#BizOfBlogging BBM group training was a pioneer for bloggers in Nigeria: The whole story + Day 1 Transcript

The LOGiN Bloggers Enterprise Project which I and my team started in June 2013 to help bloggers to maximise their impact especially in Africa, launched a BlackBerry Group 2-day session tagged #BizOfBlogging on March 22-23, 2014.

To further authenticate that the world's office space is further shrinking and going virtual, we carved out this eProject, that is aimed at making learning and implementation better and break the barrier of location.

This training had 47 bloggers from Owerri, Makurdu, Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, PH and more participate.

We had case studies, lectures, tasks, and blog business boosters and of course a viable network that has birth more collaborations and friendships.

The #BizOfBlogging Day 1 Lecture transcript is as follows:

Blogging is an online media platform that is unequalled! I discovered this in 2009 when I set up my first blog www.logosandaudibles.blogspot.com and then got editing jobs from people in the US and also a movie translation job from a TV content company also in the US. BTW USA citizens were my highest blog readers and still are till date.

I discovered I didn't need any knowledge of programming and coding to set it up and with my purely English language media background, I could set it up and use it to sell and promote my company and its services. Whoops!

Then I didn't have enough income to pay a website developer to design a website for my company so I resolved to using my blog and especially the 'pages' section on my blog to publish 'About us' 'Our services' 'Our Prices' 'Our portfolio' and 'contact'. When people asked me, "what's your company website address"? and I gave them my blog address, they didn't see why I called it a blogsite instead. So I took a cue - I don't need a website yet since I couldn't afford one and my needs are met.

Now, you may have started your own blog with a near similar situation or a less informal hobby-like stint, but NOW blogging has become serious business.

Blogs were first made to be personal online diary of sorts, so if yours is still in that niche, its cool just that you may not be needing my next line of thoughts.

To make money from blogging in Nigeria, here are some stuff you must consider:

Starting out a blog to make money especially in less than 1 year is almost impossible. You must first have built your niche reputation to a point where it can attract traffic and then money.

1. So start a blog, and write and upload ORIGINAL and high ranked articles/posts consistently. 

Let a critical mass of people become addicted to taking instructions from your blog before you think MONEY!
So writing one post per week or 3 posts every month may not get you that.

(People may ask that you write for their own media platforms and pay you as an authority in your field too)

2. Plan your writings according to categories in your niche and post them consistently

Blogs need hardwork; so whether your blog is written by just you or with contributors, you must ensure you write your interests.

Never copy and paste.

Also never reuse content without acknowledging your sources. This includes pictures, graphs, articles, books etc
(Let people know that your content are not re-useable without getting your permission first, they will take you as a serious blogger)

3. Write Good English Language

This is one reason some people's blogs are ignored by readers. Never write short forms, grammatically flawed contents, slangs (without explaining) or racist languages on your blog. You must understand that you are writing to people all over the world, so don't just rant...
( I've gotten writing and editing contracts for this; remember when such jobs come and you don't want to venture, you've got me to share the money with) #wink

4. Decide on a blog niche

Choose eg Vehicles/ cars blogs, Food blogs, Dogs blogs, NGO blogs etc and then choose the right language style that matches that niche. Also choose a strategic blog name. Don't be a general informant.

By niche, I don't mean don't look at other sectors, it means keep your perspective focused. Eg Boko Haram killed innocent children in school, a News blogger gives us the happenings and facts but a relationship blogger analyses the emotional trauma that the loss of the children could bring to a marriage/family relationship and how it is bad for a nation. More on niches later.

5. Use Social Networking:

Please make your social network identity uniform, then link especially your twitter and facebook page to your blog posts in a way that they are automatically fed from your blog. People who advertise on your blog get 3 platform publicity for just being on your blog.
(Let that be a reason why they should pay to advertise with you)

6. Advertise products and services:

Look for products/ services in your niche and advertise them for free, then incorporate affiliate marketing skills and with time, companies will pay or barter for your services. Ensure you have a price list for different categories of Ad placements on your blog, so that even when you are giving someone 'free' advert, they know the value.
(This is huge in Nigeria, try it)

7. Plan your categories of posts

Just like a radio/TV station has news bulletin, adverts, drama, call-in programmes, movies, talk shows etc, you can reach out to your readers in more advantageous ways. Blogs take videos, audio bits, pictures, graphics, texts, docs so why not choose multiple creative ways to give out information.

8. Don't be faceless or remain online

One great mistake most bloggers make is trying to remain just online without any form of offline interface. So you wanna make money from Google Adsense and you are getting paranoid? We are in Nigeria, reach out to people with your blog brand and offer services or cut interviews. Do on-site reportage of certain events etc and get paid.

- Attend Events: Every good blogger needs a camera, or a smart phone. Oh yeah! You have it already but do you use it? Lolz.
Identify with brands/events and offer to 'sponsor' a part of the event that your blog focuses on. Pre and post events reportage of a health event by a specific health blog puts the blog on the map and brings it visibility.

The first time, i took a couple of bloggers in my network for a high class event, at first they didn't understand how I said we were going to get free entrance as bloggers until we got there and were chaperoned to an exclusive seating! Omg! Blogging pays off, I no go lie!

That's happened just because I had seen a notice that the event was going to hold and I advertised it on my blog, twitter, facebook and told them, so my blog became a media partner. The question is: do you know your blog is a media portal?

9. Identify with a course

A food blogger that doesn't know what date the world celebrates 'Food Day' for instance and the organisations and NGO/CSO that champion such causes is not ready to make money. You must understudy your niche and the industry and collaborate with others who do what you do or support it offline and let them know your blog is a ready showcase platform.

- Plan events

Plan a yard sale, school free teaching, visit a less privileged home, visit legislators, go on courtesy visits, write congratulatory messages to individuals and organisations, plan a tour etc

10.Have a business plan for your blog:

Plan how much you want to make via the influence of your blog monthly, quarterly and yearly.
Be conservative at first and work at surpassing it! Take your blog as a media/PR institution and use it!

Write a Press Release at least once monthly

- Make every event or achievement no matter how little, a great release on your blog.  

- Partner with newspaper and radio stations to also publicise for you, they are also in need of content.

- Write for other blogs, magazines, newspapers etc and assert yourself in your field.

Let me take questions now! Tomorrow, we shall look at specifics!

Jenny Chisom
@jenny_chisom

Hope this helps you too as a blogger, intending blogger or blog user.

Drop your questions as comments or email us at loginbloggersnetwork@gmail.com