Comments on: When Selling Gets in the Way of Sharing

By: Websites tagged "knowledgework" on Postsaver

Websites tagged "knowledgework" on Postsaver — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:17:52 +0000

[...] saved by varilla2008-12-09 – Self-Test for Entrepreneurs – Got Moxie? saved by simon24h2008-12-02 – When Selling Gets in the Way of Sharing saved by PaulTelner2008-11-18 – Just for Fun… saved by tcrisilva2008-11-10 – KM in Business, [...]

By: Charlie

Charlie — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:05:10 +0000

@ Naomi: A little late, but go to bed! :p Oh, and you’re not an ass – at least not for that.

@ Andre: Excellent insights, my friend. I agree that many people where responding to Leo’s monastic undercurrent. Plus, he’s got like a gazillion readers, so it’s going to appear out of proportion just because he has so many people reading his blog.

I struggle with the “is it worth the effort” question a lot. Sometimes, it seems to be just a distraction. But when someone actually clicks on something, it seems worth it.

@ Michelle: Dead on! When I do happen upon a personal rambling blog that’s attempting to monetize, I usually am a bit frustrated. Now, if it’s a really good personal ramble, that’s another matter…

@ Evelyn: When attention is divided, the content has a tendency to drop. It’s an interesting dance, though…

@ Duff: You’re strategy is a bit different, and I think it can work well. You’re not offering side stuff, so it’s kind of a way of saying “if you like this and want more personalized help, hire me” – which is a lot different than showing up to a site that has off-theme advertisements because they monetize well. So I don’t see much alienation potential from your model.

By: Duff

Duff — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:22:34 +0000

I’m trying to strike a balance on Precision Change by advertising something highly related (Life Coaching by the host and producer of the podcast). Hopefully it will work without alienating the audience, as I see Naomi Dunford’s blog http://ittybiz.com doing well.

Duffs last blog post..A Methodology for Being

By: Evelyn Lim

Evelyn Lim — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 04:19:21 +0000

Great points you brought up here, Charlie. I'm with the idea that there is nothing wrong with monetizing your blog. But like you pointed out, there can be a drop in the quality of the postings. So the blogger will have to thread well and not turn readers off in the process. Evelyn Lims last blog post..Five Hindrances To A Successful Meditation

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:26:39 +0000

I think if one is careful, the value can be there right with the monitization. Or perhaps I should say perceived value. I’ve seen some very interesting and seemingly valuable blogs monetized in some pretty unethical ways.

I think if one is going to write magazine style (and quality) content, that person should get paid for it. Personal ramblings are another thing…

Michelles last blog post..Deep Thinking

By: Andre Kibbe

Andre Kibbe — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:58:58 +0000

The type of backlash that Leo got was more the exception than the rule. I don’t think that most readers really care whether or not a blogger makes money. Zen Habits has a monastic undercurrent that allows certain readers to feel sanctimonious, which is an end in itself, not a matter of principle. The money issue allow those readers to validate themselves by invalidating their guru.

On most blogs, readers’ only real concern is placement. Thoughtful bloggers are always trying to strike an ad balance between the noticeable and the unobtrusive, and thoughtful readers prefer not to be annoyed but understand the compensation issue.

I’m inclined to agree with Kelly. I only recently started putting ads on my blog, and even though there’s been zero backlash (easy when there’s almost zero traffic , I’m not sure it’s worth splitting my attention between sharing my insights and exploring revenue streams. Right now I’m treating it as an experiment and a learning opportunity.

You’ve definitely touched on the conflicts that bloggers go through with this issue, though. Most bloggers are more self-conscious than average, so monetization is an especially touchy subject.

By: Kelly@SHE-POWER

Kelly@SHE-POWER — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:08:05 +0000

This is an interesting read Charlie and you’ve brought up some great points. I wonder if the problem with monetisation and blogging comes in when the blog starts out offering high quality content for nothing and then changes the rules. I’m not saying this is bad, I’m just saying I think this is where the problem is caused.

It is indeed a difficult task to reconcile the purity of doing something for love with the need to be commercial. I know I originally thought I’d do this with my blog, but I soon changed my mind. When push comes to shove, monetisation is a creative challenge I am just not interested in expending my energy on. It doesn’t sit well with me and as you know I’m a gal who runs on instincts.

Maybe if you start a business at the same time as the blog, or you add monetised content to subscribers while keeping the old blog going the backlash is reduced. But that’s a lot of work you’ve got to want to do…

Must go. have so much reading to catch up on and still waiting for my brain to get back from Paris so I can write a post.

Cheers
Kel

Kelly@SHE-POWERs last blog post..Coming Home

By: Naomi Dunford

Naomi Dunford — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:38:06 +0000

Hi Charlie,

I’m an ass. Remember when we emailed about this post the other day, and I said I’d come and read it? Remember how I didn’t do it?

Well, I am avoiding going to bed and figured I’d stumble for a bit, and this was the very first post I got. I figure God is telling me two things:

1. Read the post.

2. Go to bed, for Christ’s sake.

Naomi Dunfords last blog post..Random Home Business Thoughts – Who is DINHO?

By: When Selling Gets in the Way of Sharing

When Selling Gets in the Way of Sharing — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:53:18 +0000

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By: Charlie

Charlie — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:30:03 +0000

@ Vered: I think there’s merely a tendency for quality to drop, as wearing both hats can be a bit much for a lot of people to wear. I also think that at some point these people either have someone else manage the business affairs or spend time thinking only about the product and time only about selling said product. It can be done if handled properly, though – at least I think.

Tell you what. If I ever make it big while wearing both hats, I’ll share how I did it. Don’t hold your breath, though: :p