Taking into account the recent global coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to see how it is affecting the blogging industry. So we included questions specific to the COVID-19 situation<\/strong> and collected some interesting findings. <\/p>\n\n\n All of the survey questions are relevant to the blogging world and hopefully will enhance your understanding of the industry. We tried to make the survey as simple and concise as possible to get a clear insight into the blogosphere. Below are the 3 key findings from our survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key findings samples:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \n Jump to \u201cThe 10 most interesting blogging industry findings\u201d<\/a><\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n You can also download our full survey results in the PDF below<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this survey, we asked bloggers 40+ different questions to learn about their blogging habits, techniques, and challenges in 2020. Below are some of the most interesting questions you will find within this survey:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was interesting to see responses directly from bloggers and collect hands-on information about their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Responders groups: What\u2019s blogging to you?<\/strong> Almost 50% of the participants said that they do blogging as a full-time job. More specifically, 508 participants chose this option, which shows that blogging is still a very popular career choice. A lot of people are doing it seriously and dedicating a lot of time to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expert opinion on the subject:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Blogging continues to be an essential communication channel. Blogging will only become unimportant when reading becomes unimportant!” <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n – Mark Schaefer, Author of Marketing Rebellion<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n As blogs are becoming more popular and more people use them as a primary source of information, it\u2019s important to understand who is creating this content. More specifically, it\u2019s interesting to know the background of these people: their age, gender, location, age, income, and so on. Here is what we learned about our 1000+ survey participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s really no surprise that most bloggers are millennials or people aged 25 to 34, with 455 participants being in this category. The second-largest group of bloggers (357) are people aged 35 to 44, which also includes millennials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These people grew up when blogging exploded and became very popular. At the same time, they were the first generation that started using the internet actively when they were teenagers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There isn\u2019t a great difference in gender balance between bloggers \u2013 542 are male, while 488 are female. So, there are only 5.05% more male bloggers. This also means that the internet seems to be a completely gender-neutral space, based on this survey. Just bear in mind that we only surveyed 1030 bloggers and that there could be slight differences with a larger number of participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only 28.41% of participants said that they have an annual income under $50,000 per year. Since 49.32% of participants consider blogging as their full-time job, this is a good number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some experts think that there are only a handful of people making money from blogging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, our survey tells an entirely different story, especially when you consider that there are almost an equal amount of part-time bloggers and people who do this as a hobby without any interest in making money with their blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expert opinion on the subject:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Survey is comprehensive. With nearly 50% of respondents being Full-Time bloggers and 68% of all bloggers earning over $50,000 it’s clear that blogs are now bonafide Online Businesses. There’s a market for these blogs like all other small businesses<\/a>. The industry will grow, the average annual income will grow and they will demand value when it comes time to sell. This is great data and it’s exciting for us here at Flippa.com<\/a>.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n – Blake Hutchison, CEO of Flippa<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n It\u2019s really not a surprise to find that most bloggers are from the US. Of course, 90.39% is a really huge number and might be a bit out of proportion, as most of our followers are from the US, and they represent the majority of our survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But still, bloggers from the US have always been a dominant force. After all, blogging started in the States, and there is a strong culture out there. That culture isn\u2019t just about reading other people\u2019s blogs. It\u2019s also about meeting and talking to other bloggers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A whopping 387 people or 37.57% of the people in our survey said that they have a Bachelor\u2019s degree. There are a lot of myths going around that bloggers are people without education who like hiding behind their computers and claiming expertise in a specific area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, this statistic tells a completely different story. At the same time, 8.64% of our participants only have a high school diploma, while 1.75% have no diploma at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing what motivates people to write blogs and how they approach their work can tell us a lot. Not all bloggers start writing because they see a career in blogging and want to earn money this way. In fact, most of them have other reasons. Let\u2019s see what their motivations are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The number one reason why people start a blog is to express themselves creatively. After all, no matter how much you want to blog and make money, you can\u2019t do it if you aren\u2019t creative and don\u2019t have that \u201cwriter\u2019s gene.