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Going Pro: Network or Indie?

I went to meet an old acquaintance last week who was pitching an idea to me. Our discussion revolved around the choice between putting up an independent blog or writing for a blog network. I explained that there are two sides of the coin when going pro — would you consider it a business or a career? To illustrate, I compared the advantages and disadvantages of the different salary models currently being used by blog networks.

Early this year, when I was still writing for BlogHerald, I wrote this little observation…

WIN, back in the early days under Jason Calacanis, were offering at least $500 salary per month for their new bloggers. Of course there was a quota of 120 posts a month or you get subtracted $4 per post under that total (please correct me here Jason if I’m wrong). Know More Media was paying $5 per post for new bloggers and $7.50 for veterans (blogging for them for over a 6 months?). They’re even paying $1 per legitimate comment the bloggers made on other blogs. Really nice incentive, IMO. The key here is the starting payout which will really motivate your bloggers.

b5media’s $1.50 per 1,000 pageviews may seem like a nice formula but with you will eventually learn that not all niche are searched equally. So, a nice title with just 3 pictures of the Oscars at a celebrity blog could get tens of thousands of pageviews but a great entry on another blog about rag dolls may barely break 100 pageviews. The rag doll blogger might as well join the celeb bloggers and earn more per post.

The blog network owners chimed in on that discussion . Each network will create a formula where they feel is equitable between them as the business establishment and the blogger as the contractual employee.

Case in point, Filipina Soul is one of b5’s blog and since it joined Pinoy Top Blogs last August 2006, it has garnered a total of 274,000 pageviews. Using their rate card, that goes down to $411 ($1.5/k x 274k) or roughly $37/month. Add to that the additional base pay of $50 – $100 per month. At an average of between $87 to $137 every month for 11 months, not bad at all. Very few people I know can sustain that amount of revenue if they did it on their own (though I admire/applaud those who have managed to do so).

But that shouldn’t prevent you from starting your own blogs too. Call it an insurance of sorts. If one day you decided to quit and take a rest, you’ll have your own stable of revenue source not tied up with the network. And even if you don’t update it, I’m sure you’d get a dollar or two still (think TLA).

That being said, I offered him a proposition. He pitches the idea for a blog, I provide the resources and technical support. We split the revenue, he takes home the bigger slice. Once he thinks he has learned the ropes, he can put up additional blogs on his own.

He calls it OJT, I call it small-time VC. ;)

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Avatar for Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

13 Responses

  1. Avatar for Micki Poper Micki Poper says:

    hello!,I love your writing very a lot! proportion we keep up a correspondence more about your article on AOL? I need an expert in this space to solve my problem. Maybe that is you! Looking ahead to peer you.

  2. Avatar for Maricar Maricar says:

    As one of the bloggers at Filipina Soul, I’m not going to confirm nor deny those figures. ;) But I also have a non-network blog which I think is doing fairly well. So I’m on both sides of the coin. Aside from the tech and ad issues, b5 has invaluable perks that I enjoy, like weekly training sessions from Darren Rowse. Maintaining my own blog is a lot of work (which prevents me from launching another one), but I like the independence too.

    Not everyone can or is willing to be tied to a network, but the same can be said for independent blogging. Sabi nga, kanya-kanya yan, eh, it depends on what one is looking for from blogging.

    Good luck on the venture! :)

  3. Avatar for Jaypee Jaypee says:

    I’ve been wanting to join a blog network but I don’t know if I’m qualified or if any blog network would hire me. Hehe :D

  4. Avatar for Abe Olandres Abe Olandres says:

    Glo, I’m teaming up with people and coming up with a huge promo in line with this. ;)

  5. Avatar for Gloria Gloria says:

    ang galing. i really admire you for not hesitating to help out those starting in this business.

    suffice to say that blogging for a network is like a job that pays well. ;-) for me it works really well. :-D

  6. Avatar for Jeffrey Jeffrey says:

    Hhhm i’m thinking of applying for blognetwork. But i cannot even update my own blog.

  7. Avatar for BrianB BrianB says:

    arnold. Venture capital has to be careful when injecting too much money on blog writers. I tried applying for these networks too. The work’s too hard for too little money. I checked their sites out on alexa. Don’t think they make too much money, and the sites themselves are not growing fast enough.

    Abe, I will be emailing you later. Just take note I have no programming or designing expertise. Just knowledge of words (content) and people’s reading habits (market for this content). :)

  8. Avatar for Kiven Kiven says:

    Blogging for a network instantly gives you influence and revenue. Although it is a job so you need to stick to the agreed terms.

    Blogging independently allows you to create something that you can call your very own running on your own rules.

    If you can do both, then better.

  9. Avatar for arnold arnold says:

    Those figures were something Abe. For awhile I thought those network blogs (b5, Know More) pay their blogger in a handsome manner.

    Seems like I’m luckier with my current blogging gigs. :-)

  10. Avatar for Abe Olandres Abe Olandres says:

    Hi Brian, email me. :)

  11. Avatar for BrianB BrianB says:

    Hey, Abe. How about we do the same deal. I have tis really good idea about a blog. It’s not just a one-blog idea, kind of like a template.

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