Big Bucks in Blogging

Blogging are now emerging as the new medium for advertisers to spread their message. Gone were days that pop-up ads annoyed us while we surf. As blogs gain more and more momentum, advertising agency are homing in on blogs to spread their brainwashing messages.

Local industry
According to this article by Lee, who works for The Star, the local advertising industry are only beginning to start homing in on blogs as a medium for advertising with the forming of 2 specialize blog advertising agencies, Nuffnang and Advertlets.

While in Malaysia the market is still in its infancy, however there are already professional bloggers who quit their day job and generate income solely from blogging. "Some of these bloggers who blog for a living own five or six blogs on different subjects – with each bringing in about several thousand a month, they can earn a cumulative of RM20,000 to RM30,000 monthly," Gareth Davies said.

Speed bumps
The problem that makes advertiser skeptical however is that advertising in blogs is a form of narrow-casting while they prefer to advertise in broadcasting. To overcome this problem, bloggers have band together to form a network and change blogs to a form of broadcasting where it can reach millions of people. (Cole, 2005)

“At the moment Asia's blogosphere is primarily driven by social connections, people wanting to have their own corner of cyberspace where they can express themselves with their network of family and friends.” Said Alex Stewart, Director of Microsoft's Online Services Business

Malaysia Boleh!
The growth of local companies tapping into the internet advertising market is an excellence sign as the market is dominated mostly by US conglomerates such as Google and Yahoo (Olsen, 2005). With the forming of our own local blogging advertising companies, hopefully we would be able to compete in the international market one day.

Malaysian bloggers should try and milk the growth advertisements in blogs as its would allow our industry to grow. Not only would it allow people to earn a side income by blogging, it would also allow current bloggers to write the things they usually write about without the temptation of selling out content to earn a side income.

“It is a service by Malaysian bloggers, for Malaysian bloggers.” – Kenny Sia, Malaysian blogger





References
1. Cole, J, 2005. Perspective: Blogs: The next big thing for advertisers?. Viewed on 6 June 2007 at http://news.com.com/Blogs+The+next+big+thing+for+advertisers/2010-1071_3-5721838.html

2. Lee, C, 2007. Blogging and big bucks. Viewed on 6 June 2007 at http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2007/5/29/itfeature/17847964&sec=itfeature

3. Microsoft, 2006. Blogging Phenomenon Sweeps Asia. Viewed on 6 June 2007 at http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-28-2006/0004480819&EDATE=

4. Olsen, S, 2005. Yahoo to launch blog ad network. Viewed on 6 June 2007 at http://news.com.com/Yahoo+to+launch+blog+ad+network/2100-1024_3-5815551.html