Blog Business
I don't have ads in my blog.
I don't like the idea of having ads in my blog.
I can understand why some people have ads in their blogs. In a few cases I can even agree. Even if I don't agree those blogs are not mine so it's not up to me to decide on having ads or not.
Why do I dislike the idea of having ads here? Because this blog is not meant as business, in my mind this is one of my 'escape places', something I can do but also something I can stop at any time without much impact.
Turning my blog into a business would mean another level of commitment.
That is why when a friend suggested I should use my blog to sell mugs, t-shirts, mouse pads and stuff like that with my photos on it I got mixed feelings.
On one hand you have the guy who LOVES showing off his photos and would like the idea of people having his photos (Bunny Jo had some influence in the process also).
On the other I never meant this to become a business and it seems something I may be a little uncomfortable with.
I know some other bloggers sell their work on their blogs or on sites linked from their blog.
But the biggest doubt yet is still: do I want to sell my photos?
If so, do I want to sell prints, files or merchandise with prints of the photos?
And why do people suggest this? And why am I not rich? I mean, if I were rich I wouldn't even consider the idea of selling. Or would I?
Well, for the time being I think I'll stay away from the merchant's path and keep sharing as much as I want to with those I want to share it with.
I don't like the idea of having ads in my blog.
I can understand why some people have ads in their blogs. In a few cases I can even agree. Even if I don't agree those blogs are not mine so it's not up to me to decide on having ads or not.
Why do I dislike the idea of having ads here? Because this blog is not meant as business, in my mind this is one of my 'escape places', something I can do but also something I can stop at any time without much impact.
Turning my blog into a business would mean another level of commitment.
That is why when a friend suggested I should use my blog to sell mugs, t-shirts, mouse pads and stuff like that with my photos on it I got mixed feelings.
On one hand you have the guy who LOVES showing off his photos and would like the idea of people having his photos (Bunny Jo had some influence in the process also).
On the other I never meant this to become a business and it seems something I may be a little uncomfortable with.
I know some other bloggers sell their work on their blogs or on sites linked from their blog.
But the biggest doubt yet is still: do I want to sell my photos?
If so, do I want to sell prints, files or merchandise with prints of the photos?
And why do people suggest this? And why am I not rich? I mean, if I were rich I wouldn't even consider the idea of selling. Or would I?
Well, for the time being I think I'll stay away from the merchant's path and keep sharing as much as I want to with those I want to share it with.
posted by DCveR at 10:27 AM
20 Comments:
ok here is my grand marketing advise-
-personally i think your type of photography does not belong on mousepads or mugs or even t-shirts-
-what would be really fun (and pretty simple) is if you made a CALENDAR with you photos- and you can make different themes, like portugal- or nature- or etc ...
ALSO on the calendar page itself, on the top you should write a short little story- about the picture, similarly how you do it here on the blog- just say where you took it and where was Good half at the moment and so forth...
- you can also do something like a coffee table book... with the pictures and you can even write up a little story to go along with photos-- like for example you write lots of historical stuff here in a way that's easy to read and consise- so say your portuguese pictures could have these historical, or legends in the book-- (just an idea- perhaps the portugal tourism board may want to publish it...?) i say tourism board because the content would really appeal to international people who perhaps are not very familiar with portugal..
- again, personally- i would totaly buy any of the above- the calendars with seneries that they publish now are actually ALL the same- depicting the same scenes-- yours would be very original and fresh- and the personal touch with the descriptions would work really well- i say you do it! put a link on the side bar for a separate site- and sell there- its not weird at all- i honestly thought you ALREADY do something with your fotography like sell it to magazines or something---
oh ANOTHER IDEA i just got---
you can put your photos on greeting cards- and approach some boutiques or stores (and again the tourism board) and of course sell on your site- all three items would actually work very complementary with each other-
i know a fotographer that actually lives on my street that started doing that- just takes fotos of ny and puts them on special white paper- that even has his signature imprinted on it- so it like a real artist's work- i'll find his website, dont know it ofhand-
basically you can do many things-- i'm thinking of even more ideas as i write--- but depends how far you want to take this, how rich you'd like to get- how much time and energy you'd like to commit to it--
and just remember- any personal business you start end real fast wthout much impact - but if you stick with it and knwo what you want out of it, it will not be a burden but a huge reward--
ok-- i bet i just took up WAAAAY too much room in the comments -
this is the link i was talking about: www.nyposter.com
a nice little business this guy created
I don't want to make a shop out of my blog but if there's someone who wants to buy any of pics, I'm open :), but you have to make a very decent offer :)
If you don't I can send you prints for free :) Or, like radio-amateurs do, postcard share alike :) I really don't feel like my photos are worth a single penny :) So, my thoughts are similiar to yours, DC.
