Are personal blogs still relevant? If this question pops up in your head, you need to read this article. Because you’ll learn what personal blogging is all about, how it changed over the years, and why people are now turning their personal blog sites into business blogs and making money online.
When blogging started in the year 1994, people were using their blogs as a means of expressing their thoughts and sharing what’s happening in their lives.
Just like many other things in the world, over the years blogging has evolved with time and trends to what it is now.
Personal blogging started as a means for individuals to share their thoughts and in a way to connect with the world.
But in recent times it has been changed with time.
Blogging is not a hobby anymore. But, it is a profitable business. Many people now have turned their personal blog sites into a means of earning money online, either by ads or by selling their products or services.
There are still people who are blogging as a hobby.
But they are in the minority.
Many people are now turning their personal blog sites into business which is earning them more money than they initially expected.
These days, if you have a blog, your main goal is to earn money from it.
In this article, I’ll be looking at what personal blogging actually is, how it changed over the years and how it can be quite profitable.
So, let’s dive in…
What is Personal Blogging?
Personal blogging is a type of blogging that is usually done by an individual who has a passion for expressing and doing so through blogging.
There is no restriction on what you can write. People use their own blogs to write about whatever they are passionate about. In short, personal blogs are regarded as the place where people express themselves.
In the early days, blogging was all about personal journals. People who had a knack for writing began writing about their thoughts and feelings on their blogs. It was a time when blogging was just starting out and people were not aware of what this new thing called ‘blogging’ is all about.
But as time went by, personal blogging changed a lot. People who started using blog sites for personal purposes gradually turned them into business sites and began earning money with the help of their blog sites.
Personal blogs started gaining popularity and were way more popular than other types of business blogging, like niche-specific blogs.
People loved to visit personal blogs because they could read about the thoughts and feelings of individual bloggers on various topics.
It was like visiting a friend’s place where you get to know what they are thinking, their likes and dislikes, etc.
Today, personal blogging is no longer just for expressing your thoughts. Today, people have many different types of personal blogs. But one thing that has remained constant is the fact that blogs are still used by individuals who have a passion for writing about whatever they want to on their blog site.
So, are personal blogs still relevant?
Yes, of course!
They are still relevant because they give a platform to people who have a knack for writing but don’t want to go professional.
In other words, it is an opportunity for budding writers and bloggers to hone their skills while earning from their hard work by monetizing their blog sites.
How Personal Blogging Evolved?
The reason why blogging changed over the years is because of the benefits it has to offer, mainly it helps you earn money online.
People at first started blogging as a hobby.
They simply wrote whatever they felt like writing about on their blog sites for friends, family members, and the world to read on the internet.
But, soon people realized that there are various ways you can make money with your blogging site. So, they turned towards affiliate marketing, selling ebooks, online courses, and making money through advertisements.
Many people started earning more than they could ever imagine.
The income is so good that it has even attracted professionals like doctors and lawyers to start blogging.
This was the reason why personal blogging changed over the years and it worked in favor for bloggers as now they can turn their passion into a profession.
Today, anyone can start a blog.
The cost of starting a blog is minimal and it’s very easy to do as well.
So, if you have a knack for writing and want to make money online, then creating a personal blog is the best way to go about it.
How to Start a Personal Blog?
The process of starting a personal blog is similar to creating any type of blog. The main difference is the content you will be writing.
You don’t have to worry about the technicalities as nowadays there are a number of hosting companies who make it extremely easy for you. There are many free blogging sites (not recommended) where you can start a blog.
It’s a better and smarter choice to own your blog.
To get started with blogging, you’ll need two things:
- A domain name
- A web hosting account
A domain name is a unique URL for your blog. It is the address of your blog on the internet, just like how digitalmillions.org is the domain name for this blog.
A web hosting account is where your blog’s files are stored.
Web hosting providers provide the space on their servers where you can store your blog files and database. They also help your blog visitors access your blog over the internet. In short, without hosting, your blog will be non-existent.
To get a domain name, you can either purchase it from a domain registrar or buy it using the web hosting account you purchase. Nearly all web-hosting services provide their customers with domain names.
