Updated from a previously published blog post.
So, you love the idea of starting an online business as an Internet Marketer and blogger. But you keep returning to the question, “Is Blogging a Business?” I’m able to comfortably say this because it’s the second most common question I field from family and friends. It usually follows quickly on the heels of, “What exactly is it that you do again?”.
To be fair, the explosion in blogging popularity is a relatively recent development in the grand scheme of things. Many people have minimal knowledge about blogging, and this is particularly true for the majority of my acquaintances who belong to the baby boomer generation.
After all, we did not go to school with a laptop, tablet, or smartphone in hand to keep us connected. Our early experiences were vastly different :). Consequently, our relationship with the Internet phenomenon has matured more slowly over time.
So, let’s tackle this question of blogging as a business head-on, shall we?
A Bit of Blogging History
The evolution and proliferation of blogs have been nothing short of amazing (at least from this boomer’s perspective). The first blogs didn’t start to appear until the late 1990s. In fact, the word “blog” wasn’t even coined until 1999.
Early blogs were more like personal web pages that often took the form of online diaries. People wrote blogs because they could. The Internet presented a new forum for personal expression and the sharing of opinions and philosophies. Such personal blogs still exist today, but there’s a great deal more to the blogging scene.
The year 2002 was a pivotal year for blogging because the first ad networks debuted. Ad networks established opportunities for bloggers to earn money with activities that were previously viewed as hobbies. The number of blogs began to skyrocket rapidly. If we fast-forward to 2016, 2.7 million blog posts were published every day.
A Blog is a Mainstream Business Today
Significant changes in the blogging landscape over the past two decades mean that what was once primarily a leisure activity is now a legitimate career choice. For entrepreneurs wanting to start a business, the Internet provides a world of opportunity. Some blogs are side-projects with a goal of earning a supplemental monthly income while others are full-time businesses.
Business blogs employ content marketing. By that I mean they focus on providing relevant, high-quality articles for a targeted (niche) audience that draw traffic. Content creation relies upon keyword research. Bloggers craft each new blog post around a primary keyword. Each post must answer questions that are uppermost in the minds of targeted readers.
Bloggers grow their readership by writing valuable, engaging, and shareable content. They must use search engine optimization techniques to draw organic search traffic. Actively using social media and encouraging readers to share content on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google Plus is also essential.
What Can You Blog About?
Very simply, anything you’have a passion for. If you stick with your passions, special interests, and skills, content writing is enjoyable and a pleasant experience. Writing about a topic close to your heart is not only a joy, but your sincerity will shine through.
Find your voice, express your thoughts, and connect with like-minded readers. Topics like fitness, weight loss, drones, coffee, essential oils, teas, gaming, pets, golf, and making money online are just a tiny sample of your many choices.
A Blog is an Effective Addition to Any Business Website
A blog can stand alone as a business in its own right. But it should also be noted that many brick and mortar businesses have websites today. Adding a blog to a static website can be an effective technique to substantially grow an existing business.
This tactic works well because blogs by definition are continually updated. Constantly adding fresh information is an excellent way to attract more search engine traffic. Even more importantly, it’s a fabulous way to retain regular customers by continually refreshing your site with useful information like reviews of new products you’ve added to your line.
How Does a Blog Actually Make Money?
Once you have traffic, blogs can earn money in a myriad of different ways. Here are the more common approaches:
- Display Ads
- Affiliate Marketing
- Sell Digital Products
- Sell Physical Products
- Offer Services
Let’s explore each of these options in a bit more detail.
Display Ads
Display ads on a blog, sometimes called banner ads, are not much different than ads appearing in a magazine or on a billboard. Publishers (bloggers) connect with advertisers through ad networks like Google Adsense or Blogads.
The idea is to complement the blog’s content with ads displayed in sidebars, headers, or footers. Blogs generate advertising revenue when readers click on the banners to further investigate product offerings. Display ads are an easy monetization strategy to implement.
However, you do need to have a lot of traffic to earn more than a few bucks a month. Adsense is a strategy that is best implemented once a blog is well-established.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing entails promoting the products of other entities in exchange for a commission. Regardless of the niche, you choose to target with your blog, you will find many affiliate programs to join and products that you can promote on your site. Joining an affiliate program is always free, and it’s a very simple process.
Vendors provide banners (affiliate links) that you add to your blog. If your readers click on a link and subsequently make a purchase, you will earn a commission at no additional cost to the purchaser. Affiliate marketing is a proven strategy that many blogs (including this one) use to earn money.
You can find more details on affiliate marketing by reading my post, Is Affiliate Marketing for Beginners?
Sell Digital Products
It’s possible to make money with a blog by selling digital products such as e-books. Is there something you’re good at that other people want to know about? Can you write a “how to” e-book? Or, why not create an online course and offer it on your blog?
Sell Physical Products
Selling your own physical products is another option. This alternative is more involved than affiliate marketing because you have to deal with inventory and shipping considerations, but it may be the right choice for some business bloggers. I’ve known this to work well for people who are crafty and are interested in marketing handmade products.
Offer Services
Perhaps you are interested in offering services such as website design or consulting services in your professional field. A blog may be a good vehicle for launching and promoting these types of services and developing your personal brand.
You should be aware that a blog, like any other form of business, takes time to become successful. The initial setup is very quick and painless. It literally takes four clicks of your mouse and minutes to create your blogging framework.
However, it will take persistence and some hard work to see results. You should expect to spend several months creating content before you see financial rewards, but it’s worth the effort!
You can view a video on my Build a Website page that will walk you step-by-step through the creation process.
Start Your WA Blog in 2017
There is no question that a blog is a flexible form of business. It also has the added advantages of being an online, home-based business. If you are interested in establishing a blogging business of your own, I would like to tell you about a fantastic opportunity to start a blog today with the same online platform I used to create the blog you are currently reading.
I started my blog with an organization called Wealthy Affiliate (WA). I highly recommend WA because they offer all of the resources and training you need to launch your blog and learn how to develop it the right way.
Best of all, they offer a 100% free Starter Membership. Yes, that’s right! You can build a blog, publish it on the Internet and complete 10 training lessons for free. If you decide that blogging is a good fit for you, you’ll probably want to upgrade to a premium membership at some point because of the additional training available.
But there’s no pressure. You can create a free account with nothing more than an email address and remain at the level for as long as you desire. It’s an exceptional way to test the “online waters.” Read about all the advantages of membership in Wealthy Affiliate.
Final Thoughts
I hope you now feel far more comfortable answering the question, is blogging a business venture? It’s an ideal business for many folks with highly diverse interests. What would you blog about? Leave your questions and thoughts on blogging in the comment section below.
Please share this post on your favorite social media sites if you found this information helpful!
Like It? Please Share It!
True that the way of making money has changed a lot from the initial show up of that thing called “the internet”. The possibilities are enormous but a man should have a moment of a mind shift as well which can be hard. How much time approximately would it take in order to build a foundation of your online business and start earning a full time income?
Hi Sam,
Your question is one that I’m asked all the time and I wish I could give you a definitive answer. But unfortunately there are just too many variables to predict income and I’ve known people who experienced wildly different results. I can tell you that very few people earn any income for the first six months. During those months, your site doesn’t have much content and Google is still assessing your blog. There isn’t a lot of trust yet. If you push through those months and remain committed to publishing quality content on a regular basis, results will start to improve.
I know a lot of people who earn a very nice living from blogging. Some of them persisted for years but eventually achieved their dream. For others it happened sooner. I think the biggest problem is that many people give up too soon. I hope you’ll choose something you’re passionate about and stick with it. It’s much easier to put forth consistent effort if you love what you’re doing.
I strongly recommend that you get the right training. The training and support that is available through Wealthy Affiliate can make all the difference. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors!
Great article on blogging. I started blogging about 10 yrs ago and there weren’t many guides to go by. You just winged it. In fact, I spent as much time on the mechanics of the blog as the content of the articles. Your review is a refreshing in that it basically explains in detail what blogging is all about, AND the fact that you can make money off of it is icing on the cake. Well done!
Hi Warren,
It’s true that blogging and the entire process of building a website has come a long way in the past 10 years. Today’s tools make the mechanics fairly simple. Creating quality content that appeals to your target audience can be challenging. And yet, writing about a topic close to your heart can also be a joy. Blogging can work for just about anyone willing to invest some effort in their future.
Thanks for sharing your comments!