FOOA: Bloggers and advertisers: year-long breakup for a one-night stand?

Presenting himself as the dating consultant for the seemingly stressful relationship between bloggers and advertisers, Darren Rowse of Problogger took to the FOOA stage towards the tail end of the conference. Rowse, well known for making a decent income from blogging, explained that even though there remains a large percentage of bloggers who make little or no money, the indirect sources of income seem to be growing exponentially. Indirect methods for making money from your blog include book deals, speaking and writing gigs, employment opportunities and more.

Rowse went on to explain that advertisers need to understand that bloggers are approached everyday. In order to create content that resonates, consider collaborating with bloggers on advertising, rather than just pushing something out there. Jay Adelson had also echoed this recommendation from the panel before, showing examples of integrated Diggnation ads. Though Rowse's bullets were clear and to the point, one might question why these basic things are still so difficult for some advertisers to grasp. A lot of it may come down to always talking about a Web 2.0 community without actually spending any time in it. Having to explain "how to pitch bloggers" over time can become as frustrating as reminding your relatives that double-clicking on a file will open it faster. So far, there seems to be a lot of breaking up over not-so-great-in-the-first-place hook-ups. Bloggers, be gentle with advertisers, the first time always hurts.