The word ‘blog’ has only existed for a mere twenty years and was first coined by Peter Merholz in 1999. Since then, the concept of blogging has become a worldwide phenomenon and a legitimate way to earn a living for many. Indeed, there are an estimated 500 million blog sites on the internet with over 2 million posts each day. Some sites only get a few hits in their lifetime, but others cultivate endless views. So, how did the best in the business get to the top?
Virtually anyone can start a blog, which is why it is such an appealing work prospect. But those considering getting into it should be aware that it is hard to become one of the most viewed pages on the planet. Even so, if you follow the right steps when you start your own blog, there is the potential to make some decent earnings. One of the most important attributes for a blogger to have is passion. You need to have a keen interest in the thing that you’re writing about; otherwise, you may find yourself getting bored. Professional blogger Matthew Kaboomis Loomis also notes that your passion needs to be channeled in the right areas if you want to be a winner.
Other than reading guides, looking at some of the most successful blogs in the world and how they got there could help. HuffPost (originally The Huffington Post) is now one of the most widely recognized blog pages on the internet. It has 110 million unique monthly visitors and generates an estimated monthly revenue of $14 million. It started off as a liberal political site, but now features anything and everything – as long as it’s original and going to be of interest to its readers. The blog’s creator, Arianna Huffington, cleverly made use of social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to reach as many people as possible. There was also a heavy focus on articles that people would find shareable.
An example of a massively successful and longstanding blog is Mashable, which began in Scotland all the way back in 2005. Pete Cashmore focused on technology advancements but found success by staying ahead of the game when it came to social media development. He was an early adopter of Facebook and used it as a way to spread his message and attract followers. Perez Hilton is another site that started in 2005 and is still growing in scale. The gossip website brings in nearly 15 million people each month, and this number is rising. The creator, Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr, found a niche that people were desperate for. He mainly focused on exposés of celebrities.
Some of the most crucial attributes for prospective bloggers to have are a passion, dedication, and an original idea. Once the blog is created, getting it shared around on social media is the best way to reach as many readers as possible.
