How Many Blogs Are There and Do They Make Money in 2023?

Look, they’re lying when they say blogging is dying.

Don’t believe them—even for a second.

Figures say otherwise. And figures, we both know, don’t lie.

So just how many blogs are there in 2021?

More than 600 million!

Though, this is a ballpark figure—not an exact one.

“Why’s that?” you wonder.

You see, finding the precise number of blogs floating in cyberspace isn’t easy. One would’ve to play Sherlock Holmes, and even then the chances of coming up with the correct number are slim.

Because…

Some platforms refuse to share data. Plus, it’s nearly impossible to figure out exactly how many websites among the 1.74 billion (yeah, that’s the total number of websites right now) are now inactive.

Ok, I get that. But then, how did this 600-million figure came up?

Well, that’s elementary.

As of 2021, Tumblr hosts more than 518.7 million blogs. Every day, 12.8 million new posts show up on the platform! WordPress users are far more active, though. They publish roughly 41.7 million new posts every day - quite impressive!

When you add them up, you get…

Yeah, you got it—600+ million blogs. Pretty impressive blogging stats, right?

Even more so when you consider this figure doesn’t include the number of blogs in Blogger—possibly the second biggest blogging platform. 

There’s more good news though…

Blogging is not only popular—it’s also still growing.

For instance, a report states the number of bloggers in the US is steadily growing and reached more than 32 million in 2021. That’s a 12% blogging sphere growth since 2015.

Not bad for an industry that many consider being in its autumn years!

History of Blogging

Consensus is Links.net, created by Justin Hall in 1994, was the first blog.

Back then the format was known as a “personal page” or an “online diary” rather than a blog.

The term “weblog” came into existence in 1997, and a year later, we got the word “blog,” courtesy of Peter Merholz.

The year 1999 is a significant year in blogging history because that’s when several blogging platforms were launched, namely LiveJournal, Xanga, and Blogger.

And four years later, Google AdSense jumped on the scene and gave many full-time bloggers a chance to make money by enjoying their hobbies.

While in 1999 there were only 23 blogs, by mid-2006, there were as many as 50 million. That’s some growth, isn’t it?

Types of Blogs

There is a wealth of different types of blogs, each with its own purpose and writing style. The most prominent ones are as follows:

Personal Blogs

Personal blogging is all about sharing your innermost thoughts, feelings, and experiences with others.

Personal bloggers don’t adhere to specific themes or follow any set of rules. “Write whatever you want” is their mantra.

Some of the most popular blogs are personal blogs, like the one by Anna Handley, a WSJ best-selling author. She offers pure, to-the-point advice on writing.

Business Blogs

The purpose of business blogs is to reach out to as many people as possible, increase site traffic, and ultimately turn viewers into paid customers.

The writing here is less personal and more focused on business and industry-specific topics.

Niche Blogs

As the name suggests, niche blogs are about specific topics, like fashion.

In fact, fashion bloggers like Chiara Ferragni (blog: blondesalad.com) are some of the most influential niche bloggers today.

Other popular niche ideas include food blogging, travel blogging, health and lifestyle, parenting, home decor, and frugal living.

Professional Blogs

Professional bloggers are into blogging for just one thing—money.

That’s their only goal. They are modern-day alchemists, creating money from words.

To achieve their goal, they may employ different monetizing strategies. Among others, these may include promoting others’ products for a commission, displaying ads, and writing reviews.

Media Blogs

Media bloggers primarily use visual stimuli to connect with viewers—mainly vlogging, photo blogging, and podcasting.

Many of these new-age vloggers are hugely popular as well. For instance, Whindersson Nunes, a YouTube star, has more than 41.7 million subscribers.

Yeah, you heard me right, 41.7 million!

Microblogging

Microblogging mixes blogging with instant messaging.

You can share anything you like with the online audience, as long as you keep it short—really short.

