Comments on: Content Does Not Want to be Free http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2009/08/08/content-does-not-want-to-be-free/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:43:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Fredric Koeppel http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2009/08/08/content-does-not-want-to-be-free/comment-page-1/#comment-202974 Fredric Koeppel Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:23:31 +0000 http://biggerthanyourhead.net/?p=2568#comment-202974 hey, dude, what's a little love between a couple of bloggers? hey, dude, what’s a little love between a couple of bloggers?

]]> By: 1WineDude http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2009/08/08/content-does-not-want-to-be-free/comment-page-1/#comment-202829 1WineDude Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:33:47 +0000 http://biggerthanyourhead.net/?p=2568#comment-202829 Would it be considered strange if I told you that I loved you because of this post? Would it be considered strange if I told you that I loved you because of this post?

]]> By: Robert Dwyer http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2009/08/08/content-does-not-want-to-be-free/comment-page-1/#comment-201136 Robert Dwyer Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:36:13 +0000 http://biggerthanyourhead.net/?p=2568#comment-201136 First, it sounds to me like you're generating some strong traffic regardless of how it's counted. Here is a link to the article I referred to: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124026415808636575.html Upon closer inspection, it says that 100,000 *unique visitors* a month could generate $75k in annual revenue. I think this would correspond to your 31,346 number above, so you should be raking in at least $25k annually if this figure is representative of wine blogging. I believe the difference between "pages" and "hits" is that hits count the number of client requests for information, so if a page contains 2 images, each time a visitor loaded that page, it would trigger 3 hits. More on that here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_analytics I think if you focused on attracting direct advertisers you could significantly increase the amount you make on this blog; even if it's not quite at the rate indicated by the $75k/100,000 visitors figure. First, it sounds to me like you’re generating some strong traffic regardless of how it’s counted.

Here is a link to the article I referred to:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124026415808636575.html

Upon closer inspection, it says that 100,000 *unique visitors* a month could generate $75k in annual revenue. I think this would correspond to your 31,346 number above, so you should be raking in at least $25k annually if this figure is representative of wine blogging.

I believe the difference between “pages” and “hits” is that hits count the number of client requests for information, so if a page contains 2 images, each time a visitor loaded that page, it would trigger 3 hits. More on that here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_analytics

I think if you focused on attracting direct advertisers you could significantly increase the amount you make on this blog; even if it’s not quite at the rate indicated by the $75k/100,000 visitors figure.

]]> By: Fredric Koeppel http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2009/08/08/content-does-not-want-to-be-free/comment-page-1/#comment-200989 Fredric Koeppel Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:16:24 +0000 http://biggerthanyourhead.net/?p=2568#comment-200989 Robert ... I will confess that many of the intricacies of marketing and connecting to advertisers elude me. What ARE the standards and criteria? For example, my Blue Host counter program tells me that in July BTYH had 31,346 "visits," 95,243 "pages" and 304,091 "hits." What do those figures mean? What's the difference between a "visit" and a "hit"? Are these numbers good, bad or indifferent? BTW, Adsense brings me about $100 a year. Woohoo! Robert … I will confess that many of the intricacies of marketing and connecting to advertisers elude me. What ARE the standards and criteria? For example, my Blue Host counter program tells me that in July BTYH had 31,346 “visits,” 95,243 “pages” and 304,091 “hits.” What do those figures mean? What’s the difference between a “visit” and a “hit”? Are these numbers good, bad or indifferent? BTW, Adsense brings me about $100 a year. Woohoo!

]]> By: Fredric Koeppel http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2009/08/08/content-does-not-want-to-be-free/comment-page-1/#comment-200988 Fredric Koeppel Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:05:33 +0000 http://biggerthanyourhead.net/?p=2568#comment-200988 (Readers, this is from Thomas. For some reason, as he mentions above, this wouldn't post, so he sent it to me as email and I'm posting it here for him.) Fredric, you know how I feel about both the first name issue and the free writing issue. It isn't just those email offers that trouble me. It's the multitude of start ups that offer writers good exposure and vague future benefits if they give their words away for free today. They use the words "start up" as their reason, as if one is supposed to start up a business without capital and without a plan to pay suppliers; in itself, the start up that does shows a true lack of business sense or a poor business plan. And yes, writers are suppliers to magazines, whether print or digital. How many wineries would make it past start up if they asked grape growers, bottle and cork suppliers, and equipment manufacturers to supply for free until the winery shows a profit somewhere in the prayed-for future? It hurts even more when some of the people who offer this fabulous deal are writers themselves. What can they possibly think of their own profession? No matter how many lessons I have forgotten over my lifetime, one lesson has stayed with me: we are as valuable as we make others believe. Work for free and that's what others will believe you are wroth--probably even if the mythical future profit materializes. (Readers, this is from Thomas. For some reason, as he mentions above, this wouldn’t post, so he sent it to me as email and I’m posting it here for him.)

Fredric, you know how I feel about both the first name issue and the free writing issue.

