The Business of Blogging and Blogging for Business: Opportunities for Individuals and Organizations

When one of the inventors of the political blogosphere, Andrew Sullivan announced his retirement earlier in 2015, the digital world started questioning the state of blogging and what it has become. While some rushed to conclude that blogging was dead, others accepted the fact that it [hypotext target=”evolution”] has evolved beyond its original definition.^[+][/hypotext] ^{← click to expand}
[hypotext id=”evolution”]Although Sullivan’s retirement from the world of digital publishing came mainly for personal reasons, some online media professionals thought this step had a more profound meaning. Among the most influential ones, Adam Lusher of Independent suggested that blogging might have had its day:

“If such a big beast could bow out, did this mean that blogging – the future in the Noughties – was now the past, killed by Facebook, Twitter and social media’s capacity to keep devising new ‘big things’?”

Together with BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith, who wrote extensively on the downfall of the blogosphere, Lusher highlighted the view that the essences of blogging were destroyed. However, as the initial shock subsided, both readers and online media thought leaders seem to have realized the extent to which such assumptions were exaggerated. Contrary to Smith’s view, blogging is only becoming more powerful and more attractive to different groups of people. Its new social and professional value is neatly explained by Robinson Mayer, who used the case of Medium to explain the evolution of blogging.

“I still find the idea of a diverse blogosphere — arrayed across tens of thousands of URLs, with sites organized by author and shaped by distinctive interests — really, distinctively, unavoidably cool.”

Mayer implies that the blogosphere has become a more vivid space thanks to the increased diversity of content produced and publishing platforms available. Indeed, despite the fact the world of blogging undoubtedly is moving in multiple directions, a blog remains a form that effectively engages people of different profiles, interests, and views.  Precisely because of this feature, more people are ready to explore its potential for building online relationships meaningful for them.[/hypotext]

Once predominantly a form of personal and journalistic expression, blogging has brought new opportunities for making a regular income, running a business or improving one’s career prospects. Correspondingly, the number of active blogs started growing in 2011 to reach 246.6 million as of July, 2015.

The factors that contributed to such a growth rate are various, the [hypotext target=”possibilities”]possibilities with ad selling and affiliate marketing^[+][/hypotext] were certainly a major one.

[hypotext id=”possibilities”]Parallel to the development of blogging, the world of web advertising has been changing to meet the requirements of independent publishers. Audience targeting and ad display options have become more sophisticated, thus enabling implementations of more effective web marketing strategies.This triggered a wider use of online ads and opened multiple doors for individual bloggers to monetize their blogging efforts.

Ways to monetize a personal blog

The idea of making money by blogging is certainly a viable one, but it takes more than excellent writing skills. The very fact that the number of blogs grows at an astonishing pace implies a tough competition that makes it more challenging to run a respected, engaging and profitable blog. Regardless of the niche he or she writes about, a blogger’s income mostly depends on the amount of time and effort they are willing to dedicate to building and promoting their blogs. As a general reference, iBlog magazine’s 2015 Women’s Blogging Industry and Business Annual Report reveals the following statistics:

• 68% of all bloggers earned less than $5000 in 2015 ($417 a month)
• Brands are ranked as the most important source of income for bloggers
• 55% of bloggers work on their blog 5-20 hrs a week, compared to 22% that blog full time (30-35 hrs a week)

These figures reflect the state of the blogging industry and represent insightful information for those who wonder about the possibilities. In addition to the time dedicated to blogging, another key factor of success is the very business model adopted. According to the data available from WHSC, bloggers typically choose one of the following business models and achieve different profit margins.

Considering the profit margins, selling services via a blog might seem as the most attractive option, but only professionals with specific skills can actually benefit from them. Most bloggers, therefore, decide to collaborate with brands and companies to promote their products or services for a reasonable fee.This is particularly lucrative considering the fact that blogging today emerges as one of the most trusted sources of online information for consumers when planning a new purchase. Organizations are increasingly aware of this behavioral trend and more readily collaborate with influential bloggers, who can use such opportunities to create a profitable job for themselves.[/hypotext]

Apparently, blogging can be an exciting full-time occupation, but its professional dimension is not limited to money making only. With 67% of HR professionals stating that a personal website or blog is more valuable than a candidate’s CV, blogging has become a way for job seekers and professionals to [hypotext target=”professionals”] differentiate in the job market.^[+][/hypotext]

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Blogging was initially conceptualized as a way for individuals to share their thoughts and have their voices heard by those with similar interests. Today, such a voice can influence not only communities of online users, but HR professionals as well. This is why a greater number of modern professionals turns to blogging in order to improve their career prospects.

