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Facebook’s “notes” feature has possibly created an entirely new faction of bloggers who have no idea that they are self publishers and by default, bloggers.

I can only imagine that by the sheer number of South Africans that are using Facebook (over 700 000) and are actually writing innocent “notes”, well outnumber us “real bloggers”.

Furthermore, if on average let’s guestimate that these “note bloggers” have +-250 friends and that each note is being read, or at least viewed by half of these people. Imagine if every article you wrote on your blog was read by between 100 and 300 people. You’d have a thriving “real blog”.

“Note blogger” vs “Real blogger” - what’s your poison?

As published in Mandy’s MoneyWeb article:

1. Michael Trapido - www.thoughtleader.co.za/traps - Traps is a voice worth hearing. His opinion and relentless 4th estate approach to his writing is much needed in a dumbed-down political sphere.

2. Rob Stokes - http://www.gottaquirk.com/ - Rob is an important blogger to read because he has true insight and genuine experience that makes his writing worth the read.

3. Ndumiso Ngcobo - http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/silwane - Genuine and honest opinion is hard to come by. The Silwane Files is a blog filled with simple truisms and introspective outwardly-appealing opinions.

4. Fred Roed - ideate.co.za - Entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of SA at the moment, Fred and his Ideate partners provide integral insight in to their business experiences.

5. Khaya Dlanga - http://www.youtube.com/user/khayav - Khaya is actually a Vlogger. His insight and no-holds-barred opinion about SA is invaluable.

6 & 7. Glen and Wanda of Urban Sprout - www.urbansprout.co.za - Green is the future and I respect and value anyone talking green in SA.

8. Vincent Maher - wwww.vincentmaher.com - He doesn’t blog often but still remains an essential figure to follow in the online industry.

9. Jarred Cinman - http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/burningpaper - Open, honest and not scared to blog about the “no-no’s” such as religion.

10. Fred Khumalo - http://blogs.thetimes.co.za/khumalo/ - Mainstream media taking up blogging is always interesting. Fred has done a brilliant job of involving himself and his opinion in the blogosphere.

And I’d just like to thank all the bloggers and people who mentioned me in their lists in the same article.

A while back I read a few blog posts that spoke of young bloggers abroad making waves and finding great success.

I am relatively young but I think that these posts are referring to bloggers younger than I am.

Where are the young bloggers under the age of 21 in SA? Are there any and if not, why not?

I can’t think of any and don’t read any but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. But is there really value for this sort of market in SA? Should we be looking for the next big thing now and getting them online and benefiting from their potential success? Is this exploitation?

I am also extremely interested to discuss what the next generation of bloggers will look like.

Should there be a batch of teenagers coming to the fore? Surely if blogging was taking off as much as bloggers think it would be reaching the younger generation and adopting the practice of blogging?

Could this be a sign that blogging is not all that it’s cracked up to be and it isn’t growing at the rate we all think it is? With so many teenagers on Facebook and using Mxit in SA in my mind it makes sense that some of them should be, could be and would be publishing their own content on blogs. But they just aren’t. Why?

If you blog you might be read but there is also chance that you might not be. But one thing is certain, if you don’t blog you will never be read.

The past week or so I have not blogged at all. I think it was a necessary break for me. I have been suffering from over-exposure to blogging, online bubbles, “inner-circles” and circular debates, discussions and topics. I think I’ve saturated my interests and lost some semblance of relevance recently.

I’m happy to admit that.

Stii said it the other day on twitter and I think I’m willing to reiterate it here; “If you have nothing good to say then rather don’t say anything at all.” And I haven’t.

However, I’ve been taken to task, not literally but in my rankings, stats and anylitics on both this blog and SA Rocks.

That basic premise is that when I blog, people read. Not always or every time but there is a greater chance that people read what I write when I actually get around to writing. I’ve been relentless with SA Rocks, blogging every week day for almost an entire year straight. This can take its toll and I think it has taken its toll on me.

At this point blogging becomes a chore that one is obligated to complete. I don’t want that to be the case and nor do my readers.

I personally feel like publishers of blogs in SA have become a bit stagnant of late, nit-picky and petty on various issues (myself included) and this has thrown me out of whack and left me with little colleague-initiated inspiration or motivation.

There’s nothing wrong with that, ebbs and flows I think, ebbs and flows. These things take place and then bounce back and get better or worse. For now though I think that my recent illness which prompted a tactical break from blogging has helped me to realise the mutually beneficial relationship I share with my readers and fellow bloggers in SA. I need them to inspire me and keep me on my toes and they read what I write. Without one the other suffers.

In the end, if you never write, you’ll never be read but if I write myself in to a circle it’s sometimes better not to write at all.

Lately I’ve been thinking alot about monetizing blogs.

There are obvious solutions to try and generate revenue from a blog such as Traffic Synergy and Google Ads.

But I honestly think that there is more valuable to be had than simple clickthrough earnings.

There are a few things that are important to consider

Are you even trying to generate revenue from your blog?
Some people just love writing whether it is coherent or not, they just like to write and have no intention of earning any money from there blogs. If this is you then you don’t really have to worry about implementation of various methods to earn money. Throw on some Google ads in strategic position and hope for the best.

Do you have a well established brand?
If you do then this is your biggest value proposition. Using SA Rocks as an example. It is a valuable brand that can aid a products public image merely by association. In this case it’s important to find sponsorships and build relationships with the advertisers on your site. They will gain value from brand association. Think outside of the box here, what you offer isn’t merely clicks or immediate feedback, it’s having their brand present on your site. This is value that deserves recognition and pay.

Your business only operates online
You probably need to monetize your blog quickly. But if you aren’t desperate and have other projects in the online sphere your blog might prove to be a valuable place to talk about your projects and rally support for them. This can indirectly translate in to profit or revenue. This can actually be interpreted as revenue generated from your blog.

Your business is online and in the “real world”
This is possibly where your blog-brand can extend your profits the most in my mind. It’s here where I think bloggers need to start extending themselves and pushing their brands in to real results. A great example of someone who puts himself out there and has seen the results is Mail & Guardian Blogger Michael Trapido. Traps is a fantastic mind with lots to say and a firm and educated opinion on a variety of topics. He blogs on Thought Leader and Sports Leader and has turned online blogging in to an offline growth of his core business. Fantastic news and the way that online personalities and specialists need to start migrating.

Another great example is the Girl With A One Track Mind blog. This used to be an anonymous blog that generated huge visits and pageviews. Then the author was outed by a journalist and Zoe Margolis was born. This has possibly been one of the best things that happened to her blog (see this interview by Paul Carr). She could become the face of her brand and take her thoughts in to the real world. This allowed her to generate more and different kinds of revenue from her blog.

You blog to build a reputation
This can be one of the most valuable blogging currencies. If you are careful and smart about your blog you can gain a very strong following and a very good reputation in a relatively short period of time. This can be converted in to many different revenue streams.

How do you or have you earned money from blogging? Let me know.