Atrios, Kos, Digby, DU..etc... are making a fortune with blogads.

[trumad]

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great to see these guys and the Admin here at DU get what they deserve.

It's just mind boggling how it all has exploded within the last year or so.

Atrios for instance has close to 10 ads on his site that average $750.00 a week.

His premium ads are 1200 bucks a week.

The dudes taking in around 10 grand a week. If he keeps it up, thats half a million a year.

WOW!

[SmokingJacket]

1. I would actually like to see the numbers for each site.

I mean, if a site is raking in tons of money from ads, maybe it needs my donation less than some other site, you know?

[trumad]

2. Well it's pretty easy to get a guestimate on sites like Digby and Atrios.

Count the ads and multiply what each ad cost. Like I said, good for them---really.

[SmokingJacket]

17. But I also want to know the cost of running the sites.

I really have no idea what it costs to run your average blog or your much bigger than average site like DU. Obviously people need to be paid, etc.

It would really help me to make my donation decisions if that sort of thing were a little more out in the open. None of us can donate to everyone we read and appreciate, and I'd like to know who needs it most.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. It doesn't work like that for everyone.

The site I am involved with, as webmaster, has Blogads and we would probably soil our dydies if we were making 1/10th of that. 1/50th even.

[MadHound]

4. That's only one side of the books friend

How much does it costs to purchase and upgrade the servers? How much does it take to purchase the bandwidth needed to keep a busy site like DU up and running? How much do you have to pay out in salaries for techs, admins, etc.? How much is the electric bill every month?

It is a business like any other. Sure the revenue coming in can look quite high. But when you take into account the debit side of the ledger, you generally find that that hefty income is eaten up pretty quick, and that overall profits are fairly low, and if the businessman is smart, reinvested into the business in order to keep it healthy and thriving.

Two sides to every ledger friend, and you've got to look at both:shrug:

[trumad]

8. I'm certain that Atrios doesn't pay that much for his service

and either does Digby.

You're right---it cost a bunch of money to run DU and I donate every fund drive to help out.

As far as KOS...the dude is making a fortune with his site and his sports site. 7500 a month is a drop in the bucket compared to what he's pulling in.

[KoKo]

14. Kos has a sports website? Do you have a link? thanks...

[trumad]

15. Here ya go

http://www.sbnation.com/

[KoKo]

20. Thanks....it doesn't look too popular, though. Not much there..

Did he just start it and that's why it looks so new?

[trumad]

21. It's over a year old

[Occulus]

18. Yeah- didn't Kos once post he spends around $5K/mo on bandwidth?

Or was that number even higher?

[Hav]

5. .

And I think that they need the money.
I believe that Daily Kos once mentioned, that he has to pay like 7500$ per month for his website.
And if they advertise their site, maybe they have to pay similar prices?

[Mr Rabble]

6. You know how much bandwidth costs at these traffic levels?

These guys are making a living, but there is serious overhead associated with the heavily trafficked blogs.

[trumad]

9. Question---

How much does Atrios have to pay to run his blog on Blogspot?

[Mr Rabble]

10. No clue. It isnt free for high traffic blogs.

[LSK]

7. and how much does it cost to run a site like KOS or DU?

Server and network equipment alone has to be a fortune. These sites are HAMMERED.

[Poppyseedman]

11. $5000,000 a year all before

Payroll (unless people are working for free)

Payroll taxes

Benefits

Server costs (not cheap)

Overhead (copier, paper clips, pens, lights, toilet paper, etc)

Rent

$500,000 doesn't cover a lot of expenses.

Sort of takes the shine off the "WOW!"

[Hamlette]

12. seems the real story here is that blogs/sites can make money hench

the web can be a force. It will continue to attract better and better people, the content will improve and we will have made the biased (right wing) media irrelevant.

[trumad]

16. I'm sure that Atrios has a staff of just one.

[Old and In the Way]

13. That's good!

I'm glad that there's a profit motive in blogging on our politics. I wonder how the other side is making out? I'll bet they're income is a fraction of that...of course, they have other welfare income sources that help keep them on the internet.

[Jack Rabbit]

19. Yes, it is a good thing

Ads on the I-Net are as easy to tune out as ads in magazines, so I really didn't feel intruded upon even before we contributing members had the option to block them out.

An ideal world is commercial free, but I am too much an adult to think I will ever live in an ideal world.

[ReverendDeuce]

22. My blog has been up almost 4 years... I actually still lose money...

I've been running since November 2002. Still only get about 50-60 hits per day. :) We update it daily as well. Multiple times per day, in fact.

Oh well. :) It's still fun.