loading up your blog with all of the free accessories that

you can find isn’t necessarily a good idea. While it may be

tempting to add a visitor counter, a flashy background, an

exciting new font, and a cluster of quirky animated gifs to

your blog, this kind of plan can easily backfire. The key to

getting the most from free blog tools is being selective.

It is a great idea to learn about all of the kinds of free

blogging tools that are available so that you can make an

informed decision about what to add to your blog, but try to

remember that just because you can have something doesn’t

mean that you need it. Practice restraint and only choose the

options that you think will really be useful. If you can find out

how many visitors are reading your blog by checking your

traffic statistics, a visitor counter is likely to add unnecessary

clutter to your page. If your blog is text-based, a flashy back-

ground can be more of a distraction than any benefit.

Be realistic about assessing what kinds of blog accessories

will help you realize your vision and improve your site.

Remember that even a blog tool that doesn’t cost you any

cash may not be an asset in the long run.

If You are Already Blogging, Money May be Just a Click Away

If you already spend a fair amount of time blogging, money

may come to you literally as soon as you ask for it. Once you

have an established blog with a regular readership, it is easy

to turn a profit through advertising. By hosting sponsored

links or banners, you can see income from your hobby

almost overnight. Even if you did not start your blog to turn

a profit, making supplementary income from your blog may

be easier than you think.

Of course, even for people who have spent months or years

blogging, money from advertising revenue may not add up

to a large sum. The amount of money that you can make as

a blogger depends on a lot of different factors, but perhaps

the most important element of the equation is the topic of your

blog. If your blog is on a subject that appeals to a demographic

that advertisers have a strong desire to reach, you will be more

likely to be able to turn a large profit on your blog than if your

blog is on a fairly obscure subject that does not draw the kind

of audience that advertisers need to appeal to.

Of course, the only way to find out where you fall on this

spectrum is to try hosting some ads. If you are already

blogging, you have nothing to lose.