The State of The Blogging Industry in 2020

Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about blogging dying out. We feel that it is important for people to get a clear perspective of the blogging world in 2020.

Those of you who have been in the blogging industry long enough probably know the blogosphere surveys that Technorati used to put out back in 2010-2013 (they are not available anymore). But since then we haven’t seen anything like that on the web.

We enjoy reading surveys, case studies, and researches concerning blogging and online business overall. We’ve noticed that other marketers do too. That’s why we decided to do some research on our own. This is our first survey, and we’re delighted with the initial results. We were able to collect over 1030 responses from bloggers of different levels.

Taking into account the recent global coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to see how it is affecting the blogging industry. So we included questions specific to the COVID-19 situation and collected some interesting findings.

You can also download our full survey results in the PDF below.

Here is what you will learn from this report

In this survey, we asked bloggers 40+ different questions to learn about their blogging habits, techniques, and challenges in 2020. Below are some of the most interesting questions you will find within this survey:

• How much time do bloggers spend blogging per week?
• How do bloggers measure their success?
• Which channels do bloggers use to promote their content?
• How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted blogging?
• What is the primary traffic source for blogs?
• What are their revenue sources?
• What challenges do bloggers face?

It was interesting to see responses directly from bloggers and collect hands-on information about their work.

Responders groups: What’s blogging to you?
We first asked our survey participants how they perceived their blogging efforts. We gave them four answer options:

Almost 50% of the participants said that they do blogging as a full-time job. More specifically, 508 participants chose this option, which shows that blogging is still a very popular career choice. A lot of people are doing it seriously and dedicating a lot of time to it.

Bloggers demographics

As blogs are becoming more popular and more people use them as a primary source of information, it’s important to understand who is creating this content. More specifically, it’s interesting to know the background of these people: their age, gender, location, age, income, and so on. Here is what we learned about our 1000+ survey participants.

1. What are the age groups for bloggers?

It’s really no surprise that most bloggers are millennials or people aged 25 to 34, with 455 participants being in this category. The second-largest group of bloggers (357) are people aged 35 to 44, which also includes millennials.

These people grew up when blogging exploded and became very popular. At the same time, they were the first generation that started using the internet actively when they were teenagers.

2. Does gender make you more likely to blog?

There isn’t a great difference in gender balance between bloggers – 542 are male, while 488 are female. So, there are only 5.05% more male bloggers. This also means that the internet seems to be a completely gender-neutral space, based on this survey. Just bear in mind that we only surveyed 1030 bloggers and that there could be slight differences with a larger number of participants.

3. What is the household income for bloggers?

Only 28.41% of participants said that they have an annual income under $50,000 per year. Since 49.32% of participants consider blogging as their full-time job, this is a good number.

Some experts think that there are only a handful of people making money from blogging.

However, our survey tells an entirely different story, especially when you consider that there are almost an equal amount of part-time bloggers and people who do this as a hobby without any interest in making money with their blog.

4. Where in the world do bloggers live?

It’s really not a surprise to find that most bloggers are from the US. Of course, 90.39% is a really huge number and might be a bit out of proportion, as most of our followers are from the US, and they represent the majority of our survey.

But still, bloggers from the US have always been a dominant force. After all, blogging started in the States, and there is a strong culture out there. That culture isn’t just about reading other people’s blogs. It’s also about meeting and talking to other bloggers.

5. How educated are bloggers?

A whopping 387 people or 37.57% of the people in our survey said that they have a Bachelor’s degree. There are a lot of myths going around that bloggers are people without education who like hiding behind their computers and claiming expertise in a specific area.

However, this statistic tells a completely different story. At the same time, 8.64% of our participants only have a high school diploma, while 1.75% have no diploma at all.

Why and how people blog

Knowing what motivates people to write blogs and how they approach their work can tell us a lot. Not all bloggers start writing because they see a career in blogging and want to earn money this way. In fact, most of them have other reasons. Let’s see what their motivations are.

6. Why do bloggers start a blog?

The number one reason why people start a blog is to express themselves creatively. After all, no matter how much you want to blog and make money, you can’t do it if you aren’t creative and don’t have that “writer’s gene.”

