Heather Armstrong of Dooce.Com 'Monetizes the Hate'

You may be using the internet every single day without realizing that Heather B. Armstrong rules the blogosphere. The Queen of Mommybloggers, self-described tyrant, and owner of dooce.com is an influential blogger with 1.3 million Twitter followers. Heather has more Twitter followers than CNN, and her Twitter account shows up under suggested celebrities to follow.

Dooce.com is a famous blog that receives nine million visitors a month. Heather and her husband are stay-at-home parents, making $500,000 a year through dooce.com advertising and various projects launched by this website. With her blog's influence, Heather has published two best-selling books and holds the #26 spot on Forbes' list of Most Influential Women in Media. Heather Armstrong, thanks in part to her successful blog, is on the same influential list as Oprah Winfrey! Are you sure that you've never heard of her before? She's also made several TV appearances...

With fame comes consequences, as Heather's blog receives large numbers of hate mail and mean-spirited comments. To answer her critics, Heather launched a project called 'Monetizing the Hate', where hate mail generates even more money for dooce.com

Who is Heather Armstrong of dooce.com?
Heather Armstrong is Dooce; in many ways, it is impossible to separate the blogger from her infamous blog.

A published author, Heather wrote "It Sucked and Then I Cried" based on her experiences with post-partum depression. Her blog, dooce.com, has thousands of blog posts dedicated to her battle with post-partum depression that nearly destroyed her and her family. Heather opened up to her readers in a way that had not been done before, she blogged about being a new mom, her struggle of taking care of a newborn and not feeling well mentally or emotionally. Her raw, witty and painful posts detailed the battle that landed her in a psychiatric hospital. Yes, post-partum depression sucked for Heather and it even gave her suicidal thoughts. Yet through her pain, she channeled some of her best blogging, earning both praise and criticism along the way.

A former Mormon, Heather has been speaking out against Mormonism and BYU, or as she calls it "the most horrible place on Earth". However, it was Heather's post-partum depression survival that her lead to speaking engagements and even television appearances. Heather Armstrong of dooce.com has appeared on numerous talk shows including Dr. Phil and she even showed Kourtney Kardashian how to change a baby's diaper on The Bonnie Hunt Show. Armstrong's pain turned into public awareness about this mental illness that affects millions of new mothers. She often speaks out and brings awareness to symptoms and treatment needed for post-partum depression. It is however her blogging that brings both fans and haters, with each side commenting on dooce.com, writing on their blogs or discussing passionately Dooce's dealings in public message boards.

Heather is a trailblazer in the blogosphere, an undeniable force as if she types her blog posts in blood. As a trailblazer, Heather was famously fired from her well-paying job for having a blog and writing about her work. Becoming the Queen of Mommybloggers and having a Dooce Empire did not come easily. It is a journey that started in 2001, often requiring blogging about difficult subjects, and opening up to millions of strangers. In addition, Heather's family is often blogged about, both on dooce.com and all over the internet. Her loving husband, Jon Armstrong, has often been a target of hateful comments. Heather went through her difficult mental illness after having the couple's first daughter, Leta. The couple had another daughter recently, Marlo, but Heather has not experienced the same difficult battles after having her second child.

What is 'Monetizing the Hate' all about?
'Monetizing the Hate' is Dooce's genius and still new project. As Dooce draws a fair share of criticism, some comments directed towards Heather and her family is downright nasty. Every blog post Heather writes is dissected, turned into a million opinions blog posts and "hate mail" is sent directly to Heather's inbox. This project really is genius, as both fans and haters are directed to a separate page littered with advertisements and unedited hateful comments/e-mails from "the Dooce bashing brigade."

Bloggers often monetize their websites in order to make some extra cash, paying for hosting fees and getting paid for their hobby. Dooce.com is not an average blog, proudly receiving an average of 9 million visitors a month. Yes, that number is in nine millions. Your measly blog barely gets 100 visitors a day and that is with counting Google spiders... but dooce.com is unlike any other blog on the internet, remember? So the project of turning hate mail into something profitable is different as well, anyone can read hateful comments and keep refreshing the pages. There are currently 31 pages of nothing but hate and advertisements, with fresh content being delivered daily. Advertisement impressions make dooce.com money with each web visit, including those who keep coming back or refreshing the pages.

'Monetizing the Hate' puts things in perspective, as you can see how passionately people feel about this website and characters behind it. Not always is Heather's word the target of attacks, but even her children. I can understand having a disagreement with a website, but certain individuals go out of their way to attack children of Heather and Jon, and that crosses serious lines. Jon, Heather's husband who stood by her and supported her through post-partum depression struggles, is often criticized and called "spineless". Some dooce.com haters even go as far as to call him a homosexual.

When Heather revealed 'Monetizing the Hate' a new firestorm of criticism erupted because she taunted dooce.com viewers by writing "I am going to roll around naked in all that money!" Twitter and the blogosphere have since sounded off in support and against Heather's pet project.

