Thoughts: On hiding the fact that you blog just for money
Many A-list bloggers say that in order to have a successful blog, you need to tackle a unique niche. What these A-list bloggers usually do not say is that the idea of being successful is relative. Many times, people blog just to make money, since those people consider income as a way to measure success. While it is not bad to make money through a blog, it is very weird to not acknowledge that fact, and to instead tell everyone that you blog for any reason other than to make money.
Stereotypes about money prompt many bloggers to lie that they do not blog to make money
Many bloggers will use different topics like death, charity or even personal family pictures to lure you to their blogs. However, these bloggers will usually not admit that they blog only to make you click on ads. Not admitting that fact is a sign of a narrow minded mentality, stemming from generations of stereotypes against the idea of someone being rich and good at the same time. Why would anyone want to admit that they post pictures of their parents and children only to make money, right?
Even supposed selfless causes depend on making money, so why would you hide the fact that you blog just for money?
Avoid portraying your blog as if it was a stereotypical Non Profit Organization (NPO) that focused only on helping others and not on making money. In reality, even NPOs have to make money in order to pay their employees and operations, so why would you want to feel guilty and hide the fact, through deception, that you want your blog to make you money?
The less you deceive your blog readers about your true intentions related to making money through your blog, the more transparent and comfortable you will feel in actually providing something useful to your readers.
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( May 11th, 2007 at 8:20 pm )
This is a very insightful post. You’re exactly right about the negative image of money and how it causes bloggers to hide their true intentions. We all need to realize that since money is a necessity, we shouldn’t apologize for seeking it. Money only makes us more of what we already are, good or bad. The best people are those that seek money and use it for their own lifestyle and the improvement others’ lives.
( May 12th, 2007 at 1:28 am )
Thanks Mark for the comment, and for visiting. I am glad that you found it “insightful.”
You are right. Since money is a necessity, we need to stem out the bad mentality by actually not having the urge to exploit others for money. Sure, we can all drool and aim for money, but deceiving everyone else for it through posts or blogs or other things in life.
Yes, the best people are those who seek money and do not exploit others at least during the process.
Thanks again Mark! I really appreciate your informative opinion on this.
( May 12th, 2007 at 1:18 pm )
Whenever I see ads on a blog I imagine they were put there with the intention (if not desire) that readers would click on them. At least, this is why I put them on my blog. The most funny part is that I started to blog only with money in mind (it seemed a very good way of not having to support idiot colleagues around me, 8 hours a day). However, after a while, I got the virus of blogging for fun and thoughts sharing. Back in August, I would have never written a post without prior keywords research (and I aimed only keywords that paid well and were not so competitive). I don’t see anything wrong in blogging for money and I don’t understand people who hide it.
( May 12th, 2007 at 2:11 pm )
Simonne, thanks again for the comment.
Interesting point about earning money on your own instead of depending on people who are probably not reliable or something.
I think blogging for fun, or having any value in it other than money, adds a more human or realistic approach to things where we do not focus on exploiting others all the time. Marketing is not supposed to be about exploitation, but considering many of the prominent bloggers now who are marketers, there blogs are just points of exploitation, telling users about niches and stuff. What they don’t tell users is that the only reason they tell others to find a specific niche is to make money through it since no competition means more money.
I think it is because of that [above] mentality of deception and exploitation that many prominent bloggers or many bloggers overall hide the fact that they blog for money.
Thanks Simonne!
This sheds more light on the topic.
( May 17th, 2007 at 12:07 am )
[...] life and that is why you promote their blog or service on your site? Should you be disclosing or hiding the fact that you blog only to make money? Do you need to disclose how you had a good experience with a certain company and that is why you [...]
( July 12th, 2008 at 2:36 pm )
One would think that the general public would realize that any blog with adsense and affiliate links on it are for the purpose of making money.
However you are quite right about the reluctance to admit a monetary intent. I often think that this is not done to deceive the user but just a fact that does not need to be the primary message of the blog
I mean how many of us would consider putting a sign saying ‘I am doing this only for the money’ on our sites
And in all fairness, when we visit our doctors, dentists, mechanics etc, there isn’t the declaration of doing it primarily for the income their either