Do I Have to be a Business to Make Money From Ads on my Blog?

[Spaceman9]

Ok, simple question here. It seems lots of people are making money from having ads for business on their blogs. I can’t find anything that says a person has to own a business to take money from advertisers that advertise on their blog.

So, do I have to set up a business of some kind for my blog to get money from advertisers who advertise on my blog or can just anybody get money from letting advertisers advertise on their blog? Thanks for any help.

[Warpnow]

Nope. Anyone can do it. I've done it before. Just register through something like adsense or adbrite.

[mkendall]

Anyone can make money.

Edit: SNIPED!

[ssj6akshat]

but you can't use it on free wordpress accounts because it forbids adverts.

[jfreak_]

use a blogger account and put something interesting to read. once the page-hits start rising register with adsense.
my friend ( at college) makes 200$ a month ( lot of money in a third world country) by working for just 1 hour a day on his tech-blog

[Legendary_Bibo]

Use blogger, it's owned by Google, and they make it easy for you to use their advertisement service. Although I haven't really made money yet ($0.58 as of now :P ) but once your site gets a certain amount of visitors you start building momentum. I don't really update my blog as often as I would like, so if you update frequently and advertise it a lot then you should get several visitors.

[Paqman]

It seems lots of people are making money from having ads for business on their blogs.

Unless they've got an outrageously widely-read blog, they won't be making much. Most people would be chuffed just to cover their hosting costs.

[Warpnow]

Your far better off privately seeking advertisers. If your blog is about linux, contact some linux distributions, or linux sold software/games, and convince them to advertise with you. You'll likely make far more.

[earthpigg]

Your far better off privately seeking advertisers. If your blog is about linux, contact some linux distributions, or linux sold software/games, and convince them to advertise with you. You'll likely make far more.

and, the advertiser's stuff will be hosted by your website or theirs, and not well known ad servers.

so the large % of linux users with adblock software running will actually see the advertisements. unlike adblock ads.

[Bachstelze]

so the large % of linux users with adblock software running will actually see the advertisements

They will see them once, then they'll do right click > adblock frame.

Why the hell would anyone need ads on a blog? Get a job, if you want to make money.

[_h_]

They will see them once, then they'll do right click > adblock frame.

Why the hell would anyone need ads on a blog? Get a job, if you want to make money.

Because I have a job, but making ~$300 extra a month from ads on my blog? Hell yes.

[Bachstelze]

Because I have a job, but making ~$300 extra a month from ads on my blog? Hell yes.

Money, money, money. This is why we can't have nice things.

[_h_]

Money, money, money. This is why we can't have nice things.

You're from France, you don't really know what it's like over here in USA.

[earthpigg]

You're from France, you don't really know what it's like over here in USA.

Please don't make fun of the Socialists, this is an apolitical forum.

[_h_]

Please don't make fun of the Socialists, this is an apolitical forum.

You got me confused now. D:

[earthpigg]

You got me confused now. D:

BRB, protesting because no one wants to hire my uneducated teenage friends for €30 an hour plus benefits to flip burgers at McDonalds.

Back.

@_h_: Sir, I have no idea how that could have come to pass.


BRB, rioting because my government doesn't pay me enough money for being of a certain scarf-wearing disposition and being from a certain continent south of Italy.

Back.

@Spaceman9 - Stop being greedy with your blog. You don't need money.

[theraje]

XD earthpigg! Well played.

You don't have to be in business to earn the money, but AFAIK you *do* have to report it as income when tax season rolls around.

[Sporkman]

Why the hell would anyone need ads on a blog? Get a job, if you want to make money.

I have ads on my website, but I would work on it even without ads, as it's a fun hobby.

If it's something you enjoy, then why not make a few bucks off of it to cover costs?

[Lucradia]

They will see them once, then they'll do right click > adblock frame.

Why the hell would anyone need ads on a blog? Get a job, if you want to make money.

I use hosts file because I don't like connecting to domains that have ads in the first place.

[philinux]

Adblockplus

[earthpigg]

I use hosts file because I don't like connecting to domains that have ads in the first place.

correct me if i am wrong... but if the banner add is a native part of his blog itself, then a hosts file will accomplish nothing.

either the OP's domain is blocked, or it is not.

either you cannot see the OP's blog+advertisements (identical domain), or you can.


as for right click -> block element the moment you load the page.... well, if the OP and advertiser play their cards right, then the ad will not be especially intrusive and it will not be noticed until after you read some of what he has written and see the value in his blog.

at which point you can certainly choose to block that specific banner/image/ad, but he will have had a fighting chance to get some revenue in exchange for you reading his work.

he will not have that fighting chance at all using adsense on a linux-related blog.



i use adblock+ myself, but am not in the habit of blocking independent advertisements similar to what i am suggesting.

two possibilities:
1) I see obnoxious advertisements even with adblock+ turned on, immediately close the tab, and never visit the website again.
2) I either do not notice the advertisements, or they are minor and unobtrusive... either way, I have no objections.



things like obnoxious youtube and facebook advertisements are the primary reason i use adblock+, not small independent websites with small independent ad contracts.



and i don't think im 'stealing' from facebook by refusing their advertisements, either. every time i friend someone or do any of that other social networking mumbo jumbo, i add value to their product. because i am such a rad guy, i add more value than i would have by viewing their advertisements. unless someone would like to doubt just how rad i am, that is?

[eriktheblu]

@ Spaceman9:
If you collect money from ads on your site, you have essentially created a business.

There aren't a whole lot of requirements to create a business, but you may wish to contact a financial professional about your potential tax obligation.

[Spaceman9]

Thanks for all the help Warpnow, mkendall, ssj6akshat, jfreak_, Legendary_Bibo, Paqman, earthpigg, _h_, Bachstelze, theraje, Sporkman, Lucradia, philinux and eriktheblu.

Ok, so it seems like the consensus is I can make money without being a business and I have to report the income to Uncle Sam. I’ll investigate the blogging sites that were recommended and from there it looks like the sky’s the limit.