Blogging used to belong solely to people ranting, gossiping, letting us in on their (usually) mundane, unremarkable lives and views on politics and myriad other topics.
Big [TAG-ICE]bloggers[/TAG-ICE] were simply the guys and gals who did the same kind of thing, but gained a large following, usually due to better writing and being more insightful, provocative, and calculating with their content.
But now there are bloggers who get paid big time for their opinions, rants, remarkable, and unremarkable observations.
In this month’s Business 2.0 magazine, the cover story “Blogging for Dollars,” really puts a head on the current evolution of the blogosphere. Bloggers were once the outcasts. The news maker-wannabees that mainstream news media loved to make fun of and ignore.
Now no one can ignore the [TAG-TEC]blogs[/TAG-TEC]. They are even a core part of news aggregation on major news shows like The Situation Room on CNN.A growing interest also comes from corporations looking for better, more effective advertising outlets.
And they are finding them on blogs. Not your average [tag]blogs[/tag], mind you. But blogs with following and huge readership.
The difference between TV and radio advertising and blog advertising is obvious: A blogger with following and respect with ads on their blog can trump a cold TV ad any day of the week. Both in price and in conversion.
At least that’s what advertisers are banking on. Bloggers with following and high traffic flow have people who are clearly swayed by and interested in what their favorite blogger has to say.
Therefore advertisers can take advantage of the relationship and tie their brand to thousands of subscribers favorite online personality.
Business 2.0, September 2006 highlights several bloggers-gone-mainstream. One of which is Michael Arrington, the brains behind TechCrunch.com, a high-traffic, high-revenue blog reportedly earning over $60,000.00 per month in ad revenue.
Not bad for a [tag]blogger[/tag]. And all you need is a following.
So how do these guys get their dedicated readership?
Here is how Saheli S.R. Datta puts it in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers” Business 2.0, September 2006:
- Focus intently on a narrow niche
- Set up your blog so that each post gets its own permanent URL
- Think of your blog as a database
- Blog frequently and regularly
- Use striking images in your posts
- Enable comments and interact with readers
- Make friends with other bloggers
Datta goes into detail about each of those habits in the article, but I am going to MAKE you read the article and grab a copy of Business 2.0 because you simply must read the whole thing.
If you are a blogger who aspires to do great things and turn your passion into a full-time big business, there are formulas to follow and technology beyond what you get with a basic free blogging account that can help.
Purists will say things like “sell out” and “mainstream” and “suit” when describing profitable blogs. But going mainstream and making money with a blog is part of the original spirit of blogging: “Screw the establishment, I’m doing it MY way.”
The only difference in this case is that [tag]blogging[/tag] itself is the establishment and people who make money with blogs are simply rebelling against poverty blogging.