Recently, Merriam-Webster announced that, based on “online lookups,” the number one word of the year was “blogs” (Morse, Page 1). Their definition of a blog is “a web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer” (Morse, Page1). This definition is inaccurate based on my research, as blogs are not always “personal” and can include more than one author. Throughout my research, many bloggers in the blogoshere have referred to websites as blogs that discuss business only, business and personal details, and more than mere “reflections” of a personal nature.
As blogs become more popular and affect different forms of communication with a higher degree of magnitude, I am confident that the definition of blogs will morph closer to my definition of blogs (short for weblog, a web site that contains an online journal including, but not limited to, reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer(s)) than the Merriam-Webster definition. This paper will discuss blogs (what they are), bloggers (who they are), blogging (should you do it and is it profitable), and the impact of blogs on media.
I will start by talking about how blogs started, and who some bloggers are. Next, I will discuss the amount of revenue that can be made, and how that revenue is made, from starting a blog. Finally, I will show the impact blogs have had on the mainstream media, specifically, the most recent Presidential Election. The culture of the internet has created a subculture of bloggers that, as evidenced by the number of persons looking to find a definition of the word (however inaccurate the definition may be), is growing in popularity and is therefore a prescient topic for persons to be informed about.
Blogging started, albeit without a proper name and with an even more vague definition, as soon as the internet was invented. Just as writing a journal started with the first writers thousands of years ago, blogs arose at the same time as the medium of the internet was born. This created some new challenges to the conventional writer. According to The Handbook of Digital Publishing, the greatest strength of publishing online material is “displaying the interrelated nature of information connected with hyperlinks” (Kleper, Page 197). The use of hyperlinks is extensive in blogs, confirming Kleper’s thesis.
The value of hyperlinks are determined by the author of the blog and how they choose to use their hyperlinks. Mostly, I have found hyperlinks used as a reference to, and compliment of, the idea the blogger is trying to impress upon the reader. For instance, if I’m writing a blog about Winston Churchill, I can create a hyperlink to an encyclopedia entry online describing Mr. Churchill, which will let the reader of my blog know who I am talking about and give an impression of what context I reference Mr. Churchill.
I don’t have to provide a biography of Mr. Churchill in the blog, and waste the time of those who know of him already, but others that don’t know of Mr. Churchill (should learn! ) can click on the link and more fully understand what I am writing about. This is a valuable tool for the writer if used correctly. Writing with hyperlinks is different from traditional serial prose writing, but not excessively different. The main difference between traditional writing and writing for a blog is that a blog is a cumulative piece of writing that needs to be continuously updated and revised (Kleper, Page 194).
Once you write an article in print, that article is done. Blogs need to be written and added to over and over, especially considering “the prospect of finding timely information with each site visit is among the strongest incentives for repeat visits” (Kleper, Page 194) Keep in mind however, that although repeated revision and an eye-catching web page are preferred over bland pages, observations suggest that after the first visit, the usefulness of the site is what ultimately motivates the user to return (Kleper, Page 196).
You can have a blog about paint drying, update it very often and work hard describing the process in great detail, but it is unlikely to become widely read. Some popular bloggers today include Hugh Hewitt (www. hughhewitt. com), Josh Michael Marshal (www. talkingpointsmemo. com), and Glenn Reynolds (www. instapundit. com). Although I’ve chosen political bloggers to comment on here, be advised that blogging can be done by anyone with internet access about any topic. In fact, there is even a blog dedicated solely to shaving, www. shavingstuff. m (Brewer, Page 1).
The rise of in the number of blogs is a testimonial to how many different topics are covered. In January of 2002, there were about 100,000 websites dedicated solely to blogging (Gard, Page 1). Today, there are over 6 million blogs (Gard, Page 1). The vast majority of bloggers are under 30, and most bloggers are under 19 (McGann, Page 1). These demographics indicate that blogging is on the rise, and many wonder if it can be a legitimate source of income. Like most things, the answer to that depends on several factors.
Time, talent, and the level of effort put into the blog most likely will determine the success the writer achieves, measured in how many readers and consequently how much income is possible. Blogging is a sole-proprietorship classification of business in an industry that follows the characteristics of monopolistic competition, namely easy entry into the industry (few barriers) and unique content among competitors (Case and Fair, Page 281). Starting a blog takes little more than an internet connection, computer, and a small monthly fee.
Because anyone can create a blog, there are many blogs around. This means the content of each blog must be unique and interesting in order to succeed commercially. Bloggers can earn income three different ways, and, considering that the “monetization of the internet will increase 30% over the next years,” it might be profitable to learn how bloggers earn revenue (Meeker, Page 1). First, bloggers can find advertisers to provide different companies that promote their products or services on the blog page (Rowse, Page 1) This is typical on many websites that exist today.
Banner ads, ads before being transfered to the desired page (precommercials), and pop-up ads are all forms of advertising. As a sole-proprietor, the major difficulty you face is finding advertisers that want to promote their products on your site. This is where a company like Blogads comes in handy. Blogads will look at the quality of your site and number of visitors and then find companies to advertise their product on your website for you (Rowse, Page 1). The more visitors you have, the more you get paid for each advertisement.
