I was going to call this post "Where are all the good UK Internet Marketing/Make Money blogs" but then thought - hang on, never mind the "make money online" blogs, where are all the good UK blogs? Full stop.
I arrived at this question as I was looking at the BlogWorld Expo to be held in Vegas this November. It looks really cool actually and I would love to go - except its a bit of a pain to justiry another trip to Vegas this year. So I thought, wouldn't it be cool if they had one here in the UK? It was at that point that I then thought, hang on, who would go? Would it be a success? I'm really not sure that it would, if I'm honest.
And the reason is that we just don't have enough good bloggers over here. I've always thought that despite popular opinion we aren't that far behind the USA but maybe I'm wrong and we are. I've just been looking through my list of blog favourites and about 95% of them are from bloggers in the USA.
Take a look at my blogroll for instance, there are 13 good quality blogs about affiliate marketing that are UK based. Now consider that affiliate marketing is estimated to be responsible for over £2 billion, yes over £2 billion in the UK why are there only 14 blogs (including mine) about it in the UK? And....as much as I love each and every person on my blogroll, none of you blog on a regular basis. By regular I mean 4 or 5 times a week, every week consistently. Now this doesn't mean your blogs are crap (thought I'd get that in before the hate mail arrives), it just means you are all busy making money elsewhere, holding down real jobs or whatever. I didn't mean it as a criticism, it doesn't devalue what you write at all, I just wish you all wrote more!
So if I widen the scope a bit and search for not only UK blogs about affiliate marketing but to internet marketing, in fact anything to do with making money online - I just can't find any. However if I look over the pond to the USA I see some fantastic blogs from the likes of ShoeMoney, John Chow (whose blog is so popular it even has its own parody), Andy Beard (Andy is the exception here as he is from Poland, either way its not the UK), John Reese, Darren Rowse and Zac Johnson to name but a few. I mean look at Mark's Top 100 Make Money Online Blogs (now up to 176 blogs) there are hardly any from the UK, very disappointing.
My favourite 2 blogs of all time are from ShoeMoney and John Chow, and I know exactly why this is:
1. Both John and Jeremy (ShoeMoney) are successful, and make money online - everybody loves to hear about success.
2. They share tips and ideas on how to make money online - everybody wants to hear how to make money online.
3.They both have big personalities - they speak from the heart, no bull, no corporate claptrap, just honest from the heart opinions and thoughts. And they don't care who they offend. Thats not to say either are malicious they just call things how they see them.
Maybe its a cultural difference? Maybe over here we are more introverted and show more of a "British Reserve" and find talking about making money online as "crass" and "uncultured?" I don't really know. And where are the UK Blog Personalities? My favourite celebrity blog is without doubt the Queen of Celebrity Gossip, Perez Hilton. Take 1 minute to read his blog and you can see what a huge personality he is, bitchy doesn't even begin to describe his style of writing. But, his blog is absolutely massive and earns a reported $110,000 a month in ad revenue. Do we have any blogs over here that can command those type of ad revenues?
Am I missing something here? Can anyone point me to some UK make money online/internet marketing blogs that I don't know about? I'm sure there must be some, but despite looking really hard I just can't find any good ones.
Will the UK ever be able to put on a BlogWorld Expo? Anybody up for organising one? Count me in.
What I'm listening to right now: Lloyd - "Street Love"
37 Responses to Where are all the good UK blogs?
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Welcome to my blog. My name is Kieron Donoghue and I am the founder of ShareMyPlaylists.com, ContentNow.co.uk and some other stuff. I have no idea why I'm blue on this photo though but I like it!
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I think you’re right that there’s something in the culture that makes the US more likely to come up with the make money online blogs than the UK.
The US see making money as a virtue in its own right and are proud to shout about it. The usual reaction is applause rather than sniping. It’s the reason I love going to the US at least once every couple of years, I always come back feeling fired up about my plans.
