Whether you know it or not, weblog, i.e. blog is somewhat a major cyber business now. In fact you can now compare blog with early web bubble era. This booming business is getting funded by VC’s, purchased by big companies and so on.

Why?

Well its hard to answer why blog is booming as business. But easier to answer why it shouldn’t be left alone from business. Blog means interaction of people, unlike chat or any other social web forms through blog, blogger express their vast views, ideas, opinions, and readers as well interact with it through comments. Today’s world business is consumer oriented, means every business wants to get into consumers head, what they think, their reaction etc. So what could be better tools then blog to reach out consumers? None so far. For example- X company developed a new model of phone, and they want to know how consumers will take it. Without blog they would have through few static website with some corporate bashing which hardly consumer believes. But with blog now they send some test model to few bloggers and blogger express their opinion through blog, readers/consumer talk back to those opinion. So as a result the X company get a democratic form of opinion/judgement of their phone, which helps them more to understand consumers needs.

Types of Blog business

There are few ways blog can be consider as business.

• Blog Network: I guess this is the post popular form of blog business as of today. Blog network is combination of several blog sites each with individual subject oriented. Usually each blog hosted on their own domain and one domain, i.e. network home dedicated for aggregating all other blogs. I don’t see any reason why a multiblog hosted under one domain shouldn’t be also called Blog network. Probably the reason the blog network avoid it for avoiding overload, complexity and taking advantage of linkback between domains (i.e. their own blogs). Blog network earn money through-selling ad space on blogs, sponsors etc. Off course there is requirements of good strategies, in-depth blog environment understandings and good management (Handsome Initial investment is there too) to succeed in this business. I have see a lot of blog network evolved past years, but very few actually became successful.
• Blog Consulting: This form of blog business is getting quite a pace now days. If you have gain experience on blog and tied up a expert team, you & your team can sell your consultancy. Lots of business organization trying to reach out consumers through, and want to add blog as part of their CRM. Companies are serious, and they are ready to spend a lot of money but they need to see your previous work/ expertise first. So Blog consulting is suitable only for those who are expert or have a team of expert. You will consult you client on blog setup,design, administration, marketing.. almost every aspects. Some people only consult on design, so if you are just geek of blog design still you can have your blog consulting business.
• Blog Selling: I have seen quite a few bloggers who develop blogs, maintain it for few months and when blogs got some reputation and ranked by Google they sell that blog. Don’t ask me who will buy there are quite a few marketplace for buying and selling blogs. For this kind of blog business you need to have fresh ideas, futuristic sense(since it takes time to develop a blog, you need to know whether the theme you are developing will still be viable after that time), sense of better SEO etc. This is a good business, but you have to maintain the blog well as your own before you can sell it.  

There are several other forms of blog business, but somewhat related to these three. Regardless of the type of business, you need good perception, motivation and hard work to get good money out of it. The misunderstanding of easy money through blogging is a myth. There is no room for lazy bumps in blog business.