If your just starting a blog or website, this question may be one of the top 10 questions you ask yourself. Content on your blog is obviously there to help and/or update people via news. Products like an ebook or instructional DVD service as an in-depth version of content. Providing examples, step-by-step tutorials, and often additional places to get more help such as websites, other blogs and books. Really the answer to this question depends on the reason why the blogger started the blog in the first place.
WHY PRODUCT
Products would be the most important for someone that has great information that they deem valuable or actual item such as clothing, electronics, and so forth that they believe is good brands.
And there are many reasons bloggers selling information and/or products. For the majority of bloggers there’s about 5 that stand out the most.
- To simply make money. This is frowned upon in the blogosphere because 9 times out if 10 the publisher writes about something they know little to nothing about. People buy the ebook, CD, DVD or whatever media there content is on and are overwhelmed with questions. (“What the are you talking about? Why don’t you go into greater detail? You said this ebook was a step-by-step guide. This can be all the steps.”) If you want to do something like a ebook, try writing about something you really know about. It will save everyone time and money.
- You have an innovation product. Those who feel they have a innovative product that’s better then whats currently one the market would want to concentrate on driving traffic to there product to show people that theres is better.
- To help others. Believe it or not, there are people out there that products like tutorial DVDs to help people advance in whatever subject they offer such as digital art, webdesign, or raising pure breaded dogs.
- Untapped Information. If you possessed information that know one or not many people have you may want to offer it to the public for a modes price or free.
- Same product better price. Many companies offer iphones on the Internet. For that reason offering one isn’t enough. You have to be competitive with your pricing. If the average company offers theres at $200 and you offer yours at $189, people will naturally want to buy.
WHY CONTENT
For content I’m referring to article and so forth that are displayed on the actual blog or website itself. These are the top 5 reasons content may be important to blogger or website owner.
- For the love of blogging. In the early years of blogging people mostly blog just to blog. There was little to know money in it. Blogger back then did it to match the effected of a dairy or journal. Thou this practice still exist, most are driven to it by money.
- Lend a hand. Free content keeps people informed and gives in added bonus of assisting them in the learning habits. In other words, helping people learn something that don’t know.
- This is how we do it. Subjects like computer programming often needs a hands on approach. For those how are professionals in this field often share there adventures with the public by using blogs. Here they show people the dos and don’ts of the business.
- Money is the motivation. Like number one under product, money can drive a person to want to blog. I personally know this for a fact because that was the main reason for me to start blog 5 year ago. But like many bloggers my blog failed. Why? Because I started that blog for all the wrong reasons(i.e. money and fame).
- Reliable content. Everyone wants to find a place on the Internet with reliable information. You want to have that blog with that content.
So what’s more important?
Both of these are extremely important if you want to create something more then a site that makes you a quick buck. Products are important because people want good quality items. Everyone gets upset when they buy something that break the second week. Better product almost guaranties you return customers especially if its priced well. Content is important because it lets you express yourself and it allows you to help others.
for me, it is the content. My blog is all about providing quality content to my readers and if I changed it to a product focus I would probably lose the majority of my readers.