Dooce.com vs. Maytag Twitter Battle
Heather Armstrong of dooce.com is no stranger to controversial statements, which often draw fire from social media users and bloggers. In the recent months, Heather made now infamous statements about her brand new but non-functional Maytag washing machine. Once again, dooce.com proved just how much influence Heather holds on the internet, as Maytag representatives and millions of Twitter users got in on the Dooce vs. Maytag Twitter Battle-Royale.

Heather made a series of 140 character posts on the popular social media network, Twitter. Dooce's official Twitter account has over 1.2 million followers and can be read by the public even if they are not following her posts. In her tweets, Heather posted her displeasure towards a broken Maytag machine that was brand new and required several repairs. Understandably, Heather has a family and two small children that make messes. A washing machine problem is a nightmare for any family. However, the Armstrong family had strong feelings toward the repairman and his inability to fix the machine. Her tweets included telling her million+ Twitter followers to not buy Maytag.

For several days, Twitter users sounded off in support of Heather and her desire to get better customer service from Maytag. Home Depot and Maytag representatives reached out to Heather through Twitter, and Bosch, a competitor offered her a brand new washing machine. Now think about what happens when your appliances break. Does anyone offer you anything for free? Do you send out threats and requests for boycott? Those opposing Heather's actions on Twitter, myself included, felt that it was a bully move and using her influence to threaten a corporation into submission.

Another popular blogger caught a hate storm of her own, by publicly issuing statements directly to Heather through Twitter. Sundrymourning.com blog owner was hailed as a hero by Dooce.com haters for being brave enough to step up to Heather. Another blogger, mommymelee.com suggested that Heather take Bosch up on the free washing machine offer and donate it to a charity. Heather did just that, donating a free washing machine from Bosch to a Utah shelter for women.

Why do bloggers love or hate Heather Armstrong (dooce.com) so much?
Dooce.com blog readers can be categorized as big supporters, downright haters and neutral bloggers who only have helpful suggestions.

Miranda, a fan and supported of Dooce.com, sees 'Monetizing the Hate' as a great idea.

"I think it was a genius idea to monietize the hate. Who would think of that? And who reads it? I do, because most of the people that "hate" Dooce are silly, because if I hated someone's blog I would truly just stop reading it. But they don't they continually go back to get more "fodder for the fire" So why not make money off of them? She makes money off of all the other people that read her blog daily anyway. Isn't that the ideal of the country? Make more money? I think the people that hate Dooce are looking for attention from her, and she's giving it to them. I think that Dooce "lovers" might be a more dangerous group though if you look at it. They're the ones that can boycott Whirlpool at a moments notice, but they can also help find a missing man. I think she's a phenomenon. I've only been reading her for less then a year though and her way of talking makes people love her and hate her.
I think that she's not making money off of the people that hate her though, she's making money off of the people who love her, because THEY are the ones reading the hate. The people who really hate her would be smart just to stop all together, because then she wouldn't have anything to make money off of, but again they can't do that because they have to get their hate out there, or else who knows what would happen.
I could only dream of getting as many people to read my blog, which I sometimes feel is a lot like hers because I don't write about anything but my life."

Miranda - doadw.blogspot.com

Another fan and supported of Dooce.com, Elise Lininger, does not agree with all the nasty comments people post.

"Well, I don't enjoy the nasty comments. It is almost as if they are mental! Can you imagine going through your day talking to adults in that way? I think a certain level of respect must be maintained. I don't usually read the Hate link, only twice now. I think there are all kinds of people out there looking for something to be jealous and nasty about. It would hurt my feelings if people commented on my blog that way. And good for them for monetizing it!"

Elise - http://www.sdelise.wordpress.com

A neutral blogger, Mary of Pajamasandcoffee.com wondered about what the purpose of 'Monetizing the Hate' really was. She did not support the idea of Heather keeping advertising money to herself. Instead, Mary suggested that Heather use her powers for good and donate 'Monetizing the Hate' revenue to charity. As Heather does not respond to many Twitter messages, Mary was shocked that Heather responded to her publicly. In her short tweet, Heather stated that it was planned for money to be donated but that was still in the works.

"I didn't expect Heather to see the post. I am a very small blogger fish in a huge blogger sea. I was basically just expressing an idea, an opinion, a suggestion. When she responded on twitter, I was happy because I thought wow, maybe some good will come of my post. But then the comments about 'demanding money from her' got really negative, and it was hard not to take them personally. I'm as insecure as the next blogger, but the whole thing makes me appreciate what she has to go through on a daily basis and a much larger scale. Maybe being a small blogger isn't so bad!"

Mary McCarthy, in response to her correspondence with Heather and Use Your Powers For Good, Dooce

This article would not be fair if I did not include the haters of Dooce.com - RenegadeMoms.com

Whether you agree or disagree with them, RenegadeMoms.com have a serious bone to pick with Dooce and all of Heather's followers. They often refer to Dooce's fans as sheep, even providing them with free brochures for cookie-cutter responses. These responses can be used on any blog or message board, whenever Dooce is openly criticized.