Typically, you’ll get your first domain name for free when you sign up for the hosting service. I recommend HostGator or Bluehost for free domains.
Once the domain name and web hosting account are taken care of, you need to download blogging software from the web-hosting company. This blogging software is what you will use to create your blog site.
The good news is that nowadays there are many well-known blogging platforms that you can use to create your blog site.
Some of the best and most popular ones are WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, and Joomla. WordPress is the most popular blogging platform there is and I personally recommend it. It powers more than 40% of all blogs on the internet.
If you’re serious about blogging, then I recommend that at the very least you create your blog using WordPress.
Once you have installed WordPress on your domain name using your web hosting account, you need to go through the steps of setting up the basic settings. You will now be able to start writing your first blog post.
I know, things are still very confusing.
If you have never done it before or don’t have enough technical knowledge, you may be afraid to take action on starting your own blog.
But, don’t worry!
It’s not as difficult as it may seem.
To help you out, I have created a comprehensive step-by-step tutorial to create a WordPress blog starting from scratch.
Read it here – How to Start a Blog? – a Complete Step-by-Step Guide.
The Cost of Starting a Personal Blog
The cost of starting a personal blog is similar to creating any other type of blog, as the only difference is the content you will be writing.
There are free blogging platforms that allow you to start a blog without investing any money, but I don’t recommend them.
If you’re serious about blogging (and making money) then it’s better to invest the time and small cost into creating your own blog. That way, you will have 100% control over the success of your blog and it will be yours.
With the free blog platforms, you are limited to what you can do on your blog.
The cost of starting a blog depends on the web hosting you choose. The prices range from $2.75 per month to $100+ per month.
I recommend that you choose HostGator.
HostGator is one of the best hosting companies around, they are affordable with a free domain name for the first year.
HostGator pricing plans:
- Hatchling plan – $2.75/month
- Baby plan – $3.50/month
- Business plan – $5.25/month
A Hatchling Plan is sufficient if you are just getting started.
This will be more than enough to get you started and after a few months, if you begin to make money, you may decide to upgrade.
Pro Tip: Most hosting companies will let you pay monthly or yearly, I recommend always signing up for yearly payments to save more money.
Best Topics for Personal Blogs
This is probably one of the biggest questions that most people usually ask when they want to start their own personal blog.
The best way to find ideas for your blog is by looking around and seeing what interests you, or by researching trending topics.
If you’re not sure where to start, try asking the following questions:
- What do I like?
- Which website is doing well and makes money?
- What do my friends like?
- What can make money?
If you’re trying to decide on a niche for your blog, I recommend that you choose something to blog about that you have a passion for and stay away from the popular niches such as online business, fashion, or fitness.
Those are highly competitive niches that are filled with thousands of other blogs.
If you decide to start a blog about one of the most popular niches, it will be very difficult for you to compete with all the other blogs that are already in that niche.
That’s why it’s so important to choose the blog topic that you are most passionate about. People can sense when you’re not into something, and they usually won’t stick around long enough to read your blog.
Having a blog about something you are passionate about will make it easier to write posts, come up with new ideas to post about.
Well, if you want to make money from your personal blog, it’s critical to remember the following factors that make a niche the perfect one:
- Low competition
- High-profit potential
- Personally satisfying
- Solves a practical need
- Strong market demand
- Evergreen topic
If you choose an evergreen topic for your blog, it means that the topic will always be relevant and people will still be engaged with it many years from now.
Some examples of evergreen topics:
- Relationships & Dating
- Health & Fitness
- Finance
- Style & Beauty
- Travel & Leisure.
- Personal blogging
The reason to choose an evergreen topic is simple. You will always have readers for an evergreen topic. You should only choose a trending topic if you want to blog about it while it’s trending and then move on to a different topic.
“Blogging is like planting a tree, you can’t just do it once. You have to keep watering it and nourishing it if you want it to grow.”
Starting your own blog can be overwhelming especially if you don’t know where to start. That’s why I created the following guide to help you create your blog which will walk you through all the steps to starting a successful blog.
How Personal Bloggers Make Money?
Personal bloggers make money in a variety of ways.
