In Defense of Danderma (and Every Other Money-Making Blogger)
Look, this blog has only been active for around 6 months now. I created it in June but only really started posting in November (plus I took a month off from mid-January to mid-February). And, even though I now have a good handle on the blogging routine and have cultivated a respectable readership (not very huge but respectable nonetheless), I still consider this blog in the beginner, formative stages.
Point is, I still don’t know anything about what it means to have such a large scope of influence and a huge, loyal readership that I can begin to use those wonderful resources to pool in some income from things like advertising or sponsorships.
And you know what? I can’t wait till that day comes. Seriously.
Now, if you follow the Kuwaiti blogosphere you will have doubtlessly heard Danderma‘s name thrown around once or twice. For those of you who live underground or out of human touch, Danderma is a wonderful Kuwaiti blogger (and author) who has been personally delighting me with her long, original, insightful, funny, and meaningful posts for years now. Her readership is huge and well-deserved.
One year ago, Danderma made a smart, practical move and decided to harness the power of this large, loyal fan base for the purposes of advertising. She made a wonderful and comprehensive post about this experience right here.
Now, I’m not going to talk about the blogging-advertising experience because, for one thing, I wouldn’t know anything about it and, for another thing, Danderma has already pretty much covered everything you need to know.
The reason why I brought up Danderma and this specific post of hers is because I’m about fed up with this notion that so many people in Kuwait have about blogging.
That false notion being that making money off your blog is wrong, deceitful, unworthy, disloyal, or selling out.
People who do make these criticisms make them without realizing a very important fact about blogging: It can be very hard work.
Making a meaningful post about something people care about and in a tone that both reads easily and is personal to me is hard work. If a blog looks easy to you then the blogger deserves a whole lot of credit because they were talented enough to make it look that way. The reality of the matter is that most bloggers have an outside life and plenty of responsibilities just like everyone else which include jobs, families, and a social life.
Oh yeah, and we’ve all got finances too.
That’s right. On top of toiling endlessly for several hours a day in a regular job, we take the time to blog on a daily basis to our readers who, in the case of someone as successful as Danderma (for example), can number in the thousands. As a single one of those thousands I can say without the slightest bit of hesitation that I personally would be very heartbroken if Danderma decided to stop blogging because it was weighing too heavily on her other life responsibilities.
And, God, for all the hard work that she and countless other Kuwaiti bloggers (myself included) put into making their blogs special and worthwhile, don’t you think some of us might deserve to have even a little bit of that weight removed by generating a slight income from something as harmless as advertising and sponsorship?
I mean, after spending all that time (we can be talking years here) and energy to create something that our readers could enjoy, relate to, or learn from, what’s wrong with a blogger getting something back for all that work?
In her post about her advertising experience, Danderma sounded a little apologetic about making just an “extra 50 KD” and that the money she was making wasn’t enough to buy her a Ferrari. I see no reason for Danderma, or any other blogger who makes money off things like ad placements, to make any such apprehensive explanations. There are bloggers out there in the world who are talented, well-loved, and who make enough money through their blogs to live off of (here they are).
Now, I’m not saying that this is the amount of money that any blogger in Kuwait makes but I see no reason why Kuwaiti bloggers can’t aspire to those standards themselves. And, I also see no reason why they need to apologize or cower away from starting to make steps towards achieving those standards (no matter how small the income actually is).
I hope to God that Danderma eventually ends up making enough money off her blog that she can retire from her actual job, buy a Ferrari, and make her wonderful, one-of-a-kind posts about it all day long.
And as for me and this tiny blog of mine? Right now I’m just focusing on cultivating my readership and making a real, distinctive voice for myself. If I am blessed one day with as much of a fan base as some of my favorite bloggers then great! Cause then their awesome loyalty can help keep OwlOlive.com up and running through helpful resources like ads and sponsorships.
Not that my current readers don’t already make me beyond happy, of course. My readers are so awesome they could all run for president and win.
All my love!
Right On! I like what you wrote and truly respect danderma for doing what she did.
Thank you! I’m so happy you liked it ;D
And, yes, she has a whooole lot of my respect as well
There is nothing wrong about putting some ads on your blog/website but unfortunately some new blogs (not danderma ) r into blogging just for the sake of making some money where they end up begging for ads and posting every single post recommending a certain company so that company may advertise on their blog and here is the problem.
when a blog turns into jaredat ALWASEE6 recommending every product without even reviewing it or having an honest opinion about it, thats what will ruin blogging.
Some blogs including danderma r reviewing products and mentioning the good and the bad which is the right thing to do, needless to say that its not only Danderma there r some good blogs out there who do the same and those who just posts ads (WASEE6) need to learn blogging 101.
Agreed 100%. I personally know people who have started blogs for that exact same reason: money from sponsors and advertisers or freebies and invites. I also call them “Wasee6 bloggers” (ta3reef mintshr ;p).
