Blogging can be a full time job, says Vuelio
A report from Vuelio suggests that blogging is becoming a source of income for a quarter of bloggers. Proceed with caution.
Blogging is professionalising and has become a paid activity for up to a fifth of bloggers. Typical remuneration is in the range of £250 to £1,000 for a collaboration with a brand. 19% of bloggers claim to command fees in this range, with two percent earning more than £1,000.
Bloggers typically start out blogging as a hobby and over time shift to paid activity. 18% of bloggers cite blogging as their main source of income.
Vuelio suggests that the shift to paid activity reflects a broader professionalisation of the blogging industry. It suggests that it is fast becoming a recognised career choice.
Bloggers typically spend between 5 to 10 hours per week on their blog although there’s a growing segment that spend more than 30 hours per week reflecting the growth of professional blogging.
These are the headline findings from Vuelio’s UK Bloggers Survey 2019 produced in conjunction with Canterbury Christ Church University. Vuelio surveyed 500 bloggers in the UK from its database of 7,500.
Paying to play
Collaborations are the most lucrative form of brand partnership and typically involve multiple blog posts and social media posts.
The shift in blogging to a paid activity isn’t without its dangers. Blogs are a highly trusted form of media. They typically have small audiences compared with mainstream media but are highly personal.
The relationship and trust between a blogger and their audience could quickly become corrupted by advertising. Indeed the Vuelio survey follows a spate of dodgy influencer marketing, with fake followers and non-disclosure two of the biggest issues facing the legitimacy of the industry.
Most bloggers (88%) believe paid disclosure is important for every collaboration but that still leaves a sizeable minority for whom it isn’t a priority. It’s also illegal under advertising standards in the UK.
There’s an equal split between bloggers writing for personal reasons and writing professional blogs such as my own.
If you’re interested in learning more about blogging please consider joining the virtual Comms School set up Marcel Klebba and myself.
Emergence of super sectors
The market is dominated for blogging in the UK is dominated by five super sectors. These include fashion & beauty, lifestyle, parenting, food and drink, and travel.
While three of these super sectors have grown since 2016, lifestyle and fashion & beauty have seen declines, with the latter experiencing a 14% drop over the last two years. The rise of Instagram is almost certainly a factor as these visual-friendly topics have found a new home.
Blogging habits: traffic and pitches
The reduction in the frequency of posts points to a broader trend. There’s been a decrease in the frequency of posting with almost half of bloggers (44%) posting just once a week. Twitter (91%), Facebook (86%) and Instagram (79%) remain the preferred channels to promote blog posts.
One in seven blogs receives more than 1,000 unique visitors per month: 41% of blogs received between 1,000 and 10,000 visitors; and 31% receive more than 10,000 visitors.
Two-thirds of bloggers said that only one pitch a week or less resulted in any promoted content on their blog. The patterns were very similar for those who were writing for personal reasons and those with a more professional interest.
Brands and public relations practitioners need to work harder when pitching to bloggers.