The UK approach is much more reserved, and I don’t think it makes such interesting reading.
The best blogs in the UK tend to come from the pure-play affiliates who don’t have so many political angles to beware of and can be more forthright in their opinions. I think yours, and Paul Wheatley’s are my favourites in the UK for just that reason.
A good mix of useful stuff and some strong opinions is definitely the way forward.
Hi Stephen, yes I hear what you are saying, and I enjoy Paul’s blog too.
However, stepping out of the making money online niche do we have any blog superstars like Justine for example? http://www.justin.tv/ijustine
If it makes you feel any better, we’re blogging from Dublin.
Just noticed that Lammo isn’t on your blogroll Kieron – That’s why you couldn’t find a decent UK blog
Does http://www.selfmademinds.com fit your criteria? Its run by two UK based publishers.
Depends what you look for and what inspires you, and it’s the diversity of content that makes the blogosphere so good.
Personally I’d rather read Lee McCoy’s blog or listen to Fraser’s podcasts than what appears on Shoemoney or Jon Chow. Why? Because it’s more relevant to me as someone working on websites than the “I make money blogging whilst telling you how to make money using stuff I use to make money blogging, which probably won’t work for you as you won’t be able to blog like me”.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong in being reserved or not as prolific in the blog post stakes. And it’d be a shame if good content and opinion was swamped by a deluge of meme “i make money from blogging…” etc UK blogs.
Jason
Interesting post Kieron but I have to say I’m very surprised to hear that you’re such a fan of John Chow!
BlogStorm.co.uk is a UK blog and just hit the 1000 RSS readers mark after 3 months.
Hi Kieron, you missed my blog as well, 16th in google for “affiliate marketing blog”.
The UK blogosphere’s a lot smaller to the US one. Not to say there aren’t any decent UK blogs but the US blogosphere’s much further advanced and taken more seriously by the American public.
Even from a media perspective. Look at the US presidential candidates where online communication is at the forefront of their respected campaigns.
I think, in general, the UK blogosphere’s around four years behind the US. But, like you said, us Brits are more inclined to use our stiff up lip than air our views for all the world to see meaning we may never catch up.
France has a vibrant online community (bigger than the UK) because the French apparently aren’t afraid to speak what’s on their minds. Australia and Germany both have small online communities too.
It’s definitely a culture thing.
How many blogs are from North East England? I know of around four (including yours and mine).
I think http://www.blogstorm.co.uk/ is a good one. Check it out.
My blog is in the list, and I am in the UK…I think there are quite a few on there actually that are UK based – you just wouldn’t know it by looking at the URL I guess.
Im from Glasgow and do have a money making blog which is read by a few people
John Cow – didn’ know you guys were based in Dublin, cool.
Lammo – apologies! I’ll put that right straight away, I thought it was on, honest!
Ash – thanks I will check that one out.
Jason – I’m not suggesting for a minute that everyone starts producing meme make money online blogs. I’m just wondering where the big UK blogs are? I disagree with you about John Chow and Shoemoney though, they offer good advice and I like their opinions.
Kier – yeah I really like John Chows blog. I love his honesty and the way he always shows and tells us how he makes his money.
Patrick, its not a RSS feed reader contest
However I do read your blog regularly and will update my blogroll to feature it.
John – wasn’t awere of your blog so thanks for the heads up.
Stephen – not sure if we are 4 years behind but its a depressing thought nonetheless. I wasn’t aware of your blog either to be honest, but it looks good. What are the others from up here?
Gary – I’ve looked long and hard at the list, believe me, very few are from the UK.
This seems a fun subject to I’ve started plotting the locations of all the UK internet marekting blogs on a big Google map:
http://www.blogstorm.co.uk/uk-internet-marketing-blogs.php
If you want yours to be listed let me know your location & send a photo if you like.
Although we’re more SEO and internet marketing we’re 100% UK based!
I still in many ways regard myself as a UK blogger, despite living most of the time in Poland.
