In Search of a Life Less Ordinary turned two in May.
Where did the time go? I still marvel at the fact I've been able to find material to sustain the site for 24 months but, thankfully, it keeps on coming... so where to next for ISOALLO?
As the blog has developed over time, one of the things I find myself wrestling with is the thorny issue of blog monetisation.
The number of enquiries from potential advertisers seems to grow month by month. It's all very flattering but dig a little deeper and the enquiries aren't always quite what they seem.
An email last week informed me that an entity on this PR agency's books was interested in blog advertising. They liked my writing and the site's overall content, and were interested in text link adverts. I gave them some prices and we agreed on a final figure, assuming the adverts were in line with the site's look and feel.
I asked to see some example adverts currently hosted on other websites and I was directed to a range of links advertising things such as blow-up dolls, sexy lingerie and, interestingly, sailor outfits. You'll be comforted to know that I jumped on the breaks and ended the conversation. But this experience and the rising number of enquiries begged the question:
With the appropriate checks and measures, is monetisation right for this blog or will it turn you, the reader, off?
Photo credit: Jason Mrachina (Flickr Creative Commons)
How much is too much?
I encourage advertising on the home page and have some steady clients who advertise by the quarter. It's a helpful way to bring in a little extra pocket money (because that's all it is, believe me) and hopefully brings some benefit to the advertiser themselves.
Banner or text link advertising is a fairly straight forward and easy arrangement to manage - as long as you vet the potential advertiser (see example above). It's also unobtrusive and doesn't usually interfere with the reader's experience on the site.
But what about the other advertising requests that have started to come through?
I've been asked if I'll accept posts written for me on behalf of advertisers, I've been encouraged to write my own content which will be sponsored by well-known organisations (written they way they want or to my own liking), and I've been approached about running competitions for a growing number of brands.
Some of these initiatives sound too good to be true (and, in most cases, are). Some have an unsettling odour about them (the ones that tick this box are immediately ignored). And others, well, you can't always know.
Whatever the approach, the most important thing to consider is that whatever I do doesn't impose on my audience and/or send them running for the hills.
Turning you on, not turning you off
Bringing in new sources of revenue to In Search of a Life Less Ordinary and other blogs like it is surely no bad thing. It delivers a useful source of income for those of us who spend hours plugging away at these things for the love of writing and blogging and community. It can also benefit the reader through the hosting of fun competitions and provision of inside access to certain relevant products.
But is it really worth it?
I'm terrified of sending loyal readers packing, fearful or trashing this blog's good name, and loathe to rubbish the user experience in any way.
For a dedicated blogger, this is the stuff of nightmares.
The creation of this blog was never about the money. It was about sharing a story with you, a journey from A to B. Bringing in a little extra cash or running several competitions of benefit to you (and to me) should only ever be a bonus, not a means to an end.
ISOALLO has a theme, a target audience, a loyal readership, and broad community. The thought of diluting the message, subtracting from my writing, and damaging this 'platform' is not a pleasant one.
My pledge to you
In considering the best way forward, this is what I truly believe.
You, the reader, are not an idiot and I should never treat you like one. Nothing I do on this blog should ever jeopardise our relationship and take advantage of your loyalty.
I'll stick to the story I originally set out to share and I'll only accept third parties on this site if they represent what I believe in and if they demonstrate my approach to this life. I'll never sell out to the highest bidder and not accept anything less than extraordinary. If I come across something and think "wow", then you'll be the first to hear of it in a manner that befits this blog and my style.
I'll try to make sure that any sponsored post is brilliant - I'll write it as best as I can. I'll only run the most fantastic of competitions and ensure that the prizes are, well, GREAT. I'll write all content myself, unless I spot an outstanding writer/blogger that this community needs to meet and hear about.
This is my pledge to you.
So, with this in mind, I need your valued opinion.
A well-known and trusted organisation has suggested I run a rather excellent competition. I'm game but are you?
What do you think? Shall we do this thing?
Let me know in the comments below and I'll run the competition in the next week if the majority are in favour.
Also, as a reader, what do you generally think about blog monetisation? And bloggers, what have you experienced/decided to do about this thorny issue?
As always, do share your views below.
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