The blog has come a long way. Blogs used to be personal journals in digital form, platforms for mundane drivel (content that seems to have migrated to Facebook and Instagram). Now blogs are informative to the masses, entertaining and even profitable. If you’ve been curious about tapping into the blog market, there are a few things you need to know about the reality of the work. To get some expert insight, I spoke with Blair Koenig, author of the viral blog that pokes fun at parental oversharing on social media, STFU, Parents — a site that gets around 1.5 to 2 million page views a month.
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There are two general types of blogs: MABs (multi-author blogs) and single-author blogs. Under these categories, blogs branch off even further. Some blogs appear on professional websites, nonprofits or corporate websites. Others are intended to entertain or inform, often appearing similar in style to a digital magazine. Other blogs echo the old format, resembling personal diaries. Whatever the style, you’ll know it’s a blog if its stories appear in reverse chronological order (most recent post at the top), and if it has some interactive aspect, like a “comments” section.
Writing for an established MAB is often similar to writing for a magazine — you pitch the editor your idea, she gets back to you with a deadline, you write it and, depending on the blog, you may or may not get paid. Additionally, established MABs may not require freelancers to do any work on the technical side; that is, you simply provide them material and they publish it.
If you’re starting a single-author blog, on the other hand, be prepared to do some serious legwork. Koenig’s blog is her own brainchild, and after four years of blogging she’s still a solo act. “I definitely think it’s a lot more effort and time than people realize,” she says. When she first started, she was working on the blog seven days a week — and even now she’s spending most of every day going through submissions, updating social media, writing, doing interviews and other supplementary freelance gigs. “I might even go through 50 blog comments while in line at the post office or something, just to get it out of the way,” she says. “It’s just a messy ball of work.”
| “If you’re going for an idea-driven blog like STFU, Parents, your writing style and content choices will drive traffic to your site.” |
Generating the Perfect Idea
Though there isn’t a specific formula for finding that one “perfect idea” for a blog, Koenig believes that you’ll know it when you’ve found it. When she first observed how often parents were oversharing about their children on social media, she realized “this is definitely something people should be talking about because it’s kind of funny, and it’s kind of weird and it’s new.” She emphasizes the importance of freshness in a blog — having a unique approach to style or parenting or whatever your subject matter is essential to success.
The blog to which I contribute, Mommyish.com, is characterized in its title and slogan: “Parenting Imperfect.” I believe what sets Mommyish apart is its candid and humorous take on parenting. Mommyish doesn’t hold back from discussing the gritty side of raising a child, and its contrarian pieces often stir up conversation among the readership.
A successful blog topic also depends on your goals as a blogger. If you’re going for an idea-driven blog like STFU, Parents, your writing style and content choices will drive traffic to your site. When Koenig noticed that her content around the holiday season was especially popular, she decided to “blow up the holidays” and position them as something special for her readers to look forward to.
Monetizing Your Blog
When contributing to a MAB, your pay rate is your pay rate. But when you’re building your own personal blog, it’s up to you to figure out how to make money — whether it’s from ad networks, independent advertisers, book deals, stores or through other media outlets. Koenig jokes, “I know there’s a lot out there that makes it sound like if you’re a popular blogger someone’s going to just ring your doorbell and be like, ‘Hey, I want to make a movie [based on your blog]!’ But it’s really, really hard and usually a lot of that stuff is created from the blogger [rather] than the other way around.”
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Koenig uses three different ad networks and a couple of independent advertisers to earn money on her blog. She landed a book deal after completing the grueling process of writing a 60-page book proposal. She has plans to build a store within her website featuring STFU, Parents-themed merchandise as well. But money doesn’t suddenly start flowing in when your blog becomes popular, according to Koenig. She’s appeared on Good Morning America and various news outlets to talk about her blog, and although these appearances spike traffic to her site, she’s not getting paid outright for any publicity.
Her opportunities for income have primarily stemmed from her reaching out to advertisers, and even then, due to a downward trend in Internet advertising, it’s still “a juggling act, and it’s always shifting. A lot of it is actually money out of my pocket just to maintain the website.”
Dos and Don’ts of Blogging
If you’re in the beginning stages of starting your blog, there are several things you can do now to avoid difficulty down the line.
- Create brand consistency by registering your blog’s name as a domain name and on social media. Koenig admits, “I totally dropped the ball at one point and noticed someone had started an “STFU Parents” YouTube channel___ I could never get it back; I didn’t even try.”
- Once you have a social media presence, drive traffic to your site by updating posts on Facebook, Twitter or whichever other sites are appropriate for your blog. Koenig scours the Internet daily for interesting parenting-related stories, and updates her STFU, Parents Facebook page with links and photos.
- Establish consistency with posting. You don’t have to post every day if you don’t have the time, but choose a posting schedule, perhaps once a week, and stick to it religiously. If your readership looks forward to one post a day, and suddenly you drop it down to one a month, you may lose your audience.
| “Choose a posting schedule, perhaps once a week, and stick to it religiously. If your readership looks forward to one post a day, and suddenly you drop it down to one a month, you may lose your audience.” |
Because most blogs are community oriented, be prepared for negative feedback. The best way to deal with a “troll” or abrasive commenter, according to Koenig, is to “step away from the computer and take a walk, because it will put things in perspective.” When you get back to your desk, Koenig suggests you defend yourself calmly when there’s a serious misunderstanding — perhaps you chose a word that people are misinterpreting, and some clarification will make a big difference. Otherwise, she says, “it’s a lot like dealing with children. If you show weakness, then people will pile on top of you and make fun of you or call you a hypocrite___ it can really affect your self-esteem, and it can totally affect my output.” Remember, your job as a blogger is to maintain your blog. If negative comments are clouding your mind, the whole thing comes crashing down.
Using Your Blog As a Stepping Stone
Blogging isn’t for everyone. In addition to the time commitment, Koenig states that “there’s also a lot less money to be made, so the combination of those things is not always very helpful.” It’s true — it can be years before you monetize on your personal blog, and selling a piece here and there to a MAB may only supplement your writing career (if it even pays at all).
But if you have something important to say or sell, starting your own blog about it can be gratifying on many levels. You have ultimate control over the design and layout. You can pick and choose your own angles and topics. Above all, says Koenig, your blog “is an extension of who you are. I always wanted to focus on humor. Hopefully in the future I’ll continue to do more humor writing, and this could be a good stepping stone.” Whether you’re a master craftsperson, a burgeoning stylist or the next Stephen Colbert, a blog is a great way to project your voice and talents.
Amanda Layman Low is a freelance writer and artist. Contact her on Twitter @AmandaLaymanLow.
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