Blogging in Nigeria

Posted by Felix Okoli on Thursday October 6, 2011 15:51:19:

When it comes to blogging in Nigeria, there are certain things that come to mind but first of all, "What is blogging all about"?.

If I were asked to explain or define it , I would say "Blogging is online activity that involves making updates on a website".

Blogging is actually taken from the words web logging which means making a web log. In previous times before the popularity of blogging, people or webmasters have been making web logs each time they design and develop s website but those processes were mostly for static html sites. Nowadays, websites have gone GAGA s they are more dynamic although I would say that static sites still have some strength in search engines but dynamic sites are it, especially nowadays that most modern websites operate with an online database, have constantly changing content and have millions of users. Nowadays, websites are designed mo as blogs and running on platforms among which Wordpress and Blogger are the most popular.

How does one start a blog in Nigeria?
Well it is quite simple:
- Register a domain name for around $11 a year
- Get web hosting for a year
- Set up a blogging software like Wordpress, Blogger, Movable type, Typepad or others
- Decide on a theme and start writing and publishing

Can I start a blog for free
If you are only interested in starting a free blog, then you can get one free at blogger.com or wordpress.com and your blog address will be located at a subdomain such as you.blogspot.com if it is a blogger account. You can easily migrate from a blogspot or free wordpress blog to your own hosted account if you so wish.

How does blogging or blogs make money?

There are a tonne of ways to make money with your blog but even if you don't make money, you would be able to connect real people on the internet and to me, that is more power.

Here are several ways bloggers make money in Nigeria:

1. Advertising services:
This involves allowing advertisrs pay for advertising on your published site and such advertisers may include:

- Google Adsense (Most popular)
- Chitika
- Infolinks
- Direct advertisers

The payment or credit system may be based on pay per click, cost per impression or other method. Mobile advertising is growing too and this method seems to be a gold mine.

2. Selling online:
Things you can sell through your blog includes:
- eBooks and informational products
- Reviews
- Other digital items

A good example is Darren Rowse of Problogger.net who made more than $100,000 for his ebook after a few weeks of launch just because he had a lot of subscribers, traffic and online reputation. So blogs can bring more people and the more personal you get with your readers, the more likely they will be willing to buy from you. Just be more real.

3. Promoting Corporate image and products
A lot of Nigerian companies now have blogs that they use to market their products and services and this really helps them give the way blogs are made. It may not make money directly but it makes it indirectly by promoting what such companies are doing and hence encourages the public to get first hand information and be more willing to buy their products.

Blogging is mostly about writing
If you are good at writing, then blogging can be rewarding. Most people are born as good writers and others just become good writers through blogging. Writing in the 21st century is changing and modern day writers now have to learn how to use the keyboard and type fast. Writing on paper and then retyping on the computer may be taking a lot of your time. You should be able to express yourself using writing but blogging is not as strict as writing a book or something. It is mostly about writing as the moment leads you or as you are inspired. At times you just have to let your fingers and heart lead you and there really is no need to think about what you want to write before doing so as you are already a pool of knowledge. You make a blog based on the knowledge and experience you've acquired as a person and there really is no form of formal preparation before blogging. It is nor like you were given a political speech or something which would require that you prepare before hand. With blogging, you should be able to write on the go.

I fancy bloggers who take part in what is know as blogathon and it is a game whereby bloggers compete with each other in writing as many as 2 blogs posts as possible per hour and for a straight 24 hrs. So if you want to be a good blogger, maybe you should test your writing skills by doing something like a blogathon. Write as many blog posts on a particular theme or group of topics until you are tired of writing.

Does blogging pay in Nigeria?
Probably yes as there are already a lot of successful blog sites in various niches like fashion, entertainment, jobs, education, politics and so on. A lot of graduates who no longer want to be just seeking for no available jobs now tend to setup blogs as real businesses and given the way the internet industry and online advertising is already growing in Nigeria, blogs are among the dominant players and it does pay well