It seems like every Tom, Jane and Harry jr., their neighbor and their dog has a blog nowadays. Yet the statistics show a more diverse picture than that.
Here are some interesting stats about the state of blogging in the year 2012:
- the majority of bloggers is male: 60% versus 40% women
- WordPress is by far the most popular blogging platform
- in the US alone are an estimated 31 million bloggers
- only 8% of bloggers earns enough money to support a family
- more than 81% never make $100 from blogging
Wat can we conclude from these statistics?
First of all, a part of these stats is based on a survey among 1,000 bloggers. That’s not a whole lot, considering the 31 million bloggers in just the US. So we have to be a bit careful to put too much into the findings.
Secondly, we can conclude (though with some care as explained above) that blogging just for the money is a tough uphill road. While some 19% makes more than ¢100 from blogging, it’s a small minority that can earn enough to support a family. If you want to blog for the long term, you’ll probably need a better reason that just getting rich.
Mind you, we’re probably talking about money directly related to monetizing your blog. Obviously, there’s a host of people who run a blog as part of a bigger money-making business or venture, like writers, coaches, consultants, etc. It’s not clear whether this is seen as ‘making money from blogging’ in this infographic.
Thirdly, what these stats don’t show is the popularity of micro-blogging, for instance on Tumblr. This is attracting among others young people, artists and people or brands with visual interesting products. The question is then what exactly constitutes blogging.
What is a safe conclusion though is that there’s a lot of competition when it comes to blogging. If you want to ‘make it’ with your blog, even in a small and relatively safe niche, you have to be at the top of your game.
What is your main reason for blogging?
andrew jones says
No mention of Chinese blogs? They are the biggest in the world.
Rachel Blom says
These stats are US figures actually, so there are more countries missing…whole continents actually 🙂
Mark Brooks says
I blog for several reasons. First, it gives me a chance to “preach” what I believe in, building a stewardship base for Christian ministries. Since I no longer have a weekly pulpit to preach in my blog posts often become that platform for me. Secondly, I blog to add value to those that read my work. Beyond this I honestly feel that blogging gives potential clients a feel for what they will get when they engage us to help them. Finally, my blog posts serve as building blocks for further writing such as books and articles. Nearly all my books were birthed as a result of blogging in. My dream is to someday be listed by Michael Hyatt and Kent Shaffer as a top blogger!
Rachel Blom says
I share that last dream 🙂
Joseph Lalonde says
I blog to share what I’m learning and to help others improve their leadership abilities and life. Earning money would be nice but it’s not the final reason I blog.
Rachel Blom says
I think those are great reasons. Blogging will probably reinforce your own learning process as well, because you’re writing your lessons down. It’s the best way to remember your own learning experiences!