Frank Barnako thinks there are too many blogs and that there is a shake out coming.

Yes, there are too many blogs if you think of them in one of the following ways:

• You need to make money off of them, and mass appeal is important
• You just see blogs as another mass-market publication system
• You want to be a blog generalist and not focus on a topic
• You want to be a political blogger (there are way too many political bloggers)
• You don’t see a blog as just being another voice in the conversation

If you’re running a newspaper or other commercial media enterprise and you expect a blog (or blogs) to become cash cows, you need to rethink your strategy.

Blogs can help you grow readership, but more importantly, they can help you better with your readers (if done right). They can also teach your reporters to be better Web journalists.

If you’re doing blogs, you need to understand why and you need to have a strategy. You damn well better understand blogging.

For non-commercial bloggers, as one of the comments on Barnako’s post points out, the number of blogs doesn’t really matter — if you’re under no commercial pressure and you only write for yourself and maybe a few friends, who cares? If, however, you need the ego feed of an audience or you think this is an easy path to financial independence (and who believes that?), you’re likely to be disappointed. Successful blogging (as measured by traffic) takes work and there is a formula to follow. This is not a “build it and they will come” hobby. You’ve got to know what you’re doing and be good at it. If you do that, and have reasonable goals, you will have a degree of satisfaction.

Bloggers who stop are probably of two types: Those with unrealistic expectations and those who found they just didn’t like it or have the time (sort of the same reason — if you like it, you’re going to make the time).

For those setting up commercial blogs — have a plan and know why you’re doing what you’re doing.

The question of whether there are too many blogs really boils down to what topic you’re covering and who the established bloggers are within that niche. If you’re planning on commercial success, look for the right opportunities.

[tags]blogs, blogging, media[/tags]