Blogging is the art of posting content online. In return, the blogger earns money. You need to be updated always for a successful blogging career. Your readers rely on you for updates and the latest trends. Perhaps that is the difference between bloggers who make a lot of money and those who earn less.
The big question is; is blogging really profitable? Well, the answer yes. Although, it depends on a number of things. While others complain blogging is a waste of time, the majority of bloggers are making good money out of blogging.
Average Blogging Earnings
Profitability goes down to earnings. Besides, corporate bloggers make relatively more money compared to freelance bloggers. According to a Glassdoor report, a corporate blogger makes between $24,000 and $33,000 annually on average. On the other hand, freelancers make between $10 and $100 per post a month.
Generally, bloggers make between $19,000 and $79,000 annually. That is on the brighter side. On the other hand, things are not so green. A paltry 17% can afford a fair living standard. Out of the remaining 83%, 2% make more than $150,000. The rest 81% earn less than $100.
Clearly, your earnings may be as good as 2%. Or, blogging may make you even less than $100. Why is there a big difference?
Reasons determining your blog earnings
- Content quality
- Topic of writing
- Niche
- The blogging tools you use
- Marketing strategy
- How often you post
- Sometimes luck
- How old your blog has been around also matters
Content Quality
Personally, I wouldn’t waste my time reading creepy articles. I would jump onto the next blog immediately. I’m sure you too. That is why bloggers need to produce stellar content if they want to make good money.
The more traffic you generate the more money your blog makes. Readers and viewers will only come back if they were satisfied with their previous read.
Perhaps you’ve noticed this. When you ask someone a question they don’t have an answer for they will refer you to the internet. The person will ask you to consult “Google”.
People rely on the internet for answers. Blogs are the solution to their problems. Your content must therefore be informative. Not only that, it must be well written.
You cannot compromise quality if you want to make money out of blogging. As much as blogging is profitable, your content determines how much more you will make.
To rank high on the search engine, your content must be SEO. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a great technique to get more readers and viewers. It is one of bloggers’ most effective tool. Getting SEO right is a sure way to profitability.
Topic of Writing
You might be good in topic selection. But, do your topics match client needs. If I want information about a certain topic as a reader, am I able to get it? You must therefore do sufficient research.
As a blogger, you must be aware of the most sought after topics. If you miss out on this, you’ll probably be one of the 81% who struggle to raise $100. Getting the right topics will set you far above the rest. Your profit margins will also go up.
Topic research is a blogging technique you must be good at.
Niche
Various fields of specialization attract different levels of audiences. Remember, you cannot satisfy everybody’s needs. Your blog will not thrive if you do not focus on one particular niche.
You may choose sports, relationships, politics and so on. Again, the niche you settle for depends on you. Do not go for a niche you do not understand well.
In most cases, pro bloggers write on a niche they practiced or studied. That means, they understand well the field. Besides, personal interest advice bloggers’ niche selection. A combination of expertise and passion would lead you to the right niche.
In addition, think about your audience. For instance, celebrity news thrills the young ones. Politics interest adult men. Mature ladies love to read about fashion and the latest trends.
Getting this matching right will determine your blog’s profitability levels. You need to know who your readers and viewers are and what topics excite them.
This is a challenging part of blogging. You may choose a niche you are good at only to find out people are not interested in it. You therefore need to be wise when choosing your niche. You may also settle for popular topics only to find out the field is flooded with fierce bloggers.
Only go for a flooded niche if your content and topics are competitive. If not, settle for a less competitive niche. Doing otherwise will mean making less. At the end, your blog will not make you enough. You surely do not want a blog that doesn’t make you good money.
Posting Frequency
How regular you post your content also matters. Some bloggers work on quality over quantity. Instead of frequent posts, they post less and push for more viewers for their already posted articles.
The disadvantage of frequent posts is some of your posts will be bypassed. It is therefore important to balance. Ensure your previous posts have enough viewers and readers before moving on to the next post.
Again, posting less disadvantages you. While other bloggers are generating income with frequent posting, your blog will be there lying idle. You have to be super active as a blogger to attract the right traffic to your blog.
You can give your readers a specific waiting period. Let them get used to a certain pattern. For instance, you may decide to do weekly or daily posts. This way, they will look for you even when a new post alert is not shared with them.
They are guaranteed of a post every time they need it. This way, you can manage their expectations well. At the end, you make good money out of blogging. On the other hand, your client is left satisfied. Keep in mind, the more you post the more money you make.
Marketing techniques
Blogging can be profitable if well utilized. Many come to the blogging world with the dream of instant profitability. That has never and will never happen. It takes time and effort to make a blog profitable.