Blogging for professional opportunities

Precisely because of its inherently personal dimension, a blog remains a unique resource for recruiters and employers to better map an adequate candidate for a specific job position. As blogging becomes more immersed in our everyday culture, HR professionals increasingly expect their preferred candidates to have a personal website. In fact, in many cases, this is a single most important factor that influences a hiring decision. A personal blog provides more accurate professional information about a candidate and gradually gains in importance as an HR tool. Our research confirms that:

• 83% of human resources professionals believe the digital content is to become a more important part of a candidate search process in the next five years.
• 30% of HR professionals claim that a candidate’s personal website is one of the most valuable resources they check when looking for the right job candidate.

These figures alone point to the changing trends in an increasingly globalized and dynamic job market. The hiring process primarily takes place online and head hunters more frequently look at a candidates’ online profiles and portfolios before making a hiring decision.Therefore, by providing relevant information and expertise online, modern professionals can make a difference in their industry and become highly sought out candidates for relevant job roles.

In addition to enabling professionals to better position themselves in the job market, blogging opens various opportunities for making professional connections, discussing industry-related issues and expanding business circles. In the hyper-connected digital world, this can mean more than an extensive CV, as it leaves an impression of active, dedicated and attractive candidates.[/hypotext]

Apart from individuals, however, organizations too can benefit from running an active blog. Currently, 80% of companies blog for marketing purposes, 60% of which state that this is their most potent web expansion strategy. Blogging has, therefore, also become an [hypotext target=”objectives”]effective way to market products and services online ^[+][/hypotext] and meet both short-term and long-term business objectives.

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Organizations in different lines of business have long started shifting to digital strategies and keep looking for innovative ways to improve their online reputation. As one of the most effective resources in boosting a company’s credibility on the web, consistent online publishing represents a unique opportunity for business growth. The online audience increasingly requires informative content from companies and brands directly, which establishes their official blogs as one of the most important medium of communication with digital consumers.

Company benefits: traffic, SEO, consumer engagement

The advantages of blogging are considerable for both businesses that entirely base their sales online and those that use web strategies to increase brand awareness. Although the latter is not as easily measurable, it is frequent among the goals organizations set for their blogs, as it contributes to a more favorable positioning of a company in online search and on social media. According to survey data available for the period of the last several years, companies that blog have achieved the following results (compare to those that don’t blog regularly):

55% more website visits. When combined with social media and SEO strategies, company blogging brings both social media and referral traffic, as well as the increase in the organic reach. More content typically means more sharing opportunities and, correspondingly, more website traffic.

97% more backlinks. By creating relevant blog posts, a company can encourage other bloggers and website owners to link back to their website. This also signals Google that a website provides informative content and directly influences search ranking positions.

67% more leads. Various internal studies have shown that delivering relevant information on a company blog can help in generating valuable leads. Companies that provide useful information for their fans and prospects stand more chances of being seen as a preferred product or service provider.

28% more brand engagement. Social sharing is one of the essential concepts for modern-age companies whose audience actively uses multiple social networks on a daily basis. The informal to neutral nature of blog posts is more engaging among social media users, which is why they are often used to improve organizations’ social media presence. A 2015 study has shown that B2B buyers readily engage with company blog posts, which represent the most frequently shared content types (out 11 types of content examined).

Depending on a company’s goals and business models, blogging can certainly help in realizing profit or positioning a brand as a trusted authority in the industry. Blogging gives businesses an ability to acquire a more human-like tone and cover a wider range of topics that their target consumers may find useful. By increasing the volume of content they produce on their blogs, companies can significantly expand their readership, increase online authority, build consumers’ trust and improve their brand image in general. Unsurprisingly, this is becoming a favorite web marketing technique that generates numerous opportunities for internet-centric companies.

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These mainly relate to the increased traffic, higher online authority, and better SERPs. However, an active business blog also shapes [hypotext target=”perceptions”] consumers’ perceptions of the brand^[+][/hypotext] and thus helps in creating brand awareness.

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The primary advantage of increased online visibility is the fact it enables companies to connect with a greater number of targeted prospects and consumers. For consumers, on the other hand, this means an opportunity to obtain the necessary information directly from a company’s website and get to know its products and services better.

How consumers see company blogs

Unlike general website pages, blog posts can have multiple purposes in establishing and maintaining a company-consumer relationship. Research by WPEngine has found that 48% of online consumers visit company/brand blogs in search of product updates, company news, and branded material.

