Blogs & Information platforms are a popular route to your financial success.
Blogging is another in-thing to do these days. However, many bloggers give up sooner or later. Why is that? It‘s because it takes an awful lot of work and commitment to make it profitable. Hey, we are two Africa Business bloggers; we know, and can tell you, that you must be somewhat obsessed about your subject and your whole blogging thing if you want to turn it into a business. If you are good at sticking it all out, at being creative, offering great value in solving other people‘s problems or being amazingly informative or entertaining, you may have a chance to make an income from it.
Information is the currency of the internet and up to 80 percent of people who use the internet are looking for information to solve a problem, satisfy a need, learn something, or just as a pastime or source of entertainment. In countries with high internet penetration rates, news websites, blogs, discussion forums and search directories are the most dominant information platforms.
The best bloggers, for example, earn millions of dollars selling online courses, e-books, audio books and seminars to help people lead better lives and build stronger businesses. Others are successful with publishing celebrity gossip.
Here are just a few examples of information platforms that are making waves across Africa:
Niaje is one of the most visited blogs in Kenya for the latest entertainment and lifestyle news. It also has a good presence in Uganda and Tanzania. This platform makes money through advert placements by major brands who target the blog‘s large audience.
Linda Ikeji and Bella Naija are two of the most visited blogs by Nigerians, both at home and in the Diaspora. Both blogs are very popular and feature the latest news in politics, entertainment, events and lifestyle. It‘s also a melting pot for people interested in society gossip and celebrity talk. Owned by individual entrepreneurs, both blogs earn significant revenue (>$5,000 monthly) from advertisements and endorsements.
Jovago Africa is a search directory that contains a listing of over 6,000 hotels across Africa. Launched in 2013, this directory provides a fast, reliable and easy way for people to find hotels that are right for them and provides an option to book in advance.
Nairaland is Africa‘s largest online discussion forum. The site is a general purpose discussion forum with a bias towards issues of interest to Nigerians. The forum now has more than one million registered users and is the most visited Nigerian website today. In Nigeria, Nairaland gets more visits than Wikipedia and earns revenue through its ad inventory.
So again, yes, much talk is being made about blogging these days, but the fact remains that building a successful blog (or any information platform) involves a significant investment of time and effort. Therefore, it has to be treated as a serious business if you wish to earn any income from it. If you enjoy writing, assisting people or have a knack for news, gossip and entertainment, you are likely to find a fit in building a suitable platform that will help you to serve a large audience.
Business Concept
First, you will need to decide what kind of online platform you want to build: a blog, a publication, a news aggregator, a comparison site, etc. Once you have made up your mind there are various ways to monetize your platform. You could become an affiliate to someone else‘s products you sell on your site and get a commission, you could sell advertising space (that only works when you have gathered a really critical amount of traffic on your site), or you could sell your own products and services – you can also combine those options.
Creating your own online products such as an e-book, an online course, an audio, webinar, DVD etc. is the best way to create a considerable passive (automated) income with your blog, as long as you teach something that helps others solve their problems – this way, you can make an income even if you have only a small but loyal group of followers.
Niche Ideas
Business blog for a certain niche
Single professional African mum blog
Fitness blog
Africa business and success news aggregator
Top Countries & Policy Guidance
This one is straightforward, and when you research from where people primarily access these kinds of platforms it will usually be: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, the USA, and the UK. It‘s almost as clear–cut as that.
Action & Tips
The best tip we can give you is to really read and study online everything there is to know about building a profitable blog, publication, or comparison site. There is a rich amount of information out there in this regard and you shouldn‘t get started until you‘re sure you understand exactly what it involves. Don‘t be taken aback by it, but be aware of it, learn it and apply it following the guidance of many successful bloggers and publicists in the West. There is no better way.
You will find a great resource at the Smart Passive Income Blog to get you started and Brendon Burchard‘s Expert Academy is one of the best sources if you want to learn how to become an online expert in your niche selling your own products.
Here‘s our top tip, and one you should not overlook: Build a list! It is very important for the productivity of your business to build an e-mail list. Just Google ‘list building‘ if you don‘t know what it means. And start that from the first day you publish: that‘s how important it is!