It has been a while, hasn't it?
Well, I thought it was time again because I'm working on some major changes for the blog.
The first has to do with time. If I want to keep spending time on writing on this blog it has to earn some money. Since I'm now self-employed, I cannot afford to spend too much time on things that don't. I do that enough on sailing events as it is. (Only a few pay me some money)
So I'm planning to implement three sources of income (hopefully). I've signed up with Ad-Sense. Google will display some targeted advertisements on the blog, which can be clicked on by visitors. That may take a couple of days to get up to speed but the space has been assigned.
Secondly I'm negotiating with some companies to place adds that link back to there websites. I will have to screen what is appropriate and if you think it isn't, please tell me so, I'll take that in to consideration as well.
But hopefully it will get me some income
And third I'm going to look into asking you as readers for a contribution.
To start with - completely voluntarily. To see if that has the desired effect. If not - or if I think it will be of benefit - perhaps I'll also start a closed, only accessible for paying subscribers, part of the blog. For the last I will probably have to redesign the layout and move the website to a server. But that will come later.
Since this is still FTBD, please give me your comments.
Do you think this is not a good idea? Would you be willing to pay me a small amount to get your post about the rules by email, on a subscription basis? Or would you go look for it elsewhere?
Anyway, tell me what you think.....
J.
Well, I thought it was time again because I'm working on some major changes for the blog.
The first has to do with time. If I want to keep spending time on writing on this blog it has to earn some money. Since I'm now self-employed, I cannot afford to spend too much time on things that don't. I do that enough on sailing events as it is. (Only a few pay me some money)
So I'm planning to implement three sources of income (hopefully). I've signed up with Ad-Sense. Google will display some targeted advertisements on the blog, which can be clicked on by visitors. That may take a couple of days to get up to speed but the space has been assigned.
Secondly I'm negotiating with some companies to place adds that link back to there websites. I will have to screen what is appropriate and if you think it isn't, please tell me so, I'll take that in to consideration as well.
But hopefully it will get me some income
To start with - completely voluntarily. To see if that has the desired effect. If not - or if I think it will be of benefit - perhaps I'll also start a closed, only accessible for paying subscribers, part of the blog. For the last I will probably have to redesign the layout and move the website to a server. But that will come later.
Since this is still FTBD, please give me your comments.
Do you think this is not a good idea? Would you be willing to pay me a small amount to get your post about the rules by email, on a subscription basis? Or would you go look for it elsewhere?
Anyway, tell me what you think.....
J.
Making money from blogs is a complicated issue and I wish you well in the endeavor.
ReplyDeleteA few comments on your ideas...
I think most people find that the rewards from Google Ad-Sense are so small that it's hardly worth cluttering up their blog with those ads.
Finding sponsors who will pay for links is likely to be more lucrative. Personally I would only do it if it was for products or services that fit with the theme of my blog and are likely to be of interest to my readers. I have occasionally embedded paid links in posts I have written (always making it clear to my readers that I have been paid) and have been able to charge a few hundred dollars for such links.
I'm not sure if you will attract many paid subscribers to a closed section of the blog. There is so much free content on the Internet that I, for one, have never felt the need to pay for any content. Whenever a site tries that option I just go elsewhere. But perhaps I am just mean.
I do see people making money via their blogs but it's often through using the blog to sell or promote some other product or service, e.g. a book, or in obtaining free services or products in return for blogging about them.
Anyway, I wish you luck and hope you do find a way to earn money from the blog.
Good luck with the money making ideas. Google Ad-sense has never generated anything for me.
ReplyDeleteIf you do go with a subscription section, you will have to be absolutely rigorous about providing really high quality content every day - without fail.
Your current efforts have much value and I would not be bothered by advertising and sponsors but do not think that I would be willing to pay.
I read your blog today and I would pay for a blog/website that covered the rules. I also think there is a gap in the market for a site that covers the other aspects of officiating - for example there are lots of website for football referees and how they work, develop themselves etc. and I can't think of any other websites out there for it.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, just some food for thought for you!
Even though you never respond to my e-mails, I would be willing to pay a reasonable subscription for a rules newsletter.
ReplyDeleteHowever it would have to be more regular than at present – sometimes it is weeks without a meaningful blog, sometimes just “holding” e-mails.
Also some of your views might need to be supported by other IJ/IU’s.
Agreed with Tillerman, etc. There's just too much content out there to pay for something. But I understand your need to make it worth your while. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteFood for thought. Thank you all.
ReplyDeleteJos, one thing that I think would make the blog more valuable would be to print, in addition to the interesting rules questions you raise, the responses readers send in to you and your conclusions. That would make it a real dialogue instead of just posing questions.
ReplyDeleteThanks for what you do,
Yes, I sometimes (mostly because I want people to make up their own mind) don't post conclusions or a definitive answer. Also because who am I to make that decision. But I will endeavour to be more responsive to comments...
ReplyDeleteI understand your approach to not approving comments right away, to allow readers to make their own conclusions from the facts, without being colored by others' analysis. But I find your blog frustrating to read regularly, because:
ReplyDeletea) you often don't approve the comments a week later like you say (often much later or never). While I really have no complaint about this if it's a free blog, I definitely wouldn't pay for it without much more attention to details like this
b) for someone like me who isn't an expert and who often doesn't know how to make a conclusion, the blogs that have no analysis at all are not too useful - I really like to see the other readers' thoughts (and your analysis/conclusions when you do add that to the comments later)
c) I have to remember to come back a week later to see the comments, which is difficult to do in RSS software (plus as noted the comments often aren't there yet anyway). If you keep the current slow-posting of comments, maybe you could post an update from time to time that says, "Comments released on post XXX" which would show in RSS readers and help remind us to see the new content with the conclusions.
d) I will also make the comment that I am simply a sailor, not a committee/judge, and it seems you think your audience is mostly the latter. If you are judging your audience based on number of hits, etc, keep in mind that there are many more sailors than committee members!
Hope this helps,
Jeremy in Sydney, Australia
@Jeremy
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right about several remarks about the comments. I will try to do better in future.
I do realize that jury-members are often expected to make up there own mind, while sailors just want answers. I tend to write for the first group...
But I'm planning to write more for sailors - or even do a separate posting for them.
Thank you for your feedback.