Reverse Blogs

Unlike a traditional blog, a reverse blog is a cumulative effort of many writers and a core team of publishers.

Reverse blogs are quite popular, though it’s hard to estimate how many blogs fit this profile.

We do know that reverse blogging can be very profitable.

The Evolution of the Blogging Trend

Blogging has grown exponentially over the years.

While some years ago there were only a handful of blogging platforms, today there are over a hundred, none more famous than Tumblr, Blogger, and WordPress.

Their authors and other blog sites combined produce more than 7 million blog posts every day.

You may be wondering, “But how many blogs are there that actually make money?”

Given that most people blog for fun, it’s not surprising that most blogs don’t make much.

But.

Some do, and they’re pretty well-off.

If you think about starting a blog for money, try writing about food or personal finance. That’s where the money’s at. Lifestyle/mommy and travel blogs are a close second if that’s your thing.

Reports show that about 33% of bloggers don’t earn any money at all. 10% of earners take home more than $10,000 per annum, while the top 0.6% of bloggers rake in over $1 million annually.

Not bad, eh?

Earning a million dollars (or more) per year doing what you love.

Regardless of what naysayers tell you, blogging is alive and kicking.

Here are some more blogging stats that back up this claim.

• 31.7 million people were blogging in the US in 2020.
• Over 409 million users read 20+ billion pages every month.
• Brands that have active blogs get 97% more links to their sites.

Popular Blogging Trends

While blogging is truly alive and kicking, not all types of blog posts generate a lot of interest.

The latest stats show both users and search engines prefer long and detailed posts.

• The ideal post length for individual blogs is around 2,164 words. 
• Posts between 600 and 1,250 words, however, get shared more often.
• Your users prefer it if your posts take them around seven minutes to read. 

What else is popular today?

Well, compounding blog posts remain a favorite among viewers and generate 38% of overall traffic.

Given that, it’s not surprising many smart full-time bloggers invest their time and energy in creating them. In fact, 1 in every 10 posts bloggers write is a compounding one.

Part of the appeal lies in such posts being evergreen. They provide answers to universal problems that most readers will eventually face.

Blogging on social media sites is also the in-thing, with more than 12 million bloggers active on such sites. With mobile penetration increasing with every passing day, social networking sites give all authors a great chance to connect with a global audience.

However, to leverage the potential of social media optimally, you need a hosting service with fast response rates.

Online users simply ignore content that loads slowly. 87% of users will leave a page that takes longer than two seconds to load. Keep in mind if your load times are high, you’ll lose some credibility even with the people who choose to stay on your site.

Blogging Predictions

The blogging space is more crowded than ever before. Competition is fierce, and publishing mediocre content doesn’t cut it anymore.

Is blogging still relevant in 2021?

If you’re willing to learn the trade (as you would any other) – the answer is a resounding “yes”!

One such ingredient to success seems to be the habit of writing daily.

Blogs that publish new content daily enjoy five times more viewership than those that don’t.

What else is working right now?

Evergreen blog posts work splendidly. They address specific pain areas of the audience. In this way, they build rapport with the reader and earn their trust.

Unsurprisingly, writing such posts regularly is a key strategy of many successful bloggers.

Research shows that, on average, an evergreen post brings as much traffic as six run-of-the-mill content pieces.

Now, some people ask, “How many blog posts per day should I write?”. Well, one per day is usually enough to keep your audience coming back.

And finally, one more thing…

Leverage social media. Its reach is mind-boggling.

Millions of bloggers are using it to reach out to new audiences and build their fan following.

Wrapping Up

Blogs continue to hold great influence over what people believe and how they think. As such, they continue to be an important tool for getting your message out.

For companies, blogs remain an effective way to promote customer engagement.

To individual writers, blogs continue to offer an opportunity to earn money by writing.

To answer the question in the headline – how many blogs are there —more than 600 million! The competition is fierce, and only the ones with a powerful message will be able to succeed.