4 Different Types of Blogger
“Do you write a blog?” There was a time when a simple yes or no was enough, the concept was easily understood–you blog about stuff–nobody took it too seriously.
But, in the last five years blogging has exploded from a simple act of diary keeping to become a serious form of media and communications. I’ve been blogging since 2006 and have adapted this blog regularly to cope with new developments. If you’ve been a reader since the beginning you’ll know that it started life as a multi-author blog, it wasn’t about me and my writings, I was building a blog network. I would have put myself in number 3. on the list below at that stage (Professional blogger). I moved into number 4. (Blogging employee or contractor) in 2009 when I began writing search optimised content for a travel distribution business. I now place myself in both 1. (Casual blogger) and 2. (Self-employed individual who blogs).
People try all sorts of new ways to make blogging work for them, hopping from one camp to another, yet when talking about this medium there is still a tendency to group everyone under the same heading. Motivation, ethics, and strategy can be very different.
1. Casual blogger
The original. You blog for your own entertainment, to share your thoughts and immortalise your travels. It’s the new-age diary, it’s how blogging started.
2. Self-employed individual who blogs
You blog and offer your services through your blog. People once aspired to own a website with static content, now it’s all about the blog and keeping it fresh. Occasionally you receive a press release, maybe you get the odd freebie in exchange for a review, but ultimately you’re writing to stay current and visible in a space that aligns with the services you offer. Chances are you’re immersed in social media with accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Vimeo…
3. Professional blogger/publisher
You make a living (or atleast try to make a living) from your home on the web, from content creation, from selling advertising space, from winning sponsorships. Maybe you do the occasional bit of consulting and speak publicly about blogging. Many new entrants aspire to reach this level of self sufficiency but few do, or have the will or desire to pursue it once they realise the sacrifices. This could be split into two further sub-types:
- Personal brand - A small handful of these exist, you probably know who they are, they always crop up on top ten blogger lists, they are kings of evergreen content. Some have sponsorships, some have personal assistants because they’re so busy travelling and fielding marketing enquiries. They’re highly regarded on twitter and other social media, their follower numbers are in the tens of thousands.
- Multi-author media site – Successful efforts here are few and far between, it’s a tough place to be if you’re trying to monetise your efforts. Site founders give up their right to most of the benefits that other bloggers enjoy (free products, personal recognition and influence), these are all reserved for writers and readers, it’s all about the community.
4. Blogging employee or contractor
You run one of the corporate style blogs that proliferated in the 2000s. New ones are born each day and exist as marketing and communications pieces for a bigger business that either sustains the blog financially, or can be leveraged to generate an income for the blog. The content you create will always be heavily biased towards the business you support.
Twitter Update:
