Many new entrepreneurs wonder and ask the question, why bother building a blog? Isn't blogging dead?

I don't think having a blog will benefit my business. 

These are some of the common sentiments among new business owners, however the answer to these sentiments may surprise you. 

According to a recent survey, about 77% of internet users regularly consume blog content.

And about one-third of all webpages in existence are blogs.

I was surprised at that last statement because that's a LOT of pages. But those two facts alone are great reasons for businesses of all sizes to start a blog.

And when you dig a little further, you'll find that blogs are still popular for consumers and businesses, and they're here to stay. 

To clear up some misconceptions and provide an understanding of why blogs are important, I thought it would be a great topic to write about.

Understanding blogs, how they work and how they benefit business owners can be the difference between having money that flows in, and money that trickles. 

What is a Blog?

According to Merriam Webster, a blog is a website that contains online personal reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks, videos, and photographs provided by the writer.  In the early days of blogging that definition was pretty spot on when conveying what blogs were about. But today, not so much.

Blogs used to consist of more personal expression, and they were actually called "web logs", (thus the term blog). They were places where people talked about random thoughts, their daily activity or personal feelings, providing journal or diary-like content.

Today, blogs are digital assets that have the potential to bring in thousands of dollars for business owners when they are built with specific income goals in mind. 

When blogs are built randomly, with no plans or income goals in mind, they become a bunch of words on a screen. Blogs have to be leveraged to help business owners extend their reach, establish themselves as an authority in their niche and make a connection with their targeted audience. 

Despite its humble beginnings, WordPress.org (the self hosted version) and blogging as a career are popular. Today's blogs help business owners reach targeted audiences, increasing their income potential with business relationships they would never have access to otherwise. 

WordPress.org is a free open source platform for business owners and solopreneurs who are seeking to make a full-time income online.  

What Is WordPress and How It Can Help Your Business?

A self hosted WordPress blog allows entrepreneurs to own and control the direction of their business.  If you're slightly familiar with WordPress and you're not sure how it can help your business, watch the video below and sign up for Bluehost web hosting and receive a free domain for the first year.

You'll when you visit our Bluehost video tutorial, you'll learn about other free resources designed to help you set up your blog for success. 

Blogging Helps Your Business Stand Out from the Crowd

Because there are more people (and businesses) than ever online today, the potential rewards are higher for bloggers who can break through. And it takes more to stand out from the crowd which is another reason blogging is so important.

One important way to stand out is to brand yourself and your business, so that no matter what product or service you promote, you can distinguish yourself from the sea of other reps and businesses that might be selling the same products as you. 

Blogs are a great way to show your expertise and position yourself as an expert in your niche. With a blog you can show what makes your company uniquely qualified to help customers solve specific problems.

Instead of talking to potential customers one on one, you can use your blog to speak directly to potential customers showing them the benefits of working with you.

Today, a blog is more of a niche specific content hub, that acts as a central location for your business on the web. And if you build a self hosted WordPress blog, it's an asset that you own and control. 

It's just like having a physical building in the offline world where new and existing customers can visit, browse and see what you have to offer.  You can design your blog so that looks like a professional presentation that you can send visitors and potential customers to, so that they can learn more about you.

And as in the offline world, you can create a sparkling business hub in a great location, that enhances to your ability to earn money.  You can also have a spammy, amateurish looking business that no one wants to visit. 

In my opinion, learning to sell online, (it's different than promoting in the offline world) and building a self hosted WordPress blog is the way to start a thriving online business.

It's the best way to build an asset that will enhance your ability to earn online.

What Does Creating a Blog Really Mean?

When you hear someone say that you should create a blog, it's important to understand what that means.

If you're not familiar with WordPress, be sure to watch the video above to learn how blogging and WordPress work together. 

Business owners who opt for the self hosted version of WordPress will pay for their domain and hosting services with a provider like Bluehost, for an affordable price. The web host and gives them a specific location on the web with server space they can use to publish content.

The content business owners usually publish can be any combination of text, video, audio, images, PDFs, and more. 

They become publishers who work with companies, advertisers, affiliate brands, clients and companies to earn money online. They regularly publish written content, audio podcasts, video tutorials, and they broadcast live to answer questions, and attract an audience of interested leads and customers.

At first glance, a blog just looks like a bunch of words on a page. And it's easy to see how it might look a little boring. There are also a lot of people who are not sure what to do with their blog, so you may see a lot of rambling and random stuff.  And if you hate to write, it looks even less appealing. 

However, once entrepreneurs are able to take a look behind the scenes, and they understand how blogging can work, it's a totally different story. When they understand how a blog works to earn them money, they are more than ready to jump on the bandwagon and get started.

What Successful Bloggers Know That the Average Consumer Is Not Aware Of

Here are a few things successful bloggers know, (based on behind that scene's knowledge I was talking about), that enables them to earn money that flows, versus money that trickles in:

Most consumers wouldn't have this insight about blogging unless they were able to take a look behind the scenes or unless they reviewed someone's income reports.

What Does a Typical Blogger Do?

The typical blogger earns by serving a niche that fits their hobbies, skills and interests. Smart bloggers take time to choose a topic, and research their niche thoroughly. They utilize marketing and copywriting skills to create valuable content for their audience.

