“Freedom of the press is only available to those who own one.”
I saw an interesting cartoon in the paper last week. It showed a beggar on the street holding a cup, with a passerby saying to him, “Get a blog!” This I found very unfunny. First of all, I don’t find beggars funny. Second, I know now from two and half years of experience that a blog will cost you much in time and resources, and will certainly not feed you.
I joined the blogging craze in late 2007 for one reason. I felt like I had something important to say and no one in the mainstream media would listen. It seemed that most of the important issues facing those in midlife were being ignored by the press because they weren’t sexy. Case in point, I did extensive research to pitch an article on the death of a parent. I offered this story to many magazines directed at those in our age group. The response, when I received one, was “too depressing.”
Yes, the death of a parent can be depressing, but it is also what we will all face if we haven’t already. That is one of the reasons I believe blogging became popular, to fill in the gigantic gaps in media coverage, and talk about those subjects that were being censored by the big media outlets.
Blogging has come a long way since it began. Many have added ugly, flashing ads to their blogs to make a small amount on their efforts. I chose to avoid this apparent lack of taste. However, I don’t know how much longer I will provide free news and commentary through my blogs.
Apparently blog audiences believe everything should be free on the internet. Why not? However, there is an economic reality here. How many of you now work for free? How long can a labor of love sustain itself on nice comments and high readership?
In addition to this blog, I have put together useful products in many different formats to meet the needs of my readership. I provide life change coaching and have written three books now for those who want to go beyond my blog, in dealing with the many difficulties of changing something important in midlife. Going by my page-view statistics, I decided to provide a step-by-step workbook on how to change your life and, most recently, what to do if you feel like a loser.
Is it really impossible to “monetize” a blog? Must I now conclude that you only want free information online? If so, this leaves me with the difficult quandary:
Should I continue this blog?
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Laura Lee,
I’ve come to realize that successful writers are first and foremost good marketers. In fact, the most successful book launches I’ve seen are often mediocre books at best, but born from the mind of someone who knows how to really market the heck out of themselves & their work. I have learned that the best thing I can do as a publisher is show my authors more ways to better market themselves & give them the tools to do so. In fact, I advise them to blog early and blog often. But the blog is just one part of the marketing firepower a successful author needs. And you are doing a superb job when it comes to marketing yourself with your blog. I’m sure as you continue to add more products and continue the coaching… that you will start to see the profit side of the blog isn’t directly from the blog itself, but from the credibility you’ve built as a respected blogger, author, speaker, and coach! How to turn that passion into profit… ah, that is the million dollar question that sometimes feels like a lifelong quest.
Hi Laura Lee,
I passed a beggar this morning, and immediately thought of your post. One of the big issues I’ve had in starting It’s All About Aging, is how to monitize it. As much as I’d love to be able to give it all away, there are lots of costs involved, and the bank of Anne still hasn’t received TARP funds…
You’re right, everyone wants and expects everything on the Internet to be free, but how does that support the work that we’re all doing? And Brian’s comment, about turning passion into profit is what I’ve been after for the last year, at least. But we go on…
Brian & Anne:
There is the problem, and it’s a big one! If everyone on the internet expects and can generally find what they want for free, why would they ever pay for anything? I’m beginning to think it is an illusion that writing online will ever pay the writer anywhere near a living wage. This is a system that cannot maintain itself.
Laura Lee
The problem you are experiencing is exactly why one of the biggest names in publishing, Rupert Murdoch, wants to start charging for the online NY Times. Ultimately blog revenue can come from only two sources, readers who pay some fee and/or advertising. Drive enough readers to your site and advertisers will pay you.
Brian makes a good point in that, outside of potential ad revenue, your blog should best be viewed as marketing for you books and coaching, not an income stream in and of itself.
But you do write a good blog and you tell a story that, I feel, needs to be told. In short, you do good work. Don’t quit.
blog, grrl, blog! we grrls of a certain age need your voice in the conversation. are you reading a lot of bloggers on how-to blog? i feel armed to the teeth now that i have studied the pros…also, there is enough abundance to go around. the glass is truly half full.
I for one accidently came upon your blog. I loved it and I purchased your book from amazon.com.
I enjoyed the book and would have never found it if it weren’t for your blog.
Thank you
Jeanette
An old friend once remarked ‘Some of us just need to talk with our fingers’. For many, blogging, indeed writing, is an addiction that cannot be ignored. Like a moth to the flame, we are compelled to pursue this desire. As Brian points out, blogging is just a means to an end, a vehicle to assist in the journey to the ultimate goal. So, while simply reading a Jimmy John’s sign doesn’t earn a penny for them, without it, I wouldn’t know where to buy lunch. Keep writing, Your Highness, you can’t help it!
KEEP IT UP. You have much to say, much to share. And NO it is not a bad thing to want to make some money off your blog. At our age, we have to supplement our retirement any way we can! If you’re offering a good product, including information, uh…what guilt?
Laura,
Keep in mind that I am very new to blogging as I make the following comment. You only have a finite amount of energy to share with the world. Laura, you are sharing a wonderful, beautiful amount in your blog. Could you redirect this energy to more traditional writing? You certainly have the talent. I know you can write your heart out and never publish. But are you feeling good about the sharing you are doing anymore? If not, then I would try to go back to channeling your wonderful energy into being a writer, speaker and life coach. IS blogging really worth it? I’ve never blogged and probably never will. But, I will continue to write, whether I am published or not. Just a thought to throw into the mix. Hardcore bloggers, please forgive me.
Oh, please don’t stop blogging now. You have a wonderful and important voice for us baby boomers. While we are the fastest growing group on Facebook, in sheer numbers, we are a tiny fraction of the social media audience. Just look at the bar graphs that Facebook offers when promoting online ads. The bar for males ages 19-27 is sooo long. And the bar for women and men over 60 is so short is looks like a little line on the page. In 2007 when you started, the numbers were even smaller. You were ahead of your time and if you hang in there, your time will come.
Thanks for those kind words Deborah! I’m still considering my options. – LLC