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The New Age of Blog Monetisation: Blogging for Cash

The last SMCSYD event, the new age of blog monetisation, sparked some interesting discussion. Here’s the panel

Daniel Kjellsson, FELLT.com 

Daniel Kjellsson, is a cofounder of digital publisher Sydney Stockholm with the aim of reinventing traditional publishing. Their project, FELLT.com  launched earlier this year with 8 popular Australian fashion bloggers.

Patty Huntington, frockwriter

Patty Huntington is a Sydney-based, fashion-specialist journalist with over 20 years experience in radio, television, print and new media. In July 2008 she launched her own blog, frockwriter, whose stories are regularly picked up by Australian and international media outlets, attracting over 50,000 unique visitors and 100,000 page visits per month.

Karla Courtney, The {Tiny} Times 
Karla Courtney is an experienced editor and digital content strategist. Her personal blog, The {Tiny} Times, has been featured in major publications around the world, including: The Huffington Post, The Times London, Buzz Feed, Refinery29, The Daily Mail, Vanity Fair Italy and Grazia.

Matthew Gain, Director Brand and Digital Marketing, Edelman, MatthewGain.com

Matthew is an Australian based, digital PR practitioner, with experience developing and directing programs for major brands both locally and internationally. Matthew leads Edelman Australia’s consumer and digital practices.

Some of the questions discussed included

  • What are the new ways bloggers are monetising their blogs? What new opportunities can come from blogging?
  • Can bloggers in Australia make a living from blogging? Is this a full time job?
  • What is the future of new publishing platforms such as FELLT in Australia?
  • What are the ethical concerns around sponsored content and monetising blogs? Should bloggers be getting paid?
  • Does sponsored content and advertising ruin the bloggers’ long term credibility and readership in the long-term (either disclosed or non-disclosed)?
  • What do marketers and advertisers need to be aware of in terms of disclosure when working with bloggers?
  • Should there the Australian government require bloggers to disclosure payment? (similar to the US laws from the FTC)
  • Should blogs over a certain traffic number be treated as publishers?
  • How do we define a blog?
  • Are bloggers responsible for what they write? What is coming next in this industry in terms of responsibility for bloggers?

Below is the account of the evening as told by the audience of tweeters: