Passive Income M.D. Joins the WCI Network

[The White Coat Investor]

We had some big news around here this week. Passive Income M.D. has joined Physician on FIRE and The White Coat Investor as part of the WCI Blogging Network. We're looking forward to many years of advancing the cause of physician literacy together. You can read the write-ups on each blog here:

The White Coat Investor

Physician on FIRE

Passive Income MD

You probably won't notice a lot of change on the forum (other than PIMD will be doing some help with the moderating) but it will really help us to spread the message of financial literacy to many more physicians and other high income professionals.

 

[PhysicianOnFIRE]

Welcome to the WCI Network, @passiveincomemd

We look forward to introducing our readers to your unique insights as a master of passive income, father and husband to another physician in a high cost of living area. I am almost none of those things! Although I am a husband, father, and a part-time anesthesiologist like you.

Cheers!

-PoF

[EJ at Dads Dollars and Debts]

How did this get 0 comments outside of the WCI network....

Well I will comment. Congrats guys. Are you guys now like the 3 Musketeers or the 3 amigos?

[Re3iRtH]

Great job in taking action, but holly molly did you see how many banner ads were on his site? Shameful and unprofessional. Even you guys who already have a big following don't have the smattering barage of ads I saw there.

Whoever that guy is should study someone like Tim Ferriss or Sam Harris. They do something for the itch and the joy of it, to see if people find it useful, then maybe try to made money off it after podcast episode 6 or 7 or after writing a blog for 3-6 months. Create value and become successful before stacking 12 ads on a single page!

[PhysicianOnFIRE]

"Great job in taking action, but holly molly did you see how many banner ads were on his site? Shameful and unprofessional."

I realize that ads can be intrusive. Forbes.com makes you turn off your ad blocker before proceeding to the site. Other sites have ads across the whole page in the content. Some sites have popup ads. I don't see any of it as shameful or unprofessional, but they can take away from the reader experience if the ads are in-your-face.

In PIMD's case, I see one banner ad at the top, and two groups of four in the right side bar. That's less than WCI or I have. No popups, nothing flashing. I don't think it's unreasonable. As WCI says, "no margin, no mission."

Also, he has been blogging for about 18 months and has been successful. We wouldn't have invited him to join the WCI Network if he hadn't proven to be successful on his own.

Best,

-PoF

[janettebournes]

Re3iRtH wrote:

Great job in taking action, but holly molly did you see how many banner ads were on his site? Shameful and unprofessional. Even you guys who already have a big following don’t have the smattering barage of ads I saw there.

Whoever that guy is should study someone like Tim Ferriss or Sam Harris. They do something for the itch and the joy of it, to see if people find it useful, then maybe try to made money off it after podcast episode 6 or 7 or after writing a blog for 3-6 months. Create value and become successful before stacking 12 ads on a single page!

Click to expand...

I'm going to agree with @Re3iRtH

Perhaps it's an acquired taste but I find both the content (vague) and design of the blog (ads on the side are less intrusive than banner style ads) not to my liking. I will also admit the MLM passive income sounds like a Rodan + Fields setup which also biases my judgment (hint: I strongly dislike it and our practice has let go of 2 providers who could not keep their R+F scheme separate from actual in-office patient care)

That being said, I'm sure there's a reason why the blog has been so successful and why it's a part of the WCI network so hopefully I'll keep an open mind and keep reading

[Dr.V. Investor]

Congratulations!  I read your blogs as time permits.  Strong work everyone!

I am not familiar with blogging world but isn't that how blogs get income through ads?

Advertisers (whether financial planners, insurance people or loan companies) will not just put/pay for their ad on your blog if they do not see any traffic.

 

[VagabondMD]

Congrats to all parties involved. I believe that PIMD's blog is a very high quality product, with lots of actionable information and advice, but the content does not speak to me, at the moment. Perhaps as his blogs get distributed through PoF and WCI, I might feel differently.

I am at the point where my email is clogged with blogs! I might have to retire early just to have the time to read all of the articles to instruct me how to retire early.

There is a lot of great content out there, and I appreciate the docs (and others, especially ERN and AoF) spending their time to educate, enlighten, and edify me, and I especially give props to those who are doing it only for joy of the pursuit (THP comes to mind).

The advertising banners never bother me. Perhaps it is my training as a radiologist, or maybe its anyone who spends a lot of time looking at computer screens, but I only see what I need to see and hardly notice ads (sorry, advertisers) - unless it is something that I was just shopping for, like shoes or a kitchen gadget, that follows me when I visit another site- I still find that creepy.

But seriously, is anyone else feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of physician-oriented non-clinical content?

[jfoxcpacfp]

Vagabond MD wrote:

unless it is something that I was just shopping for, like shoes or a kitchen gadget, that follows me when I visit another site- I still find that creepy.

Click to expand...

Me, too! I feel like I'm being stalked.

[Complete_newbie]

Yes that's how they generate revenue. In fact the business model that WCI has he's been pretty transparent about and now there are a bunch of me too blogs trying to copy it.

WCI is clever and is now making his own network of blogs. People can look at it however and it is useful and good for readers but from a business perspective it's assuring market share.

