Saturday

Online Golf Content Flourishes in a Down Economy

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Anyone who writes about golf on the internet has noticed it.

Whether you write about the sport for a traditional media site, or just pen periodic posts for your own little blog, you've seen the virtual tsunami of new golf sites, golf blogs and golf-centric social networks. The graphic above shows a Google search for "golf blogs". It shows results 1 - 10 of about ... 56,550,000! Ok, that doesn't meant there are 55,550,000 golf blogs out there but I think it's safe to say there's "some interest".

All the (surviving) print publications now have online editions. These are often superior to the the print version, thanks to continual updating. The addition of video tips, interactive forums and well crafted slide shows also allows their excellent writers, astute editors and fabulous photographers to take their respective crafts to the next level.

But where the metaphorical wave of content creation becomes the tsunami, is with the dozens of new blogs and web sites that have been launched each week since the end of last summer.

Some are major efforts involving a team of staffers, and presumably, some venture capitol, while others are one-man-shows, often targeting a niche within the golf niche.

I'd guess that the number of active golf blogs - blogs that post at least twice a month - has at the very least, doubled since early fall. Actually, I suspect it's more than doubled. Sites specialized in tracking scores or teaching a specific skill have proliferated too. And what about the golf-centric social networks? There used to be a few - now there are dozens, and the number's bound to keep growing now that they can be so easily created.

That this rapid growth in online golf media has mirrored an equally sharp economic decline in the US, and around the world, is no coincidence.

Though virtually all of the new golf bloggers I've spoken to are passionate about golf, a number of them told me that they were inspired to actually blog about it because of changes in their lives, brought on by the current economic crisis: lost jobs, vulnerable jobs and the need to explore additional sources of income were all sited.

Some of these new blogs, sites, and social networks are poorly designed, poorly written, and show no signs of any real research or fact checking. Some are simply the product of one person with passion to spare, and no content creation skill set. However, a surprising number of them are good, and some are really good...they provide course reviews or commentary on tournaments...they present weekly equipment deals or handicap lowering tips, and they're well designed, well written and professional.

Here's the issue though; While consumers of content, are finding more and better product to choose from, producers of such content are trying to figure out how they're going to be able to continue providing it. Online advertising is declining along with advertising in general and most attempts to charge for digital content have been unsuccessful. This leaves online publications,large and small, and in all categories, struggling to find a viable business model.

So, golf writers, bloggers and content creators... what are your thoughts? I have a few I'll be posting later in the weekend, but in the meantime I'd love to here yours. And readers, would you be willing to pay for any of the content you consume? Do ads on blogs and websites bother you? I'd love to have your thoughts too.

29 comments:

  1. I think great bloggers are worth their weight in gold--seriously gold would be good. ;o)

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  2. You're right about the influx of golf coverage via new blogs. More coverage of the sport is great - although I do feel inundated with repetitive topics without a much differentiation in voice, approach or opinion. Golf news is great - but it's just that - news, which tends to be sort of boring. From bloggers, I want to see opinion, humor and fun. Show some personality! Leave the fact-based news reporting to the mainstream media.

    As for ads...the non-pop-up variety don't bother me at all.

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  3. Totally agree with 14 Stix, If I read a blog is because I am interested in the authors opinion, not another press release...

    Now adays we have so many diferents thing to do I our free time. We can go to the mall, to the movies, read blogs, watch Tv, listen music...and the bigger the offer of things to do is, the lower the price the people is going to pay for it...so I do not expect people to pay for what I wrote, I thing, those 3 daily minutes that the dedicate to fueradelimites.com is really worthy to me

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  4. Good piece.

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. Let's try that again 8=)

    I'm just getting started in the blogging business and since golf is one of my passions it was one of the first blogs I started.

    It will eventually tie in with my golf forum (which is on the back burner at this point).

    I hope to become a great blogger, and if Heather is really paying gold by weight then I better stop exercising 8=) I find that it is really inspiring to find other bloggers whose passion comes through in their writing -- whether it is golf or any other subject. I get excellent ideas and direction from them.

    Currently, I am running 3 blogs and a related web site. I have plans for another web site for basic computer training as well as the golf forum. With all that and the other things going on in my life right now I cannot write as much as I would like to, but I'm enjoying it immensely.