As mentioned earlier, providing such content gives companies the ability to reach a wider audience and build communities around their products, services or brands. Conversely, businesses that do not maintain active blogs may be missing out on significant volumes of targeted traffic, as well as a number of potential leads and consumers. In relation to this, the findings of a recent WP Engine survey suggest that 40% of respondents claim that brands that do not produce enough blog content see the following negative effects:

• The brand loses communication with its customers – 19%
• The brand may lose customers to its competitors – 16%
• The brand looks lazy – 12%
• The brand becomes less relevant – 10%

Looking at these stats, it is easy to understand that corporate blogging is more than just a strategy to boost online presence. It affects consumers’ views of the brand in general and this is why it has become such a critical business activity. Blog content enables companies to personalize their approach to target market, share valuable information and thus increase consumers’ trust.
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Consistent blogging apparently brings recognition for both organizations and individuals, which is why it is becoming so widely popular. After all, you can [hypotext target=”starting”]start a blog in only several steps^[+][/hypotext] without extensive technical knowledge.

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The expansion of web technologies has brought about a number of intuitive tools that enable virtually anyone to jump-start and manage a blog. A great diversity of blogging platforms, theme marketplaces, and content automation tools makes it easy even for people without HTML or CSS skills to develop a highly engaging and profitable blog. Nevertheless, bloggers do need to understand the options available and which one may work best for them.

Key steps to creating a blog

Depending on the goals set, budget available and the overall purpose of a blog, individuals and organizations need to ensure they have optimum resources. Besides the content plan, which is a moving force of every blog, some rather technical options need to be properly chosen, as well.

1. Find a platform that suits your needs.

WordPress is seen as the most attractive content management system because it is easy to set up and intuitive to manage. As opposed to Joomla!, which may require some advanced technical skills, WordPress lets you optimize multiple aspects of your website via its built-in functionalities or variety of plugins available. Of course, Google’s Blogger is another interesting option for starters, but it hardly meets the needs of serious writers and online business owners.

2. Explore web hosting offers.

Free web hosting services (including wordpress.com and blogspot.com hosting) help you enter the world of blogging without any financial investment. However, if you’re aiming at global audience reach and thousands of unique visitors a day, finding a premium hosting solution is an imperative because it delivers maximum performance in terms of speed, bandwidth and storage space.

3. Get a remarkable domain.

The domain name is an essential component of your blog and greatly determines its future success. There are multiple strategies for picking the right domain name and this is definitely something you want to invest thought and time into in order to see actual results. As one of the most popular international domains, .ME gives you an opportunity to get your own piece of web and create a personal space to increase your online authority.

4. Choose a design/layout.

The visual appearance of your blog has a major influence on the way your readers perceive your content and is, therefore, as important as choosing the right topics to write about. For companies, the overall design plays a role in their conversion rate and sales funnel optimization efforts, which is why it is typically created by a team of designers and marketers. Individuals, on the other hand, can find a variety of neat, responsive and functional templates for their blogging platform for free or a minimum fee.

5. Create content calendar.

For both individual and company bloggers, creating a content calendar is essential for maintaining the necessary consistency of publishing. Planning the topics months ahead ensures that there won’t be abrupt and unnecessarily long breaks in the publishing plan.

Evidently, starting a blog requires no extensive education or previous experience. As long as bloggers are capable of delivering fresh content and maintaining publishing consistency, the traffic will grow at a proportional rate. However, even with the most revolutionary initial idea, several strategic steps are needed to ensure the future success.

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In addition to technical optimization, developing an effective [hypotext target=”content”]content strategy^[+][/hypotext] is a critical factor of success. This is particularly important for companies, where a blog is typically expected to align with other business goals such as boosting website conversions.

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As opposed to personal blogs, companies may set multiple objectives their blog content is expected to meet. Most of the time, these objectives are a part of a large-scale marketing strategy that works based on a detailed audience reach and conversion plan.

Content strategy development: key aspects

The main purpose of a company blog is to aid an already established branding or sales strategy, which is why its content plan needs to be approached strategically. In order to ensure maximum reach and sufficient engagement, content developers need to consider multiple aspects that constitute a comprehensive content strategy.

Audience segmentation. Defining buyer personas and analyzing the profile of a targeted blog reader is an essential step to take before starting with content creation. In relation to this, Citation Labs suggests that companies should come up with at least three distinct audience groups:

• Linkers – influential bloggers who could be interested in the content you produce and mentioning it on their site/blog.
• Customers – everyday people who might not be interested in industry trends, but rather the ways a specific product or service can help them improve their lifestyle.
• Industry Experts – specialists in your industry/niche who are interested in the way your business affects the overall industry.

Creating content. Content creation should be a strategic activity that is planned in advance and for a period of at least couple of months. An up-to-date content plan that includes posts which address the key audiences’ needs and interests typically involves multiple content forms, which is why the aspects below should be examined as a part of an overall strategy.