Advertisers will pay for your physician blog if you have even OK posts - I really don't think you need much traffic - why?
1. SDN doesn't allow major finance / advisor ads - so blogs can take advantage of that by helping people on those forums and directing traffic
2. Write for many other physician magazines that don't directly allow ads
3. Notice similar ads on these blogs. There are limited number of advertisers who want to assure eyeballs stay on them and not anywhere else

Mostly mentioning this to V insetor (assuming value investor) and I like figuring out business models and see under the hood, because why not.

I would say that topics at WCI are high quality and PoF is a great writer and I love his writing style (he's funny)

[The White Coat Investor]

Re3iRtH wrote:

Great job in taking action, but holly molly did you see how many banner ads were on his site? Shameful and unprofessional. Even you guys who already have a big following don’t have the smattering barage of ads I saw there.

Whoever that guy is should study someone like Tim Ferriss or Sam Harris. They do something for the itch and the joy of it, to see if people find it useful, then maybe try to made money off it after podcast episode 6 or 7 or after writing a blog for 3-6 months. Create value and become successful before stacking 12 ads on a single page!

Click to expand...

B.S.

Tim Ferris charges $36K for a podcast sponsorship. And requires a minimum of three.

I put ads up before ANYONE was reading this site.

Go ahead and name some successful, long-term personal finance blogs with zero monetization. I'll wait.....still waiting....

Exactly.

I don't doctor for free and I don't blog for free and I don't expect anyone else to either.

[The White Coat Investor]

Actually, that's not entirely true. I do doctor for free 18% of the time. But you get my point.

[The White Coat Investor]

Vagabond MD wrote:

Congrats to all parties involved. I believe that PIMD’s blog is a very high quality product, with lots of actionable information and advice, but the content does not speak to me, at the moment. Perhaps as his blogs get distributed through PoF and WCI, I might feel differently.

I am at the point where my email is clogged with blogs! I might have to retire early just to have the time to read all of the articles to instruct me how to retire early.

There is a lot of great content out there, and I appreciate the docs (and others, especially ERN and AoF) spending their time to educate, enlighten, and edify me, and I especially give props to those who are doing it only for joy of the pursuit (THP comes to mind).

The advertising banners never bother me. Perhaps it is my training as a radiologist, or maybe its anyone who spends a lot of time looking at computer screens, but I only see what I need to see and hardly notice ads (sorry, advertisers) – unless it is something that I was just shopping for, like shoes or a kitchen gadget, that follows me when I visit another site- I still find that creepy.

But seriously, is anyone else feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of physician-oriented non-clinical content?

Click to expand...

There have been 30+ new physician financial blogs in the last 24 months. That might be part of the issue. For whatever portion of that is my fault, I'm sorry. In being transparent, I also tend to be encouraging. But it does help me fulfill my mission. More people blogging = more doctors reading.

By the way, you're not the target audience for the ads. You think Johanna is trying to reach you? Give me a break. Think lurkers and people coming in off the search engines. That's who clicks ads and who hires the advertisers. I assure you they get hired or they wouldn't re-up their sponsorship.

[Hatton]

Since WCI, POF, PIMD are free for us to browse and read for free, I feel that criticizing the business model and layout is wrong. If were paying to read the content you would have a valid point.  The ads do not bother me.  I also have noticed the explosion of MD blogs.  Yes it is becoming a full time job to keep up.

[VagabondMD]

The White Coat Investor wrote:

Vagabond MD wrote:

Congrats to all parties involved. I believe that PIMD’s blog is a very high quality product, with lots of actionable information and advice, but the content does not speak to me, at the moment. Perhaps as his blogs get distributed through PoF and WCI, I might feel differently.

I am at the point where my email is clogged with blogs! I might have to retire early just to have the time to read all of the articles to instruct me how to retire early.

There is a lot of great content out there, and I appreciate the docs (and others, especially ERN and AoF) spending their time to educate, enlighten, and edify me, and I especially give props to those who are doing it only for joy of the pursuit (THP comes to mind).

The advertising banners never bother me. Perhaps it is my training as a radiologist, or maybe its anyone who spends a lot of time looking at computer screens, but I only see what I need to see and hardly notice ads (sorry, advertisers) – unless it is something that I was just shopping for, like shoes or a kitchen gadget, that follows me when I visit another site- I still find that creepy.

But seriously, is anyone else feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of physician-oriented non-clinical content?

Click to expand…

There have been 30+ new physician financial blogs in the last 24 months. That might be part of the issue. For whatever portion of that is my fault, I’m sorry. In being transparent, I also tend to be encouraging. But it does help me fulfill my mission. More people blogging = more doctors reading.

By the way, you’re not the target audience for the ads. You think Johanna is trying to reach you? Give me a break. ???? Think lurkers and people coming in off the search engines. That’s who clicks ads and who hires the advertisers. I assure you they get hired or they wouldn’t re-up their sponsorship.

Click to expand...

Perhaps I am not the target for the ads, but I have purchased two products from your longstanding site sponsor, Mike Relvas, and I have recommended him (and other sponsors) to others. If I would need a financial services product, I would look first to your list of vetted sponsors, and, again, I have recommended the list to others.

And, despite what you think, Johanna and I may yet have a professional relationship. As I near retirement and all of the associated financial complexity, I recognize that I will needs some help with planning. Because of her sponsorship to the site and the relationship we have built on the forum, she would be the first person I would approach. I already trust her and like her— that’s about 99.9% of the battle.

I am not saying that site sponsors and sponsorships are not valuable— it’s just that banner ads don’t reach me.