General Blog Q

[Michael Yip]

Re: General Blog Q

My blog is in its infant stage of growth as I don't really know what I'm doing. The left links are to what I think are interesting sites or ones that provide useful tools.

I usually try to make posts with some kind of graphic element or do something to add some interest at a more personal level like a bit of bio info.

I study the pageview stats regularly to make an educated guess as to what is going to be popular, who my market is and what they want.

Next few blogs will be
-Panama Open featuring Hansen/Hambleton
-London Open
-Sunday I have a team match
-then I pick up on what gets posted on chesstalk for hints

Now I'm waiting patiently for tuesday's TWIC so I can get the jump on the latest news.(Its 2:50am here) but now its hard to sleep.

For the next few months I'm going to try to build up traffic and keep the quality of the posts consistent.

The blog was really born as I got tired of waiting for the kind of news that I wanted to read regularly. I don't find 2700 level chess that interesting or relevant to me. Not to mention even is it is interesing I don't really understand it.

Local news is more interesting to me or at least players that I might have some connection with.

I'm waiting to see what the CFC will be offering for their website content and the mythical $25,000 or so that is planned to be spent on it.

[Erik Malmsten]

Re: General Blog Q

As I understand chess blogging is not very profitable.

TWIC - 10 (?) in business, and recently a guy complained that it did not bring him big monies.

All more or less connected with persons' or organizations' other activities:

Susan Polgar - news re-repost. Setup properly Google News search and you'll get similar results.
ChessCafe - (Larry will be ban me) Many good chess authors promotes its books' business.
chessvibe - also started to publish an opening newspaper.
chessninja - Mig's help to promote the Kasparov's agenda. Did he bankrupt recently? no more updates.
crestbook - Shipov's and his buddies hobby.

Note that NIC and these top news sites are not just blogs. Alot of work.

Yip has a column of links which I assume were a free trade to increase traffic, you link mine on your blog. But why not sell links? Such as for mind games mental development software.

I think Strategy Games could make money by having links and mentions on the blogs of top Canadian chess players. Strategy Games charges teachers to advertise on cma, I think Larry should consider paying to advertise on blogs. At the very least, he would probably be open to giving the blogger a discount on their own items bought from Strategy Games.

If a blog is inviting chess players to Budapest (or some other city), recommend a hotel and get a kickback from the hotel, like $5 a person (This is what online travel agents do). Has anybody set up a billeting exchange where if I play chess in your city I can sleep on your couch, and visiting my town you can sleep on my couch?

There's all kinds of free talk about chess online, but to be a business you need to have a product(s) and market it. A customer base of 2,000 CFC tournament players is very small. Yet there are over 100,000 kids learning chess in Canadian schools. Parents are paying for lessons to develop minds. I would try to tap that larger market.

[Larry Bevand]

Re: General Blog Q

As I understand chess blogging is not very profitable.

TWIC - 10 (?) in business, and recently a guy complained that it did not bring him big monies.

All more or less connected with persons' or organizations' other activities:

Susan Polgar - news re-repost. Setup properly Google News search and you'll get similar results.
ChessCafe - (Larry will be ban me) Many good chess authors promotes its books' business.
chessvibe - also started to publish an opening newspaper.
chessninja - Mig's help to promote the Kasparov's agenda. Did he bankrupt recently? no more updates.
crestbook - Shipov's and his buddies hobby.

ChessCafe does a good job.

We sell to product to them and they sell product to us..a win win situation ...but we hope Chess Talkers will buy from us :) www.strategygames.ca If you see a better price at their site or elsewhere...contact me and I will see what we can do...if we can do better ...then we will :)

Don't forget, when you buy from us, you contribute to the sponsorship of event such as the 2012 Canadian Junior...

bevand@chess-math.org

Larry

[Kerry Liles]

Re: General Blog Q

If Spraggett (in my opinion one of the best chess writers on the net) has to resort to pornographic content to attract readers to his blog, where does that leave the rest of us?

It seems that attracts viewers not readers... ;)

[Patrick Kirby]

Re: General Blog Q

If Spraggett (in my opinion one of the best chess writers on the net) has to resort to pornographic content to attract readers to his blog, where does that leave the rest of us?

[Gary Ruben]

Re: General Blog Q

I only visit one of those sites regularly. Funny how that works. :)

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: General Blog Q

You forgot Spraggett

No. I left it to you :D Anyway, I got tired waiting his famous article LOL
M.Bluvstein's blog about his trips was much better.
There is Jean's newsletter, almost like a blog. Though in French and seldom read by me.

[Kerry Liles]

Re: General Blog Q

As I understand chess blogging is not very profitable.

TWIC - 10 (?) in business, and recently a guy complained that it did not bring him big monies.

