And the word is ... interesting. I've actually been working offline a lot, which cut into time, and working on oDesk a lot, which cut into time for other projects here. As you'll see below, some have fallen flat on their face, and others are taking off. On to the results!
Blogging
Again, this has been one of my favorites, as there is lots of opportunities to express myself, think more deeply and reflect on life, and share ideas - hopefully with other people!
On the income front, however, we're not doing so well. Although I had more views in Feb, I made no money through Adsense and Amazon. I also had about two weeks with hardly any posts, so we'll see how that changes in March.
Posting Content
The Haiku I put up last month are my most recent posts, yet things are still moving. I like the possibility that I could have a hundred or more articles, and with a minimum of effort, a slow flow of cash. Even though I did nothing this month, there are 50 new page views - and some come from people who like a new post and move through to other pages. I will probably make it a point to post five articles here a month from now on.
Tally: 50 new page views for 8 cents.
Sales
I'm up and official - there are three pictures of mine up on Loxly. You can follow the link in the header to see the pictures I have have up, if you're interested. I'll be working on ways to market them now. I haven't done anything with eBay, as I don't have anything really to sell. This seems like it could be good, though I don't know really how yet...
Final tally: nada
Surveys
I'm registered with PineCone, panelbase.net, Greenfield, and American Consumer Opinion, and haven't received any new paid surveys. These sites, for the most part, email us when there's a survey we qualify for, so there's little you can do proactively to make money here. I have a few more sites to check out, though I'm discouraged by the lack of action I can take here.
Final tally: nothing new
Telecommuting at oDesk
oDesk is really taking off. I now have two bosses here - one in the Philippines, and one in Greece. Talk about outsourcing and an international market! I've been invited to an interview on what oDesk is about, so I'll put up a link for that if it works out.
As to actual work, I've put in almost 40 hours in the last 3 weeks. I'm working on the help text for a program, and spending a lot of time working out details for the wording and specialty concepts.
February tally: $539.00!
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So the grand total is $539.08, all pretty much from oDesk.
Showing posts with label Overview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Overview. Show all posts
Monday, March 2, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Making Money Online!
Okay, moment of truth time... Early each month, I'll post how I've been doing. Right now, I'm going to keep it on totals, but as things build, I'll move to monthly income. Each of my ventures will get some time devoted to it, so we can compare and contrast. Let's get started!
Blogging
This has been by far the most labor-intensive. I'm putting at least a couple hours a day here (though not this last week, as you'll note by the lack of posts... oops), and so far, little to show for it. Directly - I might have an oDesk job because someone liked the style of writing on my blogs. Anyway, AdSense shows an average of 13 viewers per day, and a total of 47 cents, most of that on a click-through. Nothing on Amazon.com, the other part of blogging income. Well, I was told it would build slowly!
I certainly enjoy the creative and expressive aspect of blogging, so let's see where it goes!
Posting Content
Didn't do much with this one. I got my five articles in by the end of December for a $10 bonus that didn't materialize. One of the 'articles' was a slideshow, and I don't know if that counts. I'll follow up by email and see what comes of it. I also posted two poems in January - haiku for Valentine's Day,here and here .
Final tally: 121 page views for 18 cents.
Sales
Looks like I finally exist on Loxley, but I'm still trying to get pictures up so I can work on selling them. Slow when you're waiting on someone else. I probably would have been better working with eBay or somewhere I have more control. I'm hoping to set up passive income here though. Probably should focus on just income first...
Final tally: nada
Surveys
Well, as I said, I'm signed up for several. I have registered with PineCone, panelbase.net, Greenfield, and American Consumer Opinion - and have only received invites for surveys that put my name in a drawing. And only probably 3-4 of those even. I need to get the second half looked at, and listed on 6-10 survey sites, not just four. I made $3 on two different surveys in December, and have £3 listed in my account from Panelbase.net.
Final tally: $6, and maybe £3
Telecommuting at oDesk
And the winner is... I spent 3-5 hours reading a book - that I would read anyway - and about 1 hour on editing the book, and made $10.53. I also wrote an article for a travel site to help build traffic and interest for $5, spending about three hours on this process too. So far, I'm making lousy 'per hour' income (though not as bad as the blogging), but I'm at least making some money. It also looks like I'm going to get a job on oDesk due to my blogging, so this will jump in February. Wish me luck!
