Turning Pro: How to turn your blogging skills into a new career

You enjoy blogging as a hobby, but did you know that the skills you are developing are valuable career skills?

One question I get asked all the time is how I make money blogging. Here’s a secret: my blog barely makes money at all. I just don’t have the time to focus on that effort, BUT I make a salary because of my blog. And I get to work with some really talented, super fun people because of my blog.

Companies are starting to realize the value of your influence. You’ve no doubt received product pitch emails from PR firms and the like. But without real, established relationships these companies struggle to get the attention of the real bloggers in their targeted niche, whether they are looking for lifestyle bloggers, craft bloggers, coupon bloggers, fashion bloggers, food bloggers or some other attractive genre.

Why brands are interested in bloggers

Influence – If anyone you know has ever made a purchasing decision because of something you said or something you shared, you have influence. Real influence.
Exposure – If anyone other than you is reading your blog you have exposure. You offer brands new eyeballs in a new, authentic way that advertising can’t buy.
SEO – This one is trickier, and it changes often. Also, many brands are still struggling to understand what affects Search Engine Optimization. What they know is that a link is good, and sometimes that’s enough.

Your marketable skills

Website design: If you’ve bootstrapped your self-hosted WordPress blog you know more about web design than a lot of small (and some large) businesses
Social networking: Having a Twitter account means nothing to a business if no one is following it
Regular networking: Those skills you use to meet new friends online convey to the real world. Go to a Chamber of Commerce event and act like you’re on Twitter. Strike up a conversation with a stranger and watch the relationship that develops.
Research: You know how to find the people who are talking
Writing: What you do on your blog isn’t easy for many people. You put yourself out there. You put your writing out there. Congrats! You are a writer.
Marketing: You know what your friends like. For me this means I know what a lot of working class mid-thirties suburbanite moms like, and we are a very attractive demographic because we tend to have a little bit of disposable income. Brands like disposable income.

Possible careers for bloggers

Freelance or in-house social media management
Blogger outreach
Content provider/copywriter/writer
Marketing coordinator
Web design
Blog setup
Online forum moderator

Don’t forget to be awesome

There are many ways you can use these skills you are developing. Whether you are looking for a little work on the side or a new career; a small business in your area or a major PR firm in NYC, your skills are valuable. You are more awesome than you realize and what you do can’t easily be taught. New URLs are bought and blogs set up every day, but the vast majority are abandoned within six months.

Want the BE AWESOME print? Go here!

Stephanie McCratic writes about tech and popular gadgets as the relate to her life on her blog EvolvedMommy. She also manages social media marketing for Fayetteville-based Acumen brands, which is currently the fastest growing e-commerce company in the U.S.