Editor’s note: On occasion we will be taking back-of-the-envelope revenue looks at companies, blogs, and startups. Today, we look at a very interesting blog.
Everyone in the technology world knows John Gruber, the dynamic Apple blogger who writes Daring Fireball. Daring Fireball is a must read for technology insiders in any circle. He nearly always has a voice of authority in every Apple situation.
But Gruber has done something else beside form cultivating numerous friends inside of Apple, he mas made Daring Fireball into a serious business. Let’s take a look under the hood.
To begin with, Gruber sells weekly sponsorships at $3,000 a week. Just one at a time, but for one man’s blog, that is a tidy sum. As we speak, sponsorships are sold out for the next 14 weeks. The next open spot is in May.
At 3,000 dollars a week, that puts Gruber at $150,000 year from the start. Not a bad start.
But Gruber also sells memberships to Daring Fireball, at $19 a year. Who would buy a blog membership, you ask? Well, think about how dedicated Apple fans are. That spills over to Apple blog readers. Now Gruber claims to have some 150,000 subscribers and 1.75 million monthly page views. We will work from that.
With 150,000 dedicated readers via RSS, and hundreds of thousands more via the website, how many are subscribing? Let’s just say 1% of his dedicated readers. So, that would be 1,500 from the RSS numbers, and say 3,000 from a (guess) of 300,000 unique visitors a month.
That would mean a total of 4,500 subscriptions at $19 a piece. That would be another $85,500 in revenue yearly. Add the two together and what do you get? Some $235,500 dollars. Nearly a quarter million dollars a year, from just one man blogging.
Quite impressive, Mr Gruber.
So what do you get with this membership?
It used to be a promise of a shirt (I tried once, about 4 years ago… Never got it) and access to the RSS feed (which is now public).
So basically, for $19 a month, you get to support a guy for whom bloggin is 99% a one sentence quote of someone else and him going either:
1. “Jackass”
2. “What he said.”
3. “Well Put”
4. “He doesn't get it.”
About once a month, he writes more than that.
Honestly, I don't care for Gruber and I just don't get what all the accolades are for.
You are looking at his link-lists, which is just that, a list of links. In general, if I want to read a pro apple opinion on any matter, his is the most level headed. That alone is worthy of accolades in my book.
Ummm, no, I'm not. I'm able to comprehend what I'm reading on a website, thanks.
Secondly, if you think Gruber, the unabashed “if you criticize Apple, you don't get it” guy is level-headed, you need help. His responses to critics of the iPad prove he's anything but “level-headed.” He's a rabid fanboy, which is fine (really; I don't care) but let's not make him into something he isn't.
When I said “pro apple opinion,” I meant it. I get that he likes Apple. I said MOST level headed, not objectively level headed.
Clearly a case of the bigger f$%kwit and wanker you are, the more money you can make. I'd rather be poor than be like that tool.
Well Duncan, the Inquisitr seems to be doing well. :) Perhaps you cannot be a total ass and do alright.
I think he also gets a fair share from TheDeck advertising.
I saw his talk at Macworld SF. Imo, he deserves every penny.
Yeah, real level-headed. It's pretty level headed to consistently rant and rave at everyone that disagrees with you and call people “jackasses.”
Yeah, a real paragon of level-headedness.
I seriously don't get why he's so hot either. If I remember correctly he was making a movie about himself at one point? (not sure if it was a parody, but it sure seemed serious). I think another lesson to be learnt here is that Apple fan-boys are blind cash-cows.
Well, I'm not sure you've done a very serious work here: you “just” forgot the weekly advertising through the Deck (http://decknetwork.net/)!
Gruber's site is part of The Deck Network of sites – http://decknetwork.net
If you do the math, you'll see that 30 ads @ $7600 USD brings in $228,000 each month. Divide that up between the 46 Deck members and you have $4,956/month for each member.
Assuming that Jim Coudal of The Deck takes half of this, it leaves each member of the deck with approx $2,500/month or $30,000/year. This is too simple a formula and I'm sure that Gruber servers up more ads than say Simplebits.com.
Daring Fireball is a great site and I tend to visit it several times throughout the day. Gruber has a pretty “fair and balanced” view of the Macintosh world.
For the record, I'm Canadian and don't watch Fox News.
Not to mention only 1 ad space.
what about the ads he serves from the deck? those should generate a good sum as well.
It’s up to $5,0000 for the weekly sponsorship. So that’s $260,000 year.
I’ve been fan of the blog for years. Even if I disagreed with his opinions, he’s living proof you can make a ton of money doing what you enjoy.