatunji:

Don't mind people, Linda Ikeji was already on the radar when she started her blog. And please, let nobody tell me she didn't spend to promote her blog. It might not be lots of money but she did spend! I am too sure.

You are right bro...but what really helped her was her modeling status. you know Nigeria na? Nigerian men are mostly he-goats, they cherish patronizing females a lot more than males. Most guys today follow anything female with a cute picture on twitter or facebook hoping to get her attention for a date or hookup, and in the process boosting the said girl's online profile and career.

Most guys who troop in to visit linda Ikeji's blog or most other female blogger's blogs always comment to get noticed and to see if they could get the female blogger to like them, which is like pouring a bucket of water into an ocean hoping to increase the volume of the ocean.


Any wise and smart Nigerian lady of today with slight good looking physique and face will excel easily if she utilizes the shameful attitude of Nigerian men craven for every female attention- be it online, offline, etc....Nigerian men helped Linda's blog, and it owe tribute to her being an ex-model, period

brabus:

Money is secondary. You need TIME and PASSION.

I do make average of N5m per annum on blogging and I spend less than N150k. I spent more time researching and preparing contents than look for money.

Good for you but for you to get to that level, you needed some initial investments- what I don't appreciate is people telling newbies that blogging is as simple as creating a blog on Blogger or Wordpress and start posting content and the traffic will come. Many who fall for such stories end-up becoming frustrated and abandon the blogs altogether.

Bookmarked the thread 4 future references

Interesting... To earn from anything you need to spend money!

Linda's blog started out with some money + sometime + a large gathering of male (he-goats) = LIB

Now we have it...

maclatunji:

Good for you but for you to get to that level, you needed some initial investments- what I don't appreciate is people telling newbies that blogging is as simple as creating a blog on Blogger or Wordpress and start posting content and the traffic will come. Many who fall for such stories end-up becoming frustrated and abandon the blogs altogether.

I can understand your point but really what investment are we talking about here.

1. Time
2. Passion
3. An iPad or any other Internet enabled device
4. Domain name/Hosting plan
5. Internet connectivity year round
6. Good sense of humour, creativity and be on top of your game.
7. Traffic which of course doesn't come without sacrifices.


Life is simple when you make it simple. I follow Maclatunji's posts simply because you've carved a niche for yourself not because you invested more MONEY than other people.

brabus:

I can understand your point but really what investment are we talking about here.

1. Time
2. Passion
3. An iPad or any other Internet enabled device
4. Domain name/Hosting plan
5. Internet connectivity year round
6. Good sense of humour, creativity and be on top of your game.
7. Traffic which of course doesn't come without sacrifices.


Life is simple when you make it simple. I follow Maclatunji's posts simply because you've carved a niche for yourself not because you invested more MONEY than other people.

You are now beginning to speak my language. Do you know that "time" itself isn't free? The time you dedicate to blogging could also be spent doing other jobs no matter how small they pay. And for the average Nigerian, these things you have listed aren't easy to come-by. Can a hungry man be passionate and maintain good-humour? These are majorly the kind of people that some bloggers try to convince that buying a N150 ticket at a cyber cafe and creating a free blog and a few posts will transform their lives.

I know several Nairalanders that created blogs and abandoned them, I just laugh because I know they got frustrated!

basically, you don't need money.
The money just accelerates your blogging exposure.

so whats the final conclusion..aside the focus,passion and the rest of it.