Other bloggers were motivated by self-employment, teaching, and having the opportunity to create an audience of their own. Only 12.23% of participants said that they started blogs because they wanted to increase their earnings.

7. How many hours a week does a blogger spend on their blog?

Even though almost 50% of people in our survey said that they see their blogging efforts as full-time work, only 6.02% of them spend 40 hours or more per week on their work. Does this mean that bloggers are lazy and that they don’t invest enough time in their careers?

Maybe, but it could also mean that blogging simply doesn’t require a large amount of time and work. In fact, the biggest portion of our participants (22.52%) said that they spend 3 to 5 hours per week working on their blogs.

At the same time, blogging is also about doing research, finding creative solutions, and brainstorming ideas. People often do this throughout the day without even noticing.

8. How often do bloggers post?

22.04% of bloggers in the survey said that they post 2 to 3 blog posts weekly. The posting frequency depends on the target audience and the type of blog. If we are talking about short and fast-paced articles, it’s possible to post multiple times per day, which 16.02% of our participants do.

Still, some bloggers aren’t invested in this work, and they do it occasionally as a side gig. They post less often because they don’t really depend on blogging financially.

9. How long is the average blog post?

The “perfect blog length” has often been debated in the blogging world. In reality, there is no such thing as the perfect length. There are blogs that publish posts with 500 words on average that are successful and those that regularly publish 2000+ word posts.

It all depends on the topic of the blog and the audience. For example, if we are talking about some highly techy stuff with lots of information, it’s generally a good idea to go longer. Still, most bloggers write posts that are 500 – 1000 words long (49.22%).

10. What blogging niches are popular for blogs?

The most popular blogging niche is a lifestyle, as 11.36% of bloggers agree that this is the highest performing niche. The next in line is personal development, with 9.61%, and entrepreneurship with 7.86%. Overall there are the 20 most popular blogging niches.

This shows that there is a lot of variety in blogging in terms of topics and writing styles. People like to read different kinds of blogs. However, lifestyle is inherently very popular, and many different niche blogs like to spice things up with a relevant lifestyle topic from time to time.

11. What type of media content is popular for blog posts?

Blogs aren’t just about text. Writing a good post is very important, with solid storytelling and nice grammar. But at the same time, it’s important to spice things up with other types of content. The most popular media for blogs apart from the text are photos.

56.21% of bloggers say that they usually use photos in their blog posts. On the other hand, 25.34% of them use videos to give their blogs a twist. The important thing to note is that every blogger adds other kinds of media to make their posts more engaging, interesting, and less eye-straining.

12. How do bloggers create media content for their blogs?

What’s even more encouraging is that 59.51% of bloggers create the media that they add to their blogs all by themselves. They know just how important it is to add other types of media and are willing to do this work on their own.

Not only does this help improve the performance of their blogs, but it also lets them develop their skills and learn new things. On the other hand, 30.97% of bloggers say that they find the media they add to their blogs online.

In most cases, these are probably royalty-free images and videos that they download and add to posts.

13. What means success to a blogger?

What does it mean for a blog to be successful? If you ask bloggers this question, you will quickly see that people have different philosophies and approaches. That’s why we decided to narrow it down a bit and asked bloggers what their key measurement of success is.

Most respondents (38.64%) said that they measure the success of their blog by page visits. They believe that the success of each blog post grows as the number of readers grows. The other most important metric for success is social shares. 18.93% of bloggers want to see more shares to achieve success.

14. What inspires a blog post?

Content creation and coming up with new topics is one of the greatest challenges bloggers face. Bloggers need ideas to write about and have to make sure that they are always coming up with relevant, fresh topics. 33.40% of bloggers get ideas for new post topics on social media. It might sound surprising, but it actually makes sense. It’s possible to recognize trends and hot topics on social media. The second most popular source of blog ideas is conversations with friends, at 24.17%.

15. Do bloggers post on other online outlets?

Just like anybody else, bloggers can’t expect to be closed off in their own world if they want to reach people. If you want to make it online, you need to focus your efforts on multiple channels and try to promote what you are doing as best you can.

That’s why we asked bloggers what other media outlets they use to share their thoughts. A total of 268 participants, or 26.02%, use YouTube as a platform where they can express themselves. The second most popular option is Facebook (22.82%).