ale: Thanks for all those ideas and for the link, I'll keep this in mind if ever I change my mind and decide to sell.
shyha: There is something very important about it: I wouldn't buy my photos, I like to see other guys/gals photos but I don't buy photos. I've bought some watercolors and some canvas, some glass works and some other kinds of handcraft but never bought photos.
blahhh dcver- ;) how about you license over your pics and i'll be ur exclusive global sales manager!!! :))) hehe jkiddin-
ale: Your vote of confidence real touches my heart! No kidding, do you think you could make money out of it?
You what really, really, really sucks? You managed to give so many ideas and I can't come up with a decent idea for a gift to your south american colleague.
I agree 100%, DC!
My blog is for my own contentment, for my own sanity, my own mental gymnastics, my virtual ping-pong game with the blogger friends I have made since August.
That's my view.
Using my blog to sell, no thanks. I have nowt to sell...just lots of daft thoughts to give away.
cream: I really believe that as we usually say in Portugal: trabalho é trabalho, conhaque é conhaque (work is work, cognac is cognac). And blogging has been cognac so far.
My mom made the same suggestion to me. And at first it sounded like a nice idea, but when I really thought about it... I don't get many visitors as it is. And those few wonderful visitors I do get (you know who you are) I would feel bad about suddenly turning them into customers.
But maybe I'm looking at it all wrong. Maybe it's not such a bad idea. I could certainly use the moolah...
viking: And afterwards you'd end up looking at blogging as if it were a job, woudln't ya?
Quite a few good businesses start as a pastime and then develop...
Nothing wrong with that...Just not my cup of tea.
I prefer to keep work and Brandy apart.
dcver- i may have ideas- but my problem is that i dont see them through unless some one is on my butt about it-
It's all down to your personal feelings on it. Ads pay for hosting if it's externally hosted but something like the greeting cards etc is a genuine way of making money from your talent, and if you decide to do that, there is nothing wrong with that.
ale: Sometimes I feel like I should be making more money and dive completely into the rat race, but the truth is I prefer not to have too many people on my back and enjoy life with all that I have so far.
NML: I know there is nothing wrong about it, yet I don't feel like I should be doing it.
I love business and stuff and stuff. I am a writer even though I sew and do craft, and writers got to make a living, and know how to market their work.
But if blogging is your cognac, let it be your cognac until you want to sell the cognac.
Or get someone to do the selling for you. Maybe scientists are like a lot of creative folks when it comes to 'selling'...not too good at it.
Cream, you make me laugh with your 'daft' ideas.
GG: After assuring a certain income, I only do anything for money if the pay is REALLY worth it. I love my free time, or what little free time I can get. Guess that is the main reason I am not very good a "merchant".
That's sensible, Dcver. If it's not worth your time, then it doesn't make sense putting in the effort, unless you see it becoming really big, and it's something you want to do full time.
Ale is onto something. I particularly like the coffe book idea.
I think ads on blogs can be described in one word: "tacky." You could not possibly make enough to support yourself with tacky little ads, so why junk up a blog with them? i am in complete agreement. Keep it clean!!
bent: I would probably quit blogging if I turned this into business. Either that or it would mean big bucks, there is no point in working for pocket money if it is a second job.
kris: Also it would mean the end of anonymacy, now that I think about it.
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