Some make money from the advertisements on their blog and others make money from sponsorships with different brands. There are some personal bloggers who sell their own products or services, but this is less common.
Blog monetization methods:
- Sponsored posts on the blog
- Selling own products
- Selling affiliate products
- Coupons and discounts
- Advertisements
Some bloggers will focus on one monetization method and some will use a mixture of two or all three different methods. The more readers you have, the higher the chance to make money from your blog.
Depending on the blogging niche that you choose, your blog can generate between $5 to $50 or more per 1000 page views (if you’re wondering how much you usually make with ads on your blog per month).
Many bloggers make thousands of dollars with their blog per month, but remember that not all bloggers are able to do this.
It’s a great feeling when you’re able to make money from your blog, especially if you had a hard time growing an audience.
“As a personal blogger, you have to know which monetization method is best for your blog and stick to it.” If you can do things right from the start, you will have greater success as a personal blogger.
There are many bloggers who make money from sponsored posts on their blogs. This means that they agree to mention a certain brand or product on their blog if the brand agrees to pay them. Highly popular bloggers are able to charge $250 and more per sponsored post published on their blog.
This is a very popular way to monetize blogs because the brands know that they will get an honest review from this type of blogging.
“Selling your own products is also a great way to monetize your blog and it’s a very profitable way to make money.”
If you have so many readers in your niche, it’s possible for you to create an e-book or blog series and sell it for $20 or more. Most e-books will bring you hundreds of dollars for each copy sold, again if you have a huge audience.
You can also make money through affiliate marketing and selling other people’s products and services on your blog. There are so many different products that you can promote on your blog, but the most popular ones are:
For a complete guide on how to make money blogging…
Read it here – How to Make Money Blogging? – The Ultimate Guide.
Are Personal Blogs Still Relevant?
Yes, personal blogging is still relevant.
There’s no doubt that the blogging industry and personal blogging industry have changed over the past decade, but it’s still possible to find success with your blog no matter what niche you choose.
If you have a passion for something that other people are also passionate about, then there’s a high chance that you can find success with your blog.
A good example of this is if you have an interest in fitness and nutrition. There are thousands of people who have a similar interest and passion for this topic, so it would be easy for you to create a blog about it.
I’m not saying that it’s easy to find success with your blog. It will still take a lot of work and effort, just like any business, but it’s possible.
Many people think personal blogging is not relevant anymore. This is often because they failed to find success with their blogs or don’t understand how the blogging industry works. Personal blogging has changed over the years, but it’s still possible to find success with your blog.
Nowadays it has become a business venture for many entrepreneurs because of its profitability. People have now started turning their personal blog into a full-time job or side gig, just by monetizing their blog with affiliate marketing and ads.
In conclusion, personal blogging is still relevant, as long as you have a passion for something and believe that other people are passionate about it too.
Are Personal Blogs Successful?
Yes, there are many personal blogs that are very successful.
Most personal blogs are successful because they are written by people who have something interesting to say or share on their blogs. People don’t want to read bland information on a blog. So people with a unique perspective on a topic may have more success than someone else with a similar topic.
For example, if two people start a blog about cooking Thai food, the success of those blogs will greatly depend on the blog author’s perspectives.
If one person has been cooking Thai food since she was a child and the other person has only started cooking Thai food because she read an article in a magazine, the first blog is much more likely to be successful.
This isn’t to say that it is impossible for the second blog to be successful, but the first blog has a built-in advantage.
The conclusion: Personal blogs are successful when people have something interesting to say and share on their blogs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Personal blogs are simply blogs that are written by people about their personal lives, stuff that interests them, politics, sports, movies, and other topics.
Since they are written by individuals, they aren’t as likely to be interesting as a blog written by a professional writer.
The best personal blogs are written by people who have some expertise on the topic they are writing about.
For example, if someone is talking about their life as an introvert or extrovert, their blog may be more interesting if they are an expert on the topic rather than someone who is just talking about their personal experience.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers:
What are personal blogs?
Personal blogs are blogs written by individuals. They typically discuss the blogger’s life, politics, sports, movies, and other topics that interest the blog author. These blogs also tend to be more casual in tone than other types of blogs.
