Certified Blogaholic

A year ago, there were still doubts about the sorry state of the economy. By the latter part of 2008, millions have already been laid off and several companies declaring bankcruptcy. Now, there is no denying that we are in hard times.

I have been a part of the blogosphere for over a year now. This blog served as my therapist and a good source of extra income. I earned thousands of dollars last year from blog advertising. Most of it were from sponsored posts I was able to solicit from various get-paid-to-blog sites all over the web. Unfortunately, the opportunities offered by these sites started thinning out. And for those that remained, the offers from advertisers had been significantly reduced.

Nevertheless, I am certain it will pick up soon as the economy starts to recover. Many already acknowledge the strength of advertising in the worldwide web. At present, the number of hours people spend surfing the web has increased and may soon overtake those spent watching TV. It is for this reason that there are new websites offering blog advertising to the blogosphere.

The new kid on the block is PayingPost.com. After my blog was approved, it had been the break I was looking forward to since the start of 2009. There were several opportunities available to bloggers that offered better pay than those I had been with for over a year. While expenses have been getting higher, I consider this new membership a lifeline. PayingPost.com also shows a lot of promise even in its early stages. The account panel is simple and functional — no complicated requirements or controls needed. Being a new site, it is not as sophisticated as the others but it provides all the support needed by advertisers and bloggers. They have their own blog where users can find relevant information about blogging and advertising.

PayingPost.com is a refreshing change in the blog advertising industry that I am certain will keep the blogosphere and the worldwide web flourishing.

There is nothing more I envy than those work-at-home moms who have the opportunity to stay longer hours with their children and still make their own income. This can’t be more true for blogger moms who do paid blogging. I have met some of them and really look forward to being one of them. Of course, some friends feel it is a waste of my abilities or competence. But whenever this issue is raised, I keep telling myself, so what? Why do some people think that writing in blogs is a lower form of ability than making a financial projection? It is not. Writing is gift that is not given to everyone. And no matter what people say, it is a gift. Go ask JK Rowling.

With this in mind, I encouraged my sister-in-law to try blogging and join paid blogging sites. She spends all day at home taking care of my cute nephew and niece. Why not earn with some of her extra time? And probably the most conducive paid blogging site for blogger moms is SocialSpark. At SocialSpark, you don’t have to watch the monitor all day waiting for opportunities to get ahead of the competition. If you miss an opportunity the first time it is available, you just get on queue and wait for Social Spark to send you an email once you get your turn. And what’s more, you get 12 hours from the time the opportunity is reserved to make your post. That is more than enough time to either take the kids to school and go back to do it or even to give them a bath or feed them.

The set-up is perfect for stay-at-home moms because there is no pressure to make the posts in just a few hours. I bet I can even pass by the grocery to get supplies and still have enough time to do a few posts before the 12-hour deadline expires. It has been a little over 2 months since SocialSpark was launched and yet the number of advertisers has not dwindled. Even while I am employed, I have already made close to $200 from SocialSpark. Imagine how much more a blogger mom with no office work can do.

So, for those stay-at-home moms out there, may be it’s time to put your writing skills to use instead of spending hours worrying about the kids, the laundry, and dinner. Maybe it’s time to prove that you can do more than house chores. Make your own money and you will not have to beg hubby for extra funds to buy that nice blouse or bag. Blog with SocialSpark and show the family that you are worth more than a housekeeper and a nanny.