Building a blog around something they enjoy, makes it easier to reach their target audience with the sales and marketing efforts. It also helps them figure out new and improved ways to serve their audience. This is key to having a successful blog and online business. 

No Technical Skills or Coding Required

Contrary to popular belief, blogging doesn't require technical or coding skills. However, depending on your familiarity with technology it might involve learning about new tools and resources.

Many consumers already understand the basics of navigating the internet and social media. Even so, there may be a need to learn how to use these tools for business.

For example, if you're not familiar with marketing on the internet, you may need to take a course to understand how to leverage the internet to grow your business. 

Bloggers use their organization and problem solving abilities to arrange and organize their business into categories that make sense, create systems and problem solve to help potential customers. 

Successful bloggers combine these skills, abilities and resources to create content in various formats that they deliver to their audience using their blog.

They take something their audience struggles with, something unknown, unorganized and hard to understand, and they transform it into an outcome that benefits their business and their most importantly, their customers. 

Some of the formats bloggers use to deliver content are tutorials, personal stories, case studies, videos, podcasts, interviews, product reviews, educational guides and infographics, checklists, news, and more. 

They incorporate this content into social media posts, paid ads, email marketing, events (virtual and in person), contests and giveaways, introductory offers, and more. 

Finally, bloggers regularly promote their business using growth tools like the following:

• Discounted pricing
• Reduced-rate bundles and packages
• Joint promotions with complementary businesses
• Voucher or coupon with purchase
• Buy one, get one free deals
• Loyalty programs
• Free gift or discount for every referral

Looking Closer: A Simple Scenario That Pays

Let's dissect this a little further. Hopefully you're seeing the big picture in all of this. Considering that each page or post on a blog has the potential to bring in revenue for your business, let's do a hypothetical.

This is an easy, realistic and totally doable hypothetical that lots of bloggers are taking advantage of right now.  At the same time, there is no guarantee that you will get these results, but know that they are possible. 

Let's take a 30 day period, and a blog that has 100 pages. Each page on that blog earns let's say an average of $5 per day.

When you do the math, that adds up to approximately $15,000 per month. And a blog that has 100 pages and each page makes an average $2 per day for a 30 day period would make $6,000. 

These numbers represent the potential these blogs have to earn money. Granted, each and every day may not be a money maker. Some days they may make more and others, may make less. 

But let's say, that even if either one had a $5,000 month, these figures are not bad for a 30 day period... what do you think? These blogs have the potential to make more in a month than some people earn in a year! And it's possible!  

You have to ask yourself if you're able to create a 100 page blog that has content people are looking for? Are you capable of building an audience and maintaining a steady pipeline of people who are interested in your business? 

Could you promote your blog, making an average of $2 - $5 per day from each page? If so, the scenario described above could be you.

Consider These Additional Perks

Add on the ability to work for any company, promoting any product. Having a business that requires you to use the skills most people use in a regular 9 to 5 job, and translating them into a job that you can work from anywhere. serve an audience, using your interests, hobbies, skills and abilities, 

Top it off with never having to experience another uncomfortable, awkward conversation about "that business thing you do" with family and friends. 

Imagine sending them (or anyone who is interested in your business) a link to an organized, professional looking blog that positions you as an authority.  A blog that invites them to sign up for your list, which puts them into your follow up system. A system that does all the talking for you. 

Imagine having a blog that does the heavy lifting you, explaining who you are, what you do, showcasing your products and services, and helping buyers understand how to do business with you. In many cases this can happen on auto-pilot. 

Once Your Blog Takes Off

Blogs that consistently earn income, even $500 per month are able to help business owners reach their financial goals. Many are able to receive the following benefits with a blog they created from scratch:

And this is just the beginning. Imagine the following scenarios:

• Joining a network marketing company that enables you to earn, from not only selling products, but from each sale that originates from your team!
  
  If you're building a team, your blog makes it easy to send interested candidates to a page that describes what you are looking for in a team member, with an application they can complete.

• Becoming an affiliate for some of the major brands in your industry, sending customers and traffic to their site and earning passive and residual income from each person you send their way. 

• Participating in revenue sharing with a brand that will pay you for making referrals to your audience.

• Having your own eCommerce store where you sell products and services, including digital products and courses to customers 24/7.
  
  Your blog can handle transactions 24/7 even while you're asleep from any part of the globe. Imagine how it would feel to wake up each day to new leads that you could talk to about your business, as well as new sales that puts money into your bank account on auto-pilot. 

• Using your consulting skills to help other business owners solve their issues and challenges. Imagine having a system that handles invoicing and payment without having to manually send reminders and invoices. 

These are just some of the things you can do with a self hosted WordPress blog that you own and control.

I hope you're excited about blogging, (or at least more excited than you were when you started reading this post!), about the possibilities that blogging brings for your online business. 

This is not pie in the sky, it's something that you can accomplish with a the right tools and a little insight. Nor is it a get rich scheme that happens when you sprinkle fairy dust into the universe.

If you can imagine yourself in any of these scenarios, get started building your blog in our free blogging  course. If you have a blog that needs improvement, this course is for you too. It will help you structure your blog in a way that sets you up for success.