In their response to 'Monetizing the Hate', RenegadeMoms created DooceFans.com. This website works the other way around, attacks on RenegadeMoms for their criticism of Dooce are posted on DooceFans.com, and also features advertising. It seems like these mommybloggers will be keeping all the cash to themselves, and they won't even be sharing it with their husbands.

My thoughts on Dooce.com and 'Monetizing the Hate'
I have never been a follower but I will admit to admiring Heather's leadership skills and thinking outside of the box. I have had years of experience in various internet dealings, including a successful online business and a personal blog. As a blogger, I cannot say that I have reached quite the success Heather has with dooce.com. Many of us will never get to see website statistics that show millions of page views, or live solely off of advertising generated on our website. This is fine with me.

I do not know Heather personally, but I admire her also as a mother and wife. As a new mom, I went through months of post-partum depression. My struggle was private as I was not brave enough to publish daily blogs about the darkest and deepest thoughts. I was not suicidal and I did not end up in a psychiatric ward, but I understand the guilt she felt. With post-partum depression, moms always feel like there is something wrong with them. We cannot love our child enough and we are not good enough or deserving to have this joyous miracle. We suck and nothing else is to blame. It is a difficult road to admitting that something in our brain is not chemically wired or functioning correctly. Once we get past the point of admitting that it is not us but our brain, we can find a road to healing. Like Heather, I too was on medication to manage my post-partum depression feelings. It was embarrassing to admit that I had to be medicated, but no matter how much I loved my son, I needed a pill more than I needed love.

I did not support Heather during her Maytag Twitter debacle. As a business owner, I spoke out against Heather's way of dealing with the situation and using her influence in a negative way. I know that business owners can be affected by negative online posts, which are often one-sided and never give out the full story. Heather's blog post about Maytag came days later, explaining and perhaps pushing the blame on sleep deprivation. I believe from what I have read that Heather had an issue with the repairman who seemed incompetent and unable to fix the problem. That certainly did not warrant a call to boycott a corporation or refusal to buy future Maytag products. Despite what you feel, some people will be influenced enough to refuse purchasing a Maytag washing machine in the future because a stranger named Heather Armstrong with a website told them not to buy it. That is the power and influence of the internet.

How does Heather Armstrong (of dooce.com) make so much money with blog advertising?
Heather Armstrong and dooce.com do not fit into your regular blogging category. A regular blogger with a no-one-knows-I-exist website usually monetizes using Google Adsense and spends the next two years blogging until their fingers are numb. All that work is done in hopes of getting a $100 check from Google AdSense advertising, and many do not blog to see that day come.

Dooce.com makes a reported $30,000-$40,000 a month in advertising alone. Yes, that is $500,000 annually in advertising through AdBrite, Google AdSense and FederatedMedia. Banners and advertising graphics are generated through third-party advertising solutions and even text links are available for purchase. Now, as dooce.com is not a small-time blog, it qualifies for some of advertising premium membership accounts. This is reserved only for websites that generate more than 250,000 unique visitors a month. Dooce.com obviously receives visitors in the millions; therefore, it qualifies for high-paying advertising and text link placements.

As dooce.com is famously popular, monetizing it is extremely easy. A small square advertisement on dooce.com that is 125x125 in size costs $2,002.00 a month through federatedmedia.net. The largest banner available that is visible at the top of dooce.com costs nearly $3,000 a month.

How can my website or blog be as popular as dooce.com?
Heather has worked hard to build a dedicated following, even if many web users dislike her. Dedication to the website is clearly visible, as the blog is often updated with her word or by posting humorous pictures of her dogs. There is a lot of content on dooce.com that interests readers, but it is also the continuous drama that keeps people coming back.

Building a website such as dooce.com requires a lot of time, but it also requires bloggers to open up. As a blogger, I have a hard time opening up to my readers about my personal life and "spilling my guts". For some individuals, such as Heather, writing about emotional and daily dealings of life seems natural. As her blog posts can be gutsy, they can be raw in emotion and completely honest. Viewers gladly come back to see what she has to say or what new predicament she has herself in. The humorous blog posts about her dogs help too, as readers feel like they live in the Armstrong household even though it seems like living in a zoo.

The blueprint to dooce.com success seems to be all in the attitude. Heather is often bold in her writing, not really caring what you think or anyone else for that matter. Dooce.com is also a business, a revenue generating business that needs to be run like a miniature corporation.

Weather you like or hate her, Heather Armstrong has done something amazing in the world of blogging. I may not always agree with her views, but I will admire her as a blogger and an entrepreneur. What she managed to turn dooce.com into is not easily achievable by every day mommy bloggers. 'Monetizing the Hate' deserves praise for being an interesting way to spin the hatred a blogger receives and turn it into something positive. Heather made a good choice by deciding to donate 'Monetizing the Hate' revenue to not-yet-named charities, as more blog readers would have felt alienated if she really rolled around naked in all the advertising money.

Sources:

Dooce.com

Monetizing The Hate

The Dooce "Fans" Website - RenegadeMoms

DooceFans.com

Dooce Official Twitter

Mary McCarthy of http://www.pajamasandcoffee.com/

Miranda of http://www.doadw.blogspot.com

Advertising statistics on federatedmedia.net