Blogging Tips

In yesterday’s post, we discussed what a blog network is and four advantages of joining one. Today, we’re going to address the flip side, ie, the disadvantages of blog networks.

4 Disadvantages of Joining a Blog Network

Control/Freedom: If you’re a control freak, joining a blog network might not work for you. To explain, most blog networks have guidelines you agree to adhere to when you join, eg, how much to post, when, on what topic, length of post, etc.

When you’re an independent blogger, you decide when you want to blog, about what, how often, how long the post is going to be, how you interact with readers, etc. If you like this type of freedom, a blog network is probably not for you.

Note: Every blog network is different. Some are more lax than others. But still, you are accountable to them. So if you do decide to join one AND you like having control for the most part, look for one that suits your personality (eg, gives you a lot of freedom).

Split Money: Most bloggers make basically nothing from their blogs, but still, every penny you make is yours. When you belong to a blog network, you have to share your earnings in some form or fashion.

As we discussed in yesterday’s post, a blog network can actually increase your income. But, what if you become one of those standout bloggers who starts to earn 4, 5 or six figures a month from your efforts? Are you going to want to split that?

Here’s a list of how much money bloggers make that will inspire you.

Change of Heart: As anyone who’s ever blogged knows, sometimes you just feel like giving up. And, many do – as the plethora of abandoned blogs on the net attest. And, what if your interests change or you want to take your blog in another direction?

You can’t just quit if you’ve joined a blog network – at least not until your contract term is up.

Content/Domain Ownership: This can perhaps be one of the biggest negatives of joining a blog network. Who owns the rights to the content created? Who owns the blog’s domain name? As mentioned before, every blog network is different.

Usually though, there’s some type of shared rights and/or the blog network owns the content and/or domain name outright. What this means is, if you decided to go independent again, you will have to start all over.

And, this may not even be so simple because you may have some type of non-compete clause in your contract that prevents you from starting a similar blog/website for a certain amount of time.

In perhaps the most famous case along these lines, two previous travel guide writers for About.com sued them over content rights and a few other things. It turned into a class action lawsuit. The initial plaintiffs own a network of some of the most popular travel sites on the web, eg, EuropeforVisitors.com, VeniceforVisitors and SwitzerlandforVisitors.

Do the Advantages Outweigh the Disadvantages of Joining a Blog Network?

As you can see, it’s hard to tell as there’s a lot to think about when it comes to joining a blog network. In the final part of this series tomorrow, I’ll put together a list of questions you should ask — and answer — before deciding to join one.