A Good IZEA
Some of you have taken up blogging or have begun your own websites recently. Congratulations on taking that big step. The learning curve is steep, but it levels out after awhile and you will soon be surprised at how much you know. Don’t quit before the miracle happens.
I know that there are web purists out there who hate the idea of anyone earning money online. For some reason, they think that it is fine to make a living in sales (and everyone is in sales) in the real world, but when you go online, you have entered a sacred realm. Hogwash. If you can point me to a better product or give me some knowledge that will benefit me and my family, then you deserve to be rewarded for that service. That is the way of things.
Yes, I don’t like it when I go to a site that is obviously designed to draw clicks and mainly consists of advertisements. I feel the same way about magazines that offer a glossy cover and a great title but have no practical content. Guess what, though; if I don’t like what I see I can look somewhere else. Simple solution.
Advertisers are turning to the web in a big way. That’s because the public has already done so. I probably spend as much shopping online now as I do at a brick and mortar store–especially as the cost of gasoline skyrockets. Some items, like books, I almost exclusively order from my desk at home.
When PayPerPost.com began operation, in 2006, the critics wailed that blogging for money was unethical, it was like “selling your soul.” The company has thrived, however, with bloggers and advertisers alike realizing that the future of advertising is no longer on Madison Avenue, it is On-Line.
PayPerPost recently launched another site, this one called Social Spark. The emphasis there is on bringing bloggers and advertisers together in a more interactive an easily accessible forum. Advertisers can launch an “opportunity” rapidly and bloggers around the world will pick up on it and begin creating instant “buzz.” They can buy one time spots (that will be in the cybersphere forever), a steady banner, offer product samples, and more from the IZEA platform. I am reminded of Ted Turner’s maxim, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way!” Regardless of what you think about advertising online, it’s here and it does not appear to be suffering for lack of attention.
The catalyst for the Social Spark kind of paradigm is the advent of something called social media. Whereas the web was first used primarily for research purposes, the scope has rapidly expanded. Many users go online today to shop, browse, or to chat with their friends. The social aspect to the internet is growing faster than the national debt or the price of a barrel of oil. It really is an amazing phenomenon. For instance, I often correspond with a teacher in China. He is a good friend of mine–yet we have never met face to face. We have traded pictures of our families, talked shop, and dabbled in philosophy…all online. It is the same with another guy I know in Malaysia. We are buddies who have never “met.”
And what does this have to do with ministry? Have you stopped to think that the “Great Commission” to spread the Gospel throughout the world is much closer to being possible because of the internet? I can speak freely to my friend in China about subjects that could land me in a Chinese prison if I was in country. The possibilities are vast and exciting.
My encouragement is this: Keep learning about the new tools available. Support those who are using them and don’t be afraid to spend some money–either as an advertiser or a customer–to support the medium. You don’t need to place all of your eggs in the online basket, but it sure is a good spot to nurture some of them. Advertisers are turning to the web in numbers that have print publishers scrambling to stay afloat. I don’t wish them any harm–I love to read a hard copy issue as much or more than anyone–but I won’t allow fear or resistance to change to keep me from growing and learning. I’m glad to be here, and I’m glad that you’re here too.
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