Blogs in 2020

Blogs are still the most widely accessible way to create an online presence.

If you want to boost your career, start a blog documenting your work, develop a writing habit, and grow an email list. You’ll eventually develop an audience and generate new opportunities if you stick to it long enough.

There are three challenges to address in the blogging industry nowadays. 

• Content management systems are too bloated. It’s 2020, I don’t want to pay to host a slow Wordpress blog. I want something like Stackbit or Ghost I can host for free on Netlify or Zeit that loads lightning-fast and scales with my traffic.
• 70% of bloggers do not make money. Affiliate marketing and ads make up most of the revenues, but other business models such as sponsorships, donations, or paywalled content remain underused.
• An inconsistent publishing schedule is the number 1 reason why new blogs fail. Running a blog is like running a startup: you have to keep experimenting and receive feedback. Mindless repetition or giving up too early (it takes several months, if not years, to develop an audience) will get you nowhere.

Blogging is hard work. The competition is fierce, so it’s primordial for writers in 2020 to find a way to stick out and think with sustainability in mind. Each article is an iteration of your blog: keep improving everything little by little and take each addition seriously.