OMG, he’s monetizing his blog! What a sellout.
Most people that read this blog should know I occasionally do sponsored posts, however last night I decided to reintroduce Adsense and also added a couple affiliate banners. My question to other bloggers is this – what is your opinion of monetized blogs? Do you look for ways to make a little extra money with your blog as well? Do you feel like a sellout? Should you have your blogging license revoked?
I still want to have fun.
I personally don’t have a problem with monetized blogs as long as it’s not the only thing someone does with their blog. What I mean by that is if you create a blog for the sole purpose of just making money with it, I’m probably not going to read it. I still like to think blogging should be about having fun, making the occasional silly posts, writing about every day life and venting about that annoying neighbor who obsessively mows his lawn. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with blogs that only discuss making money, it’s just not something that’s going to pique my interest for very long. Perhaps that’s just because I have a pretty short attention span.
How much is too much?
If a blog you’ve loved for ages suddenly decides to put up a few affiliate banners here and there, would you abandon ship or stick around as long as they continue to write the same great content that you’ve always adored? I wonder what it would take for readers to leave. I can remember a time where putting banners or any kind of sponsored links on your site was considered taboo, but with so many bloggers and web authors doing it now, has that mentality changed?
So what do you think?
I’m curious to hear what my blogging peers out there have to say about monetizing blogs, especially those that are more personal and written for the sake of entertaining others. It’s expected that a blog about making money is going to be monetized, so I’m not really interested in what people think about blogs of that particular nature. It would be a little silly for those not be monetized.
Agree with the very last word, Mike. I’ve monetized mine too. I think it’s a great idea to show some ads in our blog, besides making few bucks, it looks nice and it’s just like watching tv–without ads it would be boring too.
I actually do like some of the commercials on tv as well. Some of them are awfully funny :D
I don’t see anything wrong with it. Like you, as long as it’s not the only thing on the blog, go for it. I do sponsored posts on my other blog, but I always try to add a regular post right away. That way, the first thing people see is a normal post, and not a paid one. If they want to read the sponsored one, far out. If not, that’s ok too.
We work hard to make our blogs a place that people enjoy visiting, and there’s nothing wrong with making a little extra change on the side.
I like that mentality :) I think it’s also a great way to make a blog pay for itself. For example if you’re considering holding contests in the future. If your blog can pay for those contests, cool! That’s actually what I’m hoping to accomplish with my comic site.
Months ago, I tried using Kontera ContentLink on my blog, but I found that readers had problems with the popups blocking what they’re trying to read. As such, I removed it. I’ve also had personal issues with regards to flashy banner ads distracting me from reading content on other websites.
With these things in mind, I think monetization is okay so long as it does not interfere with the visitor reading your content, since the intention of a blog is to share information. Beyond that, I say monetize away! :)
I also have to agree with what Christine wrote above. Any time I have a sponsored post to write, I try to write another content post or have one planned to go up almost immediately after the sponsored post is published. Although I try to only provide reviews that offer something meaningful to my readers, I prefer that my visitors (new and returning alike) are able to see something that I want to share as opposed to something someone else wants to share.
Hi Matt :) I don’t usually worry too much about following up sponsored posts with a regular post, since you like you mentioned I’m usually pretty picky and try to only feature things I think folks would have an interest in. I’ve gone well over a month now without taking any opps on PayPerPost because they’re offering absolutely nothing of interest. I don’t feel like boring my readers to death for a measly ten bucks ;P
I had the exact same thoughts when I went through this thing. Here were my thoughts. But you know what, having had a site monetized for like a month now w/ AdSense ads and sponsored reviews, everything’ll be straight as long as you continue to provide quality content. Bingo bango baby!
I don’t think it’s a big deal. In fact, I think it’s almost to be expected. If the ads can pay your hosting costs and give you pocket money, that’s great! I think only a very few people get very rich from their 10c/click ads. ;)
That’s it! This month you only get 99 comments Mr. Money Pants!
But seriously: It would be silly not to monetize your blog in my opinion – we all know by now that you have no dreams of being Mr. John Chow, but making some money on your blog will help pay for all your blogging costs and reinvest into your blogging. If you are getting traffic and can make a bit of cash, go for it!
We love you Mikey! We don’t think you’re a sellout!
Honestly I think it’s a crime when bloggers blog for free. Anyone who criticizes a blogger for earning an income is ridiculous. Blogging is work like anything else, and not just a little bit of work, but a lot of work. If you are out here trying to entertain people you deserve to be compensated, just like magazines, newspapers, radio, T.V., etc. I think your site looks great!
