The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Blogging

  • Top seven in-demand skills to earn big in 2025

    Top seven in-demand skills to earn big in 2025

    Certain skills continue to be high-income generators as the labor market changes. Gaining proficiency in these areas can help you stand out, whether your goal is to grow in your work or change careers to a more lucrative field.

    Here are the top seven in-demand skills to earn big in 2025

    Data analysis
    The increasing need of experts who can analyse, interpret and derive insights from data has made data analysis one of the most demanded skills in 2025. The role typically involves studying large amounts of data using tools like Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, Python, SQL, etc.

    If you fancy being calculative, then why not? You can pick a data analysis course to develop yourself in this field. Business owners and marketing executives will look for you to help them make informed decisions that will drive them closer to their goals.

    Product Management
    This is a dynamic role that bridges the gap between business strategy, technology, and user experience. Product managers (PMs) oversee the lifecycle of a product, from ideation to launch, ensuring it meets customer needs and achieves business goals. This role requires a unique blend of technical knowledge, business acumen, and leadership skills.

    Software Development
    Software development continues to be a cornerstone of technological progress, powering everything from mobile apps to enterprise systems. Developers are in high demand across industries as businesses look to innovate and optimize their processes. Proficiency in popular programming languages like Python, JavaScript, and Kotlin can unlock a wealth of career opportunities.

    Cybersecurity
    As cyber threats continue to rise, businesses and governments are prioritizing robust cybersecurity measures. Cybersecurity professionals play a critical role in protecting sensitive data, securing networks, and ensuring business continuity. Expertise in ethical hacking, penetration testing, and risk management makes these professionals indispensable.

    Digital or social media marketing
    The advertising landscape has changed drastically over the past decade and companies are continuously looking to keep up. Skills like content creation, social media management, and digital marketing for brand campaigns can all pay big bucks. Since a lot of this work can be done on a short-term basis for multiple clients, these skills make a great option for those who want to become digital nomads or open their own creative agency. Get your start by developing your own social channels or asking small business owners if you can help them build their online presence for a reduced fee.

    Blogging
    In the past, blogging was considered a hobby people did during their leisure time. But we’ve since moved past that. These days, it has become one of the most sought-after skills for people looking to make money online. Blogging is also an enjoyable adventure as long as you pick a niche you’re comfortable with. Just learn how to drive traffic to your blog, and you’ll be good to go.

    Content writing
    Here’s a digital secret you probably didn’t know – search engines and the internet always need content to show to its users. Businesses must constantly chun out relatable and optimised content to rank high on search engine pages. So, it’s not surprising that companies constantly need writers.

    If you enjoy writing, try learning how content writing and SEO work. You never can tell how much money you’ll make from it.

  • ‘Blogging is not a business for the feeble-minded’

    ‘Blogging is not a business for the feeble-minded’

    Aminat Olajumoke Ajibola is the Chief Executive Officer of Amiloaded Media World. She started blogging four years ago. In this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, she talks about her passion among other issues. Excerpts:

    Why did you choose blogging?

    I am a social media addict. I am always online where I get my inspiration. It occurred to me that I could not  be spending long hours on the net without any gainful impact and engagement. I developed passion for information sourcing and sharing and I decided to get actively involved. Blogging was not my professional focus when starting out in life, but when I came across social media and discovered I loved it, it occurred to me that I could actually do what the social media and online journalists do.

    I must give credit to the CEO of Nairaland, Oluwaseun Osewa for providing credible mentoring. I can simply say, I got passionate and learned from the best.

    How long have you been a blogger?

    Before I started amiloaded.com about two years ago, I used to be very active on Nairaland. I am also active on Facebook, Whatsapp and other social media platforms. In all, I can say that my foray into the media world is almost 4 years now starting from my days in the university. But in almost two years, to the glory of God, I have been handling my personal platform.

    Have you ever encountered challenges?

    Whaooo! I don’t seriously want to go there.There are numerous challenges as regards this. It is very challenging to give a detailed account of them all. Initially, when I started, I was almost discouraged.But as I grew in encounters and experiences, my skin got thicker. I could remember a situation where some young men from a particular political party tagged me a spy. I initially got infuriated but when I reflected over it, I came to the  conclusion that nosing around for news and reports is so engaging and if I seek to excel in it, I should encounter more of this.

