Comments on: The Rise And Fall of Blog Network Visionaries http://www.onebyonemedia.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-blog-network-visonaries/ Connecting Businesses One By One Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:48:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Paul Chaney http://www.onebyonemedia.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-blog-network-visonaries/#comment-52788 Paul Chaney Fri, 17 Nov 2006 14:37:52 +0000 http://www.onebyonemedia.com/wordpress/the-rise-and-fall-of-blog-network-visonaries/#comment-52788 Not trying to play devil's advocate, but if blog networks morph into "micro" networks, how will that offset the other point to which you agreed -- specifically that blog networks need mammoth amounts of traffic to turn a profit? The more tightly niched something becomes, the less likely it is to garner a broad readership base. Blogs have traditionally appealed to nano-audiences. At the same time, I realize that exploiting niches enables one to tap deeply into the respective niche. That's why I believe blog networks have gone after niches with wide consumer appeal...i.e., they must generate traffic and lots of it. That is, if advertising is the revenue model upon which the business is based. One last word, Jim. In my opinion, it's best to let someone else hail you as a visionary rather than to do so yourself. Not trying to play devil’s advocate, but if blog networks morph into “micro” networks, how will that offset the other point to which you agreed — specifically that blog networks need mammoth amounts of traffic to turn a profit?

The more tightly niched something becomes, the less likely it is to garner a broad readership base. Blogs have traditionally appealed to nano-audiences. At the same time, I realize that exploiting niches enables one to tap deeply into the respective niche.

That’s why I believe blog networks have gone after niches with wide consumer appeal…i.e., they must generate traffic and lots of it. That is, if advertising is the revenue model upon which the business is based.

One last word, Jim. In my opinion, it’s best to let someone else hail you as a visionary rather than to do so yourself.

]]> By: Jim Turner http://www.onebyonemedia.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-blog-network-visonaries/#comment-52786 Jim Turner Fri, 17 Nov 2006 04:10:09 +0000 http://www.onebyonemedia.com/wordpress/the-rise-and-fall-of-blog-network-visonaries/#comment-52786 I would like to say you were wrong about the idea that netwoprks are about numbers to advertisers. I think that observation is spot on. I have not seen where a CPM of 1,000 page views a week has garnered any lines of advertisers waiting to get onto an influential blog of that nature. There are certain niche blogs that don't have the traffic but do have influence. Those blogs are far and few between. I do however argue that blog networks have run their course. Yes, they are evolving into a different animal each day, and these animals are transmogrifying into new hybrids everyday. I for one believe that the future of blog networks will be networks that are in a micro-niche. Right now we see blog networks with a shotgun approach. Launch it and if it hits the mark keep it, if not dump it and launch something else until it works. The blogs that work will then be grouped into mini-networks or blogozines I think I called Syntagma's idea. We are seeing a new form of publishing online through the use of blogs. This is what I as a visionary believe. But who knows I cold just be blinded by all that $$$$$$$. I would like to say you were wrong about the idea that netwoprks are about numbers to advertisers. I think that observation is spot on. I have not seen where a CPM of 1,000 page views a week has garnered any lines of advertisers waiting to get onto an influential blog of that nature. There are certain niche blogs that don’t have the traffic but do have influence. Those blogs are far and few between.

I do however argue that blog networks have run their course. Yes, they are evolving into a different animal each day, and these animals are transmogrifying into new hybrids everyday. I for one believe that the future of blog networks will be networks that are in a micro-niche. Right now we see blog networks with a shotgun approach. Launch it and if it hits the mark keep it, if not dump it and launch something else until it works.
The blogs that work will then be grouped into mini-networks or blogozines I think I called Syntagma’s idea. We are seeing a new form of publishing online through the use of blogs. This is what I as a visionary believe. But who knows I cold just be blinded by all that $$$$$$$.

]]> By: Paul Chaney http://www.onebyonemedia.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-blog-network-visonaries/#comment-52785 Paul Chaney Fri, 17 Nov 2006 03:18:51 +0000 http://www.onebyonemedia.com/wordpress/the-rise-and-fall-of-blog-network-visonaries/#comment-52785 You make their departures sound very romantic..."visionaries of blog networks" and all. However, word is that Duncan was fired unceremoniously, and who knows about Calacanis. Can he just up and leave with $20 million of AOL's cash in the bank? In either case, it wasn't pretty. As to blog networks, I don't see a great future for them for two reasons: First, it seems to me that many of the marketable niches have already been filled. I mean, do we really need yet another gadget blog? Second, as a business model, blog networks survive on advertising income, not unlike other, more traditional, forms of publishing. Without sufficient traffic there is little income to be accrued through Adsense or other PPC venues. Advertisers will be reluctant to sponsor sites that don't generate lots of traffic either. I used to write for Weblogs Inc, and I can tell you, if it weren't for Engadget and a handful of the other, more popular, blogs WIN may not have survived. While I realize blogs are niche-marketing tools and that it's not always the "quantity" of readers that counts, but the "quality" in terms of influence, blog networks that are largely consumer-oriented still rely on lots of traffic to earn more than a pittance for the blogger(s) and publisher alike. It really is all about the numbers, in my view. Feel free to debunk my argument. I'd really like to be proved wrong. You make their departures sound very romantic…”visionaries of blog networks” and all. However, word is that Duncan was fired unceremoniously, and who knows about Calacanis. Can he just up and leave with $20 million of AOL’s cash in the bank? In either case, it wasn’t pretty.

As to blog networks, I don’t see a great future for them for two reasons: First, it seems to me that many of the marketable niches have already been filled. I mean, do we really need yet another gadget blog?

Second, as a business model, blog networks survive on advertising income, not unlike other, more traditional, forms of publishing.

Without sufficient traffic there is little income to be accrued through Adsense or other PPC venues. Advertisers will be reluctant to sponsor sites that don’t generate lots of traffic either.

I used to write for Weblogs Inc, and I can tell you, if it weren’t for Engadget and a handful of the other, more popular, blogs WIN may not have survived.

While I realize blogs are niche-marketing tools and that it’s not always the “quantity” of readers that counts, but the “quality” in terms of influence, blog networks that are largely consumer-oriented still rely on lots of traffic to earn more than a pittance for the blogger(s) and publisher alike. It really is all about the numbers, in my view.

Feel free to debunk my argument. I’d really like to be proved wrong.

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