Blogging as a career

"Raising the next generation of awesome" is the mantra for blogger Jennifer Rees, the founder of TheBigBinder.com, a blog that helps families learn about cultural, educational and culinary opportunities in the community without having to break the bank.

Besides the intrinsic satisfaction of sharing ideas, helping families save money and connecting with a larger community of like-minded individuals, blogging also provides many extrinsic rewards, including the opportunity to be your own boss by creating a career.

"I believe in blogging as a career path," explains Rees, who says her blog is currently producing enough income to make it a part-time job. But, she also says the job will become full-time over the next 18 months as the income grows.

Rees, who has been blogging for almost six years, has seen many changes in the industry in that short time, especially for individuals looking to monetize their efforts. "What is changing is the need to show your influence over an audience. It has moved from a numbers deal to be able to demonstrate influence. It can be hard sell to individuals in companies who do not understand social media." Rees says that one of the best ways to demonstrate influence is to have blogs that generate comments, which means the content is interesting and compelling.

The business model for a career blogger varies, but it typically entails multiple income streams, including writing sponsored posts, consulting and sidebar advertising. A constant, however, according to Rees, is to have a very defined niche followed by great content that connects with that audience and other bloggers. "It goes back to community. You can't blog in a silo. You need to work with other bloggers around you."

Advice to grow a blog into a career endeavor includes going to blogging conferences, being nice to other bloggers and learning sales skills to approach the decision makers behind a brand directly.

To learn more about BigBinder, you can visit the site here. You can also visit a blogging conference program here.

Source: Jennifer Rees, BigBinder
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor