In Search of a Life Less Ordinary turned two in May.
Where did the time go? I still marvel at the fact I’ve been able to find material to sustain the site for 24 months but, thankfully, it keeps on coming… so where to next for ISOALLO?
As the blog has developed over time, one of the things I find myself wrestling with is the thorny issue of blog monetisation.
The number of enquiries from potential advertisers seems to grow month by month. It’s all very flattering but dig a little deeper and the enquiries aren’t always quite what they seem.
An email last week informed me that an entity on this PR agency’s books was interested in blog advertising. They liked my writing and the site’s overall content, and were interested in text link adverts. I gave them some prices and we agreed on a final figure, assuming the adverts were in line with the site’s look and feel.
I asked to see some example adverts currently hosted on other websites and I was directed to a range of links advertising things such as blow-up dolls, sexy lingerie and, interestingly, sailor outfits. You’ll be comforted to know that I jumped on the breaks and ended the conversation. But this experience and the rising number of enquiries begged the question:
With the appropriate checks and measures, is monetisation right for this blog or will it turn you, the reader, off?
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| Photo credit: Jason Mrachina (Flickr Creative Commons) |
How much is too much?
I encourage advertising on the home page and have some steady clients who advertise by the quarter. It’s a helpful way to bring in a little extra pocket money (because that’s all it is, believe me) and hopefully brings some benefit to the advertiser themselves.
Banner or text link advertising is a fairly straight forward and easy arrangement to manage – as long as you vet the potential advertiser (see example above). It’s also unobtrusive and doesn’t usually interfere with the reader’s experience on the site.
But what about the other advertising requests that have started to come through?
I’ve been asked if I’ll accept posts written for me on behalf of advertisers, I’ve been encouraged to write my own content which will be sponsored by well-known organisations (written they way they want or to my own liking), and I’ve been approached about running competitions for a growing number of brands.
Some of these initiatives sound too good to be true (and, in most cases, are). Some have an unsettling odour about them (the ones that tick this box are immediately ignored). And others, well, you can’t always know.
Whatever the approach, the most important thing to consider is that whatever I do doesn’t impose on my audience and/or send them running for the hills.
Turning you on, not turning you off
Bringing in new sources of revenue to In Search of a Life Less Ordinary and other blogs like it is surely no bad thing. It delivers a useful source of income for those of us who spend hours plugging away at these things for the love of writing and blogging and community. It can also benefit the reader through the hosting of fun competitions and provision of inside access to certain relevant products.
But is it really worth it?
I’m terrified of sending loyal readers packing, fearful or trashing this blog’s good name, and loathe to rubbish the user experience in any way.
For a dedicated blogger, this is the stuff of nightmares.
The creation of this blog was never about the money. It was about sharing a story with you, a journey from A to B. Bringing in a little extra cash or running several competitions of benefit to you (and to me) should only ever be a bonus, not a means to an end.
ISOALLO has a theme, a target audience, a loyal readership, and broad community. The thought of diluting the message, subtracting from my writing, and damaging this ‘platform’ is not a pleasant one.
My pledge to you
In considering the best way forward, this is what I truly believe.
You, the reader, are not an idiot and I should never treat you like one. Nothing I do on this blog should ever jeopardise our relationship and take advantage of your loyalty.
I’ll stick to the story I originally set out to share and I’ll only accept third parties on this site if they represent what I believe in and if they demonstrate my approach to this life. I’ll never sell out to the highest bidder and not accept anything less than extraordinary. If I come across something and think “wow”, then you’ll be the first to hear of it in a manner that befits this blog and my style.
I’ll try to make sure that any sponsored post is brilliant – I’ll write it as best as I can. I’ll only run the most fantastic of competitions and ensure that the prizes are, well, GREAT. I’ll write all content myself, unless I spot an outstanding writer/blogger that this community needs to meet and hear about.
This is my pledge to you.
So, with this in mind, I need your valued opinion.
A well-known and trusted organisation has suggested I run a rather excellent competition. I’m game but are you?
What do you think? Shall we do this thing?
Let me know in the comments below and I’ll run the competition in the next week if the majority are in favour.
Also, as a reader, what do you generally think about blog monetisation? And bloggers, what have you experienced/decided to do about this thorny issue?
As always, do share your views below.
I have respect for someone who has built up their blog and is able to monetise it. But with that said, I tend not to regularly read those blogs. I feel like I am marketed products from every source so when I read blogs I don’t want to be bombarded with the same thing. I’ve been contacted by people wanting me to associate my blog with their site/product etc and I’ve dismissed most requests. However, if I feel like it is something that would help a reader or an expat then I’ll be on board but still limit that type of thing. I think if you continue to go for what feels right for your blog then you won’t go wrong. If the voice of your blog doesn’t change and you are able to grow your income then I think it can only be a good thing.
This post comes at a great time for me. Ive been thinking about the same things as you BUT … there’s always a but … I don’t want to offend my loyal readers. Also I know that some travel blogs are very successful but they push their 3rd party advertising too much. I don’t like in your face advertising. It’s a tough decision to make and Ill make my final one when I reach at least 5000 followers. Im nowhere near that at the moment. Patience is a virtue. Great post, thank you.
I’ve ‘monitised’ (how I hate that word) my blog through WordPress’ own scheme. It’s slightly distorted the format but doesn’t seem to have put readers off so far. I’m leaving it active for a month to see what level of income it brings in. I suspect it won’t be much and, if this is the case, I’ll switch it off. I think most readers understand that their get to read our blogs for nothing so a bit of advertising to cover basic costs is understandable.
Hi Russell! Belated congratulations on your baby 🙂
Good discussion. I had those issues at first. I dislike “too eager” salespeople and being pressured into taking an offer. There’s definitely a wrong approach to selling.
On the flip-side, there’s also a right way to sell. Even charities have all-day/month pledge drives, “selling” you the idea that your donations are needed and helpful.
Selling is dirty when one has one goal in mind: separating the clients/audience from their money. In other words, self-interest with disregard to the buyer. This is what leads some to offer things not because they trust them, but because of the high commission.
Selling is the GREATEST thing when one does it right. How? When you match a truly great product/solution, with someone that absolutely needs it. You are “selling” offline when you just “have to” talk to everybody about a great product you just bought at the store. I love when someone steers me (honestly) to a product that I need and will solve a problem. I’ll even click on the affiliate link to expressly give them the commission, as a way to thank them.
I don’t have ads (yet) on my blog, but will be adding some in the future. For example, I’ve had a GREAT experience hosting with Hostgator. If someone asks me to recommend a host, that’s who I’ll recommend, online or offline.
I’m also developing ideas on products that are great and will solve problems for the people that need them. This is how one honestly approaches selling. If someone absolutely needs a blog, but a free account will do, I won’t tell them to use Hostgator to get the commission (self-interest), but direct them towards Worpress.com or Blogger.com (best solution).
When you act and offer products in the best interest of your audience, you do them a service because they know they’re getting a solution from someone who they trust. Break that trust by offering sub-par or dubious products and you break that trust.
You’re a very open and honest guy Russell. Sell/offer only what you think will benefit your readers and you’ll never break that trust.
Heck, thanks for the post idea. I’ll have that up and running today 🙂
Rich
http://unwireme.com
I’ve thought about doing this too, I got an email… By the way, I nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blog Award. See my post at http://petchary.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/very-inspirational/. All the best to you and the great city of Sydney!
Just don’t do the jiggly-belly ads. Please. For the love of God.
Thanks so much. That’s great. Sydney is still great but a tad wet these past few weeks. Rain, rain, go away… 🙂
I haven’t seen a difference on your blog (in terms of distortions) but there you go. Is it based on a ‘pay-per-click’ model like Google Adwords or Adsense? Let me know how that goes. I tried the same thing here but with no success so removed it.
Thanks, Jennifer. I’ve also seen that pushy approach with travel blogs. They run some great travel comps but tend to push the sponsored post thing – and the content is usually pretty run-of-the-mill.
A lot of this is about gut feeling and instinct. If it feels right, run it. If you feel like you’ve gone too far, pull back. Stats probably won’t help determine right or wrong but I’m fairly certain you’ll know when something isn’t right. Thanks again for your comment.
Thanks Melissa. I know what you mean. Sometimes it’s nice to read a blog purely to enjoy the content and not be disturbed by the kinds of advertising and product placement that the more mainstream websites put out.
I’ve also turned away potential advertisers who come to me with a product or service that has nothing to do with this blog’s rationale. And then I’ve seen some really interesting products that can only be good for, say, the expat community. It is these that I’d like to start sharing.
Thanks for sharing your views 🙂
Thanks Rich. Appreciate the congrats and pleased I gave you a new post idea. Did I just sell you that idea? 😉
What you say about offering products that are in the best interest of your audience is key for me. There’s no point otherwise, unless I’m trying to scrape every dollar from every possible avenue and that’s not my goal on here.
As you say, I plan only to offer those things that will benefit the good people that take time out of their day to come here. And aim to never, ever break their trust.
Thanks again for offering up such useful advice, Rich.
Jiggly-belly ads? What are those? Do share 🙂
Russell,
You’ve put it so well here and have brought up something I’m always wondering about. I put adsense banners up and down because I can’t decide if it’s worth it. It doesn’t really pay and I wonder if it’s distracting and annoying to my readers. I have partnered with a women’s blog site and that ad is at the upper right corner. I do that because I value their content, their discounts and coupons (not for me but for the US readers) and other things like book reviews and writer support.
When the ads take up each side of the blog or they flash and link within
content, you’ve lost readers. I can’t imagine those blogs doing well. And that you would never do.
I think as long as you’re true to yourself and your message, the reason you continue to write brilliant posts for us every week, then you won’t go wrong.
I love your blog and your message. I don’t see that changing.
But I have to say I’m more than intrigued by your contest tease.
‘What he said.’ Seriously, I couldn’t write it better myself.
There’s a non-expat blog I follow (it’s a bit like watching a train wreck, you can’t look away) that is horribly over-monetized. It’s like she sold her soul, with adds placed before and between posts. If I weren’t rooting for her to get her act together, I’d have bailed long ago. She’s also been pretty upfront about really needing the money so I look the other way.
I’m in a similar situation as you (probably smaller scale), with a few offers for monetization coming in monthly. I turn down all content writing requests because I want total control over my content (for the reasons you’ve stated, not simply to be a control freak): it’s my blog, my reputation. Besides, they never, ever come up with topics and/or links that truly fit with my blog. The last thing I want is for a reader to say ‘What is this doing on here??’
I’m in consultation with a couple folks on discreetly placed adds for services that would be of value to my readers, but I’ve set a personal limit of 3 total. Sometimes they say they just want the ad placement but then try to pressure you to write a post about some news in their field; that’s when I say, ‘no thanks, guess this isn’t going to work after all’.
Haven’t really noticed your monetization to date so it’s obviously subtle. I think relevant giveaways are terrific! We trust your judgment so when the situation is right, go for it.
As for sponsored posts that you would write…I think they can be problematic, a real slippery slope. If it’s something that you can honestly say that you would write about for free, it’s of direct relevance AND interest to your readership, and you do full disclosure, okay.
In the end, I don’t see a problem with a blogger having an acknowledged relationship with a company, organization or brand IF it’s out in the open and fulfills the requirements mentioned in the previous paragraph. Otherwise, don’t bother; it’s not worth it.
I don’t mind sponsored posts because if selected with care they can provide additional useful information for readers as long as they are appropriately labelled as a sponsored post. They provide money and conserve time for the blogger to concentrate on the posts they do write. I think it’s unfair as a reader to expect bloggers, especially with high quality blogs sites where clearly large volumes of time are spent writing and promoting their site to not monetise. Do we expect this same quality if they are forced to maintain full times jobs as well because we as the readers do not want to see a sponsored post?
It is pay-per-click using WP’s own ad scheme. I’m with WordPress.com so I’m not allowed to add my own adverts to the blog. I could move to wordpress.org and do what I like but I’m not sure I can do with all the faffing about at the mo. I’ll let you know how it works out.
I agree with Melissa and Susan. No serious blog-writer should be denied the right to make money from his or her writing, but at the same time, there is a big difference between making money from appropriately-placed ads, write-ups or competitions, and selling out. It’s clear that you’re not planning to sell out, so go for it!
Cool. Look forward to hearing more, including stories of your new-found wealth 🙂
Just posted on your blog. Thanks again – you’ll note a new badge under ‘recognition’ on the right of this page 🙂
Thanks, Katriina. I promise not to sell out and inundate you with inappropriate material! And I will try to get you guys some very cool freebees 🙂
Have you considered advertising on your own blog? (not yourself but from third parties of course!)
Great! Thanks. I am not sure how to do those badges, but I will have to try…
Please, I want to know what those are, too!
Hi Russell,
Blog monetization is always a big issue. I think you’re approaching it in a good way, making sure your quality remains high and your advertising or other monetization is in line with your message and beliefs.
With that said, let me play devil’s advocate and tell you why I am quite unashamed about monetizing my site.
Years ago, I started a website. It dealt with a very controversial consumer issue, and I was able to share a lot of insider information, including explosing significant fraud, to help folks make better informed choices about the subject. It was started before there were blogs, but I ran it like a blog with regular, frequent updates and lots of commentary. I worked my butt off to get important information out there, to respond to individual emails — sometimes numbering over 200 PER DAY — and I probably spent about 50 hours a week working on it on top of my regular life.
I slept about 4 hours a night, was glued to my computer on weekends. . . you get the picture.
After about 4-5 years of this, I had completely trashed my health. I was forced to back off, essentially to shut down the site.