you can hardly see anyone spending his or her time on the internet without expecting any thing from thesame..all game have their rules and the internet is not an exception...i feel the excerpt below could help
Here are the rules of the internet marketing game.
1. This game is played alone
2. Teams can be formed in the game of any size
3. You can choose to work with a coach
4. You have finite time to dedicate to the game
5. You can sell ideas
6. You can sell products or services
7. The web is built of code
8. Professionals outside the game typically (but not always) don't understand code
9. You don't have to write code
10. You must do your work in code or systems built upon code
11. There are a finite amount of combinations of code in existence at any one time but new code can always be created from that which exists
12. In this game certain audiences will cross - certain audiences will remain segregated from other audiences
13. The right kind of Research gives you an advantage
14. The Wrong kind of research can put you on the wrong path forever
15. Tools are available for assistance in execution or abuse
16. Networks are available for assistance or abuse
17. People are available for assistance or abuse
18. If you choose the wrong [use of] or wrong [type of] (15-18) you can wind up on the wrong path forever
19. A PC and internet connection are needed to play the game - The player doesn't have to own or even use these things
20. There is ALWAYS more than one winner
21. There is ALWAYS more than one loser
22. You MUST ACT to win the game - no amount of thought will make you a winner
23. WINNING can only be defined by the player
24. LOSING can only be defined by the player
25. A player cannot win or lose until one makes that declaration
26. A player must win or lose but can also win after losing or lose after winning

.

[quote author=koolg]Propertymart is @ it again!
Selling fast and Hot! .thanks @ koolg

To be sucessfull , u need money....

Now I spend close to 50k monthly to run my blogs[about three of them ]

Blogging needs time and money... I remember starting with about 5k[ I set up the website myself],I made ma niche different from other bloggers...

That's made we stand Out... I got about 500 visitors d 1st day I launched , got accepted by googgle 2days later...

Now its been good but still stressfull

Am still a student 200level... Earn about *00k monthly.......

My Take on this - Well, you don't need money to become a successful blogger. Perhaps, I would say for most of us living in the United Kingdom or better still abroad. We are more advantaged than other counterparts in the world - especially Nigeria(I shake my head for that country) where PHCN/NEPA or whatever they call them will fail to bring light as much as 12 to 24 hours on a stretch. In such an instance, how would you become a sucessful blogger? except - of course, if you have a stand-by generator, unfailing/unlimited internet bundles, dedicated time and well - researched effort. One of the reigning/interesting blog on ground right now is http://amazingandweirdstories..co.uk/. Guyz, check it out. The good thing is you won't be bored on it.

You must spend money and not just money but good amount of time to be a successful blogger period.
If you don't understand me, then answer this question;

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITHOUT FINANCE?

Yea

Brand_new: You really don't have to invest so much money to become a successful blogger.

Ask Bella Naija or Linda Ikeji. They will tell you they invested much more time and effort into their blogs and that is PRICELESS.

I beg your pardon what do you mean?? You wanna tell me that when linda first cameout and bella - they did not pay for campaign online - I mean ads - bullshit they did oo and when they got the traffic they were rest assured before the blogosphere was seen as a big hobby in naija everyone now run a blog... Look let's be realistic you need money to pay for adverts like facebook ads, google ads and any other ads campaign pls abi na free before ... And you need time and dedication check ma blo in ma signature am still workin on it to place ads to get madd traffic

I didn't create a blog, I created something that could help others blog successfully.
They success just came on its own. I don't smile to the bank because use internet banking
www.dwitch.com
Its amazing all you can do with it!

you need money for your marketing .. i mean massive marketing of your blog.

because, if people get to see your blog, it's quality, design etc, then you are

in for a bang.

but if you don't have enough cash, you can start anywhere using free methods to drive traffic to your blog.

elampiro:

How can one make money online without being a blogger? Email me elampiro@yahoo.com

Of cos, in platforms like http://getacoder.com

olempe:

Of cos, in platforms like http://getacoder.com

Also fiverr,guru.com,odesk, site nd domain flipping lots man

nex: What do you people mean by being a "Successful Blogger"?

If you can log information about, around, and of yourself on the web, then you are a successful weBLOGGER.

However, if you intend to open a website to generate income for yourself by posting news (plagiarised or original), then, what you need is first to promote your site. You need to promote your site, and I'm not asking you to start spamming Nairaland, or Facebook Groups. Assign a budget for Social Media Marketing, Internet Marketing, and others.

My Blog is not commercial, I'm only posting on it regularly, in preparation for the launch of my website. When that comes up, I'm planning on a budget of N500,000 for promotions, cos I'll also be doing print and radio. However, I have a plan to finance that budget.

