Many people that get started with blogging think all it takes is a somewhat decent concept and to make it and the traffic will come in.

This is why many bloggers don’t make much money, and unfortunately can’t quit their day job.

There are many mechanics that go into making a good blog. Trying to make a blog buzz worthy and bring in large amounts of traffic requires a lot more effort than most would think. The main key to making a lucrative blog is marketing, marketing, marketing. You can’t get anywhere without knowing how to market. Marketing your site will be close to 90% of what you will be doing, and it’s still only half the battle. You have to know how to keep your topics fresh, up-to-date and relevant. This can be a challenge if you work by yourself but they are a few tips that can make this task easier:

1. Choose a topic of interest and/or a topic that you know extensively about. I find that enthusiasts have an easier time gathering data and research on something they enjoy, same for experts.

2. Gather your info early. If you plan on doing a review blog, for example, do all the busywork beforehand (looking up sources, reviewing products/services, etc.), then make your blog. Make sure you have enough material that would last you for a long while until you have time to update your site, this will give you time to promote it.

3. Manage your time wisely; don’t try to do too many things at once. Set aside what tasks you are to partake in so you can be focused and make fewer mistakes and thus waste less time.

4. Keep your eye on competing blogs; what they DON’T have can be something you can provide, seize the opportunity.

Another obstacle to tackle is marketing. How does one market? Many have asked that question hoping to get an easy solution but instead are lead into scams and disappointment each time. Let me say this for the record, most if not all the info you need to work online is FREE. If you can’t find a video on it then more than likely someone has written a blog or article (like this one) about it which you can observe for free. NEVER pay for advice, that’s how so many people get scammed. The best way to go about marketing is DIY style, which means Do-It-Yourself. You can try one of the options, or all of them if you want to:

–Video Marketing

–Link Marketing (Adwords and/or one-way/reciprocal links on other websites via link trade or forum signature)

–Search Engine Marketing (free listing, paid directory or Adwords)

–Social Networking sites (Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, etc)

–Email Marketing (not recommended but some still claim this works)