If you’re thinking “Nobody will ever read my company blog because it’s too weird/too boring/too specific,” take heart — there is truly an audience for everything. Want proof? I submit TheOfficialDonnaSimpson.com as evidence that any content has the chance of finding a following.
TheOfficialDonnaSimpson.com is a controversial website not because it features sexy girls or outspoken rantings from political nut jobs. No, this webcam and blog-based site is sparking debate and reeling in users because it features Donna Simpson on a mission to gain weight. Simpson has invited viewers into her world as she earnestly tries to become the world’s heaviest person at an unbelievable 1,012 pounds. Simpson has 500-plus paid subscribers who get a front row seat to watch the woman expand before their very eyes. She reportedly makes more than $8,500 a month from her website and has become a press phenomenon after being featured in last week’s Daily Mail.
If this sounds bat-spit crazy, that’s because it is. Not only could one successfully argue that Simpson’s site represents the very worst of the web, but it doesn’t bode too well for humanity. Essentially paying to watch someone kill themselves is the kind of thing that’s okay in twisted sci-fi movies but far from okay in real life. Nevertheless, Simpson does have an interesting business model that company bloggers can get some pointers from. Her site’s success proves that paid content is far from dead, that subscriber-based blogs with wacky niches will get talked about, and that yes, there is an audience for everything.
But let’s hear from you readers: Is a world that embraces TheOfficialDonnaSimpson.com a world you want to live in? What other bizarre video blog sites are must-see web viewing? And finally, how many of you clicked on the link just out of curiosity?
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