Free Blog or not?

I am interested in starting another blog, but this time I am not so sure I want to go the "free blog" route. I have started free blogs in the past mainly so I could write for myself; not to make money.

My question is, can you make money using a free blogging service? I know you can add google adsense, etc. but I want to know if anybody has been successful earning with a free blog...

Any help would be great!!!

 

IMO if you are looking to make money then getting a hosting account, a domain name and installing one of the many blogging applications is a better bet. If you can afford $30-50/year (approx) then the basics are covered.

The risks you run using a free blogging service are: the service may stop. The service may delete your account, the service may only offer limited plugins/customisation, You will never truly have your own identity using someone else's service.

Of course, the advantages of using a free blogging service are that there is no cost involved, you can start your blog within minutes, you do not need to worry about keeping the website or blog scripts up to date, just the content.

Now, consider these points and decide on what is best for you.

 

I would definitely pay for the hosting and get your own domain

 

yep, start with yourown domain because its more stable and you working for yourself not for yourblog.bloghoster.com company

 

" To make money" is your goal. So go with your own

 

Yes,all we can.
I'd recommend blogger.com if you want to have free blogs.
Besides google adsense,you could even write posts for others and get paid.
Also try http://payperpost.com .

 

the wise advice will be - use both free and paid solution.

 

May i know how?

 

If you are looking for paid service you may consider typepad.

 

Thanks guys!

 

There are many ways to do that - one variation is

if you have www.myblogname.com - create a blogger blog with the name myblogname.blogspot.com. Use that to post excerpts from your blog, and link back to your main blog. This is a good way to get the googlebot visiting faster, as well as adding a set of backlinks.

 

Yes, I publish my Blogger blogs on my own domain (I pay for the hosting and the domain). I promote products from merchants on Commission Junction, Linkshare, and Shareasale on my blogs. I've actually made money selling items that are relevant to my readers' interests (or at least compliment the writings on my blogs). If you dedicate time and effort [to your blog(s)] on a consistent basis, your results will improve--this is not always easy
You will make more money if your blog posts echo and "interact with" your site (whether static or dynamic). If you sell "widgets" on your site, a blog with links to the relevant web pages is a great way to create interest in your website.

I personally don't use Adsense because I believe Adsense would send my traffic to competitors. I think my chances of earning higher commissions are greater with the individual items I sell than with the pittance I would get from Adsense. Other webmasters may differ in opinions in terms of the best way to make money from a blog.

 

I would go for paid if at all possible

 

If your serious about generating revenue, you should get your own domain and hosting.

 

I paid $15/mo. for the TypePad Pro service for 4 months, but I decided to switch to WordPress (free) this month (hosted on HostGator), and it was the best decision I ever made. Now I'm getting more space, more bandwidth, and nearly infinite customization options for free. I do pay for the hosting, but it's less than $15/mo., and I can host unlimited domains on my account, so it's well worth it.