What are some examples of popular personal blogs?
Some examples of very popular personal blogs are the celebrity gossip blog Perezhilton.com and StevePanlina.com.
What is the purpose of personal blogs?
The purpose of a personal blog is for people to share their opinions and experiences with the world. Bloggers usually share their opinions on current events, their personal lives, or other topics they are interested in.
Are all personal blogs successful?
No, not all personal blogs are successful. Many personal blogs are quite boring because the author has nothing interesting or unique to say.
Who is likely to have success with a personal blog?
People who have something interesting or unique to say on their blog are likely to be more successful than those with no expertise in the subject matter.
How to be a personal blogger?
The first step to writing a personal blog is to figure out what your area of expertise, or at least your perspective and opinion, is. If you have a unique perspective or interest, you can start a blog.
The next step is to buy a domain and a hosting account. You can purchase a domain name and hosting account for cheap at HostGator.
Once you have your domain and hosting account, install the blogging software. The most popular blogging software is WordPress. Then, install a theme, plugins and set up your site to write your first blog post. Then, start writing!
Click here for a complete step-by-step blogging guide.
Is Personal Blogging a Good Career?
Since personal blogging is mostly done for fun, it probably isn’t a good long-term career choice. It could make you some extra money through advertising or affiliate marketing, but it will probably have to be combined with another job or career.
But, if you are serious and want to build a business blogging, you can definitely do it by creating a blog on a specific topic and monetizing it through advertising, affiliate marketing, and other methods.
If you are serious about making money from your blog, you should check out my book Blogging from ZERO. In it, I teach people how to make real money from their blogs by having them build successful blogs from scratch.
What is a successful personal blog?
A successful personal blog is a blog that has thousands of visitors and makes enough money through advertising, affiliate marketing, or other sources of income that the blogger can support themselves or their family.
Is Personal Blogging dead?
Personal blogging isn’t dead, but it is dying out.
People are starting to realize that if they don’t have enough expertise in a certain subject, it’ll be hard to create a successful blog.
So, they are turning to other forms of blogging like video blogging or niche blogging to promote affiliate products or personal products.
Although personal blogs are on the decline, they will be around for a long time and there will always be people who write about their lives and experiences on the internet. So, personal blogs are still relevant and should always be there. If you want to start one, you should do it right now.
There are already millions of blogs out there.
The more you wait, the more difficult it will be to get noticed.
What is the difference between a personal blog and a professional one?
Personal blogs are written by individuals about their opinions and experiences. Professional blogs are written by experts about their opinions and experience with a certain subject matter.
Personal blogs are usually more like diaries that are written for the author’s own enjoyment. Professional blogs are written to inform, discuss, sell or teach others about a certain subject.
If you want to write a blog about your everyday life, then it’s a personal blog. If you want to write a blog about your area of expertise, then it’s a professional blog. This is not set in stone though.
Final Thoughts on Personal Blogging
Personal blogging is not easy, especially when you’re just starting out. Here are the top tips that I would give to bloggers starting out in this industry:
Be consistent. You need to post daily or at least three times a week on your blog.
“If you don’t have a lot of time to write blog posts yourself, then I recommend hiring a virtual assistant from Fiverr to help you out.” If you can’t be consistent when blogging, it will be much harder to grow your blog.
Analyze what works for you. Keep track of your blog’s performance with Analytics or a similar tool to track your blog traffic and other metrics.
Do not join too many affiliate programs (for bloggers). You can join as many as you like, but don’t focus on too many products. You shouldn’t waste your time promoting a product that isn’t relevant to your niche.
Find a niche that you’re passionate about and can write on consistently, because this will make your blog easier to grow.
And, of course, you can make money with your personal blog.
So, if you have been thinking of starting a blog, make sure to collect your thoughts and do some research before you start.
But, remember it’s still relevant and will be there for you to make money online, as long as you have the passion and dedication for it.
And that’s all I have for this post!
I hope you enjoyed it and found something useful.
Don’t forget to show your love by sharing it. It doesn’t only help more people to discover this free resource, but it also gives me a wider reach.
