The art of sharing one’s thoughts and experiences with an audience spans the journey from the show-and-tell that young children engage in at school to the tell-and-show that writers of diverse genres specialise in. Bloggers are storytellers of the contemporary digital media environment. They use their un... Continue Reading
Explore Career
What are the typical responsibilities of a Blogger?
A Blogger would typically need to:
Bloggers enjoy considerable flexibility regarding their workplace and schedules as long as they have a reliable and stable internet connection. They may work from an office or remotely if they choose full-time employment or from their homes or any other location if they freelance. If you work for a large business, you may have a shared office or cubicle at the company headquarters.
Travel may be a requirement depending on what kind of blogging they do, the niche they choose to work in and the kind of employment they have. Full-time Bloggers who work on organisation-specific content may not travel as much as freelance Bloggers do, who may have to travel regularly for client meetings, networking events and on assignments.
Bloggers work long hours depending on the nature of their employment. Full-time Bloggers typically put in 40-hour work weeks, whereas freelance Bloggers may set their own schedules and put in anywhere between 4 to 14 hours daily at any time of the day, depending on the number of client projects they have at a time. Working overtime and on weekends and holidays is a requirement for most Bloggers to meet deadlines and keep up with the news and trends at all times if they write about current events worldwide or cover a niche segment.
You may write several pieces at one time and create a schedule to publish them regularly, one at a time. Or you may write new blogs or generate follow-up posts every day.
Research suggests that flexible hours and generous telework policies appeal more than salary to the younger generation. There has been an incremental increase in employers willing to give promising employees a chance to adjust their schedules per the work pressure.
Finding a new job might seem challenging. Bloggers can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, attending job fairs, leveraging social media and inquiring at staffing agencies.
Bloggers are generally employed by:
Professional associations and organisations, such as the International Association of Professional Writers and Editors (IAPWE), are crucial for Bloggers interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation.
Professional associations provide members with continuing education, networking opportunities and mentorship services. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.
Some experience in writing and reporting and a deep interest in a particular field make a solid foundation on which Bloggers can build their career.
Potential Bloggers may begin their journey by contributing actively to or editing their school and college magazines, yearbooks and newspapers, scripting their school television or radio shows, participating in writing competitions and picking up digital media skills.
Starting your own blog can help you put one foot in the door to a career as a Blogger. Whether you are a student or looking to change your scope of work, you may sign up on platforms such as WordPress, Blogger, or Medium and begin writing on topics you are well-versed with and have done ample research on, such as movies, sports, video games, art, stamp collecting or fashion. Each experience helps you build your writing portfolio, which you may need to present to prospective employers or education providers as proof of your skills and experience. Experience working as a Blogger for hire is helpful if you wish to enter web publishing, but you may need to contact local and other businesses directly to find such assignments.
Relevant post-secondary academic programs that a potential Blogger takes up typically require a period of supervised experience, such as an internship. Bloggers will benefit from tasks outside the classroom that align perfectly with lessons inside it. One may hear countless stories and obtain valuable hands-on experience from more experienced professionals who can turn seemingly routine incidents into unique learning moments.
Summer internships, part-time work at an entry-level position or short-term paid/voluntary work offer a taste of the career, give valuable insight into how a company or institution operates, help build useful contacts and improve one’s prospects of getting a permanent job.
The experience may also help determine whether the public, private or voluntary sector is best suited to realise one’s ambitions. Your educational provider’s career service department can provide information about viable opportunities for work placements, internships and voluntary work in diverse sectors.
You may also have worked as a journalist or freelanced as a writer. Since blogs can be an avenue to market an organisation’s products or services, experience in marketing or public relations roles is also helpful for aspiring Bloggers, particularly those requiring you to research an industry, product or service and use SEM (search engine marketing) tools. Regardless of your experience, you will receive on-the-job training in a new role to adapt to your employer’s style guide, which serves as a set of guidelines for the content by setting the tone, topics, writing style and voice expected of a blog.
Even while in high school, you can check with a teacher or counsellor about relevant work-based learning opportunities available in your school or community that can help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.
Join some groups, try some hobbies or volunteer with an organisation that is of interest, so you can have fun while learning about yourself and be directed toward a future career.
Read about the profession and interview expert Bloggers to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers. Another way to prepare yourself to become a Blogger is to read popular blogs on topics that interest you. Reach out to other Bloggers via comments and queries on their posts or email them to understand the blogging journey and process better and identify the different blogging styles to discover what works for you and will likely earn a steady readership.
