Interesting context.Originally Posted by Tamara
I guess it calls into question what really constitutes "blogging" in this day and age. Or maybe the definition of blogging has evolved. As you mentioned in your post, I suppose my intent wasn't a "blog" in the sense that you've described it above. I just wanted to write the kind of gun reviews I'd want to read. So... we'll see if it "takes."
But I'm enjoying the journey either way.
For astute purveyors of pew: hipstertactical.com
I just looked and it’s well done and I enjoyed it!
Thanks, man! I appreciate it. I'll keep 'em comin... so... check back in a few weeks.
You guys are awesome.
For astute purveyors of pew: hipstertactical.com
Just to clarify, external links don't get penalized or count against you. They do "leak" link value off of the page, so there's sort of a threshold it's good to stay within so performance doesn't get affected too much. In fact, external links to quality, authoritative sources can actually add value to a page/article. Webpages that are research papers with citations (that are actual links) are a good example.
Internal links are critical because it eventually comes back to the issue of findability. As a site grows, having more internal links ensures both search bots and users are able to find more of your own content more easily. Without good internal linking, it's easy to end up with "orphan pages" or pages that take a ton of clicks from other pages to finally reach, in which case they'll probably never get rankings or traffic. There's always a balance to strike between the two, which gets tricky, but I generally try to aim for more like 80/20 internal/external links. That means the bulk of them are more likely to keep people within your site, while still sharing useful other sites and external content they might like.
As far as things like page title manipulation, that always irks me. Not so much that people do it, but because it works. It works because consumers have increasingly become superficial and have short attention spans. I think the best defense against it is to occasionally take advantage of some of those tricks while also inserting snark and disdain for the tactics within the actual content. "Taking the piss" as the Brit's would say. (e.g. "17 Reasons You're Not Man Enough to Rock a 22LR Snub Nose")
As the co-owner/founder of a gun blog, take everything that has already been written to heart. I won’t get into what drove me start blogging, but suffice it to say that it was blend of frustration and avocation. My blogging partner and I have used Wordpress successfully since 2015. While they offer domain hosting, ours is hosted externally with a redirect to the Wordpress site. We historically made barely enough to cover “operating expenses” with an Amazon Affiliate link, but it was never a money making endeavor. The blog was good for networking, and I think we managed to put out some quality information, but neither of us has much interest in posting much these days. Site traffic is down commensurately. I’m paying the hosting fees out of pocket and will probably allow the blog to sunset sooner rather than later. I don’t just have that much to say anymore. If your friend goes through with it, put a lot of thought into the name. If we had to to it all over again, we probably would have chosen differently, but that’s another discussion for another day. Wish them luck!
Others have done an excellent job describing the the structural and mechanical aspects of monetizing a blog, but those things won't make people want to read it. Your buddy needs to have a unique take on things and then bring that to life in his writing.
Back when PF started, it was a blog where the late Todd would shoot service pistols without cleaning them then tell us everything that went wrong with them before they fell apart. Then he'd move on and chronicle the destruction of something else.
The late Jeff Quinn tested all of the new stuff, but he did it in a realistic way and answered the questions that smart shooters tend to ask.
Hickock45 shoots things well and talks about them with a dry sense of humor.
What's your buddy's unique take?
Okie John
“The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
"Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's
Oh, I didn't mean to come across sounding like I was yelling at clouds or anything, please don't take it that way. The word "blog" has, as you note, sort of evolved to encompass all types of personal websites.
(Here's me yelling at clouds: Before I had a blog, I just had one of those free sites AOL provided for members. This is what it looked like in May of 2000. Please don't laugh.)
Yes! Man, those were the days! Tripod. Geocities. The internet was so much more exciting then, IMO, when people didn't treat the internet like it was 5 or 6 websites boiled down to apps on their phone.
THIS. My recommendation is for him to have fun with it and have a genuine personality that shines through in the content. Not everyone has to or will like it, and that's fine! Those that do will be a repeat audience.
