Career as a Blogger – Blogging 101

Ever wondered how blogging came into being?

Weblogs were the original name for blogs. They were created to allow people to write about their daily activities. The daily activities were the content for their little websites, where they recorded their thoughts, stories, images, and videos. Some of these microsites grew in popularity and blogging as a hobby was established.

Do you wish to share your knowledge at the global level? You can become a blogger! Be it any field that you have an expertise or passion in. Blogging is something you can try.

In this blog, we have all the information on what is career as a blogger is like, the career paths, types of bloggers, top blogging and hosting platforms, book recommendations, and the top bloggers you can follow. Let’s dive in!

What does a Blogger do? 

A regular contributor to a blog or website is known as a blogger. A blogger’s area of interest determines what they write about. If personal, the blogger will discuss relatively common events. A tech blogger will discuss the newest laptop, mobile device, etc. that has reached the market.

The nature of the profession is such that it gives a lot of creative freedom and independence. Your blogging plan will rely on your goals. Here are a few things that a blogger does:

• Plan, research, and create content by writing down information in a structured manner.
• Connect and market your ideas to a target audience.
• Affiliate with brands, and product services and authentically recommend their products. 
• Create engagements with the audience to network better and increase the potential target audience. 
• Promote your work on social media and other platforms. 

Types of  Bloggers

As mentioned above, what a blogger chooses to write about has a lot to do with their selected niche. That is their area of expertise/interest. Here’s a list of a few popular types of bloggers:

1. Food Blogger: If you are passionate about cooking, baking, or even exploring new cuisines, you can become a food blogger. Some of the famous food bloggers are- Minimalist Baker, Hebbars Kitchen, Mumbai Foodie, etc. 

2. Travel Blogger: If exploring or discovering new places and spreading the word is your thing, try travel blogging. Travel influencers are paid for their services if they have an established audience. 

3. Craft Blogger: We don’t mean just the tiny school crafts. These can be DIY projects for children and adults or environment-friendly options/lifestyle-related content for people. 

4. Tech Blogger: How often have you checked the creative product before buying it? Probably always. Buying a smartphone or any device, is an expense, and tech bloggers can give honest feedback on products based on their technical knowledge and personal experience. Plus, if you are established, you can earn from reviews. 

5. Digital Marketing Blogger: Digital marketing is the area of marketing that advertises goods and services using the Internet, online-based technology, and other digital media and platforms. Digital marketing bloggers offer information that closely monitors the most recent developments in the sector.

6. Finance Blogger: In today’s time people have understood the potential of investment over savings. Thus, financial education is important. Finance bloggers share information about different investment opportunities like Mutual Funds, Loans, Fixed Deposits, Stock Markets, Insurance, Taxation, Financial Planning, etc. 

7. Fashion bloggers: The dressing sense of a person adds a lot to their personality based on their context. Fashion influencers may educate about different styles, colour patterns, brands, etc. Or provide reviews and recommendations based on their experience and knowledge. 

8. Education Blogger: We are not just talking about EdTech. If you are someone passionate about teaching, or education in general, you should consider providing your services online and reaching out to the global classroom. 

Do you think you have the entrepreneurial spirit to start a blog? Find out with the Clever Harvey JuniorMBA program in Entrepreneurship 

Career path for a Blogger

There is no strict career path required to become a blogger. After Grade 10, one can pursue any area of interest as a blogger. It is advised to acquire writing skills or select a field that compliments them because writing is the major way of communication.

Here are a few pathways:

Path I:

• Min 60% in Grade 10
• Diploma in Creative writing/Fashion Designing/ Engineering, etc. 
• Bachelors in Arts (English/creative writing/economics/fine arts), Science (Engineering/IT/Health and Nutrition), Commerce (Finance/Economics/tourism/Mass Communication)

Path II:

• Min 60% in Grade 10
• Min 55% in Grade 12 or equivalent (any stream) 
• Bachelors in Arts (English/creative writing/economics/fine arts), Science (Engineering/IT/Health and Nutrition), Commerce (Finance/Economics/tourism/Mass Communication)

One can go ahead and apply for a post-graduation degree- Masters program or PG diploma after completion of the undergraduate program. The details of these are given in the qualifications section of this blog. 

Salary in different stages of a career as a Blogger

The average blogger salary in India is ₹ 285,000 per year or ₹ 146 per hour. Entry-level positions start at ₹ 212,503 per year, while most experienced workers make up to ₹ 585,000 per year.

Skills Required to become a Blogger

The days when blogging needed a solid grasp of programming and website design are long gone. Although knowing these items is advantageous, it is not required. But there are some skills needed to be a blogger.