I have also built up a massive, and very attentive following on Social Media: Close to 60,000 on Facebook pages I manage, and approximately 40,000 following my various Twitter handles.

Good luck to you all.

Wow, that's cool! You must have spend some years in building those FB fans and Twr followers.
You are good to go with your up coming project.

Let me stop by wishing you good luck with your project.

Great thread.

Laila Ikeji: for the basic requirements for running a blog you need money to:
stay online at least 8 hours every day.
buy your customised domain name.
for web hosting if you choose to launch on wordpress, blogger is free.
all the money i spend monthly is tops 5k.

the part of being successful blogger, you may just hav to increase the number of hours you 'work' online which increases your cost.
then if you choose to advertise, that's another cost.

to be a successful blogger at the most minimal cost, (according to my humble experience so far)

1. i believe you already hav a good laptop
2. subscribe to an internet bundle.
Tip: I use Airtel. Their normal 3GB data plan costs N5k. but thier BB dataplan gives you 1GB at N1400 and 3GB at N2800. So what I do is subscribe for the N2800 and use that sim on my modem.
3. buy a domain name. it costs 10 dollars a year tru goggleapps. tops 15dollars from any oda source.
4. host on blogger. its over free and theres no maintenance cost.. and when your traffic increases, you dont hav to worry about having to pay extra for bandwith kini ko.
5. then you hav to be online, EVERYDAY, at least 8 hours a day, however you spread it during your day is up to you. but you must be online that long, sourcing for the LATEST gists and aiming to always be the first to break it. your readers would always notice and spread gist for you that u always carry latest gists.
6.then spread your blog too. increase your facebook, twitter followers. you can do the advertising wtout spending so much on adverts but na work oo.
and it requires you do it everyday!

I'm feelin ur hustle girl..already a fan

maclatunji:

I don't believe those stories. Yes! Time, passion and energy are important but you need money to amplify the results of these efforts.

Blogs are no different from other online businesses such as forums etc. If you're doing blogging for money, you can start off by advertising for free in different media eg Facebok, twitter, nairaland etc just like i'm doing with my forum. Then when your blog gets a moderate traffic you can now decide to go for paid advertisement. But that's if you're in a hurry. I once ran a website for two years without paying zilch. You can do it too if you spend more time online and do some Search Engine Optimization(SEO). Infact that can bring you thousands of traffic from Google and other major search engines.

So, to answer your question directly, you don't need that kind of money except for the Design and the Hosting.

^LOL. You go fear my free website promotion skills now. That is why I am confident that you need money. I know someone who cracked the top 500 websites in Nigeria with little content. What happened? Some serious investment in paid SEO. He kind of took a breather and the decline shows. Without paid promotion, the growth is poor.

Free website promotion is like farming with your bare hands- it is possible, but ridiculously difficult!

On my blog www.wetinhappen..com, I've more money from offline adverts than online adverts. I DO NOT spend a dime on it apart from the usual internet subscription fees. I think you need to focus on a particular area, write about it and as soon as people start depending on you for info, you wont stop asking yourself [url]Wetinhappen..com[/url]! lol

maclatunji: ^LOL. You go fear my free website promotion skills now. That is why I am confident that you need money. I know someone who cracked the top 500 websites in Nigeria with little content. What happened? Some serious investment in paid SEO. He kind of took a breather and the decline shows. Without paid promotion, the growth is poor.

Free website promotion is like farming with your bare hands- it is possible, but ridiculously difficult!

You're right. Doing free website promotion can be very painstaking. That's why after promoting one of my websites that manages to hit a google PR 2, i kinda stopped doing SEO for now. It's very tiring.

Abujafood: Why don't you ask Linda Ikeji, She makes close to N700k monthly and yet uses a free blogging service.

wow dats awsome. So wat are my waiting 4?

3direct: The whole thing comes to the understanding of SEO and Social bookmarking, Looking at it from linda example .. then i will say you dont need money to be a succesfull blogger

plz wat is Soe and social bookmarking and wat again is domain name?