Basic Guide to Co-Blogging: Making Profit from Blog Partnerships
Blogging is rewarding, but it’s also a lot of work, especially as your blog grows. You have to wear several hats: Content Writer, Marketer, Web Designer, and SEO Specialist, to name a few. As a result, many bloggers are now looking for blog partners, or co-bloggers, to share the load.
Co-blogging means you share the responsibilities and profits of running a successful blog. It’s a great way to share ideas, stay motivated, and keep each other company. To make it work, though, you must find the right blog partner, which isn’t always easy.
In this post, we’ll share our top tips to help you find the ideal partner for your blog.
What is a blog partnership (AKA co-blogging)?
Co-blogging is when two or more people run a blog together. There are several types of blog partnerships, including:
- A blogger bringing someone in to help on an existing blog
- Two or more people starting a blog from scratch
- A brand or enterprise collaboration with a blogger
Co-blogging is becoming popular for many reasons, such as shared costs, more in-depth content, and more chance of success. Co-bloggers can perform a variety of roles, so it’s up to all of you to decide what each of you will do.
What are the benefits of co-blogging?
Once your blog reaches a certain size, having a blog partner makes a lot of sense. Here are just some of the benefits.
Sharing the workload
Producing high-quality content consistently is challenging, especially when you have a busy schedule. But with co-blogging, you can share the workload.
A blog partner can take the pressure off you by taking on the tasks you find tough. For instance, if you excel at writing but find marketing a chore, your co-blogger can do the promoting. Typically, bloggers tend to make extra revenue by selling digital downloads such as eBooks, printables, etc. This may suit the skill set of some bloggers more than others. Plus, if you have to take time off, your co-blogger can pick up the slack till you get back.
Bouncing ideas off each other
Having a co-blogger means you can brainstorm new content ideas together. When one person is stuck, the other can step in, plus you can rein each other in when necessary. You can also share problems and come up with solutions together.
Splitting the costs of running a blog
Another benefit of co-blogging is that you can split the costs involved. For example, you can share the cost of web hosting, subscriptions, hiring a web designer, or any other costs you incur. This lowers your financial risk and may make blogging a more viable option. After all, free tools can only get you so far.
Keeping each other company—and having fun!
Having blog partners means your part of a team that understands you and your blog. You have people you can share the highs with and who can pick you up during the lows. You can keep each other company and motivate each other when things get tough. And, best of all, you can have fun blogging together!
What are the challenges of co-blogging?
Like everything, co-blogging can come with a few challenges. You can mitigate most of these by finding the right blog partner, but it’s important to be aware of them.
The main thing to bear in mind is that co-blogging means sharing creative control of your blog. Some people may find this difficult, especially if you think of your blog as your “baby”.
Co-blogging also means you’ll be making less money, at least to start with, since you’ll have to split any income from the blog with your partner.
The other main challenge is that co-bloggers may disagree一for instance, on your blogging niche or direction. In extreme cases, the partnership may break down. So, if you invite a co-blogger to join you, you need a mutually agreed “exit strategy” that determines what happens if the partnership ends.
How to find the perfect co-blogger
To find the perfect partner for your blog, you can take the following steps.
1. Think about why you want a blog partner
First of all, you need to have a clear idea of why you want a co-blogger in the first place.
- Are you struggling to produce enough content?
- Do you work better as part of a team?
- Does co-blogging sound like fun?
Whatever the reason, it shapes your expectations for the partnership. So, it’s vital that you communicate these expectations to your potential co-bloggers. If you don’t, they may assume they’ll be writing content when you’re really looking for someone to help you manage all social media in one place, for example.
2. Know your brand inside-out
This may sound obvious, but before looking for a blog partner, you need to know your brand inside and out.
- What does your blog stand for?
- What is your blog’s personality?
- Who is your blog’s audience?
You need a co-blogger who fits in with your brand. But, to judge if someone ticks the right boxes, you need to understand how people view your blog and what you’re trying to convey.
If you’re not sure what your blog’s personality or audience is, ask! Talk to your friends and family or hold a fun quiz on social media. You can then ask potential partners relevant questions about why they’re right for your blog.
3. Understand your talents and weaknesses
Understanding your talents and weaknesses can help you determine your requirements for a blog partner. If you both have similar skills, you won’t get the benefit of having someone who can take on the areas you struggle with.
Ideally, you and your co-blogger should have complementary skills. For instance, you might be a great editor but struggle with marketing. If you bring in a blog partner who excels at marketing, they can plug the gap, so to speak. With that in mind, make a list of your talents and weaknesses and look for someone who will complement them.
4. Start small
If you’ve never co-blogged before, it can feel like an overwhelming prospect. The solution? Test out the partnership with a small project, like reviewing your favorite free logo maker or the latest bestseller. This is a great way to see if your personalities click and if you work well together.
At the end of the project, you can decide if you both want to move forward. If you do, you can do some more smaller-scale projects before moving on to bigger ones and making your blog partnership official.
5. Have a clear process
Having a clear process means creating a co-blogger application form or finding a template online. This not only lets you collect all the information you need from potential partners but also makes it easy to compare their responses.
Share your application form on your blog and social media so people know you’re looking for a co-blogger. Also, announce a clear timeframe, including when the application closes and when candidates should expect to hear from you.
If you receive a lot of applications, it helps to create a shortlist of the two or three people who stand out the most. Once you’ve made your decision, you can ask if your chosen co-blogger would like to join you.
6. Reach out to your network
You may be apprehensive about co-blogging with a stranger. That’s natural. If that’s the case, you may prefer to reach out to your existing network to see if anyone you know would like to co-blog. Your network includes:
- Family, friends, and colleagues: These are the people you know the best and the people you communicate with the most.
- Other bloggers in your niche: These are people who have similar blogs to you. Instead of competing, you could cooperate and generate twice the blog traffic (and revenue!).
- Your audience: These are people who follow your blog, so you know they’re already interested in the topics you cover and what you have to say.
7. Get to know your potential blog partner
If you use an application form, this is a great opportunity to find out about your potential partner (or partners). For example, you can ask for their name, preferred pronouns, prior experience, interests, schedule, and so on. You can also ask for a writing sample or links to previous work.
Bear in mind, though, that application forms can only tell you so much. To really get to know your potential co-blogger, you need to have a conversation with them一whether that’s in person or via a conference bridge. That way, you can ensure your personalities don’t clash and that you’ll both have an enjoyable experience.
A conversation is also an opportunity for them to get to know more about you and your blog, too.
The takeaway
Blogging can be fun, but it can also be lonely and a lot of work. As a result, co-blogging is becoming a popular way to share the workload and expenses of running a successful blog.
Co-blogging can present challenges, but it’s also very rewarding. With a blog partner, you’ll have someone who shares your passion for your blog, as well as someone to bounce ideas off of and have fun with.
To find your perfect co-blogger, you need to understand why you want one and who will best fit your brand. You also need to start small and have a clear process. Most importantly, though, you need to get to know your potential blogging partner. After all, if you don’t get on with each other, your partnership is doomed to fail.
