What does it mean to be a blogger?

Bloggers are misunderstood. I’m on a quest to better define the term blogger – to give bloggers a credible place in the world.

The current definition of blogger, according to Google, is: a person who regularly writes material for a blog Which is true, but there is so much more to bloggers than that. Bloggers get a bad rap, which just isn’t fair. “You know everyone thinks we’re fools, right? To most of the world, blogging is a joke.” – Jon Morrow Don’t even bother reading the definitions of blogger submitted to Urban Dictionary. They are just plain rude. Most of them were written before 2009 and blogging has changed since then. That “silly” association to the name is hard to shake. However, we know that blogging is a credible career. Bloggers do more than write regularly. And blogging certainly isn’t a joke. Here’s the real definition of blogger. Let’s dig deeper though. I asked a few people that I admire in the blogging community to help me describe what being a blogger means to them. You’ll see their thoughts below. Pin it for later!

Bloggers create online content

Content comes in many forms and topics. Some bloggers write about healthy living while others share decadent desserts. Some blog posts are podcast or video while others are 1,000-word essays. The common denominator being that bloggers publish regular content (frequently displayed chronologically) for an online audience. “A blogger is an individual who has chosen to share their expertise and knowledge through an online platform. The most successful bloggers I know are those who are open and willing to teach their readers everything they know about a specific skill, art form, or practice. For example: For me personally, being a blogger allows me to share my passion for paper crafting, baking, and design with those who I would never be able to reach if it weren’t for the internet.” – Melissa, melissarosedesign.com “A blogger is someone who educates, inspires or entertains her audience with content. They don’t publish content for the sake of filling a publishing queue. They tie every piece of content to their goals and larger marketing plan. They create content, products and services with intent to serve their audience.” – Meera, meerakothand.com

Bloggers provide value to their audience

Blogging is different than online journaling. While there are people who use a blog for journaling, today we are talking about people who are in the business of blogging. These people write to a specific audience with the intent of providing value to their reader’s lives. Successful blog posts will inspire, motivate, educate, or entertain the intended audience. • Bloggers Inspire • Bloggers Educate • Bloggers Entertain “A blogger is someone who uses their knowledge, experiences, gifts, talents, and expertise to create content that will help and serve others.” –Abby, justagirlandherblog.com “Blogging is definitely an interesting business and it can mean many different things. For me, being a blogger means being able to write on topics that I enjoy and helping people along the way. It’s about changing people’s mindsets and helping them improve their life. It’s about getting people to try new things and learn from my experiences and my own thoughts.” – Michelle, makingsenseofcents.com “The definition of a blogger can be vague and hard to explain. Most people think that bloggers are nerdy computer geeks who type post after post and publish them on websites. But the definition of a blogger has evolved over the past few years. Instead of just pushing content, bloggers have evolved into online teachers. And that is exactly what I say when I explain what I do to my friends. Bloggers don’t just share their life stories in journal format anymore, they are now online teachers, experts, and gurus on specific topics. Through teaching and helping others, you can monetize your expertise. Their personalities still shine through as they incorporate a lot of their life experiences into their teaching, but it no longer makes up the core of the content. In short, a blogger is a person who uses online content creation to teach others.” – Suzi, startamomblog.com “A few years ago (when my blog was still a side hustle) I got a part-time job at the YMCA. When my manager introduced me to the team, she said, “watch out – he’s a blogger – so he might blog about you”. I just chuckled and thought to myself, no I would never blog about you or anything that happens here because you have absolutely nothing to do with my niche and it would provide no value to my audience. The truth is, a blogger is someone who inspires change in their audience. Being a blogger means that you solve a specific problem for a specific group of people. That could be weight loss, dating tips, simply entertainment – whatever. It’s all about giving something to your tribe – it doesn’t matter if it’s through an article, video, podcast, or webinar. A blogger is anyone who uses content to provide value to an online audience.” – Eli, Launch Your Dream

Bloggers have many job responsibilities

Especially bloggers that are going at it solo-prenuer style. Bloggers do not simply sit down at the desk write for a little bit and hit publish. There are many tasks and skill sets needed to run a blog. Here are just a few examples:

• Social media marketing (Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, you name it)
• Graphic Design
• Photography
• Copywriting
• Editing/Proofreading
• SEO
• Video Editing
• Cinematography
• Customer Service
• Email marketing
• Consulting
• Web Design
• Storytelling
• Podcasting
• Publications
• Public Relations

“Bloggers have a wide skill set that ranges from writing to marketing to photography to business to creativity to social skills and so much more.” – Abby, justagirlandherblog.com