Had I been able to monetize it so that it became my job instead of being in addition to my job, I might have been able to continue providing important, necessary information that would have helped hundreds or thousands of people.
Frankly, I get annoyed with the idea that you’re not entitled to an income because it’s “just a blog.” Sure, making money may not be what you planned when you started it, but how much time do you spend every week doing that “just a blog” thing? How many people do you help?
If I’m providing something that helps people with their lives, why shouldn’t I get paid for it? And why shouldn’t you? If you don’t want to charge directly for what you offer, that’s fine. Find affiliate products geared toward your audience, or place advertising. If someone buys through your affiliate link, it doesn’t cost them anything more, so what’s the problem?
If your readers don’t understand that you need to generate an income to pay for a roof over your head and food to eat, are they the audience you really want?
Good luck 🙂
Thanks for your comment, Susan. It’s refreshing to hear support for the financial and time needs of bloggers, particularly those of us that do it for the love of it and not professionally full-time.
I agree with you that care needs to be taken with sponsored posts. My view is that I won’t write a sponsored post where I’m guided or directed on the content but I will write my own post that a relevant business can agree to put their name to or offer bonus giveaways for, as long as it’s useful to my audience. Watch this space to see how it all goes!
Hi Aidan. I’ve also tried Adsense and didn’t have much success with it. The ads just seemed to sit there and the statistics weren’t great. I’ve seen the ones that flash within content and they turn me off right away. Also, great big ads between the end of a post and the comment section also bother me. Kind of gets in the way.
Thanks so much for your lovely comments about the blog and theme. I promise to keep doing what I’m doing – and, if I don’t, make sure you let me know!
The contest will be a good one, I’m sure. It will require a tiny bit of work on the entrant’s part but will be worth it! Hope to reveal more ASAP 🙂
i’ve just decided at onset to not have advertisements on my blog. i just write to write. but ha, that means i need some other kind of income
what’s the competition about? curious
Noch Noch
Thank you for sharing this. This was a very useful (and timely!) post for me.
No problem, Tatiana. Glad it helped. Are you about to start some advertising yourself?
I know what you mean. I had the same dilemma – wanting to just write to write, but also sensing a way to develop the blog further.
I’ll announce the competition later this week/early next. It has a photographic theme 😉
It’s hard following a blog where they tell you they really need the money and advertise all over the place.
Agree re. the content writing. They never generally match what the blog is about and, if it’s not a relevant guest post, what’s the point? I’ve also had a few recently that have asked for banner ads and have then asked me to write content for them. Not sure why they transition from one to the other – maybe they know they’ll pique your interest?
As for giveaways, stay tuned over the weekend/early next week. You’ll like this one 🙂
In terms of sponsored posts, I’d only accept them if I was already writing a particular post and all I do is add a disclaimer that such-and-such reputable company is sponsoring this week’s post (because they work in our space or can offer benefit to the reader). I don’t believe in the ‘text link throughout the post’ option. I’ll just have an intro or a closing paragraph. No more, no less.
Thanks, Linda. Valuable comments as always.
Hi Susanna, thanks for your insights and such a comprehensive comment. It’s a real shame about the experience you had with your first website. I agree that you should have been able to monetise that and build it up to a point where it was your primary revenue earner. I’m thinking though that, when you set it up, there weren’t many options to monetise it? Even so, I’m sorry to hear you had to close it down in the end.
I guess there’s a subtle difference between blogs that help people with their lives in some way and blogs that are more self-indulgent focusing on me, me and more me. Folks would argue that you shouldn’t charge in the second instance but it’s a fine line between your own stories helping the wider community (to learn, understand and experience through your eyes) or simple entertainment. Perhaps advertising to sustain an ‘entertaining’ blog is less palatable to some? I still agree that, given the amount of effort put in, there’s surely no harm in the odd bit of advertising and sponsorship.
Are you currently encouraging advertising with Future Expats or planning to?
I am so glad that I found your blog through a comment you made on my blog! I have had amazon on my blog for ages, and haven’t earned anything. I leave it there as a link to get onto amazon myself (in order to send gifts to my daughters who live in the US) One thing I have enjoyed is being able to have giveaways and test products. I wouldn’t mind doing more of that. If people have ads and I enjoy their content I will wade through it, so I would suggest you do your offers, and see how it goes.
Hi Africanaussie and welcome to ISOALLO! 🙂 Always great when you find (and get found) by other bloggers in your part of the blogosphere.
Appreciate your comments on monetisation. I also tried Amazon and didn’t get much out of it. The giveaways and test products are great, the adverts seem okay for now, text link advertising within blog posts less so. Have you tried sponsored posts yet?