@Danielle: LOL (“Mr. Money Pants”…hehe)
@Christy: you go, girlfriend! ;)
@Matt: agree with you 100 percent! I, too, used to use Kontera, but gosh darnit, couldn’t stand the way it kept getting in the way of things, especially when they were right next to other links. Just got to be too much, so I took it off. I made only less then 2 bucks anyway, so I wasn’t getting that much out of it.
@Mr. Money Pants (a.k.a. T-boy): When done responsibly, I find it quite acceptable. Honestly, I don’t notice ads much on blogs unless they’re cluttering up the place.
I think you’re thinking too hard. lol As long as you like it, you do it. People who like you will follow you, and those who don’t will drop out (and even then, those who don’t may end up stalking you anyway, which gives you more hits anyway). I don’t really care if people think I’m selling out. It’s my site and if they’re interested, they can visit. If not, they can leave. So far, so good, so oh well! ;D
@Bush: How’s it been going since you started doing it? Did you make your first million yet? ;)
@Danielle: Hehe…Mr. MoneyPants. I like it ;P The day I start emulating John Chow is the day I want you to scooter down here from Canada and run me over ;P
@Christy: And no one works harder at blogging than you :)
@Mark: Exactly. I don’t really notice them that much either because you like you said it’s acceptable now, so I just look at it as part of the site’s design.
@Helen: Hehe. Oh I don’t care either if people think I’m a sellout. I just thought it would be neat to get a little conversation going and see how people react to monetized websites and blogs now as compared to how they did just a few short years ago. I can remember when people used to throw fits if their favorite site would put up a banner or two. You’d think the site owner had just thrown a baby out the window or something ;P
I blog for the sheer enjoyment of it. I love to write. I love to preserve memories. And I love to keep in touch with friends through my blog. I feel that writing paid reviews on my personal blog would take away from all of that.
Don’t get me wrong. Enjoying blogging as I do, I’d love to be paid for doing it. To have a job maintaining a blog for an organization would be a dream come true. But that blog would have to be completely separate from my personal blog.
I don’t mind seeing advertising on other blogs. It’s just my personal decision not to do it on mine. And I don’t think you’re a sellout, Mike. You have a very nice, entertaining blog, and you choose your sponsored posts wisely. They usually have relevance to the other things you tend to write about, and sometimes I even read them. ;)
Have a great night.
My blog has always had ads… from day one. I don’t think it has impacted on my ability to get people to visit. And you, Mike, have a great blog that people love visiting. I don’t think a few ads are going to cause a problem. And if it really offends people they can just read your blog in an RSS reader, right?
Do you want see something funny, but shh! it’s a secret: http://mrsomethingpants.com
@Tish: At least you read most of my regular posts ;)
@Danielle: I think that’s perhaps why RSS was invented..hehe. Of course now people are monetizing their feeds as well. You can’t escape it! ;D
OMG, I so do not fit the description of Mr. MoneyPants :-o
of course u r not a sell out!!!!!!! if u stay true to ur principles and u remember why u first started blogging why not to try and make some money out of it!! and i hv to say i only noticed the adds cause of this post!!! so i say they r totally blended and they r no pain!!
and u even write and design gummys webcomic u deserve some little compensation!! keep on doing this amazing work!!
@mike – No No… it’s just something I do… call people Mr. Something Pants. I wrote the Mr. Money Pants one a while ago… But I use them all for whatever – in those I am talking about specific people that I know.
Hehe…no worries, Danielle. I thought it was funny :)
Miss Pinky Pants, I think that’s super cute that you do that! :)
It’s my way of working out my feelings towards people who wear pants (ie. boys). :) I used to write them in a book.
There was a movie that had a great line like that. It was Naked Gun 1 or 2. Leslie Nielson commented to one of the other characters, “We can handle it like grown adults, can’t we Mr. Poopy Pants!”
I laughed until I cried. Maybe you could add that one to your collection. ;)
I just might! First I need to meet a Mr. Poopy Pants so I have a frame of reference.
Good memory, Mark! It was indeed the first Naked Gun. I LOVE those movies. Leslie Nielson is hilarious :) My cousin and I were just watching that movie again the other night.
Shameful opportunism for the sake of filthy lucre is perfectly ok. Besides, the way you write, you can find a way to make your pay posts as relevant as your personal posts.
I say it’s your blog, do what you want with it. I’m trying to clean up my site because it seems a little cluttered to me.
Your site doesn’t look cluttered at all. It looks great :P