It isn’t just those email offers that trouble me. It’s the multitude of start ups that offer writers good exposure and vague future benefits if they give their words away for free today. They use the words “start up” as their reason, as if one is supposed to start up a business without capital and without a plan to pay suppliers; in itself, the start up that does shows a true lack of business sense or a poor business plan.

And yes, writers are suppliers to magazines, whether print or digital.

How many wineries would make it past start up if they asked grape growers, bottle and cork suppliers, and equipment manufacturers to supply for free until the winery shows a profit somewhere in the prayed-for future?

It hurts even more when some of the people who offer this fabulous deal are writers themselves. What can they possibly think of their own profession?

No matter how many lessons I have forgotten over my lifetime, one lesson has stayed with me: we are as valuable as we make others believe. Work for free and that’s what others will believe you are wroth–probably even if the mythical future profit materializes.

]]> By: Thomas Pellechia http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2009/08/08/content-does-not-want-to-be-free/comment-page-1/#comment-200773 Thomas Pellechia Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:25:33 +0000 http://biggerthanyourhead.net/?p=2568#comment-200773 Testing. Tried commenting but what i wrote doesn't show up. Testing.

Tried commenting but what i wrote doesn’t show up.

]]> By: Strappo http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2009/08/08/content-does-not-want-to-be-free/comment-page-1/#comment-200734 Strappo Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:53:04 +0000 http://biggerthanyourhead.net/?p=2568#comment-200734 FK, I'd pay you to write for us if I could afford it. Especially if you could work some sort of noisy acidity into the description of a white wine. FK, I’d pay you to write for us if I could afford it. Especially if you could work some sort of noisy acidity into the description of a white wine.

]]> By: Wine of Month Club http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2009/08/08/content-does-not-want-to-be-free/comment-page-1/#comment-200596 Wine of Month Club Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:32:44 +0000 http://biggerthanyourhead.net/?p=2568#comment-200596 I would think that simply reprinting your blog with your link attached would be enough for them to include your words. Why would anyone want to blog for someone else...for free? Good luck making a living with the blog, as I am starting to find plenty of people want something for nothing. I would think that simply reprinting your blog with your link attached would be enough for them to include your words. Why would anyone want to blog for someone else…for free?

Good luck making a living with the blog, as I am starting to find plenty of people want something for nothing.

]]> By: Steve Heimoff http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2009/08/08/content-does-not-want-to-be-free/comment-page-1/#comment-200571 Steve Heimoff Sat, 08 Aug 2009 22:40:29 +0000 http://biggerthanyourhead.net/?p=2568#comment-200571 Totally agree with you. People want something for nothing. You've paid your dues, you've assembled all this knowledge, and some people expect you to give it away for free. I hope you find a way to monetize it and I wish you good luck. Totally agree with you. People want something for nothing. You’ve paid your dues, you’ve assembled all this knowledge, and some people expect you to give it away for free. I hope you find a way to monetize it and I wish you good luck.

]]> By: Robert Dwyer http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2009/08/08/content-does-not-want-to-be-free/comment-page-1/#comment-200512 Robert Dwyer Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:19:20 +0000 http://biggerthanyourhead.net/?p=2568#comment-200512 Thanks as usual for sharing your wisdom. I share your sentiment that it's gratifying to get paid cash for doing something of value. Personally, it gives me the motivation to do my best to knock out a piece of writing when I'm tired and have other things to do. I'm disappointed to learn that the quality of your writing (and it is very high in my opinion) hasn't enabled you to make more cash via ads. Have you tried seeking out direct advertisers? I read somewhere that A-list bloggers can make $75k per year with 100,000 page views per month. Scaling that down to typical wine blog traffic levels, I believe that's $62.50 per 1,000 views. I know from experience that AdSense doesn't pay nearly that well, but I believe it is possible with 3 or so direct advertisers that are well aligned with your content and your audience. Gaining these advertisers takes a lot of work, and a different skill set than wine writing so I'm wondering if there's a niche opportunity here to connect wine blogs with wine advertisers. I'd be interested in your thoughts on this in particular. Best, Robert Dwyer PS I recently had a Morgan Chardonnay that you recommended a while back. It was *fantastic*. Thanks as usual for sharing your wisdom. I share your sentiment that it’s gratifying to get paid cash for doing something of value. Personally, it gives me the motivation to do my best to knock out a piece of writing when I’m tired and have other things to do.

I’m disappointed to learn that the quality of your writing (and it is very high in my opinion) hasn’t enabled you to make more cash via ads. Have you tried seeking out direct advertisers?

I read somewhere that A-list bloggers can make $75k per year with 100,000 page views per month. Scaling that down to typical wine blog traffic levels, I believe that’s $62.50 per 1,000 views. I know from experience that AdSense doesn’t pay nearly that well, but I believe it is possible with 3 or so direct advertisers that are well aligned with your content and your audience. Gaining these advertisers takes a lot of work, and a different skill set than wine writing so I’m wondering if there’s a niche opportunity here to connect wine blogs with wine advertisers.

I’d be interested in your thoughts on this in particular.

Best,
Robert Dwyer

PS I recently had a Morgan Chardonnay that you recommended a while back. It was *fantastic*.

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