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other bloggers were motivated by self-employment, teaching, and having the opportunity to create an audience of their own. Only 12.23% of participants said that they started blogs because they wanted to increase their earnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expert opinion on the subject:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Who are these people who started blogging because it’s a calling? I want to meet you! After 14 years of consistently blogging, it’s become a calling, but I don’t know that I would have said that to start. Interestingly, the majority started a blog as a creative outlet, with becoming self-employed as a second runner-up. Blogging is a great way to let your creative juices flow, but beware making money from it. As you’ll see further down, the majority of bloggers don’t generate revenue from their blogs, nor do they hire employees. Be honest with yourself about why you’re starting a blog and don’t have expectations that it will make you rich.” <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n – Gini Dietrich, Founder and Author, Spin Sucks<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n Even though almost 50% of people in our survey said that they see their blogging efforts as full-time work, only 6.02% of them spend 40 hours or more per week on their work. Does this mean that bloggers are lazy and that they don’t invest enough time in their careers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe, but it could also mean that blogging simply doesn\u2019t require a large amount of time and work. In fact, the biggest portion of our participants (22.52%) said that they spend 3 to 5 hours per week working on their blogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, blogging is also about doing research, finding creative solutions, and brainstorming ideas. People often do this throughout the day without even noticing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expert opinion on the subject:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Still trying to wrap my head around this one\u2026 Over 70% of surveyed bloggers spend 1 – 10 hours per week blogging? Even though most of them consider blogging their full-time occupation? ???????? No wonder the failure rate among bloggers is so high and barely any can survive, let alone thrive, off their blogging efforts!<\/em> Blogging is NOT about hitting the Publish button. It\u2019s about providing your readers with something they can\u2019t find anywhere else – information they are searching for wrapped in YOU, that secret sauce that makes your content unique and absolutely worthy of seeking out.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even Google says, \u2018While all of the components of page experience are important [talking about the upcoming Page Experience update<\/a>], we will prioritize pages with the best information overall, even if some aspects of page experience are subpar.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you create that kind of content in 1 -10 hours per week? Not me. Between research, drafting, writing, editing, adding images, quotes, stats, and then some, an average blog post takes me a good week, and in many cases a lot longer than that, to publish.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n – Ana Hoffman,<\/strong><\/em> Founder of Traffic Generation Caf\u00e9<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n 22.04% of bloggers in the survey said that they post 2 to 3 blog posts weekly. The posting frequency depends on the target audience and the type of blog. If we are talking about short and fast-paced articles, it\u2019s possible to post multiple times per day, which 16.02% of our participants do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, some bloggers aren\u2019t invested in this work, and they do it occasionally as a side gig. They post less often because they don\u2019t really depend on blogging financially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expert opinion on the subject:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Most bloggers publish several times each week. Should you? It depends. You need to consider your goals, revenue model and availability. It’s also worth considering whether you can get better results by publishing longer content less frequently. What works for one blogger may not work for another so it’s important to experiment to find what works for you.” <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n – Adam Connell, Founder of Blogging Wizard<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n The \u201cperfect blog length\u201d has often been debated in the blogging world. In reality, there is no such thing as the perfect length. There are blogs that publish posts with 500 words on average that are successful and those that regularly publish 2000+ word posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It all depends on the topic of the blog and the audience. For example, if we are talking about some highly techy stuff with lots of information, it\u2019s generally a good idea to go longer. Still, most bloggers write posts that are 500 \u2013 1000 words long (49.22%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expert opinion on the subject:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “While different studies report that the first page in Google search contains approximately 1,800 words per post (on average), it’s interesting to discover that half the respondents produce 500-1000 word articles. Granted, non-competitive niches can still get away with shorter stories, but I’m hopeful that the average length and comprehensiveness of articles will go up throughout the next year for the sake of the overall quality across the web.” <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n – Mario Peshev, CEO of DevriX<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n The most popular blogging niche is a lifestyle<\/a>, as 11.36% of bloggers agree that this is the highest performing niche. The next in line is personal development, with 9.61%, and entrepreneurship with 7.86%. Overall there are the 20 most popular blogging niches<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This shows that there is a lot of variety in blogging in terms of topics and writing styles. People like to read different kinds of blogs. However, lifestyle is