Bear in mind that most bloggers use several platforms to share their work and talk about it. Simply put, just because someone uses Facebook more often doesn’t mean that they never use Instagram.

16. Do bloggers write about products and brands?

Products and brands are deeply connected with the blogging world. Our survey has proven this yet again. Out of 1030 survey participants, only 10.39% of bloggers never talk about brands or their products in blog posts, which means that 89.61% of bloggers do.

However, not all of them approach this the same way. For example, 33.11% of them write about products that they like or dislike. 29.22% of bloggers review products and brands specifically.

27.28% of bloggers write about their own experiences and what happened to them when dealing with brands or purchasing their products.

17. Are bloggers being approached by brands to share their products?

One of the most common ways bloggers make money is by promoting products from various brands. It’s a direct way of earning money through a blog. That’s why we asked our bloggers whether they were ever approached by a brand directly for this kind of cooperation.

61.17% of participants said that they were approached by a brand at least once. That’s a very encouraging number when we consider the fact that 49.32% of bloggers do this job full-time. If a brand approaches a blogger on their own, it means that they have traction with their audiences and can offer real results with their promotions.

18. Do bloggers allow comments on their blogs?

Comments are a very important indicator of how good a blog post is. They might not seem that significant, but when people are commenting on a blog, it means that they’ve read it. More importantly, it means that a blog post made an impression on them one way or the other.

We asked our bloggers if they allow comments on their blogs, and 87.77% of them said “Yes”, which is 904 out of 1040. It’s important to give your readers the opportunity to criticize your work and provide valuable feedback.

19. Do bloggers host guest posts on their blogs?

73.30% of bloggers accept guest posts on their blogs, which shows that the blogging world is still a friendly place where authors collaborate and work together. Simply put, bloggers need to open up opportunities by sharing audiences and helping promote each other.

In most cases, allowing guest posts means that you will get a guest post of your own on someone else’s blog. Bloggers can benefit from this by building backlinks, getting additional exposure, and establishing themselves as an authority within a certain industry.

Blogging habits and technologies

Since blogging has just entered its 3rd decade of existence, there are many established practices and advice that aspiring bloggers can follow from their more experienced peers. New bloggers can learn a lot from people who’ve achieved success. That’s why it’s important to look at their habits and the technologies they use.

20. Where do bloggers work from?

When reading online about where bloggers work from and how they live their lives, they are usually presented as digital nomads who are constantly traveling and working on the go. Honestly, this is all marketing talk, and the reality is quite different. Here’s what our bloggers said.

The majority (50.49%) work from a dedicated home office that they’ve made. 31.46% of bloggers work from home as well but don’t have an office. Only 0.78% of bloggers said that they work randomly from different places.

21. Do bloggers hire employees?

Are bloggers working on their own, or do they have someone helping them? It’s a question many of us are puzzled by, especially when we see those active blogs that post daily content. When asked if they have anyone helping them, 52.94% of our participants said: “No.”

The rest of them have people helping them with their blogging. However, not all of them rely on someone else’s help in the same measure. To see the differences, check our graph below.

22. What blogging platforms do bloggers use?

There are many different blogging platforms out there. Naturally, all of them have their pros and cons, and not all of them are suitable for the same type of blogs or blogging niches.

It’s interesting to see which platforms are actually used the most because all of them claim huge numbers. When it comes to blogging, WordPress still reigns. 22.35% of bloggers use WordPress.com, while 17.97% use WordPress.org.

Blogspot is the next in line with 19.14% of users. We were especially surprised that 2.67% of bloggers don’t really know what blogging platform they’re using.

23. What domain name extensions are popular for blogs?

As with any other internet presence, domain names and their extensions are important in blogging. The extension makes it easier to find a blog.

A lot of people say that “generic” extensions are bad and shouldn’t be used for blogs, but our research tells a different story. 63.74% of bloggers use the “.com” extension, which is the most generic one. Even though custom extensions can make your URL and blog seem unique, people still trust .com the most, and it’s their go-to extension when looking for a site, including blogs.

24. What web hosting services are popular for blogs?

When starting a brand new blog, most people ask themselves, “which hosting service should I choose?” Naturally, bloggers will give different responses, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. Still, there are some popular platforms you can consider.

