So will it kill the Blog?
Can someone Blogging skew their content based on whether or not they’re getting corporate bling?
I’ve been having some candid conversations about this for the past while but it was heated up today when Kanoodle announced that they will feed ads through RSS. I had emails akin to “well, there goes the neighborhood.”
I don’t think it’s that grave. There are already people doing it and the flame dies fast. The people getting the traction, traffic and triumph are the ones publishing for passion – not profit.
So, how does the profit develop? It’s not advertising (that will just be a side bonus and some pennies for the piggy back). The true profit will come from the integrity of publishing relevant and fresh information with a human voice and commitment. This will get you more business, a higher profile, maybe a book deal or a regular column in one of those glossy mags and, most importantly, it will put you ahead of the pack.
The money in Blogging is not the ads. It will help but it’s a small fraction of where the real action is – which is how big can you blow it up, get noticed and use it to build value, humanity, loyalty and buzz.
Having some content-based ads on the site, if not abused, could add some value. But nothing close to what value will be driven by your candid words.