LeliaThomas.Com

The Business of Blogging: How It is Mostly Rubbish

If you spend any amount of time online, past your email and the news, you’ve likely visited a weblog. And, whether you know it or not, blogging is a big business. I love blogs–or, as I like to call them: online journals–but I have begun to find the sorting of them very annoying, and it all boils down to the business side of them.

I was an early adopter of this online media. Back in high school, I had a journal hosted on Diaryland. (I know. How very cutting edge of me.) Back then, I don’t know that there was even a really strong name for what I was doing. I didn’t call it blogging, nor did I know of the term to do so. By the time I created this website, though (technically 2004, despite archives only going back to 2005), I knew of the term and I read a few blogs here and there. The weblogging community was much smaller two years ago.

Fast forward to now, however, and nearly everyone has a blog, whether they intend to have one or not. If you haven’t gone out of your way to specifically create one, be that on your own server or a hosted site, then you probably have the option of something similar on a social networking site, like MySpace or Facebook. In the scheme of things, it has not taken long at all for blogging to catch on, as proven by a recent study that found 8 out of 10 Americans knew what a blog was. I think that proves that the Internet is a fast-paced and typically accessible medium.

I feel blogging is very important for a multitude of reasons, all ranging from the personal relief one receives from journaling, to the growth of closeness and understanding between diverse cultures and peoples, and even to an increased awareness of local issues that the mainstream media either chooses to ignore or mistakenly ignores. With this importance, of course, comes business.

Business is good. Making money from one’s efforts is good, when that which is being produced is worthwhile to at least some individuals. What I notice about the present blogging community, however, is that some of those making the most money are the ones who are giving the tips on how to make money.

I have never understood this line of thinking, and I don’t believe I ever will. It happens in everything. Self-help books written by people who know little about the matter. Books on writing by individuals who haven’t had anything published or any successful, self-published works. Financial advice by those whose only obvious income seems to be that which they are receiving from your book or product purchases.

Blogging can be a lucrative business, but most of the time only for those willing to plaster ads in every friggin’ corner of their websites or, more often than not, those who repeat the same old tips about how to make a dime off of your site. In a few cases, I have seen sites by your average Joe rise to greatness, simply because enough people began to believe he was some authority on the matter. And the perceived authority ends up actually making these individuals the ones people look to. I could name a dozen names, link to their websites, but that would be inappropriate for me to do. It’s not hard to figure out the type, though. They’re in the top blog listings; they link to each other; they preach a lot but rarely follow in practice.

This issue is what has led me to far more “how to make money blogging” sites than I care to visit, especially since most all of them say the same things. It has made me appreciate sites like 9rules, which is the network I’m in.

There will continue to be an influx of blogs, and I am one who believes that is a good thing. It would be a lot better, though, if a few more people felt that what they wanted to contribute was something other than marketing and money making schemes for blogs.

Comments ordered from oldest to newest.

Edrei

I am pretty much sick and tired of blogs that keep harping about how to make so much money out from their content. Advertising while being a business should not be the main content as such. These money making schemes only serve to undermine and belittle what blogging should be about, which is to give people original personalized content.

The thing is that while such practices of commercializing blogs work for people, they work for a select few people who have spent time before this building their content. What has followed in their wake is a slew of wannabes that want to emulate the same practice, but without credibility and worse, without quality.

I weep for the blogging world, but I hope that with people like yourself and in 9rules, maybe some things can remain a strong example to what the heart of blogging relies on.

Passion and a lot of heart.

Lelia

I think what we’re seeing is partly a growing pain, as the Web learns to sort all the content that it has, as well as people try to do the whole get rich quick thing. We saw it before the bubble burst in the 90s. Hopefully there won’t be a burst this time around; I don’t think there will be.

I have a feeling you know of some of the blogs I was referring to!