inherently very popular, and many different niche blogs<\/a> like to spice things up with a relevant lifestyle topic from time to time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blogs aren\u2019t just about text. Writing a good post is very important, with solid storytelling and nice grammar. But at the same time, it\u2019s important to spice things up with other types of content. The most popular media for blogs apart from the text are photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 56.21% of bloggers say that they usually use photos in their blog posts. On the other hand, 25.34% of them use videos to give their blogs a twist. The important thing to note is that every blogger adds other kinds of media to make their posts more engaging, interesting, and less eye-straining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s even more encouraging is that 59.51% of bloggers create the media that they add to their blogs all by themselves. They know just how important it is to add other types of media and are willing to do this work on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only does this help improve the performance of their blogs, but it also lets them develop their skills and learn new things. On the other hand, 30.97% of bloggers say that they find the media they add to their blogs online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In most cases, these are probably royalty-free images and videos that they download and add to posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What does it mean for a blog to be successful? If you ask bloggers this question, you will quickly see that people have different philosophies and approaches. That\u2019s why we decided to narrow it down a bit and asked bloggers what their key measurement of success is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most respondents (38.64%) said that they measure the success of their blog by page visits. They believe that the success of each blog post grows as the number of readers grows. The other most important metric for success is social shares. 18.93% of bloggers want to see more shares to achieve success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Content creation and coming up with new topics is one of the greatest challenges bloggers face. Bloggers need ideas to write about and have to make sure that they are always coming up with relevant, fresh topics. 33.40% of bloggers get ideas for new post topics on social media. It might sound surprising, but it actually makes sense. It\u2019s possible to recognize trends and hot topics on social media. The second most popular source of blog ideas is conversations with friends, at 24.17%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like anybody else, bloggers can\u2019t expect to be closed off in their own world if they want to reach people. If you want to make it online, you need to focus your efforts on multiple channels and try to promote what you are doing as best you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why we asked bloggers what other media outlets they use to share their thoughts. A total of 268 participants, or 26.02%, use YouTube<\/a> as a platform where they can express themselves. The second most popular option is Facebook (22.82%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bear in mind that most bloggers use several platforms to share their work and talk about it. Simply put, just because someone uses Facebook more often doesn\u2019t mean that they never use Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Products and brands are deeply connected with the blogging world. Our survey has proven this yet again. Out of 1030 survey participants, only 10.39% of bloggers never talk about brands or their products in blog posts, which means that 89.61% of bloggers do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, not all of them approach this the same way. For example, 33.11% of them write about products that they like or dislike. 29.22% of bloggers review products and brands specifically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 27.28% of bloggers write about their own experiences and what happened to them when dealing with brands or purchasing their products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most common ways bloggers make money is by promoting products from various brands. It\u2019s a direct way of earning money through a blog. That\u2019s why we asked our bloggers whether they were ever approached by a brand directly for this kind of cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 61.17% of participants said that they were approached by a brand at least once. That\u2019s a very encouraging number when we consider the fact that 49.32% of bloggers do this job full-time. If a brand approaches a blogger on their own, it means that they have traction with their audiences and can offer real results with their promotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expert opinion on the subject:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “This shows you that brands and businesses still recognize that collaborating with bloggers, just like Instagrammers and YouTubers, still have business benefits. Bloggers, as content creators who have digital influence, should better understand the value they bring and be compensated fairly for it. Brands should look for more ways to collaborate with bloggers as influencers above and beyond sponsored blog posts.” <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n – Neal Schaffer, Author of The Age of Influence<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n Comments are a very important indicator of how good a blog post is. They might not seem that significant, but when people are commenting on a blog, it means that they\u2019ve read it. More importantly, it means that a blog post made an impression on them one way or the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We asked our bloggers if they allow comments on their blogs, and 87.77% of them said \u201cYes\u201d, which is 904 out of 1040. It\u2019s important to give your readers the opportunity to criticize your work and provide valuable feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 73.30% of bloggers accept guest posts<\/a> on their blogs, which shows that the blogging world is still a friendly place where authors collaborate and work together. Simply put, bloggers need to open up opportunities by sharing audiences and helping promote each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In most cases, allowing guest posts means that you will get a guest post of your own on someone else\u2019s blog. Bloggers can benefit from this by building backlinks, getting additional exposure, and establishing themselves as an authority within a certain industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since blogging has just entered its 3rd decade of existence, there are many established practices and advice that aspiring bloggers can follow from their more experienced peers. New bloggers can learn a lot from people who\u2019ve achieved success. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to look at their habits and the technologies they use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When reading online about where bloggers work from and how they live their lives, they are usually presented as digital nomads who are constantly traveling and working on the go. Honestly, this is all marketing talk, and the reality is quite different. Here\u2019s what our bloggers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The majority (50.49%) work from a dedicated home office that they\u2019ve made. 31.46% of bloggers work from home as well but don\u2019t have an office. Only 0.78% of bloggers said that they work randomly from different places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are bloggers working on their own, or do they have someone helping them? It\u2019s a question many of us are puzzled by, especially when we see those active blogs that post daily content. When asked if they have anyone helping them, 52.94% of our participants said: \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rest of them have people helping them with their blogging. However, not all of them rely on someone else\u2019s help in the same measure. To see the differences, check our graph below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many different blogging platforms<\/a> out there. Naturally, all of them have their pros and cons, and not all of them are suitable for the same type of blogs or blogging niches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s interesting to see which platforms are actually used the most because all of them claim huge numbers. When it comes to blogging, WordPress still reigns. 22.35% of bloggers use WordPress.com<\/a>, while 17.97% use WordPress.org.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blogspot is the next in line with 19.14% of users. We were especially surprised that 2.67% of bloggers don\u2019t really know what blogging platform they\u2019re using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As with any other internet presence, domain names<\/a> and their extensions are important in blogging. The extension makes it easier to find a blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A lot of people say that \u201cgeneric\u201d extensions are bad and shouldn\u2019t be used for blogs, but our research tells a different story. 63.74% of bloggers use the \u201c.com\u201d extension, which is the most generic one. Even though custom extensions can make your URL and blog seem unique, people still trust .com the most, and it\u2019s their go-to extension when looking for a site, including blogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When starting a brand new blog, most people ask themselves, \u201cwhich hosting service should I choose?\u201d Naturally, bloggers will give different responses, and there isn\u2019t a one-size-fits-all answer. Still, there are some popular platforms you can consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we asked what web hosting service<\/a> they use, 28.83% said GoDaddy<\/a>. It\u2019s undoubtedly the most popular web hosting provider for bloggers. The next in line is Bluehost<\/a> with only 9.90% followed by SiteGround<\/a>, Dreamhost<\/a>, and HostGator<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mobile is everywhere<\/a>. More people are browsing the web with mobile devices than with a desktop computer. But how does this translate to blogging? Surprisingly, a lot \u2013 72.23% of our survey participants say that they post or update their blogs using mobile devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Naturally, this doesn\u2019t mean that these bloggers are writing their blog posts on mobile devices. Most bloggers just schedule posts and publish them via a mobile device. Many bloggers still use laptops for their work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Writing blogs is one thing, but all successful bloggers understand how important it is to learn how to promote their work. You can write an amazing post, but nobody will notice it if you can\u2019t reach people. That\u2019s why we asked some questions about how our bloggers promote blogs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first question we asked is: \u201cDo you promote the content you post?\u201d It\u2019s important to establish how many people are actually promoting content before we get into the details. 80.29% of bloggers we asked said: \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s proof that it\u2019s essential to promote your content in modern blogging to succeed. There are more bloggers than ever, and they need to use advertising to reach their audiences and stand out from the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, blogs are competing with many other different types of content out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An email<\/a> has always been a vital component of blogging. The larger the email list, the more power a blogger has. Building email lists has been one of the essential success strategies since the beginning of blogging, and it\u2019s still very important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The numbers don\u2019t lie. 71.02% of bloggers collect emails from their subscribers in one way or another<\/a>. The reason for this is quite simple. Emails are personal promotional channels through which bloggers can engage their subscribers and notify them of important events like new blog posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, there are many different channels for promoting content, but which channels are the most popular? We were curious about this, so we asked our fellow bloggers which platform they usually use for promoting