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Making Money from Blog

  1. forevertwentysomethings
    Member

    I have been blogging for the past year and would like to add advertisements to my blog. I receive 1,000 - 2,000 viewers a day and use a free WordPress theme. I am not sure how to go about adding ad's to the pre-made theme. I made a Google AdSense account, but am not sure if I can use that on my WordPress site. Any suggestions?

    I would also like to design a custom theme, but I do not know CSS (although I did purchase the custom design upgrade). I would be open to purchasing a premium theme from another site, but I don't know how to go about that while still keeping all of my content. Please help!

    Thank you!
    Samantha

    The blog I need help with is forevertwentysomethings.com.

  2. timethief
    Member

    Yes, if you intend to monetize a blog then your best bet is to hire a web host and set up a WordPress.org install. You cannot run Google Adsense or indeed any blogger intitated advertising on a free hosted WordPress.com blog.

    WordPress.com has been running advertising on our free hosted blogs since 2006. Many bloggers do not know this because despite the fact they ticked the box required to get a free blog, they did not read the ToS. Many also do not read features page, or advertising entry in the support documents after registering their username and blog(s). Also note that as the ads do not display to us when we are logged in, and as many use browsers with ad blockers when logged out, they may not realize they are there at all. The only way to get rid of all advertising on our free hosted WordPress.com blogs is to purchase an annually renewable No-Ads upgrade.

    As WordPress.com is already displaying advertising on free hosted blogs that do not have the No-Ads upgrade, no blogger initiated advertising, retailing or reselling the work or products created or services provided by anyone other than yourself is allowed on free hosted wordpress.COM blogs. E-commerce transactions via shopping carts and the like cannot be conducted on free blogs from and being free hosted by wordpress.COM

    The advertising exceptions noted in support documentation are for high traffic blogs that qualify for and are accepted into the WordAds program, and for extremely high traffic blogs that qualify and are accepted into the paid VIP hosting program. The WordAds Program is for well established blogs with 20,000 page views monthly that apply for and are accepted into the program.
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/advertising/
    http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/wordads/
    http://wordpress.com/apply-for-wordads
    http://vip.wordpress.com/
    http://en.wordpress.com/types-of-blogs/
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/affiliate-links/

  3. timethief
    Member

    blockquote>I would also like to design a custom theme, but I do not know CSS (although I did purchase the custom design upgrade). I would be open to purchasing a premium theme from another site, but I don't know how to go about that while still keeping all of my content.

    It's important to know that there in no FTP access to free hosted WordPress.COM blogs like the one linked to your username and we cannot install individual plugins or third-party themes into them. Those found on the internet are for WordPress.ORG installs which run on different software.
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/ftp-access/
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/plugins/
    http://en.support.wordpress.com/themes/adding-new-themes/
    See also > WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org: The Differences > http://support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/

    On free hosted wordpress.COM blogs we can only use the themes which have been coded to run on this multi-user software and made available to us here. > Appearance > Themes and no others. This is a multiuser blogging platform. All blogs wearing the same theme are using the same underlying template and we cannot access the underlying files and edit templates or themes. http://en.support.wordpress.com/themes/editing-themes/

    If you have CSS editing experience the upgrade will allow you to stylize the appearance of themes you find here > Appearance > Themes, but will not allow you to change the functionality, by editing the underlying template. It does not allow you to remove footer links to the theme designer or to WordPress.com. Also note that CSS is theme specific, so you cannot use the CSS style sheets from other themes with the themes at WordPress.COM. http://en.support.wordpress.com/custom-design/custom-css/

    Lastly, please note that there is no upgrade you can purchase from WordPress.com that changes any of the foregoing. All blogs being free hosted by WordPress.com are subject to the same ToS and the same [policies not matter how many upgrades one purchases.

  4. forevertwentysomethings
    Member

    Thank you for the information. How can I go about hiring a web host and setting up a wordpress.org install? Will I be able to keep all of my content (the articles)?

  5. timethief
    Member

    The content can be easily exported out of your WordPress.com blog and imported into a WordPress.org install, after you have hired a web host, purchased a domain, registered a WordPress.org username account, installed WordPress, a theme and plugins. Links are separately exported and imported. All text widget content must be copied and pasted. No themes can be exported from WordPress.com. All support must come from http://wordpress/org/support/
    This may be helpful: Setting up a self-hosted WordPress.org install

  6. adetailedhouse
    Member

    What happens with your followers if you change to a .org? Thank you...

  7. brianmulipah
    Member

    Help! all this is not clear for me.Okay! I am trying to make money by affiliating with Ad publishers. and putting up widgets on my blog. Right now i am using the free WordPress.com . So what should i do? Should i just upgrade to the pro? if i upgrade then am i now eligible for making money with my blog?

  8. raincoaster
    Member

    You should not upgrade to pro. Despite the name, it doesn't allow you to monetize the blog in this way.

    You should go find a web host outside of WP.com and put your blog there, because if it's here and staff find out you're trying to post ads, they will suspend it.

  9. brianmulipah
    Member

    I'm sorry, i am still new at this. So what does that mean? When i am using wordpress.com , there is no making money using the blog?
    What other hosts are there, besides blogspot.com? I am looking for a site that can host my blog and monetize at the same time. Any name?

  10. timethief
    Member

    I'm sorry, i am still new at this. So what does that mean? When i am using wordpress.com , there is no making money using the blog?

    What is means is exactly what I said here > http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/making-money-from-blog?replies=9#post-840840

    I don't have any names of any free hosting sites that allow advertising and that I would recommend to others.

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