Aspiring Bloggers may need a minimum of a bachelor’s or associate degree/higher national diploma (HND) in English, journalism, communications, marketing, advertising, digital media or a related field to land entry-level roles. However, specific educational requirements can often depend on the organisation you wish to work for and the subject matter knowledge you may need for the role.
While a high school diploma or equivalent may suffice in some cases, it is advisable to obtain higher qualifications to round off your education and ensure that you are qualified for a full-time job if you are a part-time Blogger. College-level courses in writing also foster specialised skills and confidence.
Taking high school courses in creative writing, business and computer science can be beneficial for aspiring professional Bloggers. English and speech classes can help you with your writing, research and communication skills, all of which are essential for this career.
Remember that completing a particular academic course does not guarantee entry into the profession. Be that as it may, your professional qualifications and transferable skills may open up more than one door.
Do your homework and look into all available options for education and employment before enrolling in a specific programme. Reliable sources that help you make an educated decision include associations and employers in your field.
Certification demonstrates a Blogger’s competency in a skill set, typically through work experience, training and passing an examination. When acquired from an objective and reputed organisation, it can help you stand out in a competitive job market, carry a significant salary premium of up to 18 per cent, increase your chances of advancement and become an independent consultant. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.
Bloggers may also need to undergo an employment background check, including but not limited to a person’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media and drug screening.
Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications drive career progression. Employees with consistently high-performance levels may be eligible for promotion every two to three years.
You may advance as a Blogger by moving up to a better-paid blogging position within your organisation or field or by taking on higher-paying clients if you are a freelancer. Moving into management positions in your company or more specialised areas by finding a niche such as fashion, food or travel may also further your career. Roles such as Blogger Outreach Manager (who contacts Bloggers with the potential to attract suitable audiences to a company’s product or service), Chief Conversation Officer (who responds to online conversations) or Social Media Manager (who implements clients’ social media programs) are often seen as potential advancement opportunities for successful Bloggers.
Some full-time Bloggers may find moving to freelance gigs a form of career advancement once they have built a professional network and readership. There are paid blogging services that provide opportunities for such Bloggers. Freelance Bloggers typically chart their progression themselves. They may find growth opportunities by establishing a personal brand on social media platforms to maximise the audience for their blogs and build a community around their content. An expanding readership can lead to higher advertising rates or greater stipends from employers.
Working as a guest Blogger and setting up podcasts may also open opportunities to explore new audiences. You may also consider launching a consultancy in the area you have developed in-depth and extensive expertise in through your blogging journey.
Bloggers may earn national or international followers and recognition, but their advancement and returns may depend to a large extent on the correct choice of paid blogging service, the number of sites they use, and their use of promotional strategies, such as exchanging links and joining social networking sites, to draw new audiences.
The desire to accelerate career growth and personal development has an increasing number of millennials choosing to job hop and build a scattershot resume that showcases ambition, motivation and the desire to learn a broad range of skills.
Studies prove that job hopping, earlier dismissed as “flaky” behaviour, can lead to greater job fulfilment. Employees searching for a positive culture and exciting work are willing to try out various roles and workplaces and learn valuable and transferable skills along the way.
Bloggers with the necessary skills, experience and education have the best job prospects to succeed in establishing their mark as digital media fiends known for their content production skills.
Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Blogger build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education or self-directed learning. It allows you to continually upskill regardless of age, job or level of knowledge.
Newly hired Bloggers may receive on-the-job training in abiding by the blog’s style guide so that they can comply with the established tone of the content as well as the preferred topics, writing style and voice.
Bloggers must constantly educate themselves using online resources to remain updated on the latest blogging tools and techniques. Take courses to sharpen your skills in advertising & marketing, online journalism, editing and design. You may also attend conferences and webinars to network with other experienced professionals in the industry. Bloggers must also stay updated with the latest digital media trends, such as podcasting and video blogging, to expand their audience.
It all comes down to your ability to produce creative and relevant content while developing strategic and innovative thinking to evolve with the times in a dynamic landscape.
Types of Blogs
There are several types of blogs that Bloggers may choose from depending on the experiences, products and services they write about. Some popular blog categories that gain readership online include food, travel, health & fitness, lifestyle, fashion & beauty, photography, DIY craft, parenting, music, business, art & design, books & writing, personal finance, interior design, sports, news, movies, religion and politics.