Technical Skills:

• Writing Skills: The main medium of connection when it comes to blogging is written text. It is essential to have good writing skills to capture the audience. 
• SEO knowledge: Search Engine Optimization, also known as SEO, is a way through which you can increase your post’s visibility and reach a larger audience. The knowledge of this will help increase your reach. 
• Marketing skills: Be it affiliating links, products, or your services, one should be able to market the content most authentically and creatively. 
• Social Networking: We all have social media presence and optimizing it to promote our writing is the best way to maximize our reach. The shareability of content on social media is much higher, thus making your followers the potential promoters of your content. 
• Research Skill: The creativity with which you present your content is crucial, which should be backed and grounded in research and a thorough understanding of the topic. 
• Photo/Video editing: The more multimedia you use, the more types of audience you will be able to connect to. Audio or video presentation of your written content can help people who like to educate themselves within a time crunch. 

A technological skill that can assist you in reaching a larger audience is conceptualizing your idea and developing a narrative on social media. By taking the Clever Harvey JuniorMBA course on Digital Marketing, you may learn how to maintain a vibrant social media presence.

Interpersonal skills:

• Communication Skills: Creative storytelling and effective reasoning are important in a career as a blogger. 
• Goal Setting & Tracking: Creating a content inventory or bank and setting a goal while tracking your previous blog performance is a skill that can help turn blogging into a successful career. Make sure to check out our reading list at the end of the blog. 
• Time Management: One should learn to schedule their writings, understand the media trend and maintain a writing habit among other learning work. Time management will help in the long run. 
• Adaptability: The skill can be taken concerning feedback or the career choice to become a blogger. As one can’t stick to writing about a single topic and will have to educate themselves on the subtopics.

Is Blogging a good career option?

There is plenty of evidence to support the fact that more and more individuals are utilizing the internet. Over 20 billion pages are viewed by over 409 million users. 30% of bloggers on average claim success. From sharing recipes to giving product reviews, or hosting ad spaces, there are numerous ways to earn from blogs. 

Many people have looked for other sources of money and knowledge because of the pandemic. People of all ages have tried to learn about and explore the possibility of blogging. Users can easily start a blog thanks to a variety of blogging services that offer layouts, themes, track analysis, and other features.

It is an excellent way to increase your online presence productively, and connect with people from diverse fields. It can also help you create a community connection with people of similar interests and build a professional network or business. 

Type of blogging platforms for Bloggers

You can choose any of the below-mentioned blog posting platforms based on your intention for writing the blog. If you’re very serious about earning from your blogs, free blogs wouldn’t be a viable monetization option. We suggest you have a web host as well.

• WordPress: 

WordPress.org is at the top of free blogging sites. It gives a host of customization options with the help of – plugins, themes, templates, etc. You will have full control over how your blog will look and function. 

Highlights:

• Secure and reliable – protects data from malware.
• Free themes – choose from hundreds of options in the WordPress theme catalogue to create a custom theme.
• Over 55,000 plugins are available in the plugin directory
• Blogger:

Highlights:

• Free or custom domain – blogspot.com provides a free subdomain, or you can purchase your domain name.
• Featured advertisements — monetize with Google AdSense integration.
• Analyze your blog’s traffic and see which pages are getting the most views.

• Tumblr:

Highlights

• Custom domains – pick a domain name with no more than 64 characters.
• Share your Tumblr posts on social network sites with social media integration.
• Export tool – compiles all of your content into a ZIP file for easy export.

• Medium:

Highlights:

• Massive audience — turn millions of site visitors into subscribers.
• Earn money when someone reads your content through monetization.
• Integrate many types of media files with media embeds.

• Wix:

Highlights:

• Create a personalized SEO plan to help your blog rank higher.
• Design freedom — use a drag-and-drop editor to change any aspect of the site.
• Third-party connectors allow you to connect apps without having to know how to code.
• Mobile editor- makes blogs mobile-friendly.

• Hubspot:

Highlights:

• Preset templates with customization options.
• Free Stock Images, easy edit and upload images option
• Optimization and social sharing integration- auto-check blogs for errors and share your work on multiple platforms.

• Squarespace:

Highlights:

• A customizable layout that gives you complete control of blog appearance.
• Third-party connectors allow you to connect apps without having to know how to code.
• Mobile-friendly themes and layouts
• Tools – SEO Tracker, image editing, and marketing tools

• Ghost:

Highlights:

• Simple templates — construct your blog with Handlebars’ gorgeous templates.
• Comprehensive SEO features for high ranks with powerful SEO tools.
• Editorial calendar to remain ahead of the game when it comes to posting.

• Weebly:

Highlights:

• Drag and drop website builder — use advanced functions to construct your blog.
• Free customizable templates 
• SEO tools to help you rank your website on search engines.
• Multiple apps and third-party integrations through app collection.

Top Webhosting websites for a Blogger

A Web host gives web server space for your blog website to live online. This service saves your blog’s files, data, and website code on a server, allowing anyone, anywhere in the globe, to visit your site. 

