There are strong indicators that the initial blogging rush has slowed considerably. In July 2006, there were 175,000 new blogs posted per day compared to 120,000 as of March 2007 according to Technorati and according to Gartner, there are already over 200 million ‘ex-bloggers’ accounted for.
In the midst of the blogging craze, a small percentage of highly traffic blogs have emerged as real influencers in the media world. Most of these ‘head’ blogs are fueled by capital and are financially self-sustaining. The majority of long-tail blogs flame out in a few months (if that).
The infusion of revenue into blogging however should create an opportunity for an independent middle-class to emerge and sustain momentum. There was an interesting article from the Associated Press today that examined the impact of advertising on blogging. According to the Internet Advertising Bureau, advertisers spent $16.9 billion in 2006, up from $6 billion in 2002.
As online spending continues to increase, it is likely that there will be an emerging opportunity for bloggers to begin monetizing their hobby and some of them may even be able to turn their hobbies into full-time ventures.
The monetization of long-tail blogging will probably be the variable that brings some legitimacy and sustainability to the medium.
No comments yet.