There are many ways to leverage your content to either make more money or get more traffic. If you’re CanWest Global, owners of the Vancouver Sun, The Province, plus countless other newspapers (not to mention TV and radio stations), you leverage your content by syndicating your articles to other newspapers that you own. And that is exactly what CanWest Global did.
Today, I made the business section of the National Post/Financial Post and Ottawa Citizen. I discovered this when a reader from Ottawa sent me an email about it. The National Post is a Canada wide newspaper so I was able to pick up a copy at the local 7-11 and make a scan (maybe someone in Ottawa can do a scan of the Ottawa Citizen for me). It is possible that my story will end up in other CanWest publications in the next few days. CanWest owns 11 English-language major metropolitan daily newspapers in Canada.
The body of the story is the same. However, the title of the story and the tag lines are changed. The original Vancouver Sun article had the title, “Part-time labour of love online brings in some cash”, the National Post went for a more sensational title, “Internet bucks; no effort”, and the Ottawa Citizen went with “Blogger’s ad scheme starts to click.” I’m not sure which title I like best. Which one do you like?
The added buzz from the old world media has helped to increase blog traffic. The impact isn’t as intense as a Digg or Slashdot but I say traffic is up 20% because of the newspaper coverage. I hope that traffic from a newspaper sticks around longer than a Digg. If you came here from a CanWest newspaper, please say hello. You can do so in the comments.
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No effort? Are they kidding? Wow. I am very dissapointed to hear they decided on such a sensational headline. There is no question, that you put in a great deal of effort into this blog. “Internet bucks – no effort” implies this is just piece of cake and any joe off the street could start a blog and make it successful with little effort.
Regardless, congratulations for the coverage, John. The old world media is clearly behind the times though.
To be honest, there actually is really easy to start a blog nowadays and everyone has the possibility to be succesfull if they are good at creating quality content.
However, it takes a genious to monetize a good blog, and that’s John!
You’re right it does take a lot to create a good blog. John has been doing the internet thing for years now and he knows the ins and outs.
That’s why we keep coming back here to comment.
thats exactly what I thought. There was a lot of effort put in, I’m sure.
Anyone who attempts to recreate a site like john’s knows that there is effort, and not only effort but time. Sure, maybe he can get away with 2 hours a day now that he is established, but until you reach that point it is more of a business than anything else.
Totally agree. While it may require minimal effort now, getting the blog set up initially and starting to get it monetized takes a lot of effort. Any other blogger out there trying to make the same level of ad revenue as John can clearly attest to that.
I agree with you. They make it sound like it is a non effort thing to create a successful blog. It isn’t.
Hi John — Congrats on your success! As a new blogger, I’m certainly motivated by the potential that is out there. – Brian
The first one is best. The others make you sound like a domainer or MFA type.
Agree !! first one rocks
I would think that the newspaper traffic would be even more valuable then any other traffic source. They will all be arriving direct looking for your secret to success. They certainly are not going to have advertisement blockers like digg users, or chance upon your site with a Google search. Expect this new traffic to “stick”.
With this development I have no idea what to expect you Feb. earnings to be. I think the difference is going to be huge despite the few lost days.
Congratulations, Keep it up!
No effort? Jeez, the noobs are flooding the gates! Battin’ down thy hatches before it’s too late, Chow!
Y’arr!
I must say I agree though, this heading makes it look like anyone can set up a blog and get rich sleeping, while that’s not even close to the truth…
Very cool. We all know, however, that newspapers have to sell to make money so they have to use catchy titles, even if they’re stretching the truth.
I like the original title best, though.
I think the original title is the most accurate, but the Ottawa Citizen one is the most catchy
Yeah I agree. And as Ryan sais, they have to make catchy titles to sell their papers.
The National Post was delivered to my Business admin. class this morning at the University of Ottawa, and I happened to notice the article about the blog. Decided to visit, and, here I am.
Welcome! Please enjoy yourself.
In the article it Says your 41 Years old, Is that True?
Evil is yearless.
Haha, good one
What an oustanding blog this is! its even in newspapers! wow ! I wish i could do as well with mine!
Everyone will now try to start their own blog, but eventually only the dedicated will keep on writing. But not everyone can monetize their blog with success like John.
I like this one best:
“Blogger’s ad scheme starts to click”
It’s far more evil sounding. Though there’s evil in the “no effort” as well. Makes people think that you can make tons of money doing nothing.
Great work John, keep the site goin, you cover some great topics and its always a fun read.
Very nice.
Ottawa is the one that got it right. Vancouver Sun’s headline is too fruity, and National Post’s is just retarded.
The thing that makes this blog special is how John has taken just about every possible way to make money with a content-based website, and has implemented them on this blog with various degrees of success.
The paper makes it sound like a ‘get rich quick’ scheme, and that’s just wrong. Sure, the income level has skyrocketed. This blog definitely benefited from a HUGE amount of traffic from Digg and Slashdot (coming in REGULARLY, which is rare). Doing the same thing he has done, he’d surely be at this level of monthly income. But instead of getting there in 3 months it may have been 12-18 months.
So with a little bit of luck, and a LOT of know-how (and plenty of effort), it can be done. But it’s not an effortless ‘get rich quick’ “scheme” like the Post seems to think.
Congrats, John. That kind of coverage will reach many more people that are non-techies. This might open the door to a different type of audience.
Christoph
Congratulations on crossing 2k feed reads yesterday, and now if anyone could please tell me how the hell I get that button!
Mubina@gmail.com please
go to my feeds at feedburner, click on the appropriate feed, go to the publicize tab, then click on chicklet chooser…there’s your button options.
I’d like to know how you only spend 2 hours a day to manage such a great blog John!
Keep up the great work and congratulations on the news coverage. You are quickly diverging away from the rest of us lowly bloggers.
-James
Congratulations to the big news coverage John! Have it bringed you many visitors?
Btw, congratulations for reaching 2k readers in the RSS feed
He mentioned above that he’s seen an increase of about 20%
Ohh, must have missed that. Thanks.
* Internet bucks; no effort *
What?
Ridiculous…
Great picture JC,
You look like a buck yourself with these two monitors
Congratulations, John! I read your blog almost everyday and am happy to see that you’re getting recognition for it.
The article was also printed in the Edmonton Journal; another CanWest Global newspaper. The heading there was “Blogger Collects Cash Everytime Ad Gets Click”. Wonder is his clickthroughs went up today, lol.
I currently have been interested in Blogging It seems to be a web page you have more control over and able to be your own writer at little or no cost.I find it interesting there are many ways to get heard,the real issue is who will ever read or see your site.You really have to come up with a unusal was to get the word out.For instance there is a male person here in Tulsa Ok that is wearing speedos in the public ,in the middle of winter revealing alot of his personnal attire.He was all over the news last night ,because people were afendded,he got a sudden lot of exposure,the question at hand ,is it indesant exposure,or is the person sexual prediture,or maybe he is just making a statment about how people dress in public today,he is a banker with a family.My point is how do we get noticed with little or no cost,advertising is as we all no not cheap. So if you can post a blog add like you would in the paper that would cost you seval hundred to thousand dollars,for one day or week,I say give it a shot.A hundred dollars a month is better than no dollars a month
Yeah right. No effort. I think all job needs effort,and making and writing good content is also and effort.