Monetization
As far as monetization goes, if that's a goal he (or anyone else reading this) has, there are countless methods. Just my recommendation but, don't sell your soul for a quick buck. Providing value to your audience can have plenty of quality ways to monetize if you don't get impatient. If it was me, I'd build an audience and build trust first, and I'd avoid ad networks at all costs as you usually have little to no control over what ads show up. Imagine anti-gun ads showing up on your GUN website. I've seen that before on at least one of the well-known and highly successful gun blogs out there. Talk about risking reputation destruction.
Here are some of the typical monetization methods:
- Ad networks - Google AdSense, there are also a ton of private ad networks out there, most are NOT gun-friendly.
- Affiliate advertising - Amazon Affiliate, ShareaSale, ClickBank, Commission Junction... there are like a million options. Some are networks, some are manufacturer/brand-direct programs.
- Digital products - eBooks, guides, targets, range cards, tons of ideas.
- Online training courses - There are platforms for this, such as Teachable.
There are plenty of other methods but, those are some of the typical ones. If it was me, I'd be working hard towards the digital product and training course angle (if I cared about monetization and if that fit my goals for a given site) as the ROI is going to be much better. I mean, really, once the initial investment in time and whatever expenses, that stuff is basically 100% profit afterwards. Things like ad networks pay pennies or fractions of a penny per click, which is a race to the bottom.
Digital Products
One question someone is probably going to ask themselves when getting into this is, "Why would someone buy my product when the info is out there for free already?" Remember, ultimately it goes back to providing value for your audience. I'll give one example. A full detail stripping, maintenance, and reassembly guide for HK hammer-fired guns (or even just one model). All of this is already out there for free. There are even fairly detailed videos on it. Here's the thing, though, not everyone is a gun nerd that will spend hours trying to find sources for all of this info. Paying say $20 for your ebook that gives them all of that immediately? That adds value, simplifies people's lives, saves their time, etc.
That $20 (arbitrary) ebook could also turn into a $100-150 (or whatever the market supports) video training course of the same. The difference from the free YouTube videos out there being extra attention to detail paid to things like showing assembly of various parts while NOT obscuring the camera with your hands (personal pet peeve lol). That and things like being clear and concise as opposed to unpolished YouTube stuff that wastes a lot of time.
Affiliates & Sponsorships
A lot of the influencers in the industry are effectively working the affiliate angle and getting direct sponsorships from manufacturers. In this industry, you aren't going to find many quality options from affiliate marketplaces (like some I listed above) for products relevant to this industry. Because of how gun control proponents have attempted to banish this industry from the internet, many networks won't even deal with companies in this industry. This is some of the reason the firearms industry feels like it's 20yrs behind the curve, because in many ways it's been forced to be. These sponsorships often only come once you've already built an audience, though there are a few companies that are a bit more forward-looking than that.
You kind of have to blaze your own path on the affiliate/sponsorship side of this industry. In other industries, this would be a simple matter of finding companies' webpages that outline the requirements of their affiliate programs or sponsorships, then applying. In this industry, I've almost never seen those things publicly disclosed. You usually have to ask, and even then, they may not actually have an organized program per-se. Some of this is also due to the high percentage of small businesses in this industry.
A lot of SMB's don't really fully understand affiliate marketing or sponsorships, legalities, what people in other industries do, etc. Approaching a small time holster maker, for example, you're very much BOTH learning about this stuff at the same time. In cases like that, whatever you do, get agreements on paper. Use services like Docusign to sign legally-binding contracts so everyone is protected. A lot of fly-by-night stuff happens in these cases in this industry and others where there's a percentage of SMB's. It's not necessarily malicious either, often just due to lack of experience.
Damn, that takes me back. I bet you had some dope AIM away messages back in the day. 😁
You still have that P7M8? More importantly… do you still play the original Diablo?! I remember my ancient 486 PC could barely run that shit—but it was worth every pixelated, stuttering second.
And, to that point, it’s crazy how quickly “internet stuff” evolves and reinvents itself. But I guess the thing that always rings true… is that you’ve gotta give your content a soul—as Sig_fiend and okie john pointed out. That goes for any artistic, creative endeavor, honestly.
And in the days where so much of everything is governed by big algorithms, big data and big BS… a truly authentic voice is truly differentiating.
This thread kicks ass.