I still list myself as UK in many directories, and have to comply with silly UK laws about listing contact information on every website.
My permanent registered address is still UK
I can’t blog about what was on the BBC last night because they don’t allow me access.
My company is registered in the UK
I’m from the UK, but I understand why my blog isn’t listed :p
I’m in the UK (if you count Manchester, it’s a bit backward) and my blog never makes any list – but then it strays from the topic of SEO and Affiliate Marketing so often it’s more of a one man crusade against incompetence and generally anything that gets on my tits.
Is there a list for bloggers who just uncontrollably rant? I’d make that list. If I didn’t, I’d just rant about it.
North West UK Blogger here
12 months after starting my own SEO/affiliate blog, I’ve finally started posting regularly: QualityNonsense.com.
I agree with you Kieron that we don’t really have the equivalent “big” blogs. I don’t think this means we’re short of talent though (the responses to your post have shown this.) I think we probably just needs a couple more years to all build up our reputations then there will be more of an even playing field.
I have to admit I only started my AM focused blog today so I’d say I might have more like 4 or 5 years.. Now you’ll have to excuse me I’m off to add all these blogs to my reader..
I’d resisted the temptation to comment earlier with a blatant plug for my blog but since no one else is backward about coming forward here’s my plug. Leaving The Day Job is all about my attempts at doing just that through the wonders of affiliate marketing.
BTW, just checked my Netvibes page and I’ve got 11 affiliate blog RSS feeds of which I think 10 are UK based.
Thanks for your comments guys, always good to hear about new blogs.
Does anybody think the UK would be able to hold a Blog Expo? Would there be enough interest?
Kieron,
I have read your blog for a long time now… and I think this is a really good post.
However, recently you and John Chow have been posting similar poor posts…
I must say, I have read JC longer than yours but John Chow has run out of stuff to say.
I know his blog has made more and more money but the quality of his content has nose dived…
Kieron, please do not become John Chow!!!
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George – if by “recently you and John Chow have been posting similar poor posts” you mean that we have both posted about DealDotCom and BlogRush then I’m afraid thats kind of inevitable. Both of these products are a big deal and to not report on them just wouldn’t be an option.
Kieron, you’re right it is only two pieces but it feels like more. I guess for people who read blogs going to your favourites to see they are the same is more boring for a reader than say going to read the BBC then going to read the Daily Mail online.
I guess it also feels like more because JC posted about it a few times, whilst you didn’t make a new post. So every time I came here it was the same story.
But I remember somewhere where you said that you wouldn’t write paid reviews and now I see you are…
I don’t know. I just feel that all this monetarising of readers is starting to get very tiresome with JC. You have always been different, better.
I think there is a certain amount of typical British reserve when it comes to the whole business of making money online. Talking about how much you earn is considered crass by many people in the UK. People don’t adapt to change as readily as they do in the States. Salesman are revered over there whereas they’re treated with absolute disdain over here.
Whenever I mention any kind of Internet marketing to friends over here, they either don’t comprehend it or sneer at the very idea and assume it’s some kind of scam.
Hi Kieron, I just started my blog Sunday and I picked you up tonight from Blogrush. Please have a look at my early efforts and let me know if we can keep in touch. I am based in Manchester.
You know that is the kind of comment that I love to see, how a slightly maligned widget can help connect 2 people – it is why I highlighted “discovery” as being an important feature.
I am sure there is some good UK blogs other than internet marketing ones. When I find them I will let you know
I spend enough time reading all the affiliate blogs i dont need more to resd
George, you said “But I remember somewhere where you said that you wouldn’t write paid reviews and now I see you are…”
It was a trial, and I had a couple of requests from sites who wanted reviews. However they weren’t really the type of sites that I wanted to be associated with…think of Indian link building sites. So I’ve now dropped it from the blog.
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uk seo blogger here
northwest based but soon moving to the big smoke to start a new seo job