Courtesy of HC
Friends, as you know, I am always thinking about how to improve this ridiculous experiment known as Eventing Nation. In the beginning, I was the only writer *shudder* and I struggled to produce even one post a day–which was usually just a montage of news, video, and failed attempts at jokes. We have come a long way since those days, and the time has come to discuss taking Eventing Nation to the next level.
In April, we received emails and comments from readers suggesting that we offer advertising on Eventing Nation, and interested advertisers have been contacting us for months. In the past, when I would get an email from a company asking about our advertising rates, I would reply by explaining that I didn’t think EN was ready. Today, we have such a strong community of readers and writers that I think we might be ready. I have thought about this a lot over the past couple of weeks, and now I am asking for your thoughts. The proposed plan:
All advertising revenue will be reinvested in Eventing Nation. Our writers and I do this for fun, and we have some great ideas about how we can use revenue to enhance the site:
Contests and giveaways: we will be able to increase the number and ridiculousness of our contests. If Eventing Nation is fun now, wait till we start giving stuff away.
EN swag: I get more emails about EN hats, bumper stickers, and shirts than anything else. With a bit of revenue, we will be able to invest in producing EN gear. We have already been contacted by graphic designers who have some really cool ideas.
Securing our future: right now, Eventing Nation is still an experiment–nothing more than the dedication of me and our writers keeps the site going. Theoretically, Eventing Nation could stop anytime. Adding advertisers secures Eventing Nation’s future, ensuring that Eventing Nation will be a regular part of your day for years to come.
On a personal level, expenses such as the wireless card for my computer, gas money driving to and from events we cover, and even the web hosting plan for the site have been adding up since I started Eventing Nation. The time I spend writing for the Eventing Nation, dealing with technological problems, and answering emails is by far the greatest expense, but I thoroughly enjoy working with Eventing Nation so it doesn’t feel like an expense at all.
Whether something small like the location of our Twitter news feed, or something larger like advertising, the opinions of our readers are deeply important to me and help shape the direction of Eventing Nation–after all, we do all of this to serve you.
Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section. As always, go eventing.