For astute purveyors of pew: hipstertactical.com
Thanks so much for all the fantastic insights you’ve shared. Very relevant to the kind of questions that flicker through my head.Yes! Man, those were the days! Tripod. Geocities. The internet was so much more exciting then, IMO, when people didn't treat the internet like it was 5 or 6 websites boiled down to apps on their phone.
THIS. My recommendation is for him to have fun with it and have a genuine personality that shines through in the content. Not everyone has to or will like it, and that's fine! Those that do will be a repeat audience.
Monetization
As far as monetization goes, if that's a goal he (or anyone else reading this) has, there are countless methods. Just my recommendation but, don't sell your soul for a quick buck. Providing value to your audience can have plenty of quality ways to monetize if you don't get impatient. If it was me, I'd build an audience and build trust first, and I'd avoid ad networks at all costs as you usually have little to no control over what ads show up. Imagine anti-gun ads showing up on your GUN website. I've seen that before on at least one of the well-known and highly successful gun blogs out there. Talk about risking reputation destruction.
Here are some of the typical monetization methods:
- Ad networks - Google AdSense, there are also a ton of private ad networks out there, most are NOT gun-friendly.
- Affiliate advertising - Amazon Affiliate, ShareaSale, ClickBank, Commission Junction... there are like a million options. Some are networks, some are manufacturer/brand-direct programs.
- Digital products - eBooks, guides, targets, range cards, tons of ideas.
- Online training courses - There are platforms for this, such as Teachable.
There are plenty of other methods but, those are some of the typical ones. If it was me, I'd be working hard towards the digital product and training course angle (if I cared about monetization and if that fit my goals for a given site) as the ROI is going to be much better. I mean, really, once the initial investment in time and whatever expenses, that stuff is basically 100% profit afterwards. Things like ad networks pay pennies or fractions of a penny per click, which is a race to the bottom.
Digital Products
One question someone is probably going to ask themselves when getting into this is, "Why would someone buy my product when the info is out there for free already?" Remember, ultimately it goes back to providing value for your audience. I'll give one example. A full detail stripping, maintenance, and reassembly guide for HK hammer-fired guns (or even just one model). All of this is already out there for free. There are even fairly detailed videos on it. Here's the thing, though, not everyone is a gun nerd that will spend hours trying to find sources for all of this info. Paying say $20 for your ebook that gives them all of that immediately? That adds value, simplifies people's lives, saves their time, etc.
That $20 (arbitrary) ebook could also turn into a $100-150 (or whatever the market supports) video training course of the same. The difference from the free YouTube videos out there being extra attention to detail paid to things like showing assembly of various parts while NOT obscuring the camera with your hands (personal pet peeve lol). That and things like being clear and concise as opposed to unpolished YouTube stuff that wastes a lot of time.
Affiliates & Sponsorships
A lot of the influencers in the industry are effectively working the affiliate angle and getting direct sponsorships from manufacturers. In this industry, you aren't going to find many quality options from affiliate marketplaces (like some I listed above) for products relevant to this industry. Because of how gun control proponents have attempted to banish this industry from the internet, many networks won't even deal with companies in this industry. This is some of the reason the firearms industry feels like it's 20yrs behind the curve, because in many ways it's been forced to be. These sponsorships often only come once you've already built an audience, though there are a few companies that are a bit more forward-looking than that.
You kind of have to blaze your own path on the affiliate/sponsorship side of this industry. In other industries, this would be a simple matter of finding companies' webpages that outline the requirements of their affiliate programs or sponsorships, then applying. In this industry, I've almost never seen those things publicly disclosed. You usually have to ask, and even then, they may not actually have an organized program per-se. Some of this is also due to the high percentage of small businesses in this industry.
A lot of SMB's don't really fully understand affiliate marketing or sponsorships, legalities, what people in other industries do, etc. Approaching a small time holster maker, for example, you're very much BOTH learning about this stuff at the same time. In cases like that, whatever you do, get agreements on paper. Use services like Docusign to sign legally-binding contracts so everyone is protected. A lot of fly-by-night stuff happens in these cases in this industry and others where there's a percentage of SMB's. It's not necessarily malicious either, often just due to lack of experience.
For astute purveyors of pew: hipstertactical.com
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