The Blogging Journalist

San Francisco Chronicle Profiles Federated Media's John Battelle

On December 24, 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle published a profile on Federated Media Publishing's (FMP) John Battelle. See "True believer: John Battelle tries his third media enterprise."

FMP, as staff writer Sam Zuckerman notes, "handles back-office chores - most vitally the sale of advertising, which is the life blood of Internet publishing ventures -" for about 140 bloggers and "online entrepreneurs" so they "can spend their time thinking great thoughts and writing great copy."

On December 19, 2007, Battelle told  PodTech's Robert Scoble that some of his blogging clients make $10,000 a month, with a few making $100,000. FMP gets a 40 percent cut of each client's ad earnings, which is not bad.

Technorati Tags: Federated Media Publishing, John Battelle, San Francisco Chronicle

Recommended: 'Can You Trust A Blogger's Advice?'

Recommended: Search Engine Guide editor Jennifer Laycock's March 9, 2007 post headlined "Can You Trust a Blogger's Advice? "

Laycock raises relevant questions and attempts to answer them in her contribution to the debate over what Buzzmachine proprietor Jeff Jarvis says is "PayPerPost versus authentic blogging." He said comparing them " is like comparing prostitution with making love to someone you care for deeply."

Jarvis is quoted in Los Angeles Times reporter Josh Friedman's March 9, 2007, post headlined "Blogging for dollars raises questions of online ethics."

The Carrboro Commons: 'Web 2.0′ Giant Blogads Calls Carrboro Home'

Graham Russell, Deputy Design Editor editor at The Carrboro Commons in Carrboro, North Carolina, USA, has an inspiring, March 7, 2007, post on Blogads, which "handles the advertising for more than 1,000 blogs with large readerships, including famous ones like Daily Kos and Perez Hilton."

Russell notes that its founder, Henry Copeland, "started blogging in 2001 and founded the company in 2002 after noticing a new voice emerge as a result the growing popularity of blogs."

To Read more, please see "‘Web 2.0′ giant Blogads calls Carrboro home."

Darren Rowse: 'Does AdSense Suck For Bloggers?'

Problogger proprietor Darren Rowse, who lives in Australia, has a January 8, 2007, post up headlined "Does AdSense Suck for Bloggers?"

I wouldn't say it sucks. However, I didn't make a lot of money when I ran Google's AdSense ads. It didn't cover my overhead. For one thing, how many readers with a blog are interested in reading about blogging programs? I did, however, get a few car ads. I suspect the subject matter at The Blogging Journalist would have to be more diverse and read by more non-media people for AdSense to really pay off for me.

It would probably work at The Technology Free Press, my tech blog.

Australian IT: 'Advertisers Buying Off Bloggers'

Laurence Benhamou of Australian IT report in the publication's December 26, 2006, edition that, "The curtain has been pulled on a deceptive new advertising tactic in which companies camouflage ads as product praise masquerading as independent blog postings."

Writing from New York, Benhamou said, "Several companies have been exposed for launching fake blogs - known as "flogs" - in a practice that coincides with an increase in the number of real bloggers secretly paid to endorse products."

"Online firm Technorati reported it was tracking more than 63 suspicious blogs," he wrote.

There are scams in every industry or profession. Blogging isn't an exception. Some criminals and con artist see it as a means to an end.

To read Benhamou's entire post, please see "Advertisers buying off bloggers.

Steve Rubel: 'More Bloggers Turn Pro, But They Better Diversify'

On November 17, 2006, Steve Rubel at Micro Persuasions noted that, "The Economist has a brief article up about some high bloggers that have quit their day jobs to turn pro. Before you join them," Rubel  advised, "consider that there is simply not enough advertising revenue to go around. There are lots of people - including start-ups - that covet the same pie."

Is it that there really isn't enough advertising to go around? Or is that a few big, well-known players will get most of it, leaving smaller sites to fight over what's left?  Regardless, Rubel raises a good point. To read more, see "More Bloggers Turn Pro, But They Better Diversify."

