Kenyan bloggers: their top 8 concerns as they work on growing their blogs

As part of the how to start a blog in Kenya series, today, let’s look at some of the concerns of bloggers in this country.

Most people I know would want their blogs to be featured in every top 50 or 100 blogs list in Kenya (and maybe you would like that too), not so?

With blogging, always comes many responsibilities and challenges. It is easy to abandon a blog after a few months of activity.

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It is easier to get discouraged, especially when one realizes that they got entangled in all the make money blogging in Kenya hype they read about online.

More Kenyans are creating new blogs daily, so I thought about giving some hope to fellow bloggers.

Below find answers to some of the questions Kenyan bloggers keep asking themselves.

1. Will I still enjoy blogging four – seven months from now?

This is a question every new Kenyan blogger should ask themselves. It is easier to loose focus along the way. It is easier to get distracted and channel all the attention and energy your blog once received to other activities.

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After four months of blogging, you may realize that you are not even closer to achieving some of your goals. You may no longer feel motivated to login to your dashboard to add new posts and delete comments from spammers.

2. So what is a Kenyan blogger to do, to never abandon their blog?

  • Stick to your schedule. If you started out by updating your blog three times a week, don’t let a week pass by without adding fresh content to your blog.
  • Write new articles every time you are free (and feel like writing) because having a plan or blog mission that isn’t effective won’t lead to any progress.
  • Think about what you want to do with your blog seven months from now, then stick to doing things that will help you get where you want to be.

3. Will I make enough money to pay my bills with a blog, in Kenya?

One of the things that normally makes blogging attractive is the fact that blogs can earn the owner money. Not every blogger wants the big bucks.

Some bloggers, here in Kenya,  just want their blog to reach a level where it can lift some financial burden off the owner.

Keep working on it. Soon enough your blog will start attracting a few cents. If you keep on blogging, your blog might attract thousands of shillings (or even millions).

Just keep giving value tirelessly and your blog will be able to pay its own bills (domain registration and web hosting, for example) in a few months or years. Just don’t blog to make money.

4. Will I get enough blog traffic to help me achieve my goals?

Different bloggers in Kenya do different things; the results are never the same for every blogger.

Lack of traffic can get one cursing and wondering why they are not the only one who understands how get-more-traffic-techniques work.

Some may give up on their blogs after writing brilliant posts for a few months because of failing to meet their traffic-goals.

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This reminds me of a part in Napoleon Hill’s book Think and Grow Rich that some people never realize that at the point when they are giving up, they are usually three feet from gold.

5. Should I cover Kenyan issues only in my blog?

It depends. Different blogs cover different topics. Some topics are universal in nature. You are free to write blog posts targeting mainly Kenyans.

That doesn’t mean you should forget the needs of people beyond Kenyan borders – if you want them to benefit from consuming the content published on your site.

Don’t restrict yourself too much. If an article you are writing will be of interest to your blog’s audience, go ahead and publish it.

6. Should I start more than one blog?

I’ll only advise one to register two blogs or more if:

  • They are able to take care of each blog
  • They are ready to spend more time working on each blog
  • They want to talk about more than one topic and think that each should have its own blog
  • You have read the post, 30 reasons to start a blog, and you are sure about your reasons for wanting to start another blog

 My opinion on Kenyan bloggers and their blogs

There are many less-known and popular Kenyan blogs owned by hard working bloggers. Some are just getting started. Others have been blogging for months or years now.

I have been following several Kenyan blogs for a long time and I can confidently say that Kenyan bloggers (serious blog owners) are headed for great things.

The power that Kenyan bloggers wield

Some bloggers have become experts in a way…capable of influencing thousands of Kenyans.

Publishing an article and within minutes approving comments that support your opinions or not – that I call power.

There are several Kenyan blogs out there working wonders. They dish out tips year in year out. The bloggers behind them never tire. They equip their audience with the right information. They never let Kenyans wander alone on the web. They provide solutions to local problems.

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They have their own way of Kenyanising things and you bet most of their visitors love what they do.

What about…

When Kenyan bloggers misuse this power

Tell me what happens. Bad things happen. Remember the post-poll chaos? There were many Kenyan bloggers unashamedly telling people who frequented their blogs to tolerate tribalism.

What does that mean to people who take a blogger’s every word as the gospel truth? These people would go ahead and do as the blogger says.

Some bloggers have not used this platform for its intended purpose – doing good and empowering people. People make mistakes yes…but bloggers should not make such gross mistakes.

One article, less than a thousand words, can get someone killed. We, therefore need to come together and unite Kenyans – this is just one of the ways to become a happy blogger.

Do we Kenyans make money blogging?

According to articles, I have been reading on various blogs by Kenyans, some are making money.

Some cash in on Google AdSense, freelancing gigs and affiliate programs.

Some have sponsors. Some sell ads directly to whoever is in need. Some sell their products and services on their blogs.

7. Is the money made online by Kenyan bloggers enough?

Most people would say, ‘It is never enough’. We still don’t attract millions (of dollars) like some of our counterparts in Europe, USA, Canada and other parts of the world.

Whether it’s trickling in slowly or flooding our bank accounts, patience and continuous improvement leads to more earnings. We want to have fun blogging. We want to achieve the greater mission first – informing and empowering the masses.

8. Are Kenyan bloggers united?

Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) through bake.or.ke attempts to bring Kenyan bloggers together. It has achieved some of its goals but I still feel that bloggers in Kenya should interact and share more.

Of all the Kenyan bloggers I e-mailed (a few years back, 2011 should be the year), only two replied to my e-mails (in that year). That shows that Kenyan bloggers are united in a way. They reply to emails.

It is hard juggling work and blogging especially given the fact that most Kenyans are blogging on a part-time basis.

If you set aside two hours to blogging five times in a week, it may be difficult to reply to all the e-mails – if there are hundreds or thousands of them.

Still, Kenyan bloggers can find ways to team up. BAKE is doing great things and I hope Kenyans, blogging or not, will offer their support.

What are your concerns? What are your thoughts? What is your story as a blogger? How did you start blogging? Please share in the comments below.

6 thoughts on “Kenyan bloggers: their top 8 concerns as they work on growing their blogs”

    • Hi Mwenda.
      I am sorry my reply came a bit late.
      The simple answer to your question would have to be: Achieving your blog’s objectives is one of the main factors that determines a successful blog.

      Bloggers will have to draft to-dos (or goals) and work on achieving them. The objectives may range from things like identifying your audience and giving them what they want (or what they may not know they really need). It can be knowledge, fun, a community etc.

      Guess I’ll have to do a post on this.
      Have a good day Mwenda.

      Reply
  1. As I was reading through this post, I asked myself a basic question: In what way do bloggers serve society?  Is there a strong case for blogging in Kenya?

    Reply

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