Blogging tools are there to make your profits. Keep in mind a blog works better when used to market a business and not as a business. Most bloggers want to run blogs as businesses. Unless your content is exceptional, your blog’s going concern is threatened.
This is what you need to know. Any online business must be tied to a project to thrive. Most online activities appreciate based on speculation and hype. Think about cryptocurrency. Think about the most trending videos. Think about the most-liked Instagram pictures. What about the most shared GIFS?
Online activity is purely speculative. The more the hype the more the money. But, for how long will hype make you money. Attaching your blogging business to a project gives it stability. Hype will give you more likes and views. On the other hand, the absence of the same will not adversely affect you.
Using a blog as a marketing tool is marketing the blog itself. Other great techniques include:
- Endless sharing of your blog posts. There is no limit to where you should share your posts. Facebook is a good sharing ground. Look out for celebrity posts and trending uploads and share your posts there.
- Litter your social media with your blog links.
- Employ email marketing.
- Try paid promotions.
- LinkedIn is another green pasture to graze your blog marketing.
- Automated content pushing is another great marketing technique.
- Many people ask questions online. Let your blog posts answer them. Simply answer them using your posts.
- Months after posting, look out for your previous successful posts. Repromote those posts and make noise about them. You are likely going to make more money.
- Let your most loyal fans be your ambassadors. Have them share your blog posts and links.
- Tweet! Tweet! Tweet! Experts advise you tweet about fifteen times a day. While that may look like being extra, it will work well to get you the traffic you desire.
Blogging versus Youtube and Videos
Reading is hectic compared to watching. Videos offer more depth in terms of content and materiality. Does this threaten blogging and its profitability.
Well, it depends on how you do it. But, there is a respite. Creating a Youtube channel will take you a few minutes only. Short videos are cheaper to shoot and easier to direct. This your creative team can do well.
Linking your blog with your Youtube channel is a great survival tactic. Create videos and have them uploaded on your Youtube page. Use your blogs to share the links of the vides. This is a double gain for you.
Blogging as a business
It is possible to turn a blog into a million-dollar business. After all, a business is an income generating activity. Your blog turns into a become a business the moment more than two bloggers get involved.
When you become a team of bloggers, a business model has to be used for sustainability. Running a successful blog business can be successful if you get a few things right. One, is the organizational structure.
Operations
Your clients expect consistency. Different writers use varying techniques. While it may be good to give your readers/viewer variety to break monotony, that threatens your identity. That is why you need one or two editors.
Your editors will be responsible for converting written articles into ready to post content. This regulation allows the client to get the same level of quality at all times thus maintaining high standards. Therefore, your blogs can be a going concern without worries.
Below the editors are creative writers. You may choose specialization or generalization. Both have their own merits and demerits. For the sake of profitability, specialization works best.
Each group of writers should focus on a single style of writing. This you will decide based on your needs. You may choose to group your writers based on number of words or types of articles.
For instance, you may decide one group will do <3000 words as a separate group does >3000 words. Or, divide labor based on whether the article will be a blog or web post.
Apart from writers and editors, you may have researchers under this department. This group will be responsible for the heavy lifting. The researchers will take on any deep research to be done.
Finance
Financing a blog can be a challenge considering the fragile nature of the blogging business. It is important to let the writers create content without worrying about money. Think about a hospital setting.
The credit controller and his team is responsible for hospital income. The doctor’s work is to treat and attract more business. The COO and management is all about ensuring things flow.
A blog can take a similar approach and turn profitable. Like nurses prepare patients, let your writers create content. The editors bring in their expertise and satisfy client information needs just like doctors address patients’ medical needs.
Your finance team will be there to mobilize funds. Other than the regular pays per post, the finance team should source funds through other channels like partnerships, sponsorships and so on. This is the only way to make your blogging business sustainable.
Coordination
Coordination is vital in every enterprise. You will need a team leader in every department. These heads will work together to streamline things. Before the start of any work, you need to clarify important guidelines like mission, vision, and objectives.
A profitable blogging business needs this more than anything else. Poor coordination between the operational, finance and management teams will lead the blogging business in the wrong direction.
Coordination is also important in cost control. As a business, you are able to tell what is necessary and what is not. That is critical for an enterprise seeking to make profits. The lesser the costs the more the profits. In the long run, your business is able to cater to its expenses without strain.
This translates to better pay for your writers, editors, finance officers and managers. Motivation is key inefficiency. The result is a built-in client base. Consequently, more profits come in.
Conclusion
Blogging is profitable. Although, the profitability has to be worked on. Just like any other business, you need a solid business plan. As time goes by, this dynamic online business space becomes more competitive. Reviewing your plan and strategies is key to your survival. Sustainability requires regularly updating your tactics and looking for more competitive strategies. Your marketing strategies must be exceptional all the time. You will love blogging!