Comments on: Why I Don't Monetize This Blog http://www.kalzumeus.com/2008/02/11/why-i-dont-monetize-this-blog/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-i-dont-monetize-this-blog Patrick McKenzie (patio11) blogs on software development, marketing, and general business topics Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:17:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mark Pearce http://www.kalzumeus.com/2008/02/11/why-i-dont-monetize-this-blog/#comment-1331 Mark Pearce Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:50:15 +0000 http://microisvjournal.wordpress.com/?p=369#comment-1331 The point I think Patrick is making is that the most effective blogging is PR (editorial), not marketing (advertising). Trying to monetise editorial is generally a bad idea. The point I think Patrick is making is that the most effective blogging is PR (editorial), not marketing (advertising). Trying to monetise editorial is generally a bad idea.

]]> By: Ian http://www.kalzumeus.com/2008/02/11/why-i-dont-monetize-this-blog/#comment-1334 Ian Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:45:36 +0000 http://microisvjournal.wordpress.com/?p=369#comment-1334 Nice post Patrick. What it comes down to for me is I can make far more money indirectly by keeping my blog pure than by turning into an ad machine which makes me $50 a month. Why risk loosing even one product sale because someone finds your blog sleazy. Plus there's all the benefits you mention, but for me it's simply better business and more financially rewarding to keep the blog simple than to make some pocket change off it. Nice post Patrick. What it comes down to for me is I can make far more money indirectly by keeping my blog pure than by turning into an ad machine which makes me $50 a month. Why risk loosing even one product sale because someone finds your blog sleazy. Plus there’s all the benefits you mention, but for me it’s simply better business and more financially rewarding to keep the blog simple than to make some pocket change off it.

]]> By: Patrick Sullivan http://www.kalzumeus.com/2008/02/11/why-i-dont-monetize-this-blog/#comment-1335 Patrick Sullivan Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:23:14 +0000 http://microisvjournal.wordpress.com/?p=369#comment-1335 The whole monetization of blogs is an interesting topic to me (keep debating putting up a non-ranty blog when I get my domain attached to some real webspace) and this post got me thinking about it again. The main point of consideration is you don't necessarily lose trust by doing affiliate links, so long as the primary intent of your linking to them is NOT the money, just a side benefit you get if anyone agrees with you enough to buy said product (barring your competitor, of course ;)). I seem to recall Jeff Atwood from Coding Horror started putting up affiliate links to all books he posted links to from amazon, but he doesn't seem to act like a book shill so I don't really mind and have probably ordered a book or two in my time from those links. Now if there feels like a very real risk you would change your habits of how you linked/how often you linked because of affiliate linking, or at least would expect people to perceive it differently, then certainly the cost to reward ration simply isn't worth it. The whole monetization of blogs is an interesting topic to me (keep debating putting up a non-ranty blog when I get my domain attached to some real webspace) and this post got me thinking about it again.

The main point of consideration is you don’t necessarily lose trust by doing affiliate links, so long as the primary intent of your linking to them is NOT the money, just a side benefit you get if anyone agrees with you enough to buy said product (barring your competitor, of course ;) ).

I seem to recall Jeff Atwood from Coding Horror started putting up affiliate links to all books he posted links to from amazon, but he doesn’t seem to act like a book shill so I don’t really mind and have probably ordered a book or two in my time from those links. Now if there feels like a very real risk you would change your habits of how you linked/how often you linked because of affiliate linking, or at least would expect people to perceive it differently, then certainly the cost to reward ration simply isn’t worth it.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.kalzumeus.com/2008/02/11/why-i-dont-monetize-this-blog/#comment-1333 Patrick Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:07:06 +0000 http://microisvjournal.wordpress.com/?p=369#comment-1333 They're making a chunk of change off the ads on my blog, I can tell you that much. I should know, I pay about 80% of it ;) Seriously though, I would hand them $20 a month to get those switched off and they could cut out the Google middle man who eats 60% of the ad value. (Heck, I'd happily pay $100 for hosting this blog. It would be cheap at twice the price. Sadly, *moving* the blog would be very, very disruptive.) They’re making a chunk of change off the ads on my blog, I can tell you that much. I should know, I pay about 80% of it ;) Seriously though, I would hand them $20 a month to get those switched off and they could cut out the Google middle man who eats 60% of the ad value. (Heck, I’d happily pay $100 for hosting this blog. It would be cheap at twice the price. Sadly, *moving* the blog would be very, very disruptive.)

]]> By: Rich http://www.kalzumeus.com/2008/02/11/why-i-dont-monetize-this-blog/#comment-1332 Rich Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:04:23 +0000 http://microisvjournal.wordpress.com/?p=369#comment-1332 I read the bit about Wordpress ads, and thought "surely he's missing the paid upgrade option to disable ads on one's blog!" [Apparently I'm giving you no credit, here.] So I look, and am amazed to find that--yep--there's no such beast. So you can't disable ads without changing your domain, which of course is not probably something you really want to do right now. Wow--you'd think that'd be a priority for them; maybe they're making so much off the ads to make them slow to move on this. I see this ***MONETIZE NOW!!!*** [sorry] trend a lot, and I just don't get the mindset. There's a place for that, but it's not on a blog like this, and it's definitely not on your product's or company's website. I read the bit about WordPress ads, and thought “surely he’s missing the paid upgrade option to disable ads on one’s blog!” [Apparently I'm giving you no credit, here.] So I look, and am amazed to find that–yep–there’s no such beast. So you can’t disable ads without changing your domain, which of course is not probably something you really want to do right now. Wow–you’d think that’d be a priority for them; maybe they’re making so much off the ads to make them slow to move on this.

I see this ***MONETIZE NOW!!!*** [sorry] trend a lot, and I just don’t get the mindset. There’s a place for that, but it’s not on a blog like this, and it’s definitely not on your product’s or company’s website.

]]>