So this blogging thing...
When I was working on my curation project, I learned a little bit about how people blog for money, and then use Pinterest to drive people to their blog. Interesting, I thought, but kind of left it alone, besides wondering if that was why some of the blogs I was seeing had similar advertisements on all the pages.
And then, my silly (I say that, but I'm the one blogging about it because I read the whole thing, so, there is that) Costco Connection came in the mail this week, and the cover story was about some women who blog..."Building a Blogging Business." Apparently, in addition to blog advertisements, people also make money from sponsored posts, and for some (yes, mostly white women and moms) who now blog for income, going from a couple hundred, to a couple thousand, to you know, millions of viewers, selling products from their blogs, spending time writing about food, business, parenting, and paying off debt.
Even today, my Twitter feed led me to a post about tips on how to drive more people to your blog or your business: http://www.postplanner.com/bloggers-clueless-about-key-blog-post-ingredients/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=postplanner&utm_source=twitter.com.
So, interesting, turning possible pastimes into income, perhaps a Web 2.0 version of your traditional flea market or craft fair... just spreading ideas more than physical pieces?
As I contemplate this possible end to my day job (I mean, hey, I have a blog now at least, that seems like a good first step), I'm also grappling with the idea of community in Web 2.0, which I feel like has been the bulk of our class conversation. Making money off of communities you create online does sound intriguing... and also that it could have the potential for some delightfully capitalist ugliness. Hmmm...
What do you think?
Blog sponsorship and advertisers are like new day patronage, if you consider blogging an art. I would say good writing (or writing people connect with) count as such, regardless of medium. Does it affect the content of the blog in the long run though? I know those sponsors would be in the back of my mind with each post.
ReplyDeleteI've watched the mommybloggers / sponsorship issue, and I must say that it makes me uncomfortable. On the one had, these moms are finding a way to make money doing what they were going to (sort of) do anyway, but on the other, it sort of feels like selling out one's family since the pressure must then be on to produce posts that will drive traffic. I'm pretty sure "I'm making spaghetti for dinner again and feeling mildly stressed today" won't cut it, but discussing more intimate details of your family's life will. So, that means that it becomes about selling some degree of your privacy.
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