    As for ads, I have them on all but one of the blogs but I don't have enough traffic yet for them to be generating income.

    I don't mind ads that are properly placed in a web page (i.e. no pop-ups or pop-unders, decent ratio of ads to content). I know some people hate them, but they are part of the landscape and people do need to earn some sort of living.

    That's my $.02 worth! Shalom
    LoneWolf

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  7. This is really interesting because I read an article a couple of weeks ago that talked about how blogging had not really come to golf yet. I was stunned because just like you I have notices a deluge of new golf blogs lately.

    They seemed to say there were only one or two golf blogs that were read by anyone in the industry. Both blogs I was't even familiar with. So I'm glad to read this article because I was beginning to think all these blogs were a figment of my imagination.

    I've been thinking of starting one myself so I'll be following this debate closely.

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  8. I'm one of those new golf bloggers. It's depressing to hear that I got into it during a time that a lot of others are too. I hate being part of the herd!

    I would be interested to know what percentage of blogs go dormant after a couple of months. I bet the herd will thin considerably once the economy starts to rebound.

    Anyway, none of the reasons you stated compelled me to start this. I just felt like I'm a decent writer and golf is something that I love. I'm not looking to make a living at this but if that happens then I will be blessed because it is always great to make money doing something you enjoy.

    I agree with 14 STIX. Leave news to the Golf Channel and the Booyah Network.

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  9. AddictedtoGolf, I think you're right because blogging is much harder then it looks. This blog made me want to start but I could never think of what to write so I just read, and there ARE lots of new ones. Yours is very professional looking I think you'll do well. For me it was going to be a hobby, not to make money. Who knows maybe I'll start again in the spring.
    :)

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  10. The content on the internet with few exceptions has always been free, and it will be hard to change that now. Even for the big magazines and newspapers, but especially for the blogs.

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  11. Yes, I agree with the fact that there are more golf bloggers out there...also, that some will die off - many of the older golf blog sites have already. Whilst there may be many golf bloggers on the net, I find that only a few are any good, and Golf Girl's Diary is at the top - Patricia works incredibly hard at what she does and it is well researched and doesn't happen by accident - good on you Golf Girl!

    Leaving the news to the media is all well and good, but the media doesn't report on smaller tours, where there are players who too need coverage in order to secure sponsors and build their confidence and promotional PR portfolio. Of course shooting good scores on the tour helps but there is only ever one winner in a tournament out of 140 starts! So, I believe there is still room for news in golf, especially ladies golf (of course I would say that!).

    The interesting point to me here is that there are hundreds if not thousands of golf sites out there, with incredible talent, all trying to vy for the same visitors, i.e. Golf Girl is trying to attract the same visitors that you and I are also seeking to attract...wouldn't it be sensible to 'house' the content in a 'co-operative' site where everyone co-operated and maximised the potential audience by way of excellent internet marketing? I understand the impracticalities of such an arrangement too but just perhaps someone will go that route one day.
    As Patrica will know, the French do it with their vineyards!

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  12. Wow - that's a weighty topic GG....and with the flurry of opinions already generated in the comment section, I am even more convinced that what I am about to say is accurate. I don't believe that you can place all electronic content (blogs) into one big bucket - anymore than all print media can be considered the same. I find that the freedom offered by the web allows for a wonderfully diverse selection to choose from - and like all things, the best will prevail and prosper (defining that is another question - and I cannot answer that just yet). Personally, I read some blogs which influence my writing, some for information that I cannot get elsewhere, and some just for laughs.

    Ads don't bother me - especially of they help support someone whose writing I enjoy.

    It is, I believe, impossible to project how even the best blogs ultimately get monetized - jeez even Facebook, MySpace (RIP,soon) and Twitter have not figured THAT out yet. I don't see a paid content model working UNTIL a form of "micropayments" can be devised that people understand and embrace (for example: 1/10th of 1 cent for a page view , or something like that - are you listening PayPal ????)

    Anyway, guess the best we can hope for is that the best bloggers keep writing, and the quality continues to improve.

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  13. Very interesting article, i have bookmarked your blog for future referrence

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  14. As usual a number of great insights have already been posted on the ever popular topic of what the future of golf blogs will be and whether anyone will ever make money from them.

