The Impact of Blogging on the online space

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Blogs have allowed businesses & individuals around the world to connect with people. They have created economic opportunities & built online communities where people with the same interests can share ideas & advice.

The power of the blog is still thriving. Today, we'll see why.

What is a 'blog'?

If you don't know what a 'blog' is, let me explain.

A blog  is a website where an individual person, or people representing an organization, writes regularly about recent events or topics that interest them, usually with photos and links to other websites that they find interesting. 

For example, I have a strong interest in the topic of Communication. That is why, I started this blog Communication Café to talk about all the interesting aspects of communication.

Take another example, say you love to play musical instruments. You can start a blog where you talk about the art of playing musical instruments. You can talk about different types of musical instruments, tips on buying a good musical instrument, tips to take care of musical instruments and so on.

Still having trouble understanding this concept? 

Here's a short, easy-to-follow video that explains what a blog is. 

                                                               Courtesy: YouTube

The power of the Blog

        1. Blogs help you expand your network - both online & offline

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“The richest people in the world build networks; everyone else is trained to look for work”. This is the useful advice from Robert Kiyosaki, the famous author of ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad.’ This is the mistake that the unemployed & young entrepreneurs make. Building a blog on your topic of interest can help you land new & unique opportunities through online & real-life networks. Field-specific blogs help you attract potential employers or even sponsors.

For example, if you are a doctor, you can start your own blog where you talk about medical issues. This can help you land a job at a hospital, clinic or medical institution. Or if you have a private practice it can attract clients. You can even have an interactive blog where clients can share their medical concerns.

Say you are a painter. You can start your own blog where you share beautiful images of your original works. You can even share the posts on social media. This can draw people to buy your art. It will also attract other painters & artists to collaborate with you.

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You can start a blog on anything: your field of expertise, a personal interest, personal experiences or a hobby.

       2. Blogs help to build your digital skills

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Building your own blog helps you learn new digital skills that you never thought of. It's not anything super techy but still useful & easy to do.

You learn to use certain HTML and CSS codes to add graphics or other elements to your website instead of paying someone to do it for you. You will also gain other blog-related skills like graphic design, social media marketing and content creation.

For example, starting my blog helped me learn certain skills like how to add ads on your blog using platforms like Adsterra. It also helped me be more mindful of how I create my content, that is, consistency & simplicity.

        3. Blogs have a significant influence on purchase decisions

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Blogs are one of the top online tools that influence a purchase. When making purchase decisions, consumers rank blogs third behind retail and brand sites. Despite the great influence of blogs on consumers, companies are still spending very little on blogging advertising and marketing initiatives with bloggers.

         4. The power of the written word

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Many online users like it when attractive short videos & photos are used to quickly convey a message. However, don't think even for a second that this means that people nowadays don't appreciate the written word. People still read. They appreciate well-thought-out text blog posts. A well-thought-out blog post is like a carefully written letter that speaks to the individual reader. It prompts action & thought. It evokes emotion. Or all the above.

If you can use your blog, to prompt someone to take action, to think or feel, then it's definitely worth putting effort into.

        5. Blogging as a business

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Blogs have become a big business with a couple of recent blog networks being acquired by large companies. America Online purchased Weblogs, Inc. in October 2005 for an estimated $25 million. Weblogs, Inc. is a network of over 85 blogs covering a variety of topic areas.

For individual blogs, it is a common practice to use platforms like Adsterra & Google AdSense as a means to earn money through advertising. A blog can earn tens of dollars per month to earn thousands of dollars per month. This depends on popularity. The more popular the blog, the more it earns. However, it is still great to see that even young blogs can earn something as they gradually grow.

Blogging: Will it stay or go?

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Blogging has changed the online space greatly not only for companies but also for individuals. It has provided an oasis for business growth & self-expression alike. Whether blogging sticks around or fades away, it's definitely something we should all keep our eyes on.

Sources:

• https://blog.ureed.com/2018/05/07/bloggers-hugely-impact-society/, Bloggers and How They Hugely Impact Society, Mango L., 2018.
• https://www.verticalresponse.com/blog/the-impact-of-blogging-and-online-influencers/, The Impact of Blogging and Online Influencers, 2013.
• https://robbieallen.medium.com/the-impact-of-blogging-a15eb69386bf, The Impact of Blogging, Allen R., 2005.
• https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/blog_1?q=blog, accessed on 14th January 2021.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjwUHXoi8lM, accessed on 14th January 2021.
• pexels.com