Rage for Fun and Profit
I’ve been blogging for something over 17 years now.
I don’t think anyone keeps track of such stats, but we have to be one of the longest running independent sites online.
I say all that to let you know that I know a thing or two about this medium.
One of those things that I know is that numbers matter, especially if you’re trying to make money blogging.
When money becomes a factor clicks mean more than content and content is constructed to create clicks.
(As a side note, every attempt to “monetize” this site has been a dismal failure because despite having a significant “platform”. I won’t play that game. I’m not noble, just stubborn)
Rachel Held Evans, in life and death, was clickbait gold.
Any mention of her generated numbers and numbers generate clicks.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that the main site attacking her after her passing has more ads than content.
Ads in the header (the top of the blog), ads before articles, in articles, and after articles.
Pop up ads at the bottom of the page in case you scroll that far.
All the content is designed to elicit disgust and anger at someone, because nothing drives numbers like rage.
It pretends to inform,but it’s main job is to inflame…so you’ll come back for the adrenaline rush of rage and click on an ad or two.
When Evans passed they wrote the most inflammatory articles possible, as quickly as possible.
It worked.
This method has moved them for being just another fundamentalist dumpster fire to being a very highly ranked site in terms of traffic.
They just need to continue to find people to hate to continue the clickbait cycle.
I’m sure they will do so…and find reasons to hate someone of stature they don’t possess on their own.
There have been three major deaths in Christendom of late…Evans, Warren Wiersbe, and today, Jean Vanier.
Many sites will only note the passing of Evans…and now you know why.
By the way, most media follow this model today…so be careful how much influence you give these “voices”…
The website you reference has had many problems with their ad content and the key words they attempt to avoid. I read their blog. But in the last year, I have had pop up ads that reference “dating ethic women”, “gay cruises”, “Israel travel tour with LBGQT leaders”, etc. They have attempted to use their resources to avoid such ads appearing, however, the internet has a mind of it’s own. The strange aspect is the ads do not target my interest, but target key words from their blog. If they make mention of Bruce Jenner, and if one reads that content, then the ads are focused on Transgender. Again, I believe they have fixed many of those problems, but it is a concern to see how advertising on blogs is something that not even the bloggers can control. Appreciate all you do on your site. I keep a folder that is Phoenix Profound and have many links that date back years and years. Hopefully to revisit.
Thank you for the kind words.
The ad problem you speak of has been the case from the beginning…we used to run some from another company, but we could choose the ads.
I’ve thought about running similar ads here because I’m dirt poor…but I think they ruin the reading experience and you inevitably begin to worry more about numbers than ministry.
I have only “clicked in” to Pulpit & Pen and RHE when you link to them. I do not have them bookmarked nor do I search them out. I figure if they ever have anything of notoriety, you will alert us.
MLD,
I really didn’t want to link to them, but people kept acting like this stuff didn’t exist…
I read a great phrase in a book I’ve taken up (yes… I still read books!). The phrase is “dollarship instead of scholarship”. The applications of the phrase are endless, but I think it apples here…
Jean Vanier helped to change my theology of the disabled
May he rest in the Lord
I was under the impression that ad content was based off your search hits… ?
I must be living in a deeper hole these days because, until now, I have never heard of Rachel Held Evans or her views on politics and Christianity.
So I went and read a bit and here’s my conclusion, she suffered from the same issues all of us do. And the more I study scriptures and church history the more I’m convinced of two things, how we treat others in this life matters a lot and who gets to the next in glory is His area of concern.
But this thread is about “click bait” and I clicked on it.
See it works.
Oh, and I despise all the pop-up ads that ruin my free internet browsing. How can these people live with themselves.