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Old Jul 7, 2017, 8:50 am
  #355  
kokonutz
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
 
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in PALMYRA, PA, USA
Posts: 58,510
I think Gary, Ben, et. al. did just fine with their traditional business model of blogging built on advertising and minor affiliate links.

What changed the game in the US was the credit card affiliate bubble, which was a result to 'irrational exuberance' on the part of the banks and affiliate programs in a mostly unregulated market space. And such market spaces do very weird things because they reacts to how people behave, and sometimes people are a little screwy (ie, churning cards and manufactured spending). Ultimately, however, markets self-correct. And banks and their affiliate programs are now once-bitten-twice-shy.

Plenty of bloggers can revert to the traditional blogger business model, but clearly those who only came for the gold (card) rush are going to have to learn that model AND the fact that it requires one to provide some compelling content. All of which seems so hopelessly anachronistic.

I just wonder if one day one of these folks will get desperate in the aftermath of the gold (card) rush and be featured on American Greed.
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