Thanks to the explosion of social media (whatever did we do to kill time before Twitter and Facebook), the blog world is not quite what it used to be. As I have said before, I discovered blogs back in late 2004-2005 when pregnant with the now six year old. Tackling motherhood after a 13 year hiatus, and with no relatives to annoy me with advice, I needed someplace to get my advice and the interwebz was the perfect place. Back then, the Mama blogs were just starting to sprout up like the weeds that pop up in my yard when we’ve played ignore the lawn for one too many weeks!
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All jokes aside, back in the old days of blogging, it was a simpler time. Seriously you could sign up for a free blog account, find a free template to use and voila you were a blogger. If you either had something good to say, took great pictures or were witty as hell, well you had readers. Back in the dark ages, all you did was write on your blog, visit other blogs, if you wanted to take it to the next level you left comments, added folks on your sidebar, simple shit. Seriously back then, a blogger could spend an hour a day on the blog and might actually have a fair number of readers.
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Alas all good things come to an end, and in recent years, blogging has become monetized. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, hell people should earn money from their labor and the truth is blogging these days at times is more labor than fun. If you expect to get readers, you need to have a Facebook and Twitter presence at the very least; only the biggest bloggers can get away with a minimal presence on social media. Chances are though if you are reading me and you are a blogger, you aren’t one of the big name folks and you are putting in a lot of time trying to grow your blog.
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The thing though with monetization is that it is not easy. The reality is people enjoy reading blogs but very few readers want or can support the actual writers of blogs. As I have learned and heard from bloggers far larger than yours truly, things such as a tip jar never get any tips. You have your blog publishing networks which I have also learned if you are not a big blogger won’t even treat the family to a meal at the Golden Arches. You can try and sell your own ads but that is time consuming and unless you are trying to turn the blog into a career the end result is not worth the output in most cases. Of course there are ads through places like Google Ad but again, will you even be able to treat yourself to a fancy latte once a month? Probably not. I keep hearing all this talk of brands reaching out to bloggers but have yet to see it, of course I have no snazzy photos and I write too damn much, so I am probably not a candidate for any brand to reach out to, I accept this.
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So what’s a blogger to do who wants to at least earn a few shekels to cover the cost of running a blog in this new blog world? Well, that’s where EdenFantasys came in for me, they have several great programs for bloggers and unlike a lot of places there are no fancy hoops to jump through. Now I know a lot of folks when they hear of Eden Fantasy’s they think adult toy shop and think, sorry…not for me. I admit I thought that too after all since I blog under my real name and in my real life my work world may not want to know about my sex life, the truth is we are sexual beings.
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I was initially tentative about partnering with EdensFantasys but with programs such as their Banner and Text Ad program and tasteful and discrete ads that result in paying cash, I decided to think again. In addition to running banner ads and being paid in cash they offer programs such as writing product reviews which can result in getting some nifty toys (toys are cool and you know it!) as well as the sponsored posts where you can earn gift cards to use on their site.
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I admit I was on the fence, but as someone who likes to play at times and is a member of the Broke Phi Broke club, I know that for me earning even gift cards that I can use on items that I might be too cheap to use my hard earned cash to buy is still a good thing. Sure many of the “professionals” will tell you don’t work for gift cards and that it cheapens your work and the work of others. That’s great advice but not reality for many of us, frankly earning either money or items that I truly enjoy add to my life. I am not a career blogger, blogging is a hobby for me and a hobby that is time consuming and being able to at least surprise the man occasionally is a great thing!
I also appreciate the ease with which EdenFantasys makes it for bloggers to work with them, unlike other groups I have worked with; I can honestly say it’s been a nice working relationship thus far. So for my fellow niche and small bloggers out there thinking of dipping a toe into the monetization pool, I actually would suggest checking out Eden. Long time readers know I did time with a large but will not be named publishing network and I can say thus far dealing with Eden has been far nicer than that past relationship test into the monetization pool.
This post was sponsored by EdenFantasys.com
I am the “infamous” EF Bubble Bath Blogger. I have been blogging for them for nearly a year now. I love it! And they’ve added makeup, skin care and other stuff to their line up, shoo-oot, that’s my store.
Danielle, I hope you will visit my blog, Three Boys and an Old Lady http://threeboysandanoldlady.blogspot.com
Girl do what you have to do and fuck the rest! I’ll take me some gifts cards. It’s money not out of my pocket.
Way to go!
I read your blog because I like what you have to say but I can dig it! I shall be checking out Eden’s Fantastys for some, er ads too.
*blush*
-r