Making money from a free blog will take a long time and is unlikely to be effective. This is because free blogs are usually limited. A free blog also means you don’t have complete control over it. Because it is hosted on someone else’s online property, they have the option to remove it.

A self-hosted blog, on the other hand, allows you to be the blog’s true owner. 

• Bluehost:

Here are the detailed features of Bluehost

• HostGator

Here are the detailed features of HostGator

• GoDaddy

Here are the detailed features of GoDaddy

Courses to upskill as a Blogger

The greatest method to learn about the processes and techniques needed for a blog is through certificate programs in creative writing and blogging. A number of these courses also include a project-based evaluation that can be added to portfolios or blog entries.

A few of the courses you can try:

Name of the course	Duration
Blogging 101: Build a Successful Blog in 2022	Self-paced
Intro to SEO: Tactics and Strategy for Entrepreneurs	Self-paced
Guest Blogging Certification Program	1 month
Creating Blog Content Your Readers Actually Want To Read by Skillshare	Self-paced
The Blog Village: Tools to Create Your Blog	1-month

Try out Clever Harvey’s JuniorMBA Digital Marketing program to enhance your blogging skills.

Qualifications to become a Blogger

There are no strict qualification criteria to become a Blogger. However, a bachelor’s degree will add more credibility to your profile as an expert or educated person on the topic. Thus, you can choose any stream of your interest and even start blogging during your education days. 

Degrees in India

There are many different types of bloggers, including those who write about technology, travel, food, art and crafts, finance, and other topics. Thus, one can enrol in a bachelor’s program in subjects related to the interest. 

UG degree names

A minimum of 55% in the 10th and 12th grades from a recognized board and institution are needed to enrol in a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, candidates are chosen based on merit or their performance in entrance exams.

The bachelor’s degree is for 3-4 years. Here are a few degrees you can consider:

• Bachelor of Arts in Literature with specialization in Creative Writing. 
• Bachelors in Mass Communication
• Bachelors in Fine Arts
• Bachelors in Tourism
• Bachelors of Science in Information Technology
• Bachelors in Commerce with specialization in Economics

PG 

The postgraduation courses have the following eligibility criteria:

1. A minimum of 50% or equivalent grade point from a recognized university. 
2. Qualification score in the entrance exam. (university-specific)

Here are a few degrees you can consider:

Name of the course	Duration
MA in Literature and Linguistics	2 years
Master in Fine Arts (MFA)	2 years
MA in Mass Communication	2 years
MSc (Financial Economics)	2 years

Degrees Abroad

To apply for an undergraduate degree abroad, there are a few eligibility criteria, to learn more about it and the colleges, click here.

A few of the courses you can apply to are- a bachelor’s in Creative Writing, a Bachelor’s in Art, Film, and Visual Studies, a bachelor’s in Computer Science and IT, a bachelor’s in Design, and a Bachelor’s in Finance. 

The eligibility criteria for a postgraduation degree abroad are

1. An overall grade point average of a minimum of 7.0 in an undergraduate degree.
2. IELTS score of 100 or other language proficiency qualification score. 

Name of the course	Duration
MA in Creative Writing	2 years
MA in Writing, Editing and Mediating	1 year
Master in Information Technology	2 years
Masters in Design (M.Des)	2 years

References for a Blogger

Books on Blogging

1. Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley
2. The Badass Blog Planner: Your guide to defining your purpose, creating clarity, and building a year of killer content by Sarah Morgan
3. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser
4. The Habits of Highly Successful Bloggers by Ryan Robinson
5. ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income by Darren Rowse
6.  Traffic Transformation Guide by Lena Gott
7. One Hour Content Plan by Meera Kothland
8. Blog, Inc.: Blogging for Passion, Profit, and to Create Community by Joy Deangdeelert Cho
9. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
10. WordPress for Beginners 2021: A Visual Step-by-Step Guide to Mastering WordPress by Dr. Andy Williams
11. Digital Storytelling: A Beginner’s Guide by Mary Sturgill

Top Bloggers in India you can follow

Blogger	Blog	Niche
Amit Agrawal	labnol.org	Technology
Harsh Agrawal	shoutmeloud.com	Blogging, Social Media, SEO
Faisal Farooqi	mouthshut.com	Consumer Research and Services
Shraddha Sharma	your.story.com	Entrepreneur
Varun Krishnan	Fone.arena.com	Technology
Srinivas Tamada	9lessons.info	Web Design
Ashish Sinha	nextbigwhat.com	Business
Arun Prabudesai	trak.com	Business and Finance
Jaspal Singh	savedelete.com	Web Design
Malini Agrawal	missmalini.com	Bollywood
Anuradha Goyal	inditales.com	Travel

Many bloggers start blogging as a side career till they build a substantial audience. This is advisable, as establishing yourself as a blogger will take time. Nevertheless, it is a field that gives complete independence but demands self-discipline. One should try this as a career or a hubby for the exposure it can provide. 

FAQs about a career as a Blogger