Blogging for Hobby versus Blogging as a Business

Most of us are blogging as a hobby. 

Never mind the rather "lofty" goals some of us wrote in our manifestos.

Wait... Do I have a mission statement in my blog? Check here, check there. Phew! No. 

Good, good. No stress then. It's a hobby remember?


There are also bloggers out there who are CLEARLY using their blogs as an extension of their existing businesses. 

Think remisiers, insurance and property agents, financial educators, etc.

It's not any different than all those health and medical seminars provided by our medical specialists. The obvious message is to create awareness on certain medical conditions; the undertone pitch is really about the marketing of the services and products of whoever "sponsored" this medical seminar or talk.

Don't believe? Just look inside your goody bag. This activity is under the sub-set of public relations; although marketers will claim it belongs to them too.


Then there are those new bloggers  who started off looking like hobbyists, but they are aspirant Business Owners who started with the end in mind. And I applaud them.

I had great fun predicting who these bloggers are.

Here are some of the tell-tale signs:

1)  About us. It's in the plural even though it's clear there is only one blogger. After several months or 1 or 2 years, you'll see more partners or contributors joining the blog. More people means more resources as in time and money. The blog will usually quickly scale up to the next stage.

2)  The platform used. Hobbyists usually choose that free blogging for idiots platform. Those who blog with an end in mind usually choose another platform that is free in the beginning, but it can be easily scaled up by upgrading to the paid version.  

3)  Template chosen.  It's screams business-like to you. No silly and frivolous stuffs such as birds, camels, or amateurish pics of fruits picking...

4)  Blog topics.  Again, deadly serious here. No instant noodles musings, no lame jokes or parodies, and definitely no mature adult stuffs that would make an ex-convent girl blush. 

5)  Free giveaways.  You provide an email address and you will get something for free. FREE is a great hook!
 

Once their readership have reach a critical mass as in page views or email subscriptions, they will start to monetize this "asset".  Some will start to sell financial courses, some financial products, some financial services. 

Applause.

Some do it so well that they can quit their day job and commit full-time to their blogging business.

Off course not all will succeed. Singapore being a small market and all. You think why big daddy wants to increase this domestic market to 8 million?


Its refreshing to see in this blogosphere where snakes and dragons intermingle, where most just aspire to be better traders or investors, there are a minority few who have their eyes on the bigger prize - Business Owners.

Standing ovation.