Final tally: $15.53!
Blogging
This has been by far the most labor-intensive. I'm putting at least a couple hours a day here (though not this last week, as you'll note by the lack of posts... oops), and so far, little to show for it. Directly - I might have an oDesk job because someone liked the style of writing on my blogs. Anyway, AdSense shows an average of 13 viewers per day, and a total of 47 cents, most of that on a click-through. Nothing on Amazon.com, the other part of blogging income. Well, I was told it would build slowly!
I certainly enjoy the creative and expressive aspect of blogging, so let's see where it goes!
Posting Content
Didn't do much with this one. I got my five articles in by the end of December for a $10 bonus that didn't materialize. One of the 'articles' was a slideshow, and I don't know if that counts. I'll follow up by email and see what comes of it. I also posted two poems in January - haiku for Valentine's Day,here and here .
Final tally: 121 page views for 18 cents.
Sales
Looks like I finally exist on Loxley, but I'm still trying to get pictures up so I can work on selling them. Slow when you're waiting on someone else. I probably would have been better working with eBay or somewhere I have more control. I'm hoping to set up passive income here though. Probably should focus on just income first...
Final tally: nada
Surveys
Well, as I said, I'm signed up for several. I have registered with PineCone, panelbase.net, Greenfield, and American Consumer Opinion - and have only received invites for surveys that put my name in a drawing. And only probably 3-4 of those even. I need to get the second half looked at, and listed on 6-10 survey sites, not just four. I made $3 on two different surveys in December, and have £3 listed in my account from Panelbase.net.
Final tally: $6, and maybe £3
Telecommuting at oDesk
And the winner is... I spent 3-5 hours reading a book - that I would read anyway - and about 1 hour on editing the book, and made $10.53. I also wrote an article for a travel site to help build traffic and interest for $5, spending about three hours on this process too. So far, I'm making lousy 'per hour' income (though not as bad as the blogging), but I'm at least making some money. It also looks like I'm going to get a job on oDesk due to my blogging, so this will jump in February. Wish me luck!
Final tally: $15.53!
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So the grand total is $22.18 so far.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Writing, Blogging, and You
And reaching the top of my list, we get to the Blogs. Blogs are interesting, and I've had several people ask how one can make money at keeping a public journal. Well, I answer, JD did it. Of course, he did it over several years, blogging prolifically, honestly, and just ... well. As to the money part, he has stuck mostly to ads (like Google Adwords) and affiliate programs. For example, I think that It's Not About the Money by Brent Kessel is a great book. I write something about it, then link it to Amazon.com so you can buy it directly by clicking on the link - and Amazon notices you came through my link and pays me a bit for the referral.
Steve Palina did it too, and I'm still working through his advice on How to Make Money From Your Blog. He's right on, but it's a lot to absorb, and I'll work on it slowly, so we can figure it out together.
Which is probably the best advice I've gotten so far: write about something you care about, go slowly, and figure it out over time. Let things build.
And that's why I'm here. I like writing about finances, and I really wish I could find a blog like Online Money Journal here on the web to lead me through the process. Since I haven't found one, it seems like a great niche to fill. The hope and plan is to learn how to make money online, and share the 'secrets' with my readers as I learn them. Thus you become my audience that helps me make money here, AND the next batch of online money makers using what you learn here.
Of course, I'll appreciate all the help I can get, so please add any experience you have, and together we'll chart a course to new wealth. Hmmm. GetRichTogether.org!
At the end of each month, I'll let you know how I'm doing at each method, and we'll look at how it compares to the effort put in. With any luck, we'll shortly know the best ways to make money online.
Steve Palina did it too, and I'm still working through his advice on How to Make Money From Your Blog. He's right on, but it's a lot to absorb, and I'll work on it slowly, so we can figure it out together.
Which is probably the best advice I've gotten so far: write about something you care about, go slowly, and figure it out over time. Let things build.
And that's why I'm here. I like writing about finances, and I really wish I could find a blog like Online Money Journal here on the web to lead me through the process. Since I haven't found one, it seems like a great niche to fill. The hope and plan is to learn how to make money online, and share the 'secrets' with my readers as I learn them. Thus you become my audience that helps me make money here, AND the next batch of online money makers using what you learn here.
