Monetization, Receiving, Giving, & Love! My perspective.
OK, Twitter is great, but the 140 character limit is driving me nutz today as well as all of the breakdowns, but none the less that’s not what this post is about. Currently Eden Spodek, Connie Crosby, Whiney Hoffman, and others are having a discussion about a post that Laura Fitton (Pistachio) put on her blog just a little while ago.
Now we might have goten off the actual topic, but in it’s essence we are talking about monetization. When I went to Podcamp Toronto I heard a lot of different views from a lot of different people about monetizing their website, blog, or podcast. Some people had the sole intention of monetizing while others thought is was a downright crime.
I want to pull this apart from the vantage point of an artist and the vantage point of someone who like in their artistic process just lets things sort of flow.
Viewpoint One - I think if your sole concern is “making money”
and that phrase really doesn’t make sense anyway, that chances are you might get lucky and make a few bucks, and you might just put so much pressure on the “making money” that you will find there is a block there. Those folks that come off desperate for a thing usually don’t recieve it.
Viewpoint Two - “Let things be” The web is known for it’s oranic growth. If you as an artist, blogger, Podcaster, Business owner are adding value to the community it is almost hard not to monetize in some way. This does not always equal money, but many times money flows to you so that you may build on that value, and increase service to others. Those that look at monetizing as just down right bad block that flow. Nothing flows in and eventually in my belief their personal river of information or service will eventuially run dry. Again, monetization is not always money. It can be a flow of information, barter, or just plain old good will.
Viewpoint Three - So what about money??? Is money something that we “Make”? Nope, Money is just a piece of paper that represents energy. This flow of energy from one person to the next helps keep the world turning. If someone offers you website services because they think you have an amazing blog or offers to generate a graphic for nothing, what they are really saying is “Because you have added so much value to my life I would like to somehow pay you in return” By telling that person “No thanks” or that they don’t have to do that blocks the flow of energy from one to another. (Damming the River) All of these things equal money. If you had to go out and hire a designer they would charge you money. If they didn’t they would be out of business. If I gave away every wood turning I did, I would no longer be able to sustain or innovate further.
This is more a rant than a post, but I guess a post can be a rant, and I am sure I will maybe even add to it as things come to me. Bottom line for me……Add “LOVE”, if something gives you a good feeling and you are adding “LOVE” you can never go wrong. Don’t stop the flow to you whether it be money, gifts, or whatever as long as it is coming to you from a position of “Love”. You will know when things are right to accept money, you will know when it’s ok to start charging for services when your heart tells you. Listen to your inner guidance system! Adding love will take you to the promised land. Enjoy every minute of your process, put out love and receive love…..in whatever form it shows up.
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Stumble it!
February 29th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I’ve considered these things as I blog, too. I don’t just blog “for money” and actually blogging only for money is known as “spam.” There are even blogs that do nothing that pick up feeds from other sites and prevent them as their own content to generate Adword revenue. While Google tries to shut this down, it’s not something they have total control over, and it’s not reasonable to expect them to have total control over such behaviors.
That said, I did start my by-far more recognized blog “Fat Chic” as a way of raising money for my clothing budget. While the money has instead done much to keep my perfume business afloat, it has taught me many lessons about monetized blogging, and subject-matter blogging in general.
Two things should always compete in your mind: what your audience wants, and what you have to say. Sometimes these will come together. Sometimes you will challenge your audience. Sometimes your audience will challenge you. The more authentic and interested you are in the subject you blog about, the more you will be rewarded - and rewards should be estimated in value, not in dollars. I’ve reaped the rewards of information by being pointed to stores I’ve never heard of, and of finding sources to make my blog better, such as livejournal communities. I’m hoping to make the same thing happen with Magickal Realism, especially as I am working with a much more intricate subject than clothing.
A valuable blog will, over time, draw more traffic off of search engines and that will drive up your click-through if you choose to use traditional ads/adwords. I’ve chosen to do a non-traditional approach by hosting my own ads, giving them a non-invasive presentation (NO popups or flashing text) and by making them easily affordable to the smallest of businesses. It doesn’t pay my rent, but it does pay in relationships, referrals, and recognition.