Last Friday, Chris Casey made this remark at LVPoliblog. "I have received a few emails thanking me that we don't allow ads, and that readers can come here without being subjected to pop ups. I hope we can always keep it that way." Unlike Chris, I have a few ads. No pop ups.Last night, River asked me to fess up. "I hate to change the subject, but how much money do you make a year running this blog? Every time someone looks you get a 'hit' and you get paid by advertisers on how many hits you get. AJ told me he gets a check every year for his blog. I wonder where your heart is. Do you care more for the valley or more for posting a topic just to bring interest and 'Hits' to your blog for a bigger paycheck at the end of the year. Bernie I like you and respect you. Please come clean with the dollar amount $$$$$$$$"
Looks like it's time for some full disclosure. Yes, I do try to make some money from my blog. Last year, I pulled in a gazillion dollars, and you can, too, if you buy my book for just $29.99.
OK, the truth. Since I began bloggin in earnest last May, I've earned a grand total of $67.58 from auctionads ($63.37) and bidvertiser ($4.21). Let me explain my advertising policy. (1) I do not solicit nor would I accept ads from any local businesses because that would compromise my independence. (2) I do use advertising services because I have no contact with them other than installing their code on my web template. They make no attempt to influence me.
1) Local Ads
Both NewsOverCoffee and Our West End Neighborhood, two informative placeblogs about Nazareth and Allentown, do something that would be inappropriate for me - they accept local advertising. Since these placeblogs promote their communities, carrying a local ad is just a logical extension of what they're already doing anyway. My focus is much different, and it would not be right for me.
I'm a one man operation. If a local business were crazy enough to want to advertise here, it would have to deal with me. If I start pandering to prospective advertisers, I would soon lose my independence. So I decided against local ads a long time ago.
But what about newspapers? They're so full of promotions they even advertise their ads. They have that luxury. They maintain a separate advertising department, so there's a firewall between advertising and news, at least at The Morning Call and Express Times.
Mainstream media 1, bloggers 0.
2) Advertising Services.
My firewall is the advertising service. All I do is sign up, get the HTML code, and place it on my template. These advertising services are a godsend to local bloggers because I can retain my independence and make a few bucks.
Mainstream media 1, bloggers 1.
But what about newspapers? They use all those advertising services and local ads, too.
People actually pay to read newspapers, and I occasionally have to pay to look at their archives when I'm looking into a story very closely.
Mainstream media 3, bloggers 1.
The mainstream boasts great essayists like Deegan and natural story tellers like Varkony, while people like me blog because it's the only way I can get published.
Mainstream media 4, bloggers 1.
But I understand we have better sex lives. Alone. On the Internet. I think I've disclosed too much.
32 comments:
The only thing I don't like about some of those advertisements is that they occasionally obliterate the text of the blog and make reading a challenge!
Anon 11:17,
If I get enough complaints, I'll just pull the ads completely. The financial reward has been miniscule, so it doesn't much matter to me whether they go or stay.
Don't look now but I think the MSM firewall is on fire or it burned down a long time ago. Those local MSM whores have and will slant and cherrypick stories with an eye towards an advertiser if possible. Bernie, this is awkward but -great essayist Deegan, likewise Varkony-- that was tongue in cheek, right, huh, right? Thats like calling Joe Long a political strategist.
Anon 11:59,
One man's meat is another man's poison. I like them both ... very much. I can tell you Deegan is on holiday and that Pam just posted a blog. I'm a fan of both.
Now are you going to send me $29.99 or not??
I haven't had any private advertising offers on my Web Blog, but I've had TONS of offers on my Sports Blog. However, I ignore them all (except for the one where I asked for an exceptional amount of money just to be a dick.)
I like the Google AdSense ads because they keep me nonpartisan and only relate to recent content on the blog. Plus, this is something Blogger promotes from their settings which is really cool.
There is a way to fix it so only certain ads appear, but I'm too stupid to figure out how to work that feature.