In some cases, advertisers pay a small commission to the owner of a website that redirects a customer to their site. For example, anytime you click on a textlink and get transferred to Amazon. com, if you purchase the product that linked you to Amazon, the owner of the website that transferred you to Amazon gets a commission, based on the amount you spent (Rowse, Page 1). Another way to earn income from blogging is by starting a niche blog that members are willing to pay to see the content of (Rowse, Page 1).
One of the most amazing stories I found in researching this paper was that of OhMyNews. m. According to Spencer Ante of Business Week Magazine, OhMyNews. com earns money through members of the site paying for the content of it and “the barely profitable site has been widely credited with helping elect the country’s new President, Roh Moo Hyun” (Ante, Page 1). OhMyNews. com has individuals go out and blog different stories, then directs readers to the stories editors like the most. Many readers found out about former small time attorney Roh Moo Hyen through OhMyNews. com, and propelled him to the presidency through their support.
Businesses that are constantly changing, like many technical industries, can also have members that will pay for constantly updated content. Techdirt. com is a blog that charges each member a monthly fee and allows access of up to the minute information about online publishing (Rowse, Page 1). Many blogs have followed this model, usually for niche markets that wouldn’t appeal to laypersons not in a specific industry. There is great debate among bloggers whether free information is the goal and ultimate aspiration of blogging; or, the opposite view of profit through membership fees, is the future and best way to proceed.
As of now, most blogs are free to read and no membership is required. Only time will tell whether pay-for-view blogging will become the norm or not. The third and final way to earn income from blogging is the easiest: ask your readers for donations. Many blogs have a “tip jar” that allows readers to contribute to the blog at the readers discretion (Rowse, Page 1). Much like PBS, some blogs can make a nice profit by simply asking for money. Andrew Sullivan, of www. andrewsullivan. com, makes “$6000 per month off of donations” (Bushell, Page 1).
In order to make any significant sum of money through donations, you would need a lot of readers, a few wealthy readers who like your site a lot, or a really good story that makes people pity you and decide to help you out. Indeed, although not reliable enough to source, there are internet rumors of people running up credit card debt and begging others to help them, with some degree of success being reported. This is probably not the best way to earn a living, but as a way to keep a blog going, it certainly can’t hurt. Making a living off of a blog is difficult right now, mainly because of the high level of competition.
Many professional bloggers are former, or current, journalists with many industry contacts and years of experience. Since political blogs, basically online editorials, are currently the most profitable blogs, without gravitas it would be hard to make any money blogging. An example of how to gain credibility and therefore readers which leads to revenue couldn’t be more canonical than the story of www. powerlineblog. com.
Certainly creating more than just a “personal journal of reflection” as the folks at Merriam-Webster would have you believe, the founders of Powerlineblog. m (Paul Mirengoff, Scott Johnson, and John Hinderacker) were a group of successful attornies who decided to write a nonpersonal blog about political issues, mainly from a Midwestern perspective (they live in Minnesota). Being conservative, they were one of the first groups to notice problems with Dan Rather’s story about George W. Bush and his National Guard record. The Powerline crew got together experts that roundly criticized the “scoop” that Rather claimed he got, and eventually had so much evidence (they are all attornies) they demanded CBS recant the story.
CBS, Dan Rather in particular, would not recant the story. Much like the figure Rather treated worse than Saddam Hussein, Richard Nixon, Rather refused to admit his mistake until guilt was no longer deniable. The “scoop” was based on documents received from a known (and vocal) Bush-hater.. The documents were so obviously fake that experts from CBS would not authenticate them before the story aired. The fake documents were identified as fraudulent within hours of airing once the men from Powerline got on the case, yet Rather arrogantly took over a full week to admit his error.
The three small-time attorney’s from Minnesota were instrumental in forcing Rather to admit his mistake, possibly causing his early resignation. Without the power of the internet and the Powerline blog, this scenario would have unfolded much differently, although no one can be sure how. In closing, I have defined (more accurately than Merriam-Webster) what a blog is. The possibility of creating a blog is open to everyone and I would highly encourage it, but if one lesson can be learned from this paper it is this: blogging for profit is very tough.
Much like other areas of life, don’t blog for money but blog because you enjoy it. With several different ways to earn revenue, you might be able to make a little extra cash, but it would be a very tough way to make a living. As blogging matures and technology advances, there are limitless possibilities for weblogs. Being familiar with the form and concept of blogs can only be an asset for most people. Suggested areas of further research include finding advertising for your blog by attending trade shows and advertising your blog (on industry related sites).
Also, methods of forming links with similar minded blogs can be a worthy enterprise resulting in increased site visits. Further information regarding people other than Dan Rather who have felt the sting of bloggers can be found with research of Trent Lott and Howard Dean. As A. J. Leibling once said, “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one” (Simpson, Page 82). With the power of a blog, everyone now can own their own version of Leibling’s press, and the power of that concept is freedom at its highest form.