Of course, I'll appreciate all the help I can get, so please add any experience you have, and together we'll chart a course to new wealth. Hmmm. GetRichTogether.org!
At the end of each month, I'll let you know how I'm doing at each method, and we'll look at how it compares to the effort put in. With any luck, we'll shortly know the best ways to make money online.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Online Sales, Stores, and eBay
This is the one everyone talks about. Set up an online store, sell digital products, make money IN YOUR SLEEP! 'Weird Al' Yankovic has a song about eBay. You've heard it many times - "Everybody needs a web presence!"
The startup costs can be minimal, the setup and work minor, and if you have the right product, the profits can be fabulous! But, hype aside, what's it really like? eBay is so talked about, I doubt there's a ton of money to be made there. Stores? Can I be the next Amazon.com? Doubtful. Not that I won't try...
I'm going to start out small here. I've sent some pictures I took to Loxly Gallery owner Deborah has offered to put them up. You can see a small version of one here while we wait.
Once I start to settle in, we'll look at other possibilities. I have an eBay account set up, and Paypal in place. By affiliating, I'll get to see how other businesses go, and thus how I could work this. Maybe someday I will be the next Amazon. We'll see...
The startup costs can be minimal, the setup and work minor, and if you have the right product, the profits can be fabulous! But, hype aside, what's it really like? eBay is so talked about, I doubt there's a ton of money to be made there. Stores? Can I be the next Amazon.com? Doubtful. Not that I won't try...
I'm going to start out small here. I've sent some pictures I took to Loxly Gallery owner Deborah has offered to put them up. You can see a small version of one here while we wait.
Once I start to settle in, we'll look at other possibilities. I have an eBay account set up, and Paypal in place. By affiliating, I'll get to see how other businesses go, and thus how I could work this. Maybe someday I will be the next Amazon. We'll see...
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Work In Your PJs!
The idea of telecommuting is an appealing one. Stay at home, save money on food, gas, clothes, parking, etc, etc, etc, wear what you want, avoid the boss, and set your own schedule. There are some challenges too - family members, separating work and home, no boss to keep you to task, no collaboration with co-workers, and ... setting your own schedule. For those that can handle it, it can be great. And oDesk seems like a great way to go if your company won't pay you to sit at home all day.
I joined oDesk on December 10th, so it's been just over a month. They have a good starting point, then batteries of tests you can take to separate yourself from everyone else, a feedback system, good community and articles to help you on your way, and GUARANTEED PAY. That's right - for hourly jobs, they get credit card information from the one buying your services, and automatically deduct for hours you worked. You can get stiffed for work not billed by the hour, but you can see if they are set up for payment, and their history of paying and working with providers. Everything looks really solid here.
The hard part is getting work. Since the internet is everywhere, this really is a global marketplace. Want to do data entry? Can you compete with someone who will work for $2 in India or the Philippines? But there's some good resources in the Community on that too, for example an article on how to not be a commodity that has applications throughout your work life.
oDesk's jobs area is broken down into the following categories: Web Development, A/V & Multimedia, Software Development, Networking & IT, Graphic Arts, and Writing. It's not just for writing, though that's where most of my skills lie. But I've found programmers from the Philippines making $20 an hour online here, making this an incredible resource for people in developing nations. Or as a supplement to work you already have.
Review: this one looks very promising, if you don't mind putting in hard work. You won't sit back and rake in the cash, but it certainly looks like you could make a decent living here, especially if you can brand yourself or find a full-time employer. More to come.
I joined oDesk on December 10th, so it's been just over a month. They have a good starting point, then batteries of tests you can take to separate yourself from everyone else, a feedback system, good community and articles to help you on your way, and GUARANTEED PAY. That's right - for hourly jobs, they get credit card information from the one buying your services, and automatically deduct for hours you worked. You can get stiffed for work not billed by the hour, but you can see if they are set up for payment, and their history of paying and working with providers. Everything looks really solid here.
