| Blogging like so much else on the internet did not | | | | hundreds of thousands! |
| start out as a means of making money, it just | | | | There was no shortage of other numerical |
| sort of evolved that way and now there are | | | | statistics in Jalichandra's address that are most |
| many people living the big dream simply by | | | | interesting. What caught my undivided attention |
| spending several hours a week writing about a | | | | however was something that we already |
| subject they are passionate about. The big stars, | | | | suspected and that is that blogging has changed |
| the uber bloggers, drink fine wines, dine on | | | | the profile of media, how it plays out daily and the |
| epicurean delights, travel on exotic vacations and | | | | influence it has on our daily lives. If a book on this |
| live in the house of their dreams. Who will be the | | | | hasn't been written yet, I am sure it won't be |
| next to pick up this rare baton? | | | | long before someone like Malcolm Gladwell writes |
| The answer may surprise you. Uber people are | | | | one in his inimitable Tipping Point style. It's right up |
| accidents - accidents of nature, circumstance, or | | | | his alley. |
| just being at the right place at the right time being | | | | Increasingly people are sourcing out the internet |
| or doing the right thing. They are better known | | | | for information and blog readership is on the rise. |
| as super people, but really, the word "uber" just | | | | It is safe to assume then that by their sheer |
| takes it up a notch or two. I think of super | | | | numbers blogs present a far more varied |
| models as being accidents of nature, being tall, thin | | | | perspective on any given topic and that they |
| and beautiful. Often their parents display none of | | | | open the reader's mind to optional thought that is |
| these attributes. Similarly, super bloggers rose to | | | | not readily available through mainstream media. |
| their status somewhat accidentally as well, | | | | Interesting thought, that. |
| blogging about a topic they are passionate about. | | | | Another important factor is that today blogging is |
| The ones we know about typically are in the field | | | | employed as a useful marketing tool to promote |
| of blogging itself, but there are many that are | | | | just about anything you want under the sun. The |
| bringing in decent coin blogging about subjects you | | | | line between online and offline is quickly beginning |
| and I are hardly aware of... and then, there is a | | | | to blur as online marketing is often employed to |
| handful or two that wear the title "Uber" - that's | | | | draw traffic and sales to traditionally offline |
| super on steroids. | | | | businesses. Politics and politicians have cottoned on |
| I Think think of Danielle Friedland who was the | | | | to this new phenomena as, indeed, Obama's win in |
| first and original celebrity baby blogger. Danielle's | | | | the last US Presidential election is deemed largely |
| blog was acquired by People Inc. for an | | | | to have succeeded due to the deployment of |
| undisclosed sum. In the semantics of the | | | | strategic online tactics. The celebrity-awed who |
| corporate world, "undisclosed" can be read as big | | | | cannot get through the day without a dose of |
| time dough! Hardly a household name, Danielle | | | | news on the comings and goings of their favorite |
| went through the portals of blogging to be one of | | | | rock or movie star glom on to the internet with |
| the first uber blogger. | | | | feverish tenacity to make their otherwise |
| In his recent keynote address to the Blogworld | | | | ordinary life complete. |
| Expo, Richard Jalichandra, CEO of Technorati, | | | | What it all boils down to is this... "Yes Virginia, |
| gave some interesting statistics, the number one | | | | there is money in them than blogging hills." |
| being that 72% of bloggers are still just blogging | | | | In his closing remarks Jalichandra went on to say |
| for fun, he calls them hobbyists. What was telling | | | | that of the uber bloggrs, that's those who make |
| about this statistic, according to Jalichandra, is that | | | | the mega bucks in this business, most did not |
| 50% of these hobbyists are hoping to make | | | | start out with the idea of making money. They |
| money from their blog "sometime." | | | | blogged about something that they were |
| That means that 28% of us blog for money. We | | | | passionate about and somewhere along the way, |
| are the professional bloggers. The exact number | | | | they decided that hey, maybe an ad or two |
| of bloggers is hard if not impossible to pin down. | | | | might bring in some money... and the rest as they |
| Applying blogs in existence as a measure to start | | | | say is history. |
| from simply does not play out well considering | | | | What is interesting about this last soupcon of |
| that many professional bloggers own a portfolio | | | | information is that somewhere amongst the |
| of these online money machines that number in | | | | bazillion of blogger hobbyists - the 50% of them |
| the tens of tens, and some even in the hundreds. | | | | who say that they hope to make some money |
| I don't think that I would be far wrong however if | | | | from their blogs someday, yes, one of them - |
| I simply said that professional bloggers are | | | | there is sure to be one of them who will rise not |
| somewhere in the MILLIONS. The numbers can | | | | just to the rank of professional blogger, not to |
| be quite daunting. The next statistic that | | | | super blogger, but to that of uber blogger. The |
| completely blew me away is that of the | | | | question then goes begging: who will be the next |
| professional bloggers, 17% cite blogging as their | | | | Danielle and what will be the topic that will capture |
| primary source of income. That would be in the | | | | the collective minds of the internet voyeurs. |