SEM Tycoon

**cpvr** · 12-10-2007, 03:47 PM

Has anyone had more success generating revenue with blogs than with forums? If so, how much more did you make from your blog than one of your forums? I recently created my own blog about a a month ago- and the earnings are pretty good and will probably surpass my forum's earnings if I can get more traffic to it.

So, which one do you think generates more revenue? Blogs or forums?

**Liz_nhbs** · 12-10-2007, 04:36 PM

hmmmm...I think blogs..

**Mahz** · 12-11-2007, 09:09 AM

People don't really understand how to monetize forums. Forums aren't the passive income a content website are, nor are they the [slightly less] passive income a blog would be. Forums aren't made to sit there and just hope your Adsense clicks go up as it ages.

They are a more active monetary investment. Personally, I think everyone should own at least one forum. It's like your own little following of people. They build trust in you and you essentially have the email list of a targetted niche that builds itself. I own a forum based on RPG's and from that, I've made other RPG CONTENT sites and have "referred" my users to them on the basis that they simply trust me. I put a link to my relevent websites and my community naturally sort of expands its reach to my other websites.

It's a natural, thriving community of people. While I think everyone should diversify their online empire, forums are a proven "tool" and a good part of that empire.

**ninjashoes** · 12-11-2007, 10:34 PM

imo it really depends on many variable, with the same amount of traffic blogs get a higher click through rate but forums have more return visitors and they create their own content

**cpvr** · 12-11-2007, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mahz

People don't really understand how to monetize forums. Forums aren't the passive income a content website are, nor are they the [slightly less] passive income a blog would be. Forums aren't made to sit there and just hope your Adsense clicks go up as it ages.

They are a more active monetary investment. Personally, I think everyone should own at least one forum. It's like your own little following of people. They build trust in you and you essentially have the email list of a targetted niche that builds itself. I own a forum based on RPG's and from that, I've made other RPG CONTENT sites and have "referred" my users to them on the basis that they simply trust me. I put a link to my relevent websites and my community naturally sort of expands its reach to my other websites.

It's a natural, thriving community of people. While I think everyone should diversify their online empire, forums are a proven "tool" and a good part of that empire.

How big is your community?

**ablaye** · 12-12-2007, 01:36 AM

I would think that it would be easier to earn money with a forum than a blog.
Forums have the potential of growing faster than blogs.
If your forum gets a lot of posts, you will also receive lots of traffic from search engines.
The more traffic you get, the more revenue you can make.

**cotopaxi360** · 12-16-2007, 08:47 AM

I've found blogs require less investment in both time and money than forums for the same return.

**sezerb** · 12-18-2007, 06:34 PM

The upside with forums is once you get good participation, the users generate all your content for you.

**RaaGo** · 12-19-2007, 01:55 AM

Yeah, even I think blogs will generate more income than forums as it is even more easy to operate it than forums

**RaaGo** · 12-19-2007, 01:56 AM

Forums are also useful and will also generate good income...lol
Agree with sezerb

**sopunkkid** · 12-20-2007, 07:52 PM

I think forums are the way to go. i hate blogs

**getbiz** · 01-05-2008, 08:30 AM

I seriously consider replacing my blog with a facebook group...

**ohohdon** · 01-08-2008, 01:03 AM

Both are "ways" you can make money. Both can work. Just pick the "way" you want to make money and work the heck out of it.

**justaleaf** · 01-08-2008, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by getbiz

I seriously consider replacing my blog with a facebook group...

Not going far enough... replace it with a Facebook PAGE. They are perfectly suited for bloggers. And "YES" I think they are going to be more profitable than blogs... once people figure out how to monetize them.

As for the original question. I would venture that blogs have more profit potential than forums. The reasoning is simple: It is common to improve readership of a blog quickly. This means you will have many new readers every month, if you are active.

New readers (unique visitors) are what your marketing campaigns live on. Forums are much better for creating a loyal recurring user base (low uniques, high views). In the right circumstances, this can be hugely profitable, but generally speaking, it is not the most fertile space for the tried and true advertising systems available for us today.

Ultimately, I agree with the previous posters that you should have both. Not for the same project necessarily, but don't skip an idea just because it's forum based. Never underestimate a warm market, even if it's small.

-Garrett

**Fonsecaliu** · 01-08-2008, 02:29 AM

I think blogs and forums both serve different purpose. And in terms of earnings, it will all be about the avenue you get money from the blog or forums.

Two different ball game in short.

**justaleaf** · 01-09-2008, 01:40 AM

Just wanted to add that sometimes a forum can be a great counterpart to a content site.

Write (or purchase) 10 quality articles on your topic, put them in a nice site, and (if the market is passionate) add a forum. You have to manage it more, but you can improve branding and return visitors dramatically this way.

-Garrett

PS: works especially well on topics like religion, sports, or anything else that is controversial/passion-based.

**ablaye** · 01-09-2008, 10:15 PM

How do you monetize your blog? Is it because you are monitizing your blog and forum differently???

**veikoh** · 01-10-2008, 09:54 AM

Blogs and forums are totally different things. Forums are part of discussion as blog is more about articles (s.o. constantly changing website).
How much each generates revenue depends what you are selling there.

**justaleaf** · 01-11-2008, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ablaye

How do you monetize your blog? Is it because you are monitizing your blog and forum differently???

Monetizing a blog can be done a billion different ways. Suffice to say however, that the traffic you receive on a blog (depending on your topic) can be much more receptive to traditional advertising, if not only because you have a higher number of unique visitors.

With a forum, I think it can be a bit more challenging. Direct advertising will always pay, but ppc and ppa is not likely to get you much due to user immunity. Still, good product reviews can still work in a forum. If anything, I think a forum could be the idea place to launch a paid-membership program thanks to the built in community. If it catches on, most of the users will probably want to be "in".

-Garrett

**therundown** · 01-11-2008, 04:15 AM

I run a blogsite and do well with impressions but my ad revenue sucks *** at this point