Is writing and creating content for publication part of your job description? Many people think so, as blogging is one of the most in-demand industries. It seems that everyone wants to be a content writer, whether for SEO, marketing, or communications purposes.
The question is: How lucrative is this career choice? We examined the data to find out how much money you can make as a content writer, whether you create for profit or nonprofit organizations.
Your Ideal Blogging Client
You may have heard of the expression ‘blogging for money’. This is when you create content for monetary gain. However, most bloggers intend to monetize their content for fun or to fund their niche hobbies. When it comes to money, most people prefer to keep their options open rather than limit themselves to one type of client. This is why you will usually find a wide variety of jobs as a content writer, whether you want to tackle SEO, digital marketing, or communications needs. There is no ‘average’ blogging client, as every single project is unique.
The Economics Of Blogging
Blogging is a form of content curation. You show the world various articles, tips, and guides that are of interest to your target audience. The articles are usually brief and to the point, designed to grab the attention of website visitors. Naturally, as with any other form of content curation, the demand for blogging skills will continue to rise.
A 2015 report from WordStream predicted that blogging would become even more in-demand, with employers opting to recruit candidates who can craft engaging content for websites and social media platforms. This preference is clearly linked to the increasing role that content plays in digital marketing and sales.
The Growing Gig Economy
The gig economy is a phrase used to describe an emerging pattern of work. Instead of working for one company for your whole career, you take on multiple gigs, sometimes simultaneously. This is one way that the digital nomad lifestyle has become so appealing. You pack your bags, hit the road, and land in a new place each week. Sometimes you even live in a van down by the river! Your work is flexible, and you can choose when you work and how you work. This is appealing to anyone who wants to pursue a life of travel or who wants to try something new.
Not so long ago, a writer’s livelihood depended on newspaper deadlines, popular magazines, and literary awards. However, as the digital age approached, all of this changed. Nowadays, the most reliable and effective way to make money is from a blog. The options for making money from a blog are endless, with affiliate marketing, blogging for hire, and even sponsored posts the most popular ways to earn cash from a website.
The Advantages Of Blogging
Blogging has numerous advantages. You can build up a following, gain credibility, and showcase your expertise quickly and easily. You also have the opportunity to become an authority in your niche, which can help you land more lucrative jobs or give you the platform to become a freelance writer.
Starting a blog is easy, and most platforms, such as WordPress, empower users with minimal technical knowledge. You also have the option of using free platforms like Blogger or Medium to get your content online. If you want to further monetize your blog, you can set up affiliate marketing or sell and display ads on your site. You can even make money through memberships, by offering specialized training programs, or by becoming a social media influencer.
Top Versus Flat Blogging: Which Is Better?
What is the difference between a top-level and a flat blog? A top-level blog has several tiers, or ‘levels’, ranging from the very top, where you as a writer make money, to the very bottom, where you as a reader make money. Typically, these blogs are corporate, with the owner or editor-in-chief of the site acting as the ‘CEO’ of the company. They might even have multiple writers, each paid a certain sum. A flat blog doesn’t have these tiers, or ‘levels’, and is a single layer, where the editor-in-chief is either the owner or the sole contributor to the blog, and no one else is paid to write for it. In other words, everyone is a writer on a flat blog!
Now, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have tiers in your blog. Everyone has different writing styles and expertise, and you can group content according to relevance or importance to create tiers or ‘levels’ in your blog. But, for the purposes of this article, we’ll discuss the differences between a flat blog and a top-level blog.
The Top-Level Blog
The top-level blog gives you, as a writer, the opportunity to specialize. If you have a genuine talent for creating engaging content, you can develop your own blog to become an expert in your niche. When visitors come to your blog looking for information on your chosen topic, you can direct them to more in-depth articles or guides that you’ve written. This way, you can show the world what you can do and encourage them to come back for more, either through advertisements or affiliate marketing on your site.
The advantages of a top-level blog are numerous. You can build a large audience, gain credibility, and show what you can do quickly and easily. You have the opportunity to earn money passively through displaying ads and earning affiliate commissions or to become an expert in your niche and actively start making money from your blog.
The Flat Blog
On the other hand, a flat blog gives you, as a writer, less opportunity for specialization and more exposure to new ideas and ways of thinking. If you’re looking for a career change, or perhaps just want to try something new, then a flat blog could be the ideal option for you. You won’t find a top-level editor-in-chief guiding the direction of your content, as there’s no boss standing over you, demanding that you churn out content. Instead, you’ll simply be offering your opinion on a variety of subjects, with no guarantee of pay beyond that!
Whichever option you choose, the choice is entirely up to you. The important thing is that you choose a path that makes you happy and provides you with the opportunity to grow as a professional. If you want to become a freelance writer, starting a blog is a great way to do that. You can then work on securing contracts with businesses and organizations that need a steady supply of content.