It’s an older movie, but The Joneses perfectly encapsulates the spirit of what life is truly like as a blogger. David Duchovney, Demi Moore, and the rest of this brilliant cast show how far marketing companies go for a sale. The couple play a fake family selling a fast-paced lifestyle in affluent suburbia.
While it didn’t seem related to blogging, with marketing being such an important part of content creation, the themes were striking.
It’s cool if you visit my blog – even better if you read the content. I don’t make my money from you, so it’s of no concern to me how well you connect to my content.
How Content Creators Earn a Living
Pandering to an audience can make a little money, but the large bulk of my online income is derived from two revenue sources: advertising and distribution.
The Joneses aren’t selling anything. They’re simply enjoying all the free expensive stuff they have. This passive sales technique is exactly what type of ads I post in my blogs. I don’t directly make the products, but I can make a living selling them if I find a creative way.
Swag Saves Money
If you’ve read a magazine, watched television or movies, listened to a song, or even driven on a highway, you’ve seen product placements. Sometimes these placements are paid – other times swag is creatively bartered.
By attending trade shows, conventions, and expos, I met a lot of PR and marketing reps for brands across all market segments and industries. In doing so, I was able to get my hands on review units to include in my work.
The Joneses sell themselves more than a product. The products are things you’re buying simply to mimic people you idolize. If you become a trendsetter, the focus of your grind changes.
Artists need to think more about business. It’s a big data approach to marketing, and the big guys are doing it. This is the real revenue stream in entertainment, so ignore the piracy hype from the MPAA and RIAA.
Brian Penny is a former Business Analyst and Operations Manager at Bank of America turned whistleblower, troll, and writer. Penny has been featured on Main Street, Cannabis Now, Hardcore Droid, and The Huffington Post.