Blogger Gold Rush – Is It A False Hope?

There are certainly a LOT of blogs out there. Many of those bloggers want to make money with their sites. Some actually start the blog with the express purpose of making money with it (usually a mistake). But, do they deserve it?

Louis Gray, a new Silicon Valley blogger that pretty much came from nowhere and is now considered an A-list blogger in many circles, states it point blank: Most Bloggers Don’t Deserve Any Ad Revenue. He goes on to state that, for most bloggers, the hopes of making good money with their blogs is just misguided. There are too many bloggers, and most have little to offer.

The part where Gray loses me is with:

Yet, some bloggers act as if it’s their God-given right to write, post a few ads and start raking in cash.

OK, I have certainly seen bloggers who start a blog to make money. They’re hoping for it, yes. But, I have never met anybody who does so thinking they have a God-given right to it. I think Gray is overstating his case here, perhaps just to be provacative.

He then goes onto say that bloggers are not adding any value to the web. I STRONGLY disagree with that. Look, bloggers put out content that is, hopefully, interesting. Maybe even valuable. It helps people. To say that that is not valuable would be to say that most TV shows are of no value. They are, because they provide the real estate on which to advertise.

Sure, not all bloggers are adding value. Some just add to the noise. But, that’s the way it works in almost any field. It is capitalism, and let them try.

Louis Gray Is Right AND Wrong

Gray had a good point, then went too far. What he forgets is that the most valuable commodity online is one thing: EYEBALLS. Attention. Bloggers who truly concentrate on their audience, provide value, cover things with a unique perspective, provide interesting insight and personality – THOSE bloggers attract eyeballs. And that is valuable. And those bloggers CAN make money through their blog.

Even if that blogger is talking about the same things as others, it comes down to something making them unique, be it perspective, humor, whatever.

This whole notion about bloggers demanding their fair share of the advertising pie – I think this is a made-up figure in Louis Gray’s head.

I make many thousands of dollars per month by blogging. And, yes, it is a tech blog. There are a LOT of tech blogs, no doubt. It is saturated niche. However, do I manage to attract readers? Yes. Do I get a lot of them? Yes, probably 10,000 – 15,000 unique readers daily. Is that of little value, Louis?

I think Louis is onto something, and that is a huge reality check. Yes, blogging is, well, a complete and total bitch. It is hard. It isn’t something that is going to quickly result in an influx of cash. To most, it never will. There is a LOT of competition.

But, to any prospective blogger who is thinking of getting started, I hope you do not become discouraged by Louis Gray’s rant. Just get into blogging with the right expectations. Realize that you have to stand out and that it is going to take time. Also, realize that in many cases the value of a blog is in the branding rather than ad revenue. There are, actually, much better ways to make money with a blog than by hosting ads.

So, I agree with Louis Gray. I just think he could have stated his case a little better.