Written on October 27, 2008 – 10:38 am Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
Last Friday, Amsterdam was the scene of Holland’s first international blog conference BLOG08. Pete Cashmore (Mashable), Loren Feldman (1938media.com), Hugh MacLeod (Gapingvoid), and Scott Rafer (Lookery) all crossed the ocean to tell the European crowd how they could turn their blog in a successful one. Two of them, namely Cashmore and Rafer, focused on monetizing blogs.
Nobody wants money?
When the Mashable founder asked the crowd about monetizing, something noteworthy occurred. Anne Helmond reports:
When asked, hardly anyone in the room actually wants to monetize its blog. Pete is kind of surprised, especially if he asks the same question in the US where everyone raises their hands.
Language barriers
At first, I wasn’t really surprised. After all, most BLOG08 attendees report for a rather small group compared to bloggers who write in English. A Dutch blogger for example, only has an audience of 17 million people. Americans have a crowd of at least 300 million readers at their disposal.
What did struck me as odd was the reluctant attitude of most visitors towards money. Like it’s some kind of crime.
More revenue means more time for blogging
I’ve been blogging for a year before I made some money out of it. And ever since I started doing that, my blogging skills improved. More revenue means more time for blogging. I was able to quit my sorry day job and spend more time on reporting about tech.
A precondition on making some money with blogging is writing in English. Simply because you can reach a larger crowd. That’s not something I came up with. No, one of Holland’s most remarkable journalists, Nico Haasbroek, once told me that.
Write your articles in English, German, or French, so you can sell them to any magazine or newspaper.
Content producers should not be involved with advertising
Sure, my English isn’t perfect yet. But thanks to the euros earned, I can soon start following some English lessons. While I’m doing that, I keep another rather important lesson in mind. As read in Michael A. Banks’ Blogging Heroes, stated by Ken Fisher from Ars Technica:
Content producers should not be involved with advertising, to avoid even the appearance of advertised-influenced content.
So, work your ass off, create great content, and find an advertising partner like Federated Media as soon as you can make money out of your blog.
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Written on October 24, 2008 – 8:31 am Anne Helmond, hard bloggin' scientist
BLOG08 starts in less than an hour and the program is full of rock’n'roll bloggers who will talk about the various aspects of blogging from different angles. Blogs are alive and kicking, in contrast to the provocative Wired article that once again declared blogs dead. Speaker Scott Rafer referred to the article as the “perfect linkbait.”
Hugh MacLeod summed it all up at last night’s BLOG08 speakers dinner when he drew one of his famous cards at the dining table “blogs aren’t dead, people are.” When being asked if he referred to the Wired article he said he was not thinking of the article when drawing but explained that he often draws from his subconsciousness.
Organizers Ernst-Jan Pfauth (left) and Edial Dekker (middle) and speaker Scott Rafer (right)
Looking at Hugh MacLeod’s aka gapingvoid’s presentation (l) and preparing BLOG08 badges (r)
More photos can be found in the BLOG08 Flickr group, please add tag your photos blog08 and feel free to add them to the group.
Written on October 15, 2008 – 9:47 pm Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
Maybe you’re still in doubt whether you should come to BLOG08. Or you might need to convince your boss or fiancée? The five reasons will make it easier for you.
2. Super vloggers Gabe Mac (Mobuzz) and Loren Feldman will spice up the place with live shows.
3. With all this financial crisis sensationalism buzzing around, you NEED a break. Get out of that office, get inspired, have fun, meet new people, and do business.
4. It will be a conference unlike any other conference, with a lot of surprising stuff. Trust me, it will be an experience that sticks.
5. This is the chance to meet cool bloggers (Pete Cashmore, Hugh MacLeod and a lot more), serial entrepreneurs (Scott Rafer, our own Boris), crazy vloggers (see point 2), inspiring attendees, journalists and speakers. All in an intimate but kick ass setting.
Bonus: Because you rock!
Tickets are 195 euros, grab one now. I look forward welcoming you in Amsterdam next week.
P.S. Really, the one reason I can think of when it’s OK not to go would be when you had those Morgan Stanley stocks and are now chilling on the Cayman Islands while reading this post on your Kindle.
Written on October 10, 2008 – 4:24 pm Patrick de Laive, Internet entrepreneur and co-founder of The Next Web Conference
The financial crisis becomes more and more pervasive and a lot of people have been hit hard by falling stocks. Everybody is facing tough economic times, but the people who have their money in stocks have even less reasons to smile.
Today is again a bearish day, indices are falling again (Amsterdam -5%, London -9%, Frankfurt -9%, Paris -5%, Brussels -5%).
In recognition of these bearish times, the Blog08 conference, organized by Ernst-Jan and Edial and cooperation with The Next Web, came up with a special financial crisis offer. Only today people who know people that have been hit by the crisis can buy one ticket and get their friend a free entrance pass. Help a friend!
Written on October 6, 2008 – 9:06 am Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
As you might know, I’m co-organizing BLOG08 - the international blogging conference in Amsterdam on October 24 (see button in the sidebar). Edial Dekker and I have invited famous blogging heroes like Mashable’s Pete Cashmore, Gapingvoid’s Hugh MacLeod, and CEO of Lookery, Scott Rafer to inspire (corporate) bloggers all around the world. So far, people from Poland, the US, Sweden, Estonia, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands have purchased tickets.
Nobody from France yet, but this might change as we recently ran into French hero Seesmic founder Loic Le Meur. Business Week just called him one of the 25 most influential web people. We couldn’t resist the temptation of interviewing him. He talks about why he started blogging, how his blog developed, the Les Blogs conference, and that we should focus on micro- and videoblogging.
By the way, if you want to come to BLOG08, buy your ticket before October 10th with the “thenextweb” code. Not only will you get a 45 euros discount (price: 150 euros) but you also have the chance of winning an invite for the speakers dinner at Boris’ place.
Written on October 27, 2008 – 10:38 am
When the Mashable founder asked the crowd about monetizing, something noteworthy occurred. Anne Helmond reports:
Anne Helmond, BLOG08, Hugh MacLeod, lookery, Loren Feldman, mashable, monetizing, money, Pete Cashmore, scott rafer
Written on October 24, 2008 – 8:31 am
Written on October 10, 2008 – 4:24 pm
The financial crisis becomes more and more pervasive and a lot of people have been hit hard by falling stocks. Everybody is facing tough economic times, but the people who have their money in stocks have even less reasons to smile.
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The Next Web Blog is closely associated with The Next Web Conference which is held annually in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. At this event speakers from all over the world come together to talk about, and show of, the future of the Web. (
