Why should you starting a blog in 2023? Well, if you’re reading this article, you probably already have some motivation to start. Maybe you’re still contemplating whether it’s worth it in today’s age. So let’s discuss why blogging is better now than it was, let’s say, 10-15 years ago.
The early days of blogging
I remember the early days of blogging in my country (Czech Republic, Europe). Blogging was simply about someone creating a personal blog on a free domain when they went, for example, on a trip abroad. They would write a few articles about their experiences and share those articles via email with their family and friends. Occasionally, a stranger would stumble upon the blog and read it. You can imagine that such a blog couldn’t be monetized (earn money from it). People were discovering the magic of the internet and wanted to use a blog to become a bit more visible and share their thoughts and experiences with their closest circle.
Then came the era of smartphones and Facebook, and suddenly, nobody had to write long articles anymore. Taking a photo, writing one sentence, and sharing it with friends was enough. It became quite a trend. The popularity of blogs started to decline. Over time, people got a bit tired of short posts on Facebook – they realized that one line of text and a photo were not enough, and they started blogging more again. This time, thanks to social media, they could share their articles with a much larger audience (Facebook groups, Instagram, Pinterest) interested in thematic articles. Bloggers started attracting their audience – with specific interests (whether it’s cooking, travel, stay-at-home moms, entrepreneurs, … some audiences even form around bloggers in certain locations – for example, “Things to Do in New York City”).
A stay-at-home mom starts a blog
This targeted audience began to attract providers of products and services. Let’s take an example – a stay-at-home mom starts a blog about taking care of 0-6-year-old children. She attracts an audience composed of other moms and starts giving them advice on what helped her, where she bought certain things, how she manages with a little baby… Such an audience is very interesting for sellers of baby items or manufacturers of special healthy food for children, children’s toys. The seller contacts the blogger and asks if she wants to try one of their products and write a review on her blog. Of course, for financial compensation.
The same applies in reverse – a mom blogger can reach out to sellers about her blog and inform them that she already uses one of their products and would like to arrange a “sponsored post” – again, for financial compensation. There are now many influencer networks where you can register your blog, and manufacturers look for suitable audiences and bloggers to establish collaborations.
Or a mom can buy baby items on Amazon, write a review, and use affiliate links in the article that lead directly to the product page on Amazon. If someone purchases the product, the mom receives a commission. Bloggers and their audiences often have a friendly relationship, and that’s what attracts sellers. People are more likely to buy a product recommended by a friend rather than a product that pops up in some Google or Facebook ad.
In today’s age, this monetization system for blogs is incredibly sophisticated. That wasn’t the case before. But you can still do it the old-fashioned way – put a thousand ad banners from Google AdSense on your blog and entertain readers with pop-up ads 🙂 I still see that quite often on many blogs today.
We will gradually discuss all the different methods of monetizing in this series.
That’s about it regarding how I perceive the development of blogging…
Let’s summarize: Why should you starting a blog in 2023?
Wide accessibility: Thanks to technological advancements and internet expansion, blogging is much more accessible today. You can easily create and manage a blog without extensive technical knowledge. There are many user-friendly platforms that allow you to publish your content quickly and easily.
Global reach: The internet overcomes geographical barriers and enables you to share your thoughts and experiences with people all around the world. Through social media and online communities, you can easily connect with people who share the same interests and build your own readership base.
Monetization and opportunities: With online advertising, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and other monetization methods, blogging is financially attractive today. There are plenty of opportunities to generate income through blogging, whether it’s passive income or collaborations with various brands and companies.
More tools and resources: Nowadays, we have a wide range of tools and resources available to enhance and professionally manage our blogs. There are plugins, templates, analytical tools, SEO helpers, and more, allowing you to optimize your blog and track its performance.
Expanded community aspects: Blogging today is not just about one-way communication. There are active communities of bloggers and readers where you can share your content, comment, and receive feedback. This expands the possibilities for interaction, exchanging opinions, and building a loyal audience.
These factors demonstrate that blogging in today’s era offers much greater potential and opportunities than it did 10 years ago. It’s a great way to share your ideas, inspire people, build your personal brand, and even create financial stability. You can become part of a dynamic online space where you have the freedom to express your own voice and be heard.
Thanks to various social media platforms and technological advancements, you also have the chance to reach a wider audience and receive quicker and greater responses to your content. You can utilize visual elements, videos, infographics, and other tools that attract attention and increase the attractiveness of your blog.
Furthermore, with a vast amount of information available online, you can easily learn new skills, improve your writing, gain knowledge in digital marketing, and much more. There is a wide range of online courses, communities, and resources that can help you excel and grow as a blogger.
So, if you have a passion, interest in a particular topic, and a desire to share your thoughts with the world, there is no better time than today to start blogging. Embrace the challenge, create your unique space on the internet, and bring value and inspiration to others. Your blogging can change your life and open doors to endless possibilities.
The main pillars of modern blogging include:
- Careful selection of a blog topic (niche) – we’ll discuss this in the next installment.
- Identifying a target audience – who will be the readers of your blog.
- Planning your blogging strategy.
- Writing quality articles.
- Incorporating SEO and link building.
- Building a dedicated audience.
- Monetization as your reward.
Everything requires careful and honest work. No strange practices like “follow for follow,” no spamming, and so on.
In the next installment, we will talk about choosing a blog topic (niche). It is a crucial decision from which many other tasks will stem, so we cannot overlook it.
Next chapter: 2. How to Select the Perfect Niche for Your Blog
Previous chapter: Welcome to the “Basics of Blogging” series!