The Future of Blogging: Can You Still Make Money Online?
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| Blogging in 2024 |
Blogging has long been a staple of the internet, serving as both a creative outlet and a reliable way to generate income. However, the digital landscape has evolved dramatically, raising critical questions about the viability of blogging today. A recent study of over 1,000 bloggers, conducted by Orbit Media, provides crucial insights into the current state of the industry.
Mark Webster, co-founder of Authority Hacker and an experienced blogger since 2008, shared his expert analysis of the survey's findings. Let’s explore the challenges facing bloggers in 2024, the strategies top-performing bloggers are using, and whether blogging is still worth pursuing.
A Declining Success Rate for Bloggers
According to the survey, only 20% of bloggers reported strong results from their efforts—a sharp decline from 30% just five years ago. Several factors contribute to this downturn, ranging from increased competition to shifts in user behavior.
Rising Competition
In 2021, around 2 million blog posts were published daily. By 2024, that number skyrocketed to 7.5 million posts per day, with much of the increase attributed to AI-generated content. The sheer volume has made it harder for individual blogs to stand out.
Shifting User Behavior
Most users now access the internet via mobile devices, but only 12% of mobile browsing time is spent on web pages, compared to 88% on apps. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram dominate user attention with dynamic, visual content, leaving traditional blogs fighting for scraps.
Why Blogging Is Harder Than Ever: Trends and Solutions for 2024
The Challenges of Driving Traffic
The most significant challenge bloggers face is attracting visitors, particularly from search engines. Google’s continuous updates, including the "Helpful Content" update, have made ranking in search results increasingly difficult. Alarmingly, Ahrefs reports that 96.55% of online content receives no traffic from Google.
Social media, often touted as a traffic driver, is also becoming less effective. Only 19% of bloggers who use social media for content promotion report strong results. Similarly, email marketing—a once-reliable strategy—has seen a decline in effectiveness, with only 25% of bloggers finding success through email campaigns, down from 31% the previous year.
What Sets Successful Bloggers Apart?
Despite these challenges, 20% of bloggers still achieve notable success. So, what are they doing differently?
Longer, High-Quality Posts
Posts between 2,000 and 3,000 words perform significantly better, with 37% of bloggers in this category reporting strong results.Strategic Publishing Frequency
Publishing one to four times per month strikes a balance between quality and quantity. Bloggers who invest more time per post—four to six hours—are also more likely to succeed.Visual and Audio Enhancements
Content with multiple visual elements—such as images, infographics, or embedded videos—has a higher success rate. Additionally, integrating audio components, like podcasts or narrated articles, appears to boost engagement.Updating Old Content
Bloggers who regularly update older posts are 2.5 times more likely to achieve strong results. This strategy helps maintain relevance and leverage existing search rankings.
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The Role of AI in Blogging
AI is reshaping the blogging landscape. By 2024, 80% of bloggers reported using AI for tasks like idea generation, headline creation, and drafting outlines. However, the use of AI doesn’t necessarily correlate with better results. Many bloggers produce generic AI-driven content, which often underperforms compared to high-quality, human-authored posts.
Is Blogging Still Worth It?
The consensus among experts is that while blogging as a primary income source is in decline, it can still play a vital role in broader marketing strategies. Here’s how:
Shift from Discovery to Engagement
Blogs are no longer the primary tool for attracting new audiences. Instead, they serve as a platform for deepening relationships with existing followers through high-value, middle-of-the-funnel content.Focus on Community Building
Bloggers can thrive by building a loyal audience through alternative channels like social media, premium newsletters, or gated content.Diversify Monetization
Successful bloggers often tie their content to a larger business strategy, such as promoting products, services, or online courses, rather than relying solely on ad revenue or affiliate marketing.
The Future of Blogging
While the traditional blogging model may be fading, blogs still hold potential for those willing to adapt. Bloggers must embrace a multi-channel approach, create content that prioritizes quality and engagement, and explore innovative ways to monetize their efforts.
As Mark Webster points out, the future of blogging lies in providing unique value that goes beyond SEO and generic content. For those willing to evolve, the opportunities are still there—but the path to success is undoubtedly more challenging than ever.
Are you still invested in blogging, or have you transitioned to other content formats? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Happy blogging! ✍️✨
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