Blogging, Today

This afternoon, Freelancer.com wrote "Let me blow your mind with a statistic: there are over 152 million blogs floating around out there in cyberspace."

• 43% of those blogs are on Wordpress.
• 35% are on Blogger.
• 16% are on Tumblr.
• Adds up to 94% ~~ (The remaining 6% are sprinkled across random smaller platforms.)

Last night, I talked to someone who was considering building an online store, and suggested that he create his own blog, now, to begin building a base of potential customers.

I find the FreeLancer timing really good because my advice was to use WordPress or Blogger.com for his platform. I explained how Blogger.com will allow him to concentrate on content and leave the technical details to blogger.

[~~ Even though this blog uses the URL www.ABCInc.pw, the back end is actually maintained by blogger.com. Here's a link to explain how this is done: webtools.abcinc.pw ~~]

Freelancer, in turn had found some of the numbers from another blog at WPVirtuoso. Virtuoso lists interesting facts about blogs and why businesses should have a blog:

1. A lot of people read blogs more than once daily.
2. Reading usually starts at 7.am and reaches a peak period at 10am.
3. Sharing blogs usually reaches a peak at 7.am
4. Comments on blogs hit the highest point at 8.am.
5. The findings of a recent survey reveal that most prefer to read blogs in the morning that at any other time of the day. 
1. 79% of the people interviewed said they prefer to read blogs in the morning, 
2. 64% have a preference for afternoon, 
3. 51% prefer evening, and 
4. 40% favor night.
   (Don't ask me how that adds up?!)
6. Businesses that update their blogs 20 times a month (i.e 4-5 times per week) generate 5 times more traffic than those that update their blogs less than 4 times a month.
7. Businesses that own and regularly update their blogs generate 4 times more lead than those that do not own a blog.
8. Blogs help to influence customers’ buying decisions and purchases.
9. Companies that have more than 51% articles on their blogs experience a 77% increment in median monthly leads.

My take-away: Besides being amused at the timing, it reinforced my recommendations, I think blogs are an excellent way share your own knowledge and to reach out to friends and prospective clients. My engineering background likes to get involved in the technical side of blogging, but we should never forget that the main purpose of blogging is to present content...

---

Here's what I had suggested:

• Start your own blog/blog site. You can set up a basic WordPress site, or leverage a free service like blogger.com until you get your bearings.
• Use your blog domain name for an email address, even if it's a forwarder to your GMail account.
• Write something on your own blog every week, minimum.
• Tips. Tricks. Work-arounds. How-tos. Editorials (always be positive and encouraging).
• Pick a day of the week to publish ~ maybe first thing Saturday morning.
• Posts don't have to be particularly long; maybe a few hundred words.
• Relevant pictures help fill up space and make articles more interesting.
• Maybe you can embed videos. Easy to make even with a cell phone.
• Be sure your posts are worth reading, though.
• Post notes and teasers about your blog on social media outlets with a clear "READ MORE AT (Your URL)..."
• Spend an hour every day (or at least every other day) researching other sites with your interests. Find, read and answer other blogs. Put your own URL clearly in your signture block and proudly display it on every post you add to any other site.
• Grab another gmail address and sign up for blogs and newsletters. You are as interested in the people and the processes as you are interested in the content of their work.
• Publish a monthly newsletter of your own of any sort. Maybe something detailed. Maybe a summary of your own blogs. (MailChimp is free up to 2000 subscribers.)

The whole purpose of blogging, in this context, is to
[1] become known as an expert, go-to guy and
[2] collect email addresses.

---

This just popped up through linkedin:

Top Six Most Profitable Niches for Blogger To Start Blogging

I haven't yet cracked the code on how to make my own blogs profitable, so I like reading about blogging. I'm largely in volunteer mode right now, so profitability is not a high priority. That said, I was still interested in this particular article.

1. Health & Fitness
2. Technology
3. Blogging (Yes; blog about blogging!)
4. Business
5. Personality Development 
6. "As You Wish"

It's interesting that this site has found a way to "protect" their content. You cannot highlight, copy, and post anything from the page. Those were the 6 niches, and you're welcome to visit the site if you want more detail. (The link will open in a new tab, and when you close the tab you will return here.)

Top Six Most Profitable Niches for Blogger To Start Blogging