All more or less connected with persons' or organizations' other activities:

Susan Polgar - news re-repost. Setup properly Google News search and you'll get similar results.
ChessCafe - (Larry will be ban me) Many good chess authors promotes its books' business.
chessvibe - also started to publish an opening newspaper.
chessninja - Mig's help to promote the Kasparov's agenda. Did he bankrupt recently? no more updates.
crestbook - Shipov's and his buddies hobby.

You forgot Spraggett - soft porn with occasional chess info

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: General Blog Q

As I understand chess blogging is not very profitable.

TWIC - 10 (?) in business, and recently a guy complained that it did not bring him big monies.

All more or less connected with persons' or organizations' other activities:

Susan Polgar - news re-repost. Setup properly Google News search and you'll get similar results.
ChessCafe - (Larry will be ban me) Many good chess authors promotes its books' business.
chessvibe - also started to publish an opening newspaper.
chessninja - Mig's help to promote the Kasparov's agenda. Did he bankrupt recently? no more updates.
crestbook - Shipov's and his buddies hobby.

[Alan Baljeu]

Re: General Blog Q

Start a blog. Get 10000 regulars. Write a $10 book, and get 100 of your visitors to buy. $1000. Get paid-per-click ads. $1000. Follow all the suggestions Erik gives.

Clearly this takes a lot of work, but clearly it can make money. The good/bad news is it follows a multiplier curve. The more you have, the more you gain, with something like quadratic growth.

So assuming you write well and promote yourself well, it's simply a question of how long do you have to keep at it before the numbers get big enough to pay you back. It could be a long time, but if you do this as a hobby that won't be a problem.

[Michael Yip]

Re: Oh crap

http://www.newinchess.com/A_Partial_...es-p-7196.html

Someone already wrote a novel that answers my Q.

[Aman Hambleton]

Re: General Blog Q

Just my 2c worth, and good luck !!

If Michael were fortunate enough to receive Aris' 2c worth 41,666.67 times per month he could generate $10,000 annual revenue....

which is about as likely as monetizing off of a blog IMHO.

[Aris Marghetis]

Re: General Blog Q

Wow, Erik, that was a tremendous post for Michael! Like really, post of the year! :)

Michael, good luck in your endeavour. I believe you possess a good suite of skills, like previous author, decent playing ability, multi-country / multi-culture awareness, etc.

Maybe ask someone who is already doing it? Kevin seems successful with his blog.

If I may suggest, and this is just my own anecdotal experience, I tend to frequent sites where I just get a good feeling. I know that is a nebulous declaration, but let me put it another way, I tend to stop going to sites where I feel a negative association. So, for example, and maybe this is just me, but I feel a slight irritation when you post every day, what your latest blog posts are. I would consider just periodically posting, with the link, and perhaps highlight articles from the last week, month, whatever. You want to build a base of people who have you bookmarked, and will visit regardless of what they accidentally stumble on elsewhere. That loyal base will give you hits advertisers look for.

Just my 2c worth, and good luck !!

[Erik Malmsten]

Re: General Blog Q

You have to start with exciting, high-level content frequently updated so that people want to keep coming to visit.

I can't give you a list of people who have money chess blogging, but looking on google there are these revenue streams:

1) People get paid writing a newspaper chess column, so if your blog is part of a news site you might get paid.

Example of a paid article:
http://www.doughroller.net/investing...ent-investing/

2) I've known people to make money off of CPA ad clicks on their blog about TV shows or US politics, but not a full income. Some chess players would be offended by some ads. Chess doesn't get enough traffic but could get paid ads for paying chess sites or tournaments.

www.blogads.com
http://chitika.com
www.text-link-ads.com
http://buysellads.com
www.casalemedia.com
www.tribalfusion.com
http://en.wordpress.com/apply-for-wordads/

2b) Chess videos on youtube can make money - $0.37! for a minimum of 1,000 visitors.

3) The blog links to amazon or a chess retailer who pays a commission if there is a direct line from clicking on your site to making a purchase. If you review new chess books you could get them for free. Become a brand ambassador.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-...liate-program/
http://monroi.com/products/chess-affiliates.html

4) The blog is used as promotion of self-published ebooks, online course or DVDs. Hand-made products like posters, opening playing cards, or bags for pieces? Turn your blog into a book.

5) The blog attracts new chess students for online lessons, tournament training, and game analysis as well as invitations for lectures and simuls.

www.chessmasterschool.com

6) Have a private section only viewable to paid members.

www.ricardobueno.com/monetize-your-blog/
www.chesslecture.com
http://www.onlinechesslessons.net/li...lasses/why-us/

7) Ask for donations.
http://flattr.com

8) Have contests with an entry fee and prizes, keeping an administration fee.

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: General Blog Q

:)Tell Eric you'll form a chess-shark partnership with him, and split expenses,.....and winnings!!:D