The hard part is getting work. Since the internet is everywhere, this really is a global marketplace. Want to do data entry? Can you compete with someone who will work for $2 in India or the Philippines? But there's some good resources in the Community on that too, for example an article on how to not be a commodity that has applications throughout your work life.
oDesk's jobs area is broken down into the following categories: Web Development, A/V & Multimedia, Software Development, Networking & IT, Graphic Arts, and Writing. It's not just for writing, though that's where most of my skills lie. But I've found programmers from the Philippines making $20 an hour online here, making this an incredible resource for people in developing nations. Or as a supplement to work you already have.
Review: this one looks very promising, if you don't mind putting in hard work. You won't sit back and rake in the cash, but it certainly looks like you could make a decent living here, especially if you can brand yourself or find a full-time employer. More to come.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Associated Content
I will be going through my exploration into making money online. First, an individual introduction of each type...
Associated Content is an interesting one. As far as I can tell, it works this way: you write an article for them, on their topic or one of your own, and it can be an article, a slideshow, a video, or audio. They look at it, then put it up, with targeted ads, on their site that's already well-established with the search engines. They get paid by people coming by to look at your content and click through the ads or just by the volume of visits. You get paid by the number of people who come by - starting at $1.50 per thousand hits.
I've got five articles up, and have had 91 visitors, netting 14 cents so far. I produced 5 articles because, as a part of signing up, they offer you $10 if you get 5 articles up in your first month there. I'll find out at the end of January if that's real, or if they have caveats and legalese to get around it...
The pay isn't much, at least at first, but you don't have to work on Search Engine Optimization or building traffic. Although SEO skills in your article certainly will help... I'll put up more on SEO later. For now, the goal is to put up a specific article, with specific keywords, and hope to draw attention. The site itself has some suggestions on how to do this, so at the very least, you'll earn enough to cover your time and learn something of what to do with your other internet income streams, or I-streams as I'm now going to call them...
Oh, one possible negative: they suggest you send an email to all your friends, post on your Facebook or other sites, and generally want you to do some advertising for them. I guess it depends on how you feel about the content you've written, and on 'working' contacts...
Review: there isn't a lot of money up front, but $10 to start and the chance to learn and hone your skills makes this an interesting start. You can go in fits and spurts around keeping more stable ones in place.
Of course I'll post more as I make up my mind about it.
Associated Content is an interesting one. As far as I can tell, it works this way: you write an article for them, on their topic or one of your own, and it can be an article, a slideshow, a video, or audio. They look at it, then put it up, with targeted ads, on their site that's already well-established with the search engines. They get paid by people coming by to look at your content and click through the ads or just by the volume of visits. You get paid by the number of people who come by - starting at $1.50 per thousand hits.
I've got five articles up, and have had 91 visitors, netting 14 cents so far. I produced 5 articles because, as a part of signing up, they offer you $10 if you get 5 articles up in your first month there. I'll find out at the end of January if that's real, or if they have caveats and legalese to get around it...
The pay isn't much, at least at first, but you don't have to work on Search Engine Optimization or building traffic. Although SEO skills in your article certainly will help... I'll put up more on SEO later. For now, the goal is to put up a specific article, with specific keywords, and hope to draw attention. The site itself has some suggestions on how to do this, so at the very least, you'll earn enough to cover your time and learn something of what to do with your other internet income streams, or I-streams as I'm now going to call them...
Oh, one possible negative: they suggest you send an email to all your friends, post on your Facebook or other sites, and generally want you to do some advertising for them. I guess it depends on how you feel about the content you've written, and on 'working' contacts...
Review: there isn't a lot of money up front, but $10 to start and the chance to learn and hone your skills makes this an interesting start. You can go in fits and spurts around keeping more stable ones in place.
Of course I'll post more as I make up my mind about it.
Takin' Surveys
I will be going through my exploration into making money online. First, an individual introduction of each type...
My first venture into actually making money online was taking surveys. I was invited to Pinecone Research by a friend, and have been a member since November 2008. I've looked into eBay before this, but haven't actually sold anything. A true neophyte...
I signed up after being told that I would make $5 per survey I took, and that there would be one every couple of weeks. When I signed up, the new deal is $3 per survey, and entry into their sweepstakes... Oh well. So far, I've taken three surveys - two paid, and one for entry in a broader sweepstakes. This works out to one a month at the moment - and $3 a month is not the road to riches!