Blogging - A Flourishing Profession
Blogging, or maintaining an online journal, is growing rapidly as a profession because Bloggers have considerable scope to earn money from publishing their content on paid blogging services. The content may relate to a wide variety of topics, such as fashion, food, lifestyle and literature. Blogs are regularly updated and maintained chronologically. Bloggers may choose to be either web publishers or work for hire, or do both. Web publishers create their own blogs and eventually monetise them after gaining a certain amount of audience. Bloggers for hire blog for others and get paid in return.
Blogging as a Freelance Art
Blogging is no different from being a freelance artist because you are a curator of information, writing and presenting content about specific or multiple subjects for people to read. You may even express yourself beyond just words, through photos, videos, e-books and recipes. Blogging entails the creative freedom that other content writing professions may only sometimes provide. The categorisation also doesn’t always have to be stringent and gives you room to explore and intersect across multiple categories.
Some Important Attributes of Bloggers
In addition to writing and editing skills, curiosity is a predominant quality of Bloggers. It leads them to research the breadth and depth of a topic and understand its nuances so that they can create well-rounded and informed posts for their audiences. Curiosity may also make them diversify their scope of topics and enrich their general knowledge.
Bloggers must have well-defined opinions that they can convey clearly in writing to the reader. They must also think innovatively and strategically, considering the desired and potential outcomes of what they post. It also helps if they are artistic, well-versed in design and computer literate to give their content a visually attractive, well-balanced and professional appearance using relevant software.
Appealing to both readers and advertisers is also a skill that Bloggers must possess and constantly refine. Some coaching in advertising and marketing skills can help them create unique and valuable content that sparks and is persistent enough to make audiences take the initiative to try out a product or service. Such skills also help draw paid advertisements to blogs.
Blogs can often be victims of online vitriol from readers. Bloggers must always remain level-headed, keeping a calm but firm attitude to deal with such comments and steer away the commentary from unnecessary chatter to relevant topics with a positive tone. At the same time, they must also remain receptive to constructive criticism to improve their content.
Current Scenario
The employment outlook of Bloggers may be impacted by diverse factors, such as the time of year, location, employment turnover, occupational growth, size of the occupation and industry-specific trends and events that affect overall employment.
Over the next decade, the employment of Bloggers is expected to grow at an average rate. Their demand will arise from the sustained growth of social media platforms, which constantly need articulate Bloggers. Bloggers will continue writing for websites and blogs, increasingly targeting specific audiences. Since blogging can be taken up as a part-time career and is largely a remote-work option, it holds added appeal for many professionals who seek flexibility in their work.
Content Marketing on the Rise
Content marketing is an increasingly popular tool in the business world to reach target customers and inspire their trust through content that appeals to them. Bloggers can leverage this trend by developing their copywriting, SEO and social media marketing skills and collaborating with marketing teams to build unified and well-rounded content strategies.
Viral Video Viewing
While blogging remains a popular medium for sharing information and opinions, videos have caught up as a content format and raced a few steps ahead. Bloggers who can produce high-quality video content will make their mark in the coming years, given the ease of sharing such content on social media platforms and its high impact and wide audiences. Instagram is already a video-focused platform with an increasing focus on ‘reels’ or short videos, a facility launched on the platform a couple of years ago.
Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs Full-Time Employment
Freelancing Bloggers have more flexible work schedules and locations. They fully own the business and can select their projects and clients. However, they experience inconsistent work and cash flow, which means more responsibility, effort and risk.
On the other hand, full-time Bloggers have company-sponsored health benefits, insurance and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. Yet, they may experience boredom due to a lack of flexibility, ownership and variety.
When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best for you.
Based on how well they can articulate themselves, Bloggers can sway opinions and influence an audience into making purchase decisions. If you find yourself intrigued by the art of weaving words and visuals to create compelling content, you may have what it takes to be a successful Blogger.
Hone your writing skills. Pick up on the latest technologies in the digital media industry. Stay updated with news and trends in your niche and produce as much content as possible, even if you do not have any formal work yet. Nothing makes you better at creating content than practice. Write, edit, rewrite, publish and repeat. You will get better with each try.
Blog posts featuring images every 75-100 words are twice as likely to get shares than those that do not.
What do Bloggers do?
A Blogger would typically need to:
Accredited