When we asked what web hosting service they use, 28.83% said GoDaddy. It’s undoubtedly the most popular web hosting provider for bloggers. The next in line is Bluehost with only 9.90% followed by SiteGround, Dreamhost, and HostGator.

25. Do bloggers use mobile devices to post on blogs?

Mobile is everywhere. More people are browsing the web with mobile devices than with a desktop computer. But how does this translate to blogging? Surprisingly, a lot – 72.23% of our survey participants say that they post or update their blogs using mobile devices.

Naturally, this doesn’t mean that these bloggers are writing their blog posts on mobile devices. Most bloggers just schedule posts and publish them via a mobile device. Many bloggers still use laptops for their work.

Blog promotion and traffic

Writing blogs is one thing, but all successful bloggers understand how important it is to learn how to promote their work. You can write an amazing post, but nobody will notice it if you can’t reach people. That’s why we asked some questions about how our bloggers promote blogs.

26. Do bloggers promote their content online?

The first question we asked is: “Do you promote the content you post?” It’s important to establish how many people are actually promoting content before we get into the details. 80.29% of bloggers we asked said: “Yes.”

That’s proof that it’s essential to promote your content in modern blogging to succeed. There are more bloggers than ever, and they need to use advertising to reach their audiences and stand out from the crowd.

At the same time, blogs are competing with many other different types of content out there.

27. Do bloggers collect a list of email subscribers?

An email has always been a vital component of blogging. The larger the email list, the more power a blogger has. Building email lists has been one of the essential success strategies since the beginning of blogging, and it’s still very important.

The numbers don’t lie. 71.02% of bloggers collect emails from their subscribers in one way or another. The reason for this is quite simple. Emails are personal promotional channels through which bloggers can engage their subscribers and notify them of important events like new blog posts.

28. How do bloggers promote content online?

Yes, there are many different channels for promoting content, but which channels are the most popular? We were curious about this, so we asked our fellow bloggers which platform they usually use for promoting content.

For 65.73% of bloggers, the first promotional option is social media. It makes sense because everyone is on social media, and every blogger can easily promote content on these platforms free of charge. At the same time, there are various social media platforms out there.

Why is this important? Simply because different social media outlets have different audiences. No matter what kind of blog we are talking about, there’s a social network with an audience that might be interested in its content.

29. What social media channels do bloggers use the most?

Not all social networks are the same, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all social media site in terms of the target audience. Or is there? Facebook is the most popular social network among bloggers (42.91% of bloggers use it for promotion) because it has the most users.

Simply put, it has all kinds of people, and with the right targeting, any blogger can find an adequate audience on Facebook. The second most popular social network for blog promotion is Instagram (21.07%).

30. How many times do bloggers share content?

One of the most common questions about blogging is: “How often should I share a single post?” Is it annoying to share the same post multiple times or not? 24.37% of bloggers share a single post once, while 24.08% of them say that they share the same post twice, and 21.94% of them three times.

In a nutshell, there are no defined rules. It’s all about seeing how people react to sharing and how relevant the posts are. Bloggers need to find the right balance between being promotional and simply annoying.

31. How many visits does an average blog get?

The number of monthly visitors is a very important metric for any blog. It shows how consistent a blog is and how successful it is at attracting readers – 28.06% of blogs have 1000 or fewer visitors per month.

At the same time, only 3.40% of blogs have over 500,000 monthly visitors. There is a huge gap between the most successful blogs and the least visited ones. Since many bloggers make a decent amount of money, but nothing to write about, it’s evident that only a small percentage of blogs can expect 6 figure earnings.

32. What are the best traffic sources for blogs?

Any serious blogger needs to dive into metrics. More importantly, they need to know which metrics matter. It’s about understanding the key sources of traffic and focusing your efforts on further improvement.

Knowing where the traffic is coming from can tell you lots of things. A total of 49.73% of bloggers in our survey say that they get the most traffic from social media. It makes sense since social media is the most popular promotional channel.

But at the same time, 22.32% of bloggers get the most traffic out of organic searches, showing that SEO is still very important in blogging, especially when we consider that organic traffic has the most value.

33. What advertising channels do bloggers use?

Promotion is one thing, but to get serious results, you need to invest in advertisement. Simply put, bloggers need to put their money where their mouth is. Similar to promotion channels, the most popular advertisement channel is Facebook, and 33.59% use this social network.

