Since I’ve started blogging just 4 months ago, I keep hearing terms like “internet goldrush” and “21st century goldrush.” Gary Vaynerchuk refers to it often and “Remarkablogger” Michael Martine and I had a brief tweet about it last week. So what exactly does it mean?

For starters, the internet goldrush is based on the widespread production, distribution and monetization of information, better known as content these days. The reason why it’s called a “goldrush” is because the supply of content has not caught up to the demand, thus creating an opportunity for content providers. In other words: it’s time to get rolling!

When I think back to the real goldrushes of the 1800s, I picture bearded men with picks and shovels feverishly digging for nuggets in harsh, life-threatening conditions. It’s not quite the same this time around. For one thing, you don’t have to get up and leave town and share a tent with other scruffy goldminers — home computers and internet connections solve that problem (so do cheap hosting, free blog software and thousands of free marketing channels). 

More importantly is the fact that gold is finite and content is infinite. [Read more...]