And like you, I would never put a pop-up ad on my site - ever! However, I do make it so links open in a new window. And that Google Search thing on my site - I don't get a penny from it. It's just a cool little tool, that's all.
What hurts the most - and I mentioned this somewhere - is that when more people visit the blog and less people click an ad, I earn even less. Like yesterday, River thought he was helping me become "rich" and "famous", but he visited my blog 30 some odd times, not including all the seperate page views, which lowered my earnings from 7 cents to 3 cents.
He may believe that I only blog to attract people for money, but in reality, the more people that visit, the less money I earn.
So please, everyone, ignore EVERYTHING that I spend time writing so I can become 7 cents richer each day :)
I had google adsense but was inceremoniously fired after about a month. My friends kept clicking on the ads, google got wise and threw me overboard.
If these ads offend, I won't hesitate to dump them. I don't make enough money to be very concerned about it.
I hope I get a check. It wouldn't be a lot of money, but being a returning student, every dime helps.
Bernie, you are a sell out. I am ashamed to know you.
I have never received a penny for my own work or the work at Keystone Politics. I have been offered a gig with AOL for their election blog in 2006 that would have payed ($8/post) and Hopkins once offered to pay a parking ticket (okay, that's a lie), but this is about love, not about money.
LVDem, Hey, dude, I'm in it for the dough. $67 in 15 months! Cha ching! Can't beat that!
AOL actually did pay me $9 for every post I didn't write about election 2006.
Hey Bernie,
Check out the post from Bob Wolper on the MC blog about Lehi County cutting off Sam Bennett's funding.
Someone who doesn't want to make money doing a political campaign in the Valley.
Interesting.
Thanks for the tip. It's posted.
Hey! There you go quoting a crazy person again! LOL!
I don't begrudge anyone making money off their blog, but it is a pittance, and I don't think worth the bother. I blog for the hate mail! I love when people trash me!
They say things about me I could never imagine! I also hate ads, There's a couple of blogs I like reading, but I have to close the pop-ups while I'm trying to read.
So I only visit them occasionally.
Freedom of choice, now that's American as Hot Dogs and Apple Pie!
Anon 11:59 PM said: "That's like calling Joe Long a political strategist."...very glad you were only joking! larry@kisslinger.com
My friend sent me this:
http://www.adbusters.org/the_magazine/73/So_Paulo_A_City_Without_Ads.html
Bernie:
I offer local advertising on my site primarily for two reasons.
1. To enhance the service provided to my community through my blog.
2. In an effort to justify my time spent doing this to my wife I need to bring in some income into my home to compensate for the time I spend working on my blog.
The first initiative appears to have worked for the people who have advertised on my site. Considering the small amount of money I made so far doing this the second reason has been a total failure.
Chris & Damien,
The reason you're not making money is bc you obviously know nothing about ad placement and stuff like that. If you buy my book for $19.99, you'll both be millionaires by nightfall. Really!
Oh, boy... Bernie's desperate - the price just dropped!
AJ, It's yours for just $9.99.
Bernie,
I know you were comparing mainstream media vs. bloggers in your post. But check this out. It's an article promoted on the front page of Yahoo! that's full of links to advertisers. Talk about blurring the lines. Now I know that Yahoo! isn't the NYTimes or WSJournal. But most of Yahoo!'s editorial is advertorial in nature. Completely distasteful. Just goes to show how desperate Yahoo! is with Google eating its lunch.
Also, anyone is welcome to click on the Google Ads at Beyond Scrapple. I'm aiming to hit $10 by the end of 2007. When I get my $100 check from Google in 2012, I'll have enough cash for a three-day ethnic food bender.
Ahhh, the gourmand!
Michael, I was very impressed by your appearance on Business Matters two Mondays ago. It's available in the archives at WFMZ. I was fascinated by the discussion about the MSM v. blogging.