• Post length –a recent research by BuzzSummo and Moz revealed that longer content forms (2500+ words) work great in terms of encouraging sharing and converting readers. White papers, e-books and industry research should definitely be included in a blog content strategy creation, especially in B2B organizations. However, this is certainly not a holy grail of content production, meaning that a proper mix of short and long forms usually brings most results.
• Visuals– in addition to in-depth content forms, visual material such as infographics and videos can make a great impact on online users. They present relevant information in a highly digestible form, which makes them readily consumed by the audience that gets served with surprising volumes of information every day.

Distribution opportunities. In the content plan, the distribution part is as important as the creation itself. In order to ensure maximum exposure for each piece of content produced, companies need to find the right channels and come up with a proper distribution strategy. The 2014 State of Digital Transformation report by Altimeter Group reveals that 53% of organizations think content distribution is crucial, but only 26% currently invest in it. Furthermore, Ryan Skinner identified several key ways the focus on content distribution helps brands see better results by clever content distribution. Essentially, this could be broken down into:

• Paid content distribution – sponsored posts, advertorials, and other paid content promotion opportunities.
• Earned content distribution – opportunities for companies to earn media coverage by creating compelling content and outreaching to key influencers.

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Of course, just creating a content strategy won’t bring results unless you’re ready to build connections with people who might be interested in reading your stuff. This is why the industry professionals see SEO, social media and content marketing as [hypotext target=”skills”]necessary skills for bloggers^[+][/hypotext] in 2016 and beyond.

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Starting a blog may take only a day, but promoting it among the target audiences is a permanent activity. More importantly, unlike with the technical part of creating a blog, there are no step-by-step guides that can help you make it successful. This is why bloggers need to master several important techniques that will help them gain recognition for their pages.

Blogging skills for 2015

In a survey of hundreds of veteran bloggers, iBlog magazine’s report asked their respondents about the most critical skills fort hose who wish to succeed in blogging. Based on their responses, the following emerge as key knowledge in the blogosphere:

SEO techniques

86% of influential women bloggers believe that SEO techniques will gain in importance for bloggers in the following years. As essential web authority building strategy, SEO helps bloggers increase the visibility of their pages in search engines. Although this is a complex strategy, most bloggers should be aware of keyword research strategies, best link building practices and Google’s own standards for quality content.

Social media

The presence on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks is practically inseparable from the notion of blogging, as it plays a role in online content promotion. The use of social media, however, doesn’t mean simply creating accounts wherever possible, but understanding consumers’ behavior and creating content that is catchy, intriguing and shareable. Woman bloggers report that they are planning to increase their use of Pinterest and Instagram, since these two emerge as the most popular platforms among their target audience.

Content marketing

Similar to SEO, content marketing grows in value for bloggers and 83% of survey respondents say they are planning to add it to their marketing strategies. A clever combination of SEO, social media, and link building strategies, content marketing is intended to help bloggers’ boost their online authority through strategic content placements. The ability to attract people to your blog would mostly depend on your ability to develop a content calendar based on strategies outlined above.

Email and video

In addition to the techniques outlined above, email and video are seen as essential resources for audience engagement and their use is expected to further grow. Email marketing is to remain the top focus for 69% of marketers, while 58% plan to increase their use of video.

Similar to individual bloggers, companies also need to test different techniques to identify the ones that most effectively engage their target users. As marketing thought leaders tend to point out, running a successful blog is half creation and half promotion, whereupon the use of techniques mentioned above is essential for both individual and company bloggers.

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It’s important to note, however, that generic strategies are hardly suitable for personal voices. In order to be truly successful, bloggers also need to [hypotext target=”techniques”] learn which tactics, topics, and habits^[+][/hypotext] will work best for their own goals.
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Your blog is a space whose shape and philosophy entirely depend on your views. At times, however, you might face specific challenges that can disrupt its growth, which is why you should be aware of these even before you start. Based on their experiences, veteran bloggers typically emphasize the following points:

Consistency is a key for both company and individual blogs. The idea of starting a blog may definitely sound appealing to a large number of people, but only few manage to maintain the consistency of posting. In an earlier study by HubSpot, regular bloggers were found to have an 18% subscribers’ growth rate, which highlights the importance of regular blogging.
Content calendar should be mapped with audiences’ expectations. Although the primary urge when starting a blog is to cover the topics you find interesting, the audience analysis can greatly help you in determining what to post next. This is particularly important for company blogs whose goals are usually to convert prospects into consumers. Dave Larson of TweetSmarter suggests that the best content ideas “answer the most interesting questions from people you engage with on social media.”
Success takes time. If you’re blogging for business purposes, you need to be patient to see the results. In relation to this, MOZ CEO Rand Fishkin suggests:

“The web is a big, noisy place and unless you’re willing to invest more over a greater period of time than others, you’ll find success nearly impossible.” 

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Now that you know the story behind the mass popularity of blogging, you’re ready to get your .ME and get creative!