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Monday, October 31, 2011

Revisiting the Economics of Zootennis


Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote a post explaining the financial side of this blog and the sources of revenue that help me pay for my travel throughout the year. I was amazed how many people mentioned that post to me in the months that followed, because frankly, although I enjoy economics, I realize it doesn't take much before most people's eyes glaze over.

I think it's time for an update, because although not a lot has changed, a few things have.

My affiliation with the Tennis Recruiting Network continues, and it remains my most reliable source of freelance income. I have lost one direct advertiser, but continue to enjoy the support of both OTZ Sports and Roddick Lavalle Tennis Academy. I thank them again for advertising on my site, and hope they have gotten the exposure and traffic they expected when they made their decision to renew their commitments. If you have a business or product you are interested in advertising on this site, I invite you to look at the media kit for more information.

During the grand slam summer season, you may have noticed advertisements for Head, Prince, Wilson and Babolat. These were placed by a third party agency that specializes in tennis sites, and I was pleased with the income that arrangement generated. Alas, once the big tournaments are over, that source of advertising drops drastically, and we're now heading into several very lean months on that front.

My affiliate agreements with Tennis Warehouse and Amazon continue, and with the holiday shopping season approaching, please consider clicking on the links on my site if you intend to shop at either site.

I have continued to avoid charging a subscription fee for access to any of the content on zootennis, but I have set up a link to allow donations through Paypal (see the donate button down and to your left). I appreciate all who have taken the time to donate in the past eight or nine months; it's not the first thing on your mind, I'm sure.

Traffic continues to grow, and although it isn't dramatically higher than last year, the steady increase helps with the google ads on the site.

So, if you've gotten this far, you probably have a natural curiosity about everything. But I believe that once a year I need to address this topic and provide suggestions for readers who ask me how they can contribute. I do feel extremely fortunate to have discovered this outlet and to have been able to fund my extensive travel from what I've made from freelance assignments and advertising and donations. I'm grateful for your support and look forward to many more years of providing junior and college tennis coverage.

10 comments:

Sean said...

Thank you so much for your coverage of junior tennis on this blog and twitter. It's always a pleasure reading posts/tweets.

Lisa S said...

thank you for all of your hard work, collette! i forward your articles on a regular basis to my player, some coaches i know, and others who like to follow the world of junior tennis. i must've missed last year's economics post, but i just clicked on the paypal link - hope it helps, at least a little bit!

jwoods said...

I would be willing to pay a monthly subscription fee for all the invaluable information that you share. And please do not feel bad about charging a fee for your services! As the proud parent of tennis player i have come to terms with the fact that tennis is probably one of the most expensive sports for kids to participate in so again, do not hesitate to get paid- everyone else is!

Colette Lewis said...

I've been overwhelmed by the donations that have come in during the past three days. Watch your email for individual thank yous next week. I never expected this kind of response.

USA Tennis said...

Just curious if anyone has heard of a guy named Dash Kramer? He makes it seems like hes a big deal.. I myself haven't heard of him, anyone here have?

Who? said...

...WHO??? Kinda sounds like a made up name. Who is he?

Bob said...

i have no idea claims to be amazing yet doesn't have an atp point or anything to show that he even is any good. i feel like he's one of those ppl who are trying to hype themselves up but have no talent what so ever at all.

usa said...

I have and he's horrible.

USA Tennis said...

is he really horrible? haha he claims to be signed by img and caa, i think tis a complete joke hahaha

JR said...

I recently had a run in with this clown and his "agent" Josh. Unreal how deep they are in this fantasy of theirs. I hit with Dash for a few and roped him, I didn't see anything of quality coming off his stick.
He's claiming IMG is sending him to Europe to play challengers (by giving him wildcards), all paid for. Furthermore, this Dash Kramer fool says he's sponsored by Nike and Wilson.
The icing on the cake is when I reached out to IMG and confirmed my concerns; they've never heard of any Dash Kramer - HE IS NOT SIGNED WITH IMG.