What is Your Blog Worth?

Your blog is probably worth much more than you realize if you understand where its true value lies.

The blogosphere has been abuzz over the recent acquisition of media blog Huffington Post by AOL for $315 million dollars, a deal that was notably inked at the Super Bowl.

Here’s what AOL got for that figure:

1. Arianna Huffington – ready to lead the burgeoning AOL Internet news empire
2. Over 26 million unique visitors a month – numbers that make advertisers drool
3. Over 6,000 unpaid bloggers, with probably many more lining up behind them

Blogs are Digital Assets

What is a blog?  This is a question I am often asked by my small business audiences. The answer to that question depends upon who is doing the blogging and how well, what their level of expertise is, and how consistently they are pouring their heart and soul into that blog.

If you are doing blogging right, with a dedication that is unmatched by most of your peers, then your blog is just as much of a digital asset as the Huffington Post. The sooner you start looking at it in that way, the sooner you will realize how to monetize its value.

The Value of Your Blog is Its Potential

Some have argued that getting Arianna Huffington on board justifies a substantial portion of the purchase price.  I believe this is true. You see, all of that great content validates her vision and what she can do on a larger canvas at AOL.

Aren’t you an expert in your field?  Of course you are. All of that original and personalized content on your blog is proof. The combination of the two is something that may not necessarily have a large monetary value that someone is willing to pay for, but it nevertheless has potential value.

I have overheard conversations from several top bloggers who have turned down significant 7 figure offers for their blogs. Why? Because they have not yet explored all of the possibilities that their blogs can afford them – the potential opportunities that they have not yet discovered.

What kind of opportunities?  Those that you could never have sought out because you would not have known where to look – or what to look for.  What’s the price you put on opportunities that that actually seek you out?

While your blog may not directly produce income, it can very likely help you to do so indirectly – by opening doors and helping you to make new connections that you could not have otherwise made without the visibility and reputation that your blog made possible.

Expertise Opens Doors

Today I also watched a short clip on Tech Crunch TV in which globally respected marketing expert Seth Godin attributes his blogging success to two simple qualities:

1. Getting in Early
2. Consistently Delivering

These are exactly the reasons why I am starting to achieve some successes with my blog. Seth has been blogging for seven years and I have been for five.  Does this mean the party is over?  Not even close.

Consider that for small businesses we are still in the early stages of social media adoption.  All you have to be concerned with is getting started now and sticking with it.  Just make Seth’s Godin’s simple formula work for you in your industry. Know that presently less than 3% of all small businesses are actively blogging.

The game and the playing field are still wide open, especially if you operate within a micro-specialty.

You Are a Media Company

While you may not be a media mogul like Arianna Huffington, you are an expert in your respective area – people want to hear what you have to say.  This makes you a media source. Truth is, it is going to make every small business become a media company.

Soon enough this open territory is going to get crowded.  More of us will be speaking up to be heard in the marketplace, which means you and your company will be ignored if you are also not engaged in that community conversation.

What’s next?

1. Get started.
2. Consistently Deliver

If you need resources to get started blogging, to write great blog posts, to learn what to blog about, or for blogging tips, just use the Google search on this blog or refer to the Favorites tab above.

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Until next time, Jeff

Photo Credit: Paul Lowry