Instead of solely focusing on ways to be more expressive, free-thinking and creative with your blog, I’d like to put more energy into how you can build your blog into a viable media publication. This implications of this shift have huge upside potential, as it follows blogging’s natural evolution towards mainstream publishing.

A Brief History of Blogging

In the beginning, blogs provided soapbox-like platforms for personal expression (Blogging 1.0). Then, a few smart bloggers started posting useful content and hustling for readers. From this they built traffic and loyal audiences and began making money. Enter the blogging goldrush.

With potential to profit from such a low-barrier medium, the blogosphere was soon crowded with millions of eager problogger wannabes. Everyone started blogging with the hopes of becoming the next John Chow, Yaro Starak or Darren Rowse–money-making thought leaders deservingly elevated to guru status (Blogging 2.0).

Now, the Future

Let’s be honest–few have actually made it (you didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you?). However, John, Yaro, Darren and a few others like the brilliant and respectable Brian Clark did help to establish the core fundamentals of blogging, such as picking a niche, being useful, copywriting, commenting, traffic building, RSS and more.

These fundamentals now make up the foundations of modern blogging, which–beyond the surface appeal of fame and fortune–are now helping to catalyze and revolutionize the publishing and media industry at large.

So while the problogger goldrush as we know it starts to fade,  blogging as we know it is evolving into something much bigger and better (Blogging 3.0, or “Content Marketing”).

Right now, many of the old giant media companies (which include newspapers and magazines) are failing–they can’t figure out how to turn a profit with their content. Meanwhile, the blogging business model has just been proved to be viable.

The two haven’t collided quite yet, and it’s only a matter of time before they do.

When this happens, you’ll either see large media companies buyout successful independent bloggers (which is already happening) OR independent bloggers will start building their own media companies based on new rules, new markets and a much more level playing field. [I side with the latter.]

Stick Around, Please

I want us to be right in the middle of this collision as it happens.

I’ve got a massive boatload of ideas, insights, advice and good old fashion pioneering spirit to help guide you get to the promised land. Top that off with my dozen or so years as editor, marketer and recently–blogger–and you’ve got yourself a trusted friend.

This isn’t to say I’ve abandoned the original intent of this blog, which is to make you a top-notch writer, editor and publisher. I’m merely deepening the focus to adapt to an inevitable shift which many of us see as very large and very, very profitable.