Web Presence

We all want to be successful in life and for most of us, that means making a lot of money.  But how does one make a lot of money.  Traditionally you could get a trade and make a good or even great living plying that trade.  Doctors, lawyers, engineers; these used to be the professions of choice for “successful” people.  However, with the rising cost of healthcare, the increasing pool of law school students and the globalization of technology, these professions are falling by the wayside for really making bank.

It is in content and presence that the money really lies.  You may have a negative opinion of someone like a Paris Hilton, however, you cannot argue that she does have a line of clothing and even a line of fragrances, all of which make her large amounts of money.  Is she a bad person?  That’s not for any of us to say.  Is she talented?  In my opinion, no, but that is just my personal opinion.  Did she figure out a way to make a lot of money? Definitely.

So what about the rest of us? Most people do not have a famous last name and the ability to get our picture in the paper, so we have to go about things in a different way.

People have personal passions, things that interest them for no logical reason.  I happen to like football and fast cars.  Do I drive fast? Not really, but I still dream of having some supercar one day and keep up with information about new vehicles.  Do I think that I will be playing in the NFL? No, although I have the body of a Greek god (you know Dionysus, who has put on a few pounds over the years), my odds of being the next QB for the Cowboys are about on par with me sprouting wings and flying away.

You might ask, so what, I like some stuff, how do I make money off of it.  Well, you don’t own that thing that you like, so you cannot make money off of it directly.  However, repositories of knowledge are highly prized.  For example, the TWiT network of programs technically does not create any more content than you friends sitting in your living room.  However, they research the topics they talk about and are generally very accurate in what they say.  People value the presentation of the content and the friendly banter that the shows have, so some people donate and some people buy hats and T-shirts, and the people working on those shows get a little money from it.

Do they make enough to live on? Well, I don’t know, but I would think not.  However, they get some monetary reward for doing something they enjoy, which is more than most people can say. So, if you like knitting, make a website about knitting, and maybe sell some of your knitting on there for people who are interested.  Will it make you rich?  Probably not, but it is far more likely to than just working your 9-5.