Mindful Content: What the #*Blog%! is this all about?

By Marcus Coates, 16th October 2020

Blog No.6 #marcuscoates@homeinriyadh

Stumbling along without thinking ... let's get mindful!

Well, this is blog number six now. For the last few weeks, I’ve been merrily tapping away on my keyboard with a head full of recipes and observations on lifestyle choices, but haven’t stopped to think in any conscious way of what a blog is. I believe this is a bit of an oversight on my part - and since my blog is all about producing mindful content - I think it’s about time to explore the question: What the #*Blog%! is this all about?

Okay, so where did this blog-thing come from?

According to the Oxford Languages Dictionary by Oxford University Press (OUP), the word blog derives from the word weblog, which dates back to the 1800s, but only comes into popular usage in the form of blog in the early 1990s.

The Oxford English Dictionary says the shortened word [blog] was coined May 23, 1999, and attributes the shortening to Peter Merholz who put the following on his web site (Wiktionary): “For What It's Worth: I've decided to pronounce the word 'weblog' as wee'- blog. Or 'blog' for short.”

The OUP has the following definition entry:

Blog /blɒɡ/

noun

- a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.

verb

- add new material to or regularly update a blog.

"It's about a week since I last blogged"

Other words associated with blog are:

- blogging (the present participle) – to contribute to an article,

- blogger (noun) – a person who regularly writes material for a blog,

- blogged (past participle) – the past action of posting an article,

- blogosphere (noun) blogs collectively written by a group pooling resources for a distinct readership, usually on a unified theme

- reblog (noun & verb) to post existing content on further occasions,

- Vlog ( noun & verb) – a video format of an article or online diary,

Do blogs have a theme and format?

Well, the short answer is no. They can be anything you want it to be. Blogs come in many shapes, sizes, formats and also the content is just as varied. However, according to a detailed article in Wikipedia, there are some broad categories and themes:

· Personal blog – this can be an ongoing personal diary written by an individual. These are usually written for friends and family with a small readership, although some become very popular to the point that they attract advertisers and become a lucrative way of earning serious money for a select few.

· Collaborative blogs – this is when a group of bloggers get together and blog collectively – usually on a single theme – to pool resources, share ideas and attract a larger readership.

· Microblogging – small, snapshot posts with little content, but popular for quotes - like you find on Instagram and Twitter headers, ("Life is better with cheese" and a picture of a piece of cheese or "Forget about your worries, wear tight shoes" and a picture of a pair of small shoes, etc.

· Corporate blog – these are blogs created for large corporations to promote their products, enhance their reputation and keep their image in the public domain. These often take the form of a message from the CEO or PR department and are often outsourced and ghostwritten by professional bloggers.

What should my blog look like?

Well, an engaging and practical format should include most, if not all of the following:

• Eye-catching headline

• Date and author

• hashtags (on the social media post)

• Use bold headings

• Interesting theme

• Use short sentences

• Use bulleted lists or numbers

• Bold text or quotes for memorable phrases

• Use relevant graphics

• Use helpful captions to describe images

• Interesting content

• Provide some biographical information

• Provide a link to your website or further resources

In an online article from Sara Dunn (July 12, 2016) she states that most readers only get through 50% to 60% of a blog before disengaging. Why? People read differently on the web and their phones. Blocks of text look long and intimidating.

To increase the above statistic, she recommends short paragraphs and the ability for the reader to skim to what is most relevant for them. Clear headings make this easy to do. Bullet point lists are also easy on the eye. Graphics break up blocks of text and add visual cues.

Does length matter?

Unfortunately, it appears that it does. Readers are looking for engaging or informative content and not just a quick or sensational article that is a thin disguise to plug products for advertisers or increase a bloggers click rate to a website: this is commonly referred to as ‘clickbait’.

According to research from the Hook Agency.com, the shortest a blog should be without being considered clickbait is 300 words and the optimum length for quality content in 2020 that will get a blogger found on search engine optimization (SEO) is 1,600 words.

It’s all about the hashtags and links, apparently

And then there are the practical elements. A blog should include some hashtags that when clicked on will lead a reader to other articles or interest groups so that they can further engage with the topic on other peoples' group postings. And of course, a link to your own (or sponsor’s) website utilizing a hyperlink is a must. And on that website, it would be great to find other engaging content or resources.

Professional bloggers

Can you make money from blogging? Well, the below pie chart compiled by Raelyn Tan from a survey of 1,500 readers of Problogger website provides statistics on recent professional blogger earnings.

10% of aspiring bloggers make nothing

53% of them make $0.01 – $99 per month

24% make more than $100 a month

9% of surveyed blog readers make at least 5-figures annually

4% of them turn their blogs into 6-figure businesses

In total, 37% of bloggers are earning a valuable additional income, particularly when you consider that for most, blogging is only one of a series of multi-income streams. Other associated sources of potential income are listed in the mind map below.

Ways to make money blogging

And what about that 4%?

I thought I was doing pretty well by getting an average of 500 blog visits per month ... until I did some research on the top earners in the blogging business. According to wpressblog.com, the top three bloggers in the world are as follows (listed in ascending order):

• 3rd Place = Rand Fishkin - Moz

He's famous for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and blogs on marketing. He has an average of 6 million site visitors per month and earns $3, 740, 000 per month - mainly from affiliate marketing.

• 2nd Place = Peter Rojas - Engadget

He's famous for blogging on gaming, entertainment, gear and tech reviews. He gets an average of 51 million site visitors per month and earns an average of $3, 950, 000 per month, mainly from direct advertising.

• 1st Place = Arriana Huffington The Huffington Post

She's famous for blogging about life & politics. She gets a whopping 131.7 million site visits per month and earns on average an eye-watering $41, 660, 000 per month, mainly from sponsored banner advertisements.

For the full list of top-earning bloggers, you can follow the link here.

How much time does it take for us newbies to blog?

Well, unless you're a professional blogger who's deadset on becoming one of the rarefied 6-figure plus 4% bloggers, I'll assume you're a regular human being with a job and other activities that eat up your time. In this case, I'd recommend writing in one-hour blocks until you get done, using the following technique:

1. think up an idea and outline using headings,

2. write some content under each heading,

3. flesh it out and add any research ideas,

4. format and add visuals,

5. edit, proofread & polish,

6. unleash on an unsuspecting public,

Blogging 101 – A quick summary

So, there you have it – the basics of blogging covered – blogging 101. Choose a theme that interests you, keep your chunks of writing short and signposted with bold headings and chuck in some visuals and lists, as well. For practical purposes, hyperlink to other articles, add hashtags to link to interest groups and have resources to give away, recommend or sell. And don’t forget to include a link to your website! But most of all, have fun and enjoy doing it!

Use this link to access a blog template (found under the business tab on the menu bar): www.mc-mindfulcontent.com

It's all about me!

Marcus is a writer, content creator & developer who is passionate about creative, academic & business writing. He blogs about lifestyle choices, recipes and writing.

If you liked this blog, please feel free to share it with a friend, give me a ‘like on the button', drop me a comment, or subscribe on the website to receive the latest blogs, recipes and free productivity templates straight from www.mc-mindfulcontent.com

On the website, under the business page, you'll find a free blog template in Word format that you can download and use to structure your own articles. Happy blogging!

“Let’s keep the conversations alive.”

All images are taken from Unsplash: 1 - Dmitry Ratushny (dictionary), 2 - Sincerely Media - (scrabble tiles), 3 - Franco Antonio Giovanella (hand-face), 4 - Jan Baborak (hashtag), 5 - Andrew Neel (writing desk)