content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For 65.73% of bloggers, the first promotional option is social media. It makes sense because everyone is on social media, and every blogger can easily promote content on these platforms free of charge. At the same time, there are various social media platforms out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why is this important? Simply because different social media outlets have different audiences. No matter what kind of blog we are talking about, there\u2019s a social network with an audience that might be interested in its content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not all social networks are the same, and there isn\u2019t a one-size-fits-all social media site in terms of the target audience. Or is there? Facebook is the most popular social network among bloggers (42.91% of bloggers use it for promotion) because it has the most users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, it has all kinds of people, and with the right targeting, any blogger can find an adequate audience on Facebook. The second most popular social network for blog promotion is Instagram (21.07%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most common questions about blogging is: \u201cHow often should I share a single post?\u201d Is it annoying to share the same post multiple times or not? 24.37% of bloggers share a single post once, while 24.08% of them say that they share the same post twice, and 21.94% of them three times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a nutshell, there are no defined rules. It\u2019s all about seeing how people react to sharing and how relevant the posts are. Bloggers need to find the right balance between being promotional and simply annoying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The number of monthly visitors is a very important metric for any blog. It shows how consistent a blog is and how successful it is at attracting readers \u2013 28.06% of blogs have 1000 or fewer visitors per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, only 3.40% of blogs have over 500,000 monthly visitors. There is a huge gap between the most successful blogs and the least visited ones. Since many bloggers make a decent amount of money, but nothing to write about, it\u2019s evident that only a small percentage of blogs can expect 6 figure earnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any serious blogger needs to dive into metrics. More importantly, they need to know which metrics matter. It\u2019s about understanding the key sources of traffic and focusing your efforts on further improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing where the traffic is coming from can tell you lots of things. A total of 49.73% of bloggers in our survey say that they get the most traffic from social media. It makes sense since social media is the most popular promotional channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But at the same time, 22.32% of bloggers get the most traffic out of organic searches, showing that SEO is still very important<\/a> in blogging, especially when we consider that organic traffic has the most value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expert opinion on the subject:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “If 48.25% of people who are creating blogs are getting less than 5,000 visitors to their site a month, this is a clear indication that the 80\/20 rule works in real life. What I mean by that is that 80% of the content is mediocre and doesn’t really touch their readers, while 20% of the content online really moves the audience of who is reading it. That means that the quality of content plays a major role in not just getting, but maintaining site visitors.” <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n – Leonard Kim, Founder of InfluenceTree<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n Promotion is one thing, but to get serious results, you need to invest in advertisement. Simply put, bloggers need to put their money where their mouth is. Similar to promotion channels, the most popular advertisement channel is Facebook, and 33.59% use this social network.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is due to the versatility of the platform in terms of audiences. Every blogger can target people in detail on Facebook. Instagram offers similar advertising options, and this is why 27.67% of bloggers prefer advertising through this channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Building a blog is one thing, but you need to know how to monetize your work. This part of our research focuses on how bloggers make money, do they make money, and how much they make. We asked them these 6 questions, and here\u2019s what they told us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A crucial question that needs answering. A lot of people are interested in starting a blogging career but don\u2019t know if they can make money this way. Well, you will be happy to know that 59.81% of bloggers make money from blogging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It might not seem like much, but only 49.32% of bloggers do this as a full-time job, meaning that even those who aren\u2019t blogging seriously can make some money. With a bit of effort, everyone can start making money by blogging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sponsored posts are written specifically to promote a brand or different services and products. They are one of the ways that bloggers can make money. 72.62% of bloggers surveyed say that they accept offers for sponsored posts if their conditions are met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It goes to show that these kinds of posts are still very attractive to bloggers. They can make some extra money while also adding more content to their blogs. However, in most cases, sponsored posts aren\u2019t the number one revenue source for a blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of all the bloggers we surveyed, 22.52% said that they aren\u2019t generating any revenue, while 18.74% say that affiliate marketing is their top revenue source. 