If you have blogs, you must also deal with the memes. A new one comes up every day. The latest meme: Blog Networks will go down in 2006. All the ‘pundits’ are saying this thing. Their reasons: Where is the money? How will you pay your writers? The Western Hemisphere can be a very expensive place to live in.
Work Boxers, Andy Hagans, Barry Bell, Nick Wilson all have some thought provoking points.
Nick in comments stokes the fire by saying that the big boys are coming.
But the Big Boys have arrived much earlier; The Guardian has very fine blogs. So does CNET and many papers in the States. Even the New York Times is said to be delving into blogs. Guardian, CNET, MSNBC and many more have sensed the market and are already in here for their share. My point being - the blogosphere is not about big companies or Blog networks, but the bloggers themselves. I will say it again; the writer of the best story will be the winner of the day, and that makes the blogosphere a rocking place. This writer could be anyone; he could be a seasoned journalist from a big media house or could be novice who has just arrived at the gates of blogosphere. The internet has given us a voice and our challenge as blog entrepreneurs is to find profitable ways of channeling great content from this new breed of individual publishers.
This might start a controversy. But the truth needs to be told - if Blog Networks have to remain profitable they have to follow some strict guidelines of keeping the cost low, and keep producing the quality content on a regular basis. Andy Hagans has done a good job through his Network BizNicheMedia by selecting high CPM niche blogs and outsourcing the content to the third world countries. Paul Scrivs, and Mike Rundel have devised a Community over their Network, which binds their users and readership more closely.
Now is the right time for us Blog network owners to realize that just listing various blogs under one umbrella is not going to do any good for blogs. You don’t go to Wonkette because it is part of Gawker. Our networks must provide some good reasons for bloggers and writers to join them. Revenue sharing won’t be the best suited for each Blog network, though I have heard it is doing okay for the B5media guys. But still I feel that a Blog network should be able to provide either financial security to the bloggers or drive substantial traffic to them.
We at Instablogs are constantly working to provide both these things to our bloggers - financial security and traffic. You are able to give your best only when you are in a peaceful state of mind. And with the Instablogs Community we would be able to give them a platform where their content gets a response in various rewarding ways. You will soon find out more about this.
Wouldn’t you agree with me when I say: Better interactivity builds better communities?
Comments
I couldn`t agree more... Blog Network need to rethink about their strategies if they want to go any far. Great thoughts Nandini.
If it works, great.
If it doesnt, ah well.
Get enough monkies together, buy enough time, and they may just randomly knock up a copy of the complete works of shakespeare.
Only we just cant get the monkies these days!
There you go, new idea, monkeyblognetwork.com all you need is enough bananas.
William Goldman said nobody knows anything, about Hollywood, and maybe that is true of what is happening today in the world of blog, but then how come he knows how to write great scripts everytime.
We will all be wise once the dust settles. In the meantime create-build-burn-trash-recreate until you hit that sweet spot.
interesting...I disagree with a few points though.
{You don’t go to Wonkette because it is part of Gawker. }
Actually I do. Its how I got introduced to it. And I know what the Gawker brand means.
BizNicheMedia on the other hand (which you praise) is nothing but infomercials. Even Andy admits the writing sucks. Thats not good for anybody.
{I feel that a Blog network should be able to provide either financial security to the bloggers or drive substantial traffic to them.}
Why is this? All fledging media is notorious for substandard wages as the owners find their footing. MTV and CNN are 2 examples. But the owners were creating something special that all involved could eventually be proud of.
I think the focus of Blog network owners should be creating something which is special. The writers would understand that. Unless of course you are outsourcing them...
Yes, I agree mate. Better interactivity builds better communities.