Poll: How much money do you have in the bank?
Many blog owners try to raise money from their blogs by dropping some form of advertising. As for me, well Google’s ad sense program felt I wasn’t suitable
their loss!
I must say, I’m not fond of the idea of reading with a banner or sidebar of naked bods trailing a caption "meet an adult friend in Tim Buck Two tonight". Gives me that cheap feeling. But to each his own and you got to do what you got to do. I prefer the Pay Pal at the bottom of the blog.
Not that all work and efforts should be rewarded, but if you post it on the net, blog style, I wouldn’t think you expect to become millionaire overnight. Sure there are more subtle ways. Like Ad Sense type that are geared for adult type ventures or the little pop up chosen words.
So it pays for the hosting….
So tell me, How rich are you from blogging?
This poll was posted for 2 weeks, according to the results and comments, most of us blog for the sake of blogging. A creative outlet. A few people have made the effort to raise money through their blog where 25% are successful at it.
Some do offer products, but maybe not so much for the sake of raising money, but to add to the fun. Of those, if they make money it’s a token.
8 comments
Rich? That’s funny.
We have context sensitive advertising on our blog and one affiliate link. The context sensitive stuff does throw up the occasional tacky add, but for the most part we believe it to be unobtrusive. The reader gets to read without cost to them and we get a small amount of money towards expenses.
And it is a small amount of money.
We are hosted on an adult host i.e. they allow us to put explicit imagery and other content on their servers, then charge us handsomely for it. Then there’s the private domain registration to protect our identities, ker-ching. Then there’s the other little expenses …
If the blog were a business we would be insolvent several times over by now. But it isn’t, it’s a hobby for us, an outlet for our creativity.
But if someone would like to pay us to do it, send a suitcase of unmarked bills to …
I think optional payment (or ‘tipping’ perhaps) is a valid discussion point for blogs where people post a variety of material or material that does involve more time but more so, this depends on the material that is written: its uniqueness.
I don’t, for example, (or wouldn’t consider ‘tipping’), believe blogs that serve as an emotional outlet are deserving of ‘tips’ because that would be like paying for someone to free associate and there are a couple of blogs that I view as virtual ’shrink’ sofas. Aside from the fact that I don’t think it’s ‘fair’ for a blogger to use a blog for ‘counselling’ purposes, there is no ‘real’ creativity to merit payment in many cases where people spend more time posting questions to themselves, ranting more of the time or agonizing most of the time.
I tried adsense, but I found it unsuitable because I’d get all these ads focusing on North America all the time, and stopped it because there’s a bias there (especially when it concerns world events, where one event ‘dominates’ other events) but even so adsense doesn’t really make a real difference financially. Ten to twenty cents? lol.
That only lasted for a couple of weeks, when I first started Sexualite.
In terms of writing however, I wouldn’t advertise other things non related to writing for a tiny bit extra although I do think about the time I’ll spend writing something to post and how this ‘costs’ time wise as well. Money wise, I’ve made ‘more’ - nowhere near a grand, let alone five hundred lol - from side activities, like submitting stories to paying websites that have erotica sections.
AlexSuze - Insolvent, still a sore word for me. Probably the first time I smile looking at the word!
Re: Hosting –> I have no problems with Adult content from my host. I wouldn’t consider what we do “extreme -explicit Porn” Shop around. Multiple domains one control board tons of storage and bandwidth…blah blah… 2 registered domains under $150 US a year for the package.
Anastasia - Sofa blogs or shrink blogs as you call them are out - I don’t think too many people would consider donating. I have come across, creative claim to be students that ask to donate. I’ve even been tempted!
I’m also glad to hear you managed to generate something.
As AlexSuze mentionned, “it’s a hobby for us, an outlet for our creativity.”..and I think, that’s how most contributors feel about it.
The poll is only a day old, I look forward to other responses.
Speaking only for myself, the blog serves as a creative outlet for things I can’t do, explore, try, talk about, anywhere else. I certainly have no need to make anything in the way of money from what I do as a “hobby”. But I am fortunate in that regard. I certainly do not enjoy sites that are loaded with advertising, but neither do I mind a certain level. To each his own.
In regards to types of sites I believe that is also an individual choice. There are as many types and subjects of blogs as there are grains of sand on a beach. In my opinion that is one of the things that is unique about blogging, the variety.
DH, what amount I made wasn’t a direct result of any posts on my blog, and more related to exposing myself with more erotic lit websites as a result of surfing but yes, as an indirect result of blogging about the sexual.
I’ve been tempted too, especially with Waiter Rant but I figured the ‘maitre’d’ probably makes more in tips than what I do a week at work.
Being a poor student is my excuse for the adverts in my blog. But I am extreemly selective about the banners that I do put up: they have to be relevant to what I post about, or be something that I am interested in and I won’t put up anything animated (too distracting) - in a few cases I’ve had to alter banners or create my own to make them acceptable. I also like that instead of asking for donations outright, my readers can support me by buying something nice for themselves.
I do have a tiny Adbrite tower that is meant to be context sensitive but it usually just carries embarassing adverts about meeting “hot singles” (I’m hoping something better with come up soon).
I haven’t made a whole lot of money through my blog, but every little bit helps to pay my rent. ^_^
I don’t have any advertising on my blog. I know a webmaster who uses advertising on his sites and he hasn’t made any significant amount of money so I feel its useless and cheapens the blog. I do however sell Tee Shirts with logos that I design. However, I’m certainly not making enough money to write home about. I’m a single Mom with serious financial difficulties and that is the only reason I decided to do it. I figure every little bit would help, little being the operative word here. LOL
Hugs
Des
Art: I don’t enjoy sites full of advertising either, I also blog for fun or pleasure. There’s also a little perv in me that needs to get out once in a while.
As a few people have mentioned, I too have tried at one point or another to raise a little revenue from other ventures. Personally, I don’t think blogging is the way to go.
Anastasia: What can I say, that we don’t already know? Sex sells, In your case it’s the intellect side, which you are so very good at. Sexual or not, you easily stimulate the reader. I’m glad, you were somehow able to pick up a token through it, but as most of us have already said, including you: We’re not about to quit our day jobs. As Art said, we’re there for the creative outlet.
Shay: Go for it! I think we all did as students. With no Internet, (70’s), we found other means of…”every little bit counts”. Your blog certainly has the content to generates hits, something tells me you’re getting some pretty good traffic through! (including me).
Des: The Tees and mugs thing is an excellent idea and fun for everyone. In another interest group, we also did mouse pads. I don’t know if it was through Café-Press or not. It’s something you enjoy doing - and as Shay said, in certain situations every little bit counts. Your blog has a good following, I hope you move a few Tees.
I think we all agree that blogging is about creativity and an outlet. We also agree that given the opportunity we’d be happy to sell our concepts to Bill Gates or Steve Jobs for a few $100,000
We’re also realistic, so most of us keep our day jobs and look forward to blogging.
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