16.80% make the most money by selling various services or products<\/a> to their readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both of these are a form of product placement, but there\u2019s a slight difference. With affiliates, blogs only promote links to products and their stores. However, with direct sales, they let visitors buy on the blog without having to go to a third-party site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone wants to know what kind of money they can make as bloggers. That\u2019s why we asked our survey participants how much money they generate per month. 49.51% of bloggers said that they make $1000 per month or less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only 16.80% make from $1001 to $3000 every month, while 14.85% make from $3001 to $5000. All of this might not seem encouraging, but again, almost half of all bloggers don\u2019t make blogging their primary source of income. At the same time, lots of them have fairly young blogs that haven\u2019t fully developed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To make their blogs more welcoming and reachable for their target audiences, bloggers need to invest money in them. For example, a blog can only offer a great user experience with professional web design, and this requires money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 57.57% of bloggers invest only $500 or less in their blogs per month. 13.88% of them have monthly expenses ranging from $501 to $1000, while 13.30% invest between $1001 and $3000 every month. These numbers are quite similar to how much bloggers make from their blogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That just shows that you have to spend money to make money. If you want your blog to start generating more money, you will have to invest in it strategically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expert opinion on the subject:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “The most difficult thing for any person to do is to move out of their income class and into the next bracket. According to the data, over half of bloggers invest less than $6,000 a year into their website, but close to 50% of bloggers have a household income over $75,000. This means that blogging has the ability to create financial freedom and flexibility for anyone from any income class.” <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n – Leonard Kim, Founder of InfluenceTree<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n Bloggers aren\u2019t limited to a single channel for making money. It takes time to grow a blog, and bloggers can often find spare time on their hands until they start getting a lot of visitors. Many of them use this extra time to find other revenue sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most popular channel for extra income is YouTube<\/a>, and 44.56% of bloggers recommend trying it out. The next in line is Instagram<\/a> with 19.42% and Podcasts<\/a> with 18.16%. Consider combining your blogging with these platforms in some way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For any young blogger, it\u2019s important to learn about the challenges early on and prepare for them. Why deal with common issues for bloggers and make the same mistakes that others have, if there\u2019s no need for that. We asked our survey participants where they struggled on their path to becoming bloggers and what advice they can give to younger peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Is it worth it to start a blog<\/a>? That\u2019s a question that many people are wondering about. We asked our bloggers if they recommend starting a blog, and 91.65% of them said: \u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even those making little to no money through blogging say that it\u2019s worth it. Remember, it\u2019s not only about the money \u2013 blogging can be very fun and interesting, and a lot of people do it as a hobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Here is what you will learn from this report<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
We first asked our survey participants how they perceived their blogging efforts. We gave them four answer options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"what](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What\u2019s-blogging-to-you.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\nBloggers demographics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. What are the age groups for bloggers?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-are-the-age-groups-for-bloggers.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. Does gender make you more likely to blog?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Does](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Does-gender-make-you-more-likely-to-blog.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. What is the household income for bloggers?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-is-household-income-for-bloggers.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n4. Where in the world do bloggers live?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Where](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Where-in-world-do-bloggers-live.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n5. How educated are bloggers?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-educated-are-bloggers.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhy and how people blog<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. Why do bloggers start a blog?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Why](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Why-bloggers-start-a-blog.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n7. How many hours a week does a blogger spend on their blog?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-many-hours-a-week-does-a-blogger-spend-on-their-blog.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n8. How often do bloggers post?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-often-do-bloggers-post.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n9. How long is the average blog post?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-long-is-the-average-blog-post.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n10. What blogging niches are popular for blogs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-blogging-niches-are-popular-for-blogs.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n11. What type of media content is popular for blog posts?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-type-of-media-content-is-popular-for-blog-posts.