    Being one of the new publishers, I have to say that from a newbie's perspective, maintaining a blog is a lot of work. I started my blog while I was on holidays from the office and the number of posts and topics that I have the time to write about has dropped off significantly - I'm down to two or three posts a week. Even that's a stretch - especially when you have to fit in doing research into some of the more complicated topics.

    Which makes me think that only the most dedicated and passionate of golf bloggers will survive over time. They'll be the ones that have a talent for writing, are able to research their topics thoroughly to ensure they have a factual basis, maintain a unique and entertaining writing style, and are passionate enough to keep writing so that they'll keep doing it even if they're not getting paid enough via their blog.

    Everyone here has pointed out how difficult it is to make money from online publications. However, I've noticed that most bloggers are solo efforts - and part time ones at that.

    The most successful of businesses rely on the talents of a few to deliver the services and make money that they can live on. A good blogger may not necessarily be the best editor. The best editor may not be the best web site designer. The best web site designer may not be the best sales person. And so on and so forth.

    Running a business is different to just writing articles. Blogs are going to continue to exist so long as people are interested in writing them. For a blog to turn into a money making business - well I believe that would require some strategic planning and the talents of a few people to put together and execute a plan that would eventually turn into income.

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  15. A lot of good comments here. I am one of the new golf bloggers (Nov. 08) and think that I have found a niche within a niche. My blog contains miscellaneous information on the Rules of Golf, which I try to keep both informative and entertaining. Both traditional media and online media seem to avoid this vital element to the game we all love so much.

    As for making money from blogging, I do not expect to achieve much more than covering my costs with advertising and article/video placements but am hoping that the payoff will arrive when my first book, '999 Questions on the Rules of Golf', is launched next month.
    Barry Rhodes
    www.barryrhodes.com

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  16. this blog used to be quirky and fun, unpredictable... etc.

    now it is just boring drivel, c'mon gg spice it up a bit!

    go after sergio, comment on the lesbo face sucking at lpga events...

    controversey sells so stop cow towing to the golf establishment

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  17. What Malcolm said really makes sense. One person is going to find it very difficult to write good articles day after day because to write a good article you often need research AND if you want anyone to read it you have to promote it. Plus sell ads if you want to make any money. Proof reading and fact checking you do the best you can. Photos...that's a whole other problem.

    You could get a small team of skilled people together and make a plan that might involve some services or products, but the team would probably have to work for a few years before they could expect to make a living from it.

    I'm starting my own golf fashion blog inspired by this one but Im not sure I'll be posting too often. It's just for fun for now. :)

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  18. Anon 8:19 - No offense to Golf Girl, but I don't think this is what you're looking for. Try DeadSpin, With Leather, Kissing Suzy Kolber,,,I know they're not specific to golf but they do write about it, it the way you're indicating.

    Saratoga - Don't give up. Your site looks good just try to post once a week. As a blog reader (not writer) that's what I'm looking for.

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  19. Really good article GG.

    It is a while since I've visited your Diary & pleased I'm back here once again.

    I was advised to begin a Blog to assist in getting visitors to my web site (www.caddiegolftours.com) and was hesitant in putting down some comments or thoughts. There is the thing of trying to find your 'voice' as well though hopefully as I pen more it may come to the fore.

    Cheers, John.

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  20. GG, very interesting point about the plethora of golf blogs today. I, too, am a relative 'newbie', What I love is the diversity of angles and opinions. I leave the stats and most research to the other blogs.

    What I am trying to provide is a unique, 'safe-haven' for women who currently play or for those who are thinking about playing to come together to share information and experiences.

    I will be adding a number of different elements to my blog, Ladies on the Tee, as I move forward. Eventually I plan to take this to a membership site for women golfers but for now I will continue to add topical, and perhaps, controversial, articles.

    Your blog is certainly a great example of good content. Keep up the good work!