I am kind of unusual though. I don't have a TV, don't see commercials, and we're pretty tight for cash right now, so I don't do a lot of spending outside of necessities. I assume as they collect data, this could weed me out of some surveys.
On the other hand, at the end of the first survey, they asked me if I participated in other surveys. I said no because I don't, but I did copy their list. This is the list of survey companies they talked about, so I assume they are as legitimate as Pinecone Research is. I am now in the process of checking these out, and I'll let you know how it goes.
• American Consumer Opinion
• Global Opinion Panels
• HarrisPoll Online
• I-say Panel
• Lightspeed
• Nielsen NetRatings
• NFO MySurvey (TNS)
• NPD Online Research Panel
• OpinionSquare (may also be known as comScore)
• SurveyCenter (may also be known as Greenfield Online)
• SurveySavvy
• SurveySpot
• Synovate Consumer Opinion Panel
• Your2cents
• Zoom Panel
Review: this isn't a lot of money, but if you can get on 20, it could mean an extra $50 to $100 a month. As you can start right away, it's a good place to have some income while you wait for slower opportunities (i.e. blogging) to build.
My first venture into actually making money online was taking surveys. I was invited to Pinecone Research by a friend, and have been a member since November 2008. I've looked into eBay before this, but haven't actually sold anything. A true neophyte...
I signed up after being told that I would make $5 per survey I took, and that there would be one every couple of weeks. When I signed up, the new deal is $3 per survey, and entry into their sweepstakes... Oh well. So far, I've taken three surveys - two paid, and one for entry in a broader sweepstakes. This works out to one a month at the moment - and $3 a month is not the road to riches!
I am kind of unusual though. I don't have a TV, don't see commercials, and we're pretty tight for cash right now, so I don't do a lot of spending outside of necessities. I assume as they collect data, this could weed me out of some surveys.
On the other hand, at the end of the first survey, they asked me if I participated in other surveys. I said no because I don't, but I did copy their list. This is the list of survey companies they talked about, so I assume they are as legitimate as Pinecone Research is. I am now in the process of checking these out, and I'll let you know how it goes.
• American Consumer Opinion
• Global Opinion Panels
• HarrisPoll Online
• I-say Panel
• Lightspeed
• Nielsen NetRatings
• NFO MySurvey (TNS)
• NPD Online Research Panel
• OpinionSquare (may also be known as comScore)
• SurveyCenter (may also be known as Greenfield Online)
• SurveySavvy
• SurveySpot
• Synovate Consumer Opinion Panel
• Your2cents
• Zoom Panel
Review: this isn't a lot of money, but if you can get on 20, it could mean an extra $50 to $100 a month. As you can start right away, it's a good place to have some income while you wait for slower opportunities (i.e. blogging) to build.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Hello World...
Welcome to my new Blog - Online Money Journal. The point of this blog is to make the journey to online income with you. There is a ton of information out there - some good, and some bad - on how to make money online. I'd like to find the way, with your help, and in the process put up a path for others to follow.
I'll be very clear on what I'm doing, how I'm doing it, how much time I'm spending, and if I'm making money. And I hope for your feedback with what you see I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. Hopefully by the end of the year, I'll be making some good money here, and showing you how to too!
My initial plans are:
1. Blogging - here and Lucid Living
2. Online sales, right now through Loxly Studios for my art, and soon eBay
3. Telecommuting through oDesk. (And other online sites?)
4. Posting articles to Associated Content (maybe similar posting sites)
5. Surveys
If you have any other suggestions, that's what Comments are for. I'll post more on each one soon, explaining what it is, and what my plan is for that stream of revenue.
I'll be very clear on what I'm doing, how I'm doing it, how much time I'm spending, and if I'm making money. And I hope for your feedback with what you see I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. Hopefully by the end of the year, I'll be making some good money here, and showing you how to too!
My initial plans are:
1. Blogging - here and Lucid Living
2. Online sales, right now through Loxly Studios for my art, and soon eBay
3. Telecommuting through oDesk. (And other online sites?)
4. Posting articles to Associated Content (maybe similar posting sites)
5. Surveys
If you have any other suggestions, that's what Comments are for. I'll post more on each one soon, explaining what it is, and what my plan is for that stream of revenue.
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