Becoming a Better Blogger: Online ProBlogging Classes

When I posted Two Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills, I mentioned online writing classes. But did you know that there are online problogging classes, too?

Most of the pro blogging classes out there have a definite “make money blogging” slant. However, if all you’re interested in is honing your blogging skills to grow readership, then check out Darren Rowse of Problogger’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog, a downloadable e-book. It’s designed to help you revitalize your blog by giving you 31 tasks that will help you turn it into the page view powerhouse.

I participated in Darren’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog challenge the last time it ran. (Well, I read the daily emails, but didn’t actually do any of the exercises since I was too busy.) Darren is The Man when it comes to blogging, so $19.95 is a small price to pay for some great advice.

You may also want to get Darren’s book, ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income, that he wrote with Chris Garrett.

Yaro Starak’s Blog Mastermind mentorship program

I took Yaro’s Blog Mastermind blogging class when it was first launched back in 2007, mostly because Darren Rowse recommended it. Also, it was one of the only online problogging classes that allowed you to pay monthly instead of paying the entire fee upfront.

Since I was one of the first members, I paid $47 per month for the six months the program lasted. Currently, the Blog Mastermind mentorship program goes for $97 per month. The membership gives you access to the lessons, videos, a members only forum, access to Yaro’s Social Traffic Club, and audio and video interviews with top bloggers like Brian Clark of Copyblogger.

If you don’t like the program for any reason, just let Yaro or his team know in the first 60 days and they’ll send you a full refund. You can also cancel at any time for any reason. (I had a small billing problem, and Yaro personally emailed me and fixed it right away. The man stands by his word.)

I enjoyed taking Yaro’s course and I learned a great deal, especially about social bookmarking on sites like Digg and writing quality content. However, there were some drawbacks to it:

• The course is slated for beginners, so the first few lessons may cover things you already know.
• It’s time consuming. There is a lot of material to cover and if you don’t have the time to devote to reading and listening to it – and participating in the forums – don’t waste your money.
• Blog Mastermind recommends having a self-hosted WordPress blog, which may be a problem if you don’t have one and don’t want to transfer your current blog to that platform.
• It recommends finding a popular niche and blogging on that topic. If you already have an established blog, especially a general mom blogging one, you already have your niche and know that it isn’t very lucrative. Still the information on how to find a profitable niche could come in handy if you’re interested in starting a new blog.
• The program covers making money through affiliate marketing, which may not be of interest to you. I’ve personally found that making money through affiliate advertising and links isn’t the best way to monetize a mom blog and works better for tech or more product friendly blogs (for example a golf blog monetized with golfing equipment affiliate programs).

However, if you are wanting to step out of your mom blogging box to write about a different subject and make money doing so, then BlogMastermind is a great way to do just that.

For more information, check out Paul Piotrowski of InspiredMoneyMaker.com’s review: Yaro Starak’s Blog Mastermind – A Complete Review

Almost as good as a class – freebie ebooks

Nothing like getting some great advice for free. Just be warned that these come from expert Internet marketers who may start sending you lots of emails to get you to buy this or that program or service. You can opt out of the emails, of course, but you could get some great opportunities to learn more about internet marketing and making money blogging by sticking around, too.

• Blog Profits Blueprint by Yaro Starak – This ebook covers Yaro’s “pillar article” concept. A large ebook full of great information. You can sign up for it on the BlogMastermind site or on Yaro’s blog, Entrepreneur’s Journey.
• Make Money Online by John Chow – John’s one of the biggest making money on the Internet guys and really knows his stuff. His free ebook, which you can sign up for on his site, JohnChow.com, has some good information in it. Better yet, it’s a way to get on his emailing list to learn about other blogging and making money online programs he’s promoting.
• Killer Flagship Content by Chris Garrett – This free ebook introduces the concept of Flagship Content and provides all the information you need to create, package and promote compelling resources that attract more attention to your blog.Anne-Marie Nichols is the Social Media Manager at Mom Central Consulting. You can also find her blogging up some healthy recipes at This Mama Cooks!

Anne-Marie Nichols