This is due to the versatility of the platform in terms of audiences. Every blogger can target people in detail on Facebook. Instagram offers similar advertising options, and this is why 27.67% of bloggers prefer advertising through this channel.

Blog monetization

Building a blog is one thing, but you need to know how to monetize your work. This part of our research focuses on how bloggers make money, do they make money, and how much they make. We asked them these 6 questions, and here’s what they told us.

34. Do bloggers make money from their blogs?

A crucial question that needs answering. A lot of people are interested in starting a blogging career but don’t know if they can make money this way. Well, you will be happy to know that 59.81% of bloggers make money from blogging.

It might not seem like much, but only 49.32% of bloggers do this as a full-time job, meaning that even those who aren’t blogging seriously can make some money. With a bit of effort, everyone can start making money by blogging.

35. Do bloggers accept sponsored/advertisement posts?

Sponsored posts are written specifically to promote a brand or different services and products. They are one of the ways that bloggers can make money. 72.62% of bloggers surveyed say that they accept offers for sponsored posts if their conditions are met.

It goes to show that these kinds of posts are still very attractive to bloggers. They can make some extra money while also adding more content to their blogs. However, in most cases, sponsored posts aren’t the number one revenue source for a blog.

36. How do bloggers make money?

Of all the bloggers we surveyed, 22.52% said that they aren’t generating any revenue, while 18.74% say that affiliate marketing is their top revenue source. 16.80% make the most money by selling various services or products to their readers.

Both of these are a form of product placement, but there’s a slight difference. With affiliates, blogs only promote links to products and their stores. However, with direct sales, they let visitors buy on the blog without having to go to a third-party site.

37. How much money do bloggers make?

Everyone wants to know what kind of money they can make as bloggers. That’s why we asked our survey participants how much money they generate per month. 49.51% of bloggers said that they make $1000 per month or less.

Only 16.80% make from $1001 to $3000 every month, while 14.85% make from $3001 to $5000. All of this might not seem encouraging, but again, almost half of all bloggers don’t make blogging their primary source of income. At the same time, lots of them have fairly young blogs that haven’t fully developed.

38. How much do bloggers spend on their blogs?

To make their blogs more welcoming and reachable for their target audiences, bloggers need to invest money in them. For example, a blog can only offer a great user experience with professional web design, and this requires money.

57.57% of bloggers invest only $500 or less in their blogs per month. 13.88% of them have monthly expenses ranging from $501 to $1000, while 13.30% invest between $1001 and $3000 every month. These numbers are quite similar to how much bloggers make from their blogs.

That just shows that you have to spend money to make money. If you want your blog to start generating more money, you will have to invest in it strategically.

39. How else can a blogger make money online?

Bloggers aren’t limited to a single channel for making money. It takes time to grow a blog, and bloggers can often find spare time on their hands until they start getting a lot of visitors. Many of them use this extra time to find other revenue sources.

The most popular channel for extra income is YouTube, and 44.56% of bloggers recommend trying it out. The next in line is Instagram with 19.42% and Podcasts with 18.16%. Consider combining your blogging with these platforms in some way.

Roadblocks and advice

For any young blogger, it’s important to learn about the challenges early on and prepare for them. Why deal with common issues for bloggers and make the same mistakes that others have, if there’s no need for that. We asked our survey participants where they struggled on their path to becoming bloggers and what advice they can give to younger peers.

40. Do bloggers recommend starting a blog today?

Is it worth it to start a blog? That’s a question that many people are wondering about. We asked our bloggers if they recommend starting a blog, and 91.65% of them said: “Yes!”

Even those making little to no money through blogging say that it’s worth it. Remember, it’s not only about the money – blogging can be very fun and interesting, and a lot of people do it as a hobby.

For many bloggers, if they start making money, they just see it as an added bonus.

41. How can blogging change your life?

A blog can lead people in many different directions. The path of a blogger is filled with various opportunities and interests that people can pursue. It becomes a big part of their lives and can change the way that they think about the profession itself.

This includes their personal lives. Only 25.15% of bloggers say that they feel no effects on their personal lives from blogging. Another 20.87% of them say that they started making money as bloggers, and 14.56% say that they were able to get their names out there in their respective industries.

