Blogging has become big news in recent times and I believe it’s not even reached its peak just yet

Here are some stats just from WordPress which is one of the most popular blogging platforms:

• Over 409 million people view more than 23.6 billion pages each month.
• Users produce about 82.7 million new posts and 44.5 million new comments each month.

These statistics are pretty staggering!  And let’s not forget this is just one blogging platform and there are plenty more out there probably with their own tremendous figures too.

Blogging has surprisingly become my main income in the last six months, even though I’ve been blogging for over four years.  What started out as an idea to drive traffic to my ecommerce store, turned into a passionate hobby and has now turned into my self employed income.  I’m still amazed I can make a sustainable income from my online activities, but more and more people are discovering the same.

I see that blogging has changed quite a lot since its humble beginnings, with brands realising the advantages of unique content creation in aiding their own SEO efforts.  Sponsored blog posts are becoming common place for those who wish to monetise their blogs and this practice seems to be booming just now.

Here are my thoughts on the future of blogging:

New blogging platform with everything integrated in one place

I see most bloggers seem to prefer WordPress or Blogger, but I wonder if a new all-singing-all-dancing blogging platform is on the horizon.  Something which does everything you need it to with a billion templates, themes and features where you need no technical know-how.  A platform that makes everything so easy you can just get on with the writing and not all the faffing or tech issues!

More professional bloggers

There will still be those who blog for a hobby, but more bloggers seem to set up blogs for business purposes nowadays.  There are those who try to set theirs up just for freebies, but they rarely seem to last.  There’s no such thing as a freebie in the blogging world!  Blogging professionally takes a vast amount of time, knowledge and effort and it certainly doesn’t suit everyone.  I believe there will be more people starting a blog with a business plan and goals in mind, rather than purely a pastime.

More brands using blogger services

It’s possible there will be a shift in online advertising, which I think we are beginning to see already.  As people become irritated by online ads ruining their viewing experience they are installing ad blockers.  This is not good news for brands wanting to get their products and message out there!  Brands will need to find new ways to reach their audiences and blogs are perfect for this.  Natural content is much more appealing than advertorials.  Natural content is also the perfect place for brands to place links and improve their SEO.

Recognised as a profession

As blogging becomes more widely known it will begin to be recognised as a credible profession.  At the moment many people do not understand how people make a living from a blog and I’ve even heard of bloggers (who blog full time) being told ‘get a proper job’.  Well excuse me, but making a full time income (or any income) from a blog means it is a job!

More competition

As more people monetise their blogs, more people will create blogs to make money.  This means there will be more and more competition for paid work.  This means starting a blog just to make money will become harder as there are so many others trying to do the same as you.

Less bloggers, more vloggers

Lots of bloggers seem to take the leap from writing to creating videos and becoming a YouTuber or vlogger.  As video continues to be on the rise and YouTube is forever growing in popularity I think more people will be interested in vlogging in the first place.  I still much prefer reading and writing so I’ll stick with old school typing for now!

 

*I've written this as part of Innovation Company's study on what bloggers see as the future of blogging