Bloggers put a lot of time and hard work into their blogs

Going right along with the laundry list of skills bloggers might have, blogging does take time. It’s not easy money. It is a job (even if we love doing it!). “When I started blogging, I had no idea how much work went into every single post. From the outside, it can seem like bloggers spend an hour or two writing up a post when in fact, blog posts can take anywhere from 5-20 hours per post depending on the subject matter. Think of it this way. If you were working in corporate, you would have separate individuals for design, marketing, photography, editing, and writing. But with blogging, you take on all those roles (unless you have a team). For me, I can spend upwards to 15-20 hours on each post, as I spend 2-3 hours conceptualizing, 2-3 hours for design, 2-4 hours for shooting & photo editing, and then another 2-3 hours on writing and promoting.” – Melissa, melissarosedesign.com

Bloggers use different strategies

“Bloggers do lots of different things, and not every blogger does the same task. Some bloggers make money one way and another blogger may not have ever even heard of it. Blogs have articles and content on their website, sometimes pictures, sometimes video, sometimes podcast, and so on. Bloggers may be active on social media, or they may generate great traffic just from having great content.” – Michelle, makingsenseofcents.com What works for one blogger, might not work for another blogger. Each blogger has to find a strategy that works for them and their target audience. This usually means combining several different marketing techniques. “Today’s bloggers also know that a mesh of strategy and marketing are important to turn their blogs into businesses. They also take pro-active steps to grow their blog.” – Meera, meerakothand.com Not only do bloggers strategies differ from each other, but a blogger will change their tactics from the previous year. “Blogging, online business, and social media are constantly changing; strategies that worked amazingly five, three, or even one year ago may be completely obsolete and ineffective today. Because of this, bloggers are always learning to adapt, innovate, and stay ahead of the curve when it comes to creating and promoting their content. They aren’t afraid to shift their focus and efforts in order to better meet the needs of their audience.” – Abby, justagrilandherblog.com

Bloggers work together

Are you surprised to see this one in the list? Growth happens when bloggers work together. They collaborate on projects, the share each other’s articles; they encourage each other on their wins. The hashtag #communityovercompetition is a thing for a reason. “Rather than competing with one another, bloggers have learned that blogging is best done in community, and that when they collaborate with one another, everyone can benefit. They are constantly working together to try new strategies and improve their craft in order to bring new ideas to their audiences and to the world.” –Abby, justagrilandherblog.com

Bloggers are business owners

A business is an activity that someone is regularly engaged in with the intent to earn a profit. A blog does not have to be making a profit to be considered a business. If your blog (business) experiences loss before it does increase (which, most will) then it is still a business. A blogger’s business can be full-time or part-time. It can be a solo business or bloggers can bring on employees.

Bloggers have their own brand

Whether intentional or not, each blog has a brand associated with it. Your brand launches when you hit publish on that first blog post. The brand of a blog is more than just the logo and colors of the blog’s site. The brand includes the blogger’s voice, values, the way readers feel when they read the blog. The brand also includes the images and decorative aspects of the blog. The content a blogger says/shares on social media also contributes to their blog’s brand. “If you are in the blog industry for success and readership then there is really no choice but to brand your blog. You may not even realize that your blog already has a brand of sorts but it simply isn’t a concise or directed one. You may be able to take your existing blog brand and develop it further. Using an existing brand to create a new brand is a simple and easy conversion process that can build new readers without losing old readers.” -Olyvia Rose, Branding your blog is difficult, or is it?

Bloggers make money

As stated in the bloggers are business owners section, bloggers do make money. WOOT! Bloggers make money several different ways, and most have more than one income stream. In a brief description, bloggers make money the following ways:

1. Creating sponsored content
2. Selling ad space on their blog
3. Selling products – their own or affiliate products
4. Selling courses or other education programs – their own or affiliate courses
5. Offering coaching or niche related services

Bloggers are online professionals

In 2017 blogging is a professional career (it has been for many years) There are many opportunities for bloggers – and there is a lot of flexibility. Blogging is a job/business that you can make your own. It can be as big or as small as you want. Regina has even mapped out career paths for bloggers. The future is bright for bloggers. If you want to become a blogger, you can! While background experience helps, there are no set prerequisites for getting started. First, decide on a topic to write about that will inspire, educate, or entertain people. Then you can setup your blog and you’re on your way to becoming a blogger.

Proud to be a blogger

I am an online business owner. I am a content creator. I am a blogger. Are you a blogger too? I created this graphic for you! Just right click and save. Share your blog on your personal Instagram/Facebook and tell your friends about your job as a blogger. Take ownership of being a blogger. You got this!