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n12. How do bloggers create media content for their blogs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-do-bloggers-create-media-content-for-their-blogs.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n13. What means success to a blogger?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-means-success-to-a-blogger.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n14. What inspires a blog post?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-inspires-a-blog-post.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n15. Do bloggers post on other online outlets?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Do-bloggers-post-on-other-online-outlets.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n16. Do bloggers write about products and brands?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Do-bloggers-write-about-products-and-brands.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n17. Are bloggers being approached by brands to share their products?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Are](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Are-bloggers-being-approached-by-brands-to-share-their-products.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n18. Do bloggers allow comments on their blogs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Do-bloggers-allow-comments-on-their-blogs.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n19. Do bloggers host guest posts on their blogs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Do-bloggers-host-guest-posts-on-their-blogs.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBlogging habits and technologies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
20. Where do bloggers work from?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Where](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Where-do-bloggers-work-from.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n21. Do bloggers hire employees?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Do-bloggers-hire-employees.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n22. What blogging platforms do bloggers use?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-blogging-platforms-do-bloggers-use.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n23. What domain name extensions are popular for blogs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-domain-name-extensions-are-popular-for-blogs.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n24. What web hosting services are popular for blogs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-web-hosting-service-is-popular-for-blogs.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n25. Do bloggers use mobile devices to post on blogs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Do-bloggers-use-mobile-devices-to-post-on-blogs.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBlog promotion and traffic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
26. Do bloggers promote their content online?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Do-bloggers-promote-their-content-online.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n27. Do bloggers collect a list of email subscribers?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Do-bloggers-collect-a-list-of-email-subscribers.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n28. How do bloggers promote content online?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-do-bloggers-promote-content-online.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n29. What social media channels do bloggers use the most?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-social-media-channels-do-bloggers-use-the-most.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n30. How many times do bloggers share content?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-many-times-do-bloggers-share-content.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n31. How many visits does an average blog get?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-many-visits-does-an-average-blog-get.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n32. What are the best traffic sources for blogs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-are-the-best-traffic-sources-for-blogs.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n33. What advertising channels do bloggers use?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-advertising-channels-do-bloggers-use.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBlog monetization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
34. Do bloggers make money from their blogs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Do-bloggers-make-money-from-their-blogs.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n35. Do bloggers accept sponsored\/advertisement posts?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Do-bloggers-accept-sponsored-advertisement-posts.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n36. How do bloggers make money?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-do-bloggers-make-money.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n37. How much money do bloggers make?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-much-money-bloggers-make.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n38. How much do bloggers spend on their blogs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-much-bloggers-spend-on-their-blogs.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n39. How else can a blogger make money online?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-else-can-a-blogger-make-money-online.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\nRoadblocks and advice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
40. Do bloggers recommend starting a blog today?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Do](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Do-bloggers-recommend-starting-a-blog-today.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/How-can-blogging-change-your-life.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"What](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/What-is-hard-about-being-a-blogger.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"Has](\"https:\/\/firstsiteguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Has-the-COVID-19-pandemic-impacted-bloggers.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n