Scrivs post a nice comparative analysis of two entrepreneurial blogging network models – Weblogs, Inc vs. Gawker.
I have learnt a lot from watching both approaches and think that both are valid and seemingly very successful approaches to blogging for dollars.
One of the subtle differences in approach that I’ve been pondering over the past week or so is the way in which Gawker seems to have a more natural cross promotional thing going on between their blogs. I know WIN also does a bit of this but I wonder if the cluster of 11 Gawker blogs might be a little more naturally suited to one another in terms of the demographics of their readers.
Gawker seems to be going for something of an edgy and alternative readership on quite a few of their blogs (they released a cluster of boy blogs a while back).They are perhaps a little more rough around the edges than what WIN are doing on most of their blogs. As a result of this I wonder if the Gawker Blogs might be a little more suited to cross promotion between blogs because they have a similar feel or approach. Gawker actively promote posts on their different blogs in the main content (example) of their sites but also with banner, skyscraper and button ads (sometimes quite a few of them if they don’t have other ads running).
Having said this I don’t think WIN can’t or don’t cross promote their blogs – in fact as they add new blogs to their stable the opportunities for cross promotion will grow as natural clusters of blogs within the larger community continue to form. For example they have a growing number of technology blogs that will have plenty of opportunity to plug each other in natural ways – similarly there are opportunities between their consumer blogs, business blogs, life science blogs etc. WIN don’t seem to cross promote their blogs as much within content (or at least not as much on the blogs I read of theirs) or as much with banner ads. Their main cross promotion seems to come from text links in sidebars and at the bottom of pages which has the added bonus of building Google Juice and Page Rank in Search engines.
For what it’s worth, WIN also encourages us bloggers to welcome new blogs to the network and to cross-promote when it’s natural.
I love Gawker, it comes down to content, they have better content. Besides, check out their published ad rates, they make a lot more money then Weblogs. So it seems in my very unscentific opinion. It comes down to style they’re just edgy and stay true to the underground nature and feel of blogs.
I think I am subscribed to Gizmodo but that is about it. But on the other hand, I am subscribed to 8-9 WIN, I made an own folder for them in my blogroll to keep track of them, varying from Google via Office till TVsquad and the new cinema one (that is still on test).
And yes, I also think that it comes down to Gawker being better suited to share readers – I can say, I am not one of them :)
*think* yes. Engadget also, make that 9.
We might do some more of that cross-promotion in body of the blogs like Gawker does, but to be honest I let the bloggers make that call… same way I let them make the call in welcoming new blogs to the network.
People find the good stuff… so the promotion just speeds that up.
best j