And to anyone looking for an interesting place to eat, Mike's Beyond Scrapple is the best.
Mike, there's a lot of advertising in the NYT, my favorite paper, and it includes those dreaded pop ups.
But it's really goofy on that yahoo page, as you point out very nicely.
I guess at the end of the day I still don't get why a person with a blog is a villain for earning any money for their time and effort. Even non-profits make money, they simply don't go to a specific individual (with some notable local exceptions).
Localized sites won't make much, but they can make some. If you chose not to engage that is fine, but if you do, you shouldn't be criticized by those who chose not to do so.
A paid link and a one time post indicated as an advertisement by that business on your site does not corrupt the individual or confuse the reader (I chose this route because it required minimum programming and site hacks).
In fact, I'd argue a localized site is one of the best ways for a local business to advertise. One, because I stand to gain (couldn't resist Chris and bernie;-), two, because it is cost effective compared to other advertising options, and three, because the audience is very specific and focused.
You don't have to pander to get advertising if the advertising is not your lifeblood.
And my firewall is my conscience and the fact that I put my name to my site, which is more important than a dollar, because I live here and interact with people in the community every day.
I'd never been on Chris Casey's site, nor heard of River before tonight, but I think when people start challenging about money being made they are either jealous, frustrated, or both and are lashing out (or as Bernie points out, ignorant because not that much money is flowing).
This is really a non-issue.
Bernie -
Just take it out of my advertising earnings...
News Over Coffee...
You're right. This is a non-issue. But it didn't hurt to address the topic.
Bernie-"You Blog HARD for the money, so HARD for it Honey so they better treat you right."
Thanks for the note, Bernie, re the Business Matters appearance. To your point, the key is having the wall between editorial and marketing. Automated ad services give you the barrier automatically. Reporters who are also ad sales reps risk losing their objectivity. I've seen it first hand occasionally with trade publications and smaller newspapers. As a former journalist, it's troubling but not unprecedented.
It's fair to say that ad money isn't corrupting any blogger in this discussion. (Unfortunately, it's not even helping to placate Damien's lovely wife.) As NOC wrote, we blog because we like it, not because we need the cash. When you start doing things simply for the money, one's ethics often lose out.
You got me, I'm jealous of bernie's $63 bonanza. I just say to each his own. I don't want to be bothered with it, that's all.
Bernie, your checks will only increase. I saw an add on AJ's blog that said you can make $4000 a month bloging. They all laughed at the guys who started the internet...remember? :)
NOC,
I'm going to disagree w/ a question about advertising being called a non-issue. The question raised by River is important, and I probably should have made full disclosure of my advertising policy before today.
I agree that local ads are very effective on a hyperlocal site like yours, but it would limit what I could do and say.
HJere's an example. I've been critical of an anti-skateboarding attitude in Nazareth, one that you deny exists. If I were accepting ads from Nazareth businesses, I'd think twice before saying anything. I would no longer be an independent voice.
You say your firewall is your conscience, and I don't doubt your good intentions. But plenty of readers will.
Finally, your suggestion that CC is "jealous" reflects a surprising misunderstanding of the blogosphere. We complement. We don't compete. I constantly direct my readers to Chris' blog or yours or anyone else making a good point. When we develop that attitide, we all do better.
In fact, earlier this week, I asked Casey to help me out w/ a poll for next week. I thought the LV Good Guys in Gov't poll would be better if it ran on a different blog than the one that made the nominations. He agreed right away.
Bernie O'Hare said...
"""Chris & Damien,
The reason you're not making money is bc you obviously know nothing about ad placement and stuff like that. If you buy my book for $19.99, you'll both be millionaires by nightfall. Really!
10:17 PM """"" I can see it now... Best seller list #1 Harry Potter and the Curse of Bernie's Horn !!! :):)
The "find your secret admirer" ad is a real distraction Bernie. It's really flashy, and makes it hard for this reader to concentrate. I guess it is working.
I'll get rid of it.
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