I’ve talked about them before on the blog (right here: http://wp.me/p1HHz4-3W). This was one of my first posts just so I could let people know that I disapprove of these types of new bloggers and am not one of them. Later, I further separated myself from them by stating that I will only review or discuss products/events/whatever that I have paid for (in Frugal Approval).
I totally share your dislike for this new generation of greedy bloggers who are honestly ruining the integrity of the blogosphere in the eyes of A LOT OF PEOPLE in Kuwait’s society. Everyone thinks that every other blogger (like Danderma, for example) is like them–it’s a shame.
What I don’t understand is how these new “wasee6 bloggers” actually end up having a huge following (or at least that’s how it seems on their twitter pages). I cannot for the life of me figure this one out. If people don’t like them and so strongly disapprove of them then why give them what they want?
And this all a long way of saying: Thanks for the very awesome comment! ;D
Most welcome, first it’s an awesome post & I’m only highlighting my point so basically the awesomeness returns to u
As for how those WASEEE6 blogs have followers and high Alexa ranking there is something called buying followers and I know a lot of them do, just a simple example an Arabic WASEE6 Blog (Arabic posts only blogs) having followers like (john, George & Janet ) hmmmmmmm that what I would call strange
also sending whatsapps and BBMs for the sake of getting one click without even carring if the reader did read the post or not, the tricks goes on and on.
Did post a hint about those
http://www.q8blend.com/2012/04/24/stupid-way-to-blog/
You know, when you put it that way, THOSE ARE THE EXACT SAME THINGS I noticed one of the “wasee6″ bloggers do! Lool you cracked the code ;P Allah yhdeehom cause they’re the ones that are making bloggers look bad in the eyes of people.
And that is a very awesome post you’ve got there! I love your sarcasm in it! ;P
And, again, thank you very much for your kind words! I’m flattered! ;D
I left you a long comment this afternoon… but then I got a warning from my web server that your site contains “Adult Material”!!! You may want to check this issue out
First of all, thank you. Really and truly thank you for your kind and very encouraging words regarding my humble blog. People tell me its influential, and I keep saying heh? For I still have a long long way to go.
Speaking of those bloggers prices, WOAH! Now that would be enough to send me to early retirement!!!! Ya rab erzegna :p
Again thank you. I have to say I enjoy reading your words, you have a lovely writing style
Keep up the good work and one day insha2 Allah you will make it to the top 
Q8 Blend, Thank you bro! Really and truly thank you. Q8 Mommas, that’s so sweet of you. I’m honored to have your respect
Much obliged, I hope this goes through this time!
P.S. it didn’t. This is the third time…
WOAH. What “Adult Material” is this? 3ad usually I’m very careful with what I post and try to keep everything PG-13 so thats definitely weird. I’ll look into it right away!
Also, I have to say this: I totally freaked out when I saw a comment from you ;P That’s right, it’s embarrassing but there it is.
And thank YOU for your kind and encouraging words! Definitely put a huge smile on my face knowing that you approve of this little blog I have here ;D THANK YOU.
But yeah, some bloggers get paid enough moo bas to buy a Ferrari but Ferrari world ib kubra! Well, we can always dream ;P
I was sorry to see what a negative reaction some people had to your choice to advertise, but the way you responded was very classy and dignified and gave those haters the boot that they deserved! Please keep doing what you’re doing cause you’re a great example to other bloggers who wanna dive into things like advertising.
And, again, thank you. For the third time. I totally appreciate it! ;D
P. S. I’m so sorry you had to go through all that hassle to make the comment
I’ll make this “Adult” business my first priority now!
There is advertising and then there is advertising. There is nothing wrong with using the outlet you’ve established for yourself to get some extra cash what with the inflation we all are experiencing with the increased salaries which lead to increase in prices everything helps but there are those who lose themselves or as you said establish blogs just for the sake of advertising.
Commercialism as the dictionary defines it is the “practices and attitudes that are concerned with the making of profit at the expense of quality” in which blogs are just charging per post and making their blog as a “Wasee6″-outlet rather than a place where you can share thoughts and such.
I am lucky to read for a majority of bloggers who even though they have advertising it was never the first thing I saw, their content exceeds their advertising banners and you will not even notice a thing so it’s not wrong to have advertisers but it is wrong if you sell your soul to the devil simply to make an extra buck!
I totally agree with you there. I find nothing more despicable and heartbreaking in our blogosphere today than seeing SO MANY new bloggers sprouting up every single day, without giving the slightest interest to the community of hard-working bloggers with which they are associating themselves with.
Their short-sightedness and their greed for money is what’s making the blogosphere look more and more like Al-Wasee6 every single day rather than a place to share information, opinions, and ideas. They’re the ones who are “commercializing” and destroying everything that blogging is.
In fact, I think that they’re the reason why the public opinion of bloggers as greedy sell-outs has become so popular in people’s minds. They’re the reason why so many good bloggers, who use advertising as a natural and harmless resource of their blogging experience, are unfairly judged and are immediately labeled as sell-outs.
Thanks for this great comment! Definitely brought up some great points on the nature of the advertising machine and how it can go wrong.
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