More Weblogs are turning a profit

Webloggers are turning a profit, sometimes unexpectedly, reports the Chicago Tribune Online. Blogs such as TalkingPointsMemo, Wonkette, and RightWingNews are securing enough advertising to turn a profit. A firm called Blogads has been connecting advertisers with bloggers and enabling them to reach an 18 to 34-year-old demographic that is dwindling from traditional media outlets. Recent surveys conducted independently by Blogads and TalkingPointsMemo finds Web logs reach an affluent audience. Blog ads are also much cheaper than the cost of those on major sites or search engines. “In my experience, and this is often attributed to a smaller and more targeted audience, ads on blogs and smaller niche sites tend to perform better,” says Carlo Alvarez, director of media planning at Special Ops Media. —More Weblogs are turning a profit (Online Journalism Review)

4 thoughts on “More Weblogs are turning a profit

  1. The issue is mine, I’m afraid. I have far too many problems with the money mindedness of the marketing world.

  2. There’s definitely a class issue going on. Uberblogger Dave Winer chided the people who complained about Moveable Type’s new user structure, stating that he just paid $60 for a single cab fare in Geneva, and $100 for a “good dinner”. Obviously people with that kind of money have money to spend on software and everything else, but of course it’s all the little guys who have access to the free (or dirt cheap) online publishing tools that made the blogosphere so attractive to a certain demographic.

    Neha, so far not too many people have really figured out how to make money off the Internet. Have you looked into the “open source” philosophy?

  3. I’ll just extend Dr. A’s question. Why is every new wave seen in terms of a marketing gimmick? Why is every possibility nothing more than a cash cow?

  4. Fascinating. I always try to read these things from a cultural perspective. I wonder if that 18-35 “demographic” is way too broad and generalized (the way advertisers tend to (wishfully) think)…certainly not ALL 18-35 year olds blog; only a particular kind of 18-35 year. Does this imply that blogging is predominantly a leisure class pursuit? That they’re relatively affluent and can spare the time to blog and the $ to blow on online merch? That this is the activity of the well-off? The white, middle class?

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