42. What is hard about being a blogger?

The blogging profession is not a walk in the park. There are many challenges that bloggers need to meet head-on. At the same time, some of these issues might take a long time to fix, which requires a lot of persistence.

We asked our fellow bloggers what their number one challenge was, and 20.58% said that their greatest issue was building an audience, while 16.41% said that they were struggling with finding the time to grow their blog.

The most interesting answer, in our opinion, is that 14.08% of bloggers say that starting their blog was the biggest challenge. Simply put, they struggled to make up their mind to get started instead of just doing it.

Impact of COVID-19 on blogging

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all industries and professions. There isn’t a single job in this global economy that hasn’t been disrupted by this crisis. Still, some industries have suffered more than the rest. Let’s see how bloggers were able to adjust and how much the pandemic has made their jobs more difficult.

43. Has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted bloggers?

First of all, we wanted to establish whether bloggers were affected by the pandemic. Since blogging is about computer work and staying indoors, we wanted to know how many bloggers have felt the impact of the global crisis.

A solid 63.88% of bloggers say that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them, showing just how interconnected the global economy is. Blogs may not have been affected directly by the virus, but their viewers, sponsors, partners, and web hosting providers were.

All of this reflects on blogs as well. Many had to change habits, pay higher prices, cancel various services, and find a new approach.

44. Did bloggers change their habits during the pandemic?

46.50% of bloggers say that they have been blogging more since the pandemic started, while 27.18% say that they blogged less, while the rest didn’t change their blogging habits. It’s clear from this data that the pandemic has affected everyone differently.

Naturally, since most people couldn’t leave their homes that often, bloggers simply did what they do best – blog. However, some blogged less because they weren’t inspired and motivated to do so.

Bloggers are people as well, and it’s not just about how the industry was affected by the pandemic. They were also affected as human beings, and since blogging is a creative job, the change took its toll.

45. Did blog traffic volumes change during the pandemic?

As a key indicator of a blog’s performance, traffic has also been affected during the pandemic, with 54.27% of blogs getting more traffic during the crisis. Not only are more people sitting at home and reading articles online, but blogs have also been successful at adjusting their topics to the situation.

However, 21.84% of blogs have gotten less traffic during the pandemic because they simply weren’t able to adjust or stopped their activities altogether. The whole situation is an indicator that blogging is a very resistant profession and that even global virus pandemics can’t bring it down that easily.

46. Did bloggers make more money during the pandemic?

Since blogging revenue is directly connected to the amount of online traffic, the similarities between the two aren’t surprising. That’s why 35.19% of bloggers say that their revenue increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, 25.13% of bloggers had less revenue. The rest felt no changes. Still, it all depends on what their primary source of revenue is and how their partners are affected. If a blog sold running shoes, the chances are that their sales dropped as people couldn’t go outside.

The 10 most interesting blogging industry findings

Here are some of the most interesting findings from our survey. Some of them were pretty straightforward, while others were less evident, but this doesn’t make them any less interesting.

1. The majority of bloggers are millennials (people aged 25 to 34).
2. For 14% of people, the greatest challenge was actually starting a blog.
3. 92% of bloggers recommend starting a blog if you don’t have one yet.
4. 29% of bloggers use Godaddy web hosting services, followed by Bluehost with 9.90%.
5. 60% of bloggers make money through blogging.
6. 19% say that affiliate marketing is their top revenue source.
7. 44% recommend YouTube as the second most popular revenue channel.
8. 54% of bloggers say that they get the most traffic from social media.
9. 33% of bloggers get ideas for new post topics on social media.
10. 64% of blogs were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and 46% of bloggers say that they have been blogging more since the pandemic started.

You can download this survey research in PDF format.

Did you find these facts interesting? Which of them caught your eye and why?

Conclusion

Blogging is still relevant, even in 2021, and even during the COVID-19 pandemic. These statistics prove that the industry is alive and well. If you want to make it as a blogger, you’ll have to be patient and invest a lot of time and effort into it.

However, our research shows that it’s possible to make it as a blogger if you approach the matter seriously. Educate yourself, work hard, and keep up with the latest trends. By being consistent with these three points, you’ll be able to build a strong blog.