Technorati tags: Stevel Rubel, Micro Persuasions, The Economist, Bloggers and Advertising, Pro Bloggers

Are You 'Blogging For Dollars'

Business 2.0 magazine reporters Paul Sloan and Paul Kaihla's August 21, 2006 article on blogs that make money or have the potential to dos so is beginning to create buzz. It's easy to understand why with a statement like this:

With Internet-like speed, blogs have gone from self-indulgent hobbies to flourishing businesses. Real businesses, with real revenue streams from real advertisers--not overhyped next big things with pick-a-number valuations based on selling out someday to some overenthusiastic big-media sugar daddy. Boing Boing, a four-person operation that bills itself as a directory of wonderful things, is on track to gross an estimated $1 million in ad revenue this year. The digital-media news site PaidContent.org, headquartered in the second bedroom of a Santa Monica apartment, is set to post even more than that. And Fark.com, a site packed with sophomoric humor run by a lone guy in Lexington, Ky., is on pace to become a multimillion-dollar property. In short, some of the most popular blogs, long the bane of the mainstream media, are themselves becoming mainstream.

I don't know whether to believe these numbers or not. What I do believe is that some bloggers, blogs and blog networks will make money. How much remains to be seen.

Secondly, I think those that want to make money through advertising should be able to do it without encountering charges of sellout. I've never bought into the starving artist bit, and won't buy into a blog for the love of blogging argument. You can love blogging and still make money at it, if you have what it takes to do it. That is the content and niche readers that  advertisers would be interested in.

For more of Sloan and Kaihla's article, see "Blogging for Dollars." 

Selling Ads On Selected Blog Networks

BuzzMachine's prolific Jeff Jarvis, writing in an August 18, 2006 post headlined "Washington Post: Growing with blogs:

"I’ve been trying to push media companies for a long time to expand their reach and targeting by putting together and selling ads on selected networks of blogs. The Washington Post is doing it; Steve Rubell does a good job of explaining what’s up. WKRN in Nashville, under the guidance of Terry Heaton and the leadership of Mike Sechrist did likewise sometime ago. Others are coming."

Indeed, you have. And doing it well. In fact, sometimes you sound like an evangelist. Sort of like Robert Scoble when he was at Microsoft. Keep at it, more will hear the message.

Is Friendster Opening A BPO In The Philippines?

Filipino blogger Abe Olandres says "Apparently, Friendster has been sending people into training for a BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) office" in The Philippines. See "Friendster to open BPO in Philippines? to learn where he got his information.

INQ7: 'Filipino Ad Network For Bloggers To Launch Soon'

"After a year of planning, K2 Interactive Asia Inc. and Filipino blogger Abe Olandres are launching an advertising network for Filipino blogs," according to INQ7.net's Erwin Oliva.

To learn more about it, see "Filipino ad network for bloggers to launch soon."

IMedia Connection: Ford Buys Ads On 400 Blogs

Emma Brownell reports in an August 11, 2006 post at IMedia Connection that, "Ford, recognizing the need to change its business strategy, has launched a new website, "Bold Moves," and bought advertising on 400 blogs."

For more, see "Ford's New "Bold Moves" Campaign."

Recommended: Tom Watson's 'Blogging Snow Job'

At Joe Gandelman's suggestion, I read Tom Watson's February February 12, 2006 post headlined "Blogging Snow Job." As usual, Tom offers provocative ideas. This time about advertising in blogs. I recommend the post.

SEJ on 'Revenue Sharing Blogs, Forums, and Networks'

Loren Baker, editor of Search Engine Journal, says in a January 31, 2006 post:

With just about every blogger or web publisher having a Google AdSense account these days, one method of growing the reach of one’s ads is to participate in forums, blogs, and other sites which have implemented an AdSense driven content growth model.

Baker said, "By letting the writers of content, articles, forum threads and blogs benefit from the revenue earned via AdSense and other forms of contextual advertising, projects like Squidoo and Gather are attracting active writers."

It will be interesting see how this trend develops amid Blogger News Network's (BNN) decision to discontinue the use Google Ads. BNN has called on bloggers to follow its lead to protest Google's decision to censor search content at the behest of the Chinese Government.

For more of Baker's comments, see "Revenue Sharing Blogs, Forums, and Networks."

Citizen Media and Advertising

In "2006 Trends to Watch Part II: Social Commerce," Micro Persuasion's Steve Rubel said "Lots of folks like to to talk about how advertising - particularly from Adsense and BlogAds - will be the primary DIY media revenue driver in a Long Tail world. Certainly this prophecy rings true for some," he wrote in a December 23, 2005, post. "However, for most bloggers and podcasters, it won't."

Rubel said, "The reason is the advertising industry is still largely dominated by Short Tail thinking. Their yardstick is eyeballs. So I don't see ads generating more than pocket change for the majority of citizen's media projects, at least right now (more to come on this topic in a future trend)," he added.

I think he's right. However, I intend to try to get a share of that pocket change.