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  21. I'm a golf pro, just started a new teaching business, and have a golf book coming out in about a week. I thought I'd start a blog for extra promotional purposes and was surprised to see the huge number of golf blogs out there. It's really cool because there is such variety and a great deal of different information available. Many golf bloggers have their own niche and makes it easier to find specific and useful information.

    www.the20thhole.blogspot.com

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  22. langston

    annon 819 here.
    who appointed you administer of this blog? i'll go where i please you candy assed girly man.

    go back to your "club" and rejoin the weekly circle jerk you've become so fond of.

    ps - i have a reco as to where you should go ---- join ian poulter's fan club (get the pin), dress in pink (put the pin on your new pink argyle sweater) and than try and play at dikker beach golf club. when your ass as been thoroughly kicked all over brooklyn you can than go and fuck yourself!

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  23. Golf Girl: I'm way late to the party, but wanted to add a few thoughts. First of all, congratulations on being on the first page of Google search results. That's a terrific accomplishment. Blogging requires passion, and you've demonstrated that for a long time, which is why you're at the top of the heap.

    A blogger needs to find her/his voice. What differentiates the blog?

    I believe monetization is possible, more than just nickels and dimes. But it takes dedication, high quality content and marketing. Many blogs will remain hobby blogs, and that's OK. It takes a consistent, long-term effort to rise to the top.

    Another thing to consider is that blogging around a certain topic can build a platform. For instance, when your book comes out, your blog will be a great vehicle for promoting your book and touting your golf expertise (I know you know this), but I mention it for any others who may read this comment.

    Finally, we're in the midst of an information revolution. The Internet is still young, and online media continue to evolve. There's no way we can know where it's all heading, but if you carve out a quality niche in the online world and stick with it, I believe there will be exciting opportunities.

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  24. I don't write a golf blog, but have toyed with it in the past. I waver between writing about the pros and writing about my personal quest to break par.

    The only reason I haven't gone ahead and spun up a blog and a forum (which would literally take me five minutes) is the simple fact that our college sports site sees over three million hits a year (link in my name) and that keeps me too darned busy. I am one of the four or five writers, but I also am the technical lead on the site, something that can take up a lot of time in its own right.

    Then again, Patricia, with this site and a few others, I think that the golf blogging industry is well-represented.

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  25. GG, you and I have talked about this at length through email. I def agree with you that there has been a real growth in golf blogging lately. Not sure what started it, but glad to see it. It's really great to be able to connect with fellow bloggers and golfers alike. A number of the commenters on this post have emailed me about their blogs and it has been great to be able to see their growth over the recent months.

    To you golf bloggers, some of you may not know it yet, but the industry is reading you. Fellow golfers are reading you. And there's room for everyone at the table. Golf is such a great game for so many people and have so much to talk about!

    Talk to you soon, GG.

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  26. Great thread and GREAT comments.

    I have been a golf blogger for quite a while now but I've recently stepped up my game with a new Golf show - link at the bottom :)

    Our approach we believe long term is fundamentally different (even if you can't quite see it yet.. we're working on it!).

    Our voices are the voices of the every golfer - folks who want to play more but can't.

    Folks who would love a new driver, but seriously.. $400?

    Folks who play 3 or 4 times a year but want more golf - but not stodgy, boring crap or more news about Tiger.

    When 14 Stix says he wants to see opinion, humor and fun - that gets me excited because that's what I want too!

    I apparently didn't find enough of that so I created my own show with a buddy. So now, we'll sink or swim based on our passion and our ability to entertain folks.

    I hope it's entertaining - at the very least, we make ourselves laugh.

    Da link: http://www.golfishardtv.com

    Marc

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  27. The blogs and news sites give different perspective on the game and how people view it...since the TV folks rarely leave a Tiger story.

    True gold are the communities that deliver everything...friendly players, scores and handicaps.

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  28. I think that there is money to be made in golf blogging, but it's not just in online advertising. I think that in order to succeed you need to have multiple streams of revenue, with advertising only one component of that. It's the bloggers who are able to come up with and execute a good business strategy are the ones who will survive and flourish.

    I also believe that you have to find your niche, in the slew of golf blogs out there. What sets you apart from the countless of other blogs, etc.

    I only started a little less than 1 year ago, and I love what I'm doing. I'm passionate about the sport and love reporting back my impressions on the myriad of products that get released from the average consumers perspective. My goal was to provide people with thorough product reviews and stories about golf products, etc. It takes a lot of work, but its worth the time.

    Rob

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