Blogging is one business that you can do with little to zero overhead cost. It is one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria today. Every day, people find reasons to be online; it could be to catch up on politics or celebrity gossip or to get information on diverse topics. The fact is the traffic on the internet is heavy. This makes blogging lucrative. It has not always been as lucrative but with the incline of the world towards technology, blogging has fast become a well paying business.
A lot of people still doubt the source of Linda Ikeji’s wealth. They are of the opinion that it couldn’t have been blogging that made her as wealthy as she is today. Here are some reasons she was able to hit it big;
Passion
Did you know that Linda started blogging not for work but as a hobby? She loves writing. It is almost impossible to fail at something you have passion for; that passion drives you to success. When you are passionate about a job, you find it hard to say no regardless of the risk involved. You begin to see your work as a lifestyle rather than as a chore.
- Discovery
Ikeji realized that there was a need for juicy information even if at that time people frowned at writers. Writing was seen as a synonym for laziness. Today, the same ‘laziness’ is raking in an estimate of about N5 – N30 million monthly. Regardless, she broke out of the fold, embracing new idea as she went. Innovation and invention seem to have taken the back seat in our world today. People are afraid of change. Dare to think out of the box.
- Content
Bloggers today are faced with the difficulty of developing intriguing content. They go into blogging without having mapped out a plan for the content they intend to deliver and this is the reason why most of them don’t succeed at it. Linda from the time she became an active blogger in 2007, made sure her content was such that could hold the attention of the crowd at large. To be successful in the ‘blogging market’, you ought to have content and channel that content to a particular target. Ask yourself; what am I writing about? Who is my target audience? What is the best approach to getting the attention of my target audience?
- Risks
Every blogger should be willing to take risks within reason. Throw in a dash of controversial topics here and there without being condescending towards anyone in particular. We’ve all heard of various controversial issues Linda discussed in her blog which almost ran her out of business but in the end gave her blog more traffic than ever. Controversial posts which she has handled include the ‘Save Mayowa Campaign’; controversial publications about Doyin Okupe, Richard Mofe Damijo, Tonto Dike and Wizkid. While controversial topics attract traffic, they are also borderline defamatory so you should draw the line between controversy and defamation.
The money comes from the adverts she runs for top companies and entertainment business outfits. Picture this; leader board (header) are two in number and worth N950, 000 each making N1, 900,000 every month. Sidebar ads (top) which are also two in number amount to N1, 000,000 a month. Sidebar ads (all site wide) are 30 in number, each worth N400, 000 amounting to N12, 000,000 monthly. Page branding is worth N1, 600,000 monthly. There are two sponsored posts their worth both amounting to N3, 000,000 monthly. All these amount to at N19.5million from adverts alone.
The heavy traffic on her blog is not to be ignored either as the blog attracts a range of 1,500,000 visits from over 180 countries daily. This in itself brings in much more money such that it is safe to say that Linda makes about N30million monthly from blogging. Her future plans include a TV station which is already set to go pending the certification she needs to get it up and running. on her birthday recently she posted on Instagram “Growing up I wanted to be a reporter or TV presenter…now I employ reporters and TV presenters…Instead of working at a TV station…I am about to own one. God has a way of doing his thing. Just trust Him and never depart from Him as you go on your journey. And remember, you just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”
The success of this TV station will mean more job opportunities for the unemployed masses over the country and a better economy in the long run. However, despite the success of her blog, questions still remain about the transitioning process from being a blog to a full blown media outfit. While there are success stories such as Bisi Olatilo, there are also botched up projects. Thus, while the employment that the media outfit will generate is commendable, what will be more commendable is having and implementing a plan that will ensure that these people still have a job in the next few years.
Another dicey point remains how she plans to handle the respective business entities. Do the blog and the television station remain separate or does she merge them into one outfit. Answers to these questions will be tricky especially in the initial, capital-intensive stages of the television project. Will combining them impact on the financial performance of the blog? If they remain separate entities, can she continually fund the television project from personal funds? And for how long if she can?
As an astute business lady, it is expected that Linda Ikeji would have considered these issues before arriving at this point. How well she’s able to successfully implement the solutions is what remains to be seen. Whatever the case, though, Linda will remain in the record books as one of Nigeria’s most successful bloggers.