Email Marketing » Blog Archive » The Business of Blogging: How It is Mostly…

[...] LeliaThomas.Com wrote an interesting post today on The Business of Blogging: How It is Mostly… Here’s a quick excerpt If you spend any amount of time online, past your email and the news, you’ve likely visited a weblog … that the mainstream media either chooses to ignore or mistakenly ignores. With this importance, of course, comes Posted in LeliaThomas.Com ( 66 links from 34 sites) by leliathomas [...]

Edited by Lelia: This person is an official wanker.

Lelia

You know, for once, I’m going to leave that trackback up, because I think it just proves my point. I have, however, removed the URL.

Thou shalt not spam my website.

Edrei

Yeah I know what blogs you’re referring to and a whole lot more. I’m waging a personal battle on my own home front, its not pretty to see personal blogs disappear in place of blogs that just do it for the sake of money.

Abi

My favorite ‘pro-bloggers’ are the ones that tell stories. They know how to make the mundane hilarious and I really appreciate that and have no problem with the ads that support those sites.

Lelia

Abi, I agree there’s nothing wrong with advertising on one’s site, or blogging full-time. (One of my favorite sites is Dooce.) I’m always pleased when a personal or similar blogger can achieve such a thing. We are in early times of a progressive medium for that to be happening.

What cooks my goose, however, are those I was speaking of, who make their money by telling others how to make money. It’s a scheme, essentially, and I wish more people would see through it.

Causalien

I agree with you. Preferred the old Internet where art and technology skill requirements prevented most people from having an online blog. Making online journaling available to those who really wanted it.

cooper

I’ve read you on nine rules notes and don’t think I have ever agreed with you until now.
It’s head splitting the number of people wanting to tell you how to blog. It’s also unfortunate for all the new bloggers out there, bloggers with potential who do not know any better. I think those who started before all this are luckier somehow.

Heh, I don’t need to be told how to blog…I had a Blurty when I was sixteen.

polaris

Nice post Lelia. You absolutely nailed the comparison between business blogging and self help books.

BTW, in an ironic twist, I actually landed upon this post via psychic.best -discount-perfume.net an advertising-gimmick-blog, which, depressingly, showed up higher on Google Blogsearch.

Alan

Amen. I grow weary of all the monetization-obsessed and content-free blogs. I blog because I want to write about books and communicate with other people who are passionate about books and writing. I enjoy reading blogs whose creators are passionate about their subject or niche. I find SEO and marketing deadly boring. Thanks for a great post.

Josh

Nicely said, Lelia. I’ve gotten really sick of all of the “I’ll help you make millions with your blog!” crap, especially when they’re all just regurgitating the same stuff over and over.

However, it’s clear that you don’t read enough ProBlogger or Performancing, because if you knew ANYTHING about blogging, you’d know that you should have put your post in list format. Why, it might have even been diggable then.

*eyeroll*

Blogiest links I could find #3 : The Local

[...] brilliant post by Melbourne’s Lelia Thomas about the annoyance of bloggers who make their money by telling others how to make money through blogging. Was something I heard a lot during breaks at the Australian Blogging [...]

Eli James

It is a sad, painful truth you have written here. I sometimes wonder why the blogs that makes the most money are often the least intelligent. I point to the numerous entertainment blogs that do little more than putting up pictures of celebrities and adding a few snarky, mean spirited comments on these celebrities.

Sad. Very sad.

Ross

Hi Lelia, I agree with you to a large degree, even though my new blog falls into this category. I am not trying to promote my site here, but in keeping with the conversation, I have expressed similar concerns here: http://www.webtrepreneur.net/would-you-buy-a-used-car-from-an-a-list-blogger/

In defense of my own site, it has brought people to me, who I have been able to assist with their own blogging endeavours. I have done this without promoting it on my site, nor without seeking any monetary reward for it (unlike many others). I may not be able to do this continually, as time would prevent me from being able to do so.

I do think though that there is a genuine need for this type of blog, as it can help many people to stay committed to their original goals. Mind you, if it is money people are after, then starting a ‘How to make money online’ blog is not the way to go… ;-)