The blogging industry is booming, and those bloggers who have perfected their craft are generating sizable monthly returns. Ever wonder how to make money blogging? Is it as easy as writing a simple blog and miraculously receiving checks in the mail? Not that simple, but close. Meet The Dating Divas. Their story could be your home business story. Learn how they took a simple blogging idea and started generating revenue and lots of visitors.
The Business Idea:
A group of friends got together and decided they were slacking in their marriages. With life and kids, dating their spouse had taken a backseat (for me, it can feel more like the fourth row in a 12 seater van). They did the research and couldn't find any other online resources offering the types of tips and ideas they wanted. So they decided to ban together and rotate assignments to create and compile weekly dates via a blog. This peer pressure worked as they inspired one another to get past the "dinner and a movie" rut and come up with really cool dates. The Dating Divas' blog was officially launched in February 2010 and word spread quickly about this site offering dating ideas to help improve marriages and spice up the typical Friday date night.Taking Off:
When did this become more than just a blog? As a group, they realized there was this idea of dating your spouse that the general public was curious about. They also had proof by the quick and viral reaction to their blog that there was actual interest. The next step was to transition the blog to an official website, because blogs are limited in terms of flexibility, growth options and the ability to generate advertising revenue (which is where you make the C.A.S.H).How They Make Money:
- The Dating Divas' website went up in January 2011.
- Despite its tenure, the site has already secured a handful of paid sponsors (these are companies that contacted The Dating Divas and wanted to pay a monthly fee to have a small banner ad of their business on the homepage.) This reoccurring income allows them to pay bills and plan growth initiatives for the future.
- As another income option, they utilize affiliate advertising. More specifically, they have opted to incorporate a service called Commission Junction, which allows visitors to click on product advertising. If the visitor purchases that product, The Dating Divas get a percentage of the sale.
- Big banner advertisers (usually seen at the top of a page or down the side) can also generate a lot of income. The Dating Divas said securing these can require networking and prospecting.
How They Generate Site Traffic:
- Twitter and Facebook are a must in this type of business. They post many times a day to each site and make sure and update each social media outlet when they create a new blog post.
- People love free stuff, and The Dating Divas have found that give-aways can generate a lot of site traffic. This is a plus for not only for their site, but for the product getting the free advertising. Many business owners from Etsy-type sites or with relevant dating products contacted The Dating Divas directly for product promotion via give-aways. Of course, if the product promoters hadn't come knocking, The Dating Divas would have done searches for products and contacted those businesses directly. As a word of advice, it is important to require something from site visitors eager to enter a give-away drawing. For instance, The Dating Divas ask that their entrants sign-up for a weekly newsletter.
- It is necessary to network online and offline to generate traffic and possible sponsorship relationships.
- The Dating Divas have also generated local and national buzz by contacting media outlets with story ideas.
How They Figured This All Out:
Each member of The Dating Divas had no prior business or blogging experience. Each are wives and mothers who have taught themselves as they've gone along (this involves many late nights). Some resources that have proven essential to The Dating Divas, include:- Problogger.com was an excellent resource.
- Stevepavlina.com was useful as a resource to transition the blog into a high traffic website.
- Google.com searches provided ample resources on every topic for which they needed information.
Biggest Road Blocks:
- Lack of overall knowledge.
- The online marketing world continually evolves, so staying a step ahead of the learning curve proves to be a huge challenge.
- Understanding the business basics and trying to make the right decisions in the early stages that will prove beneficial for the future. (like what business structure to set-up etc.)
- Balancing our lives with our new business venture.
Unexpected Positives
- Creating and running the business has been challenging, but each Dating Diva is learning and growing as they explore new things and create expertise in new areas. For example, Co-Founder Tara Carson, didn't know anything about Photoshop prior to this business. But out of sheer necessity, she is getting to be quite a Photoshop pro as she creates items to include on the website.
- The collective group of Founders put their money where their mouth is, and regularly date their spouse. This has made a tremendous and positive impact on all of their marriages.
Online Home Business Advice From The Dating Divas:
- For the entrepreneurial blogger, do your research and find a topic you are interested without a lot of online competition.
- Stay true to yourselves and your original mission because that is why your original audience is spending time with you. Be thoughtful as you select what products or give-aways to promote on your site.
- Keep content fresh and constantly updated. No dedicated reader wants to come to a site with outdated material.
