Sharing photos, videos, vintage images I've discovered, and -- occasionally -- commentary and thoughts from retired life and travels.

internet income

Recycled Tip – Think About The Audience That Reads Your Blog

February 8, 2009


posted on flickr by jot.punkt

Note: This post was originally published August 4th, 2007. With it’s publication, Exit78 saw its first “spike” of comments — all 10 of them plus several link backs. Check the end of this post to see how many of them are still active on the blogs they linked from.

I was a sailor. Spent nearly nine years in the US Navy – fifteen full months under water.

Have you ever heard the phrase, curse like a sailor?

Even though I spent what seemed like a lifetime around other guys that did, I don’t curse like a sailor. On a few occasions when I did use a choice expression, I can recall a few raised eyebrows.

The reason I don’t often swear is that I considered who my audience would be if I slipped up and let my bad nature show. I really didn’t want to be sitting down for Christmas dinner with the family only to blurt out something in front of my Mom that would embarrass both of us and others.

It was a conscious decision to take into consideration possible audiences and change bad habits that were already developing before they became very difficult to alter. It’s worked.

I believe the same concept goes for blogging, whether it’s for blogging for money or blogging for fun. Will your blogging voice, your blogging personae attract your audience or will it drive your audience away? There are some internet income related blogs that I have tried and then left because of what I perceived to be the attitude of the authors.

For me, it comes down to:

  • Be yourself,
  • Be nice, and
  • Be family friendly.

In the last few months, I have decided to really be myself.

I’ve stopped being anonymous online. I use my name when I blog and when I comment. My family, friends, and former co-workers are welcome here, though they may not agree with some of the opinions expressed here.

While I’m not a blogging expert nor an expert about making money online, this tip is just good old fashioned common sense. You are a part of what you are trying to sell online.

The comments and link-backs for the original post provide an interesting indicator of the life-cycle of blogs. Below, I’ve shown the most recent post date or status for the link-backs and commenters to the original post:

  • 8/21/2007
  • blog no longer exists
  • blog no longer exists
  • current — but confusing
  • current — but confusing
  • closed “in light of recent events.”
  • current — but confusing
  • February 7, 2009
  • Dec 10, 2008
  • February 2nd, 2009
  • February 8th, 2009
  • January 20, 2008
  • blog no longer exists

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The Advertiser had to Pay for My Visit to His Site – But then He Drove Me Away from his Site!

August 11, 2007

Earlier today, I clicked on an AdSense ad on someone else’s blog because the ad interested me.

That’s what they’re supposed do, right? Get your attention so that you click on the ad to go to the advertiser’s site.

My computer’s audio was turned up high.

When I got to the advertiser’s site, sound started blaring almost immediately.

I don’t even know what it was – some kind of music, I think. It might have even been something I would have liked, if I had been given the choice of listening to it, instead of having it foisted on me as soon as I hit the site.

I don’t even know what the site looked like.

I closed that window — left — vamoosed.

The advertiser had to pay for my visit — and his audio drove me away from it.

Of course, had it been any other kind of page or blog than that of an advertiser, I still would have left.

Just a little tip — There’s probably a lot of other folks like me that like to be in control of the sound coming out of their speakers. If we’re going to a site and have no reason to anticipate that there’s audio there, some of us are just not going to give that site a chance. We’re just going to click that little x at the top corner of the window or whatever else it takes to stop the racket, especially when it happens at work — and we’re looking at something that’s not work related.

I normally run with my sound muted, just in case, but sometimes I forget.

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