    Anyone who falls on the wrong side of the news sees you as an enemy or antagonist but when they fall on the right side of the news they may and may not even make any comment. Finance and other logistics too are challenging.You also need functional media tools.Bountiful data and connections to gather and verify your news are also challenging. Osun State is my catchment focus.This is because of the challenges of verification. I report from other places too, but must be from trusted sources. I hate rumour peddling.

    Is blogging a serious business?

    Yes it is.It is not a business for the feeble minded.It is time consuming, capital intensive and requires a lot of diligence. Blogging is not a quick win investment: you need consistency, perseverance and creativity to excel. It appears like a play or a serious challenge at the initial stage but as time goes   on and the venture develops, it becomes progressively and moderately rewarding. It may not be a gateway to sudden wealth, but if it is handled with due diligence and dedication, the sky is a starting point.

    Aside blogging, what else are you into?

    I run a  non-governmental organization – the Youth Reformers Initiative- which is social development in focus. Recently, we embarked on operation feed 1000 street kids across major cities in Osun State. I am a consultant to many online businesses and web pages. I am equally into web design and management.

    I am also the organizer of the Osun Youth Ambassadors Award which focuses on promoting excellence, dedication and service to humanity among the youths. We showcase youths from the State who have excelled in their various fields and have also impacted positively on the community. It is not a platform to celebrate politicians.

    Where do you see yourself soon?

    I will be launching, Amiloaded TV very soon.It’s a new online addition to the Amiloaded media platform. I look forward to building a sustainable media empire. I see myself excelling above  Linda Ikeji and other top bloggers by the grace of almighty God. I equally see myself as a social advocate for a better and just society where humanity will live most happily.

  • Four things nobody tells you about blogging

    Four things nobody tells you about blogging

    A lot of people don’t recognize and hardly understand the intricacies of blogging. Some go as far as dismissing it as some kind of hobby, rather than recognizing it as the business it is. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 4 things nobody tells you about blogging.

    Blogging is Not Some Get Rich Quick Scheme

    It’s nice to hear about blogs that charge thousands and hundreds of thousands for publicity or adverts of any kind. But what most people don’t get is that blogging is hard and it takes a lot of time and patience to be read widely enough to get noticed by firms, corporations and companies for publicity and advertisements. Most of the widely read blogs today took months, even years of consistent and tireless effort to get to where they are today and have the kind of recognition they have. Blogging is hardly a get rich quick scheme.

    Blogging is Not That Easy

    There is a general belief that running a blog is what you do when you either don’t have a job or don’t have anything better to do. Many believe it’s easy and requires little or no effort. That’s inaccurate. Aside having to constantly come up with interesting and engaging content for your blog (almost every hour of the day if yours is a news blog), you also have to consider the mails, questions and comments that you  always have to attend to, to help drive engagement on your blog. Eventually, as your blog grows, you’ll realize it’s hardly something you can do on your own.

    A Blogger is Not Only a Blogger

    As a blogger, especially when starting out, in order to grow your readership you are going to feel the need to be a web designer (trying to find the right web layout that will be attractive and user friendly), a social media strategist (ensuring you use social media to get as much publicity for your blog as you can), an SEO specialist, a web marketing guru and an amateur photographer all at the same time! It’s a lot. You might not exactly be a professional in all the above mentioned areas, but you have to be able to handle them well enough not to suck at it and to help grow your blog’s readership.

    The Business Side

    Many people tend to underestimate or don’t understand the business side of blogging. They either start demanding for money too soon or are completely clueless about how sponsored content works around the policies of the corresponding firms, corporations and companies. A good number of people don’t realize that some brands or companies have payment terms of ninety days; meaning even after doing publicity for them, you might not get your payment until after three months. Some brands also have you working on sponsored content and you will have to send them draft upon draft till they like what they see. Since you’ve likely already signed a contract with them, you really don’t have much of choice. It is important to recognize the business side of blogging and try to understand it before going into it.

     

  • Blogging ‘ll reduce crime, other vices, says Smile Communications

    Blogging ‘ll reduce crime, other vices, says Smile Communications

    provider of long term evolution (LTE) of 4G broadband internet service provider (ISP), Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, has said the growing number of bloggers in the West African sub-region is creating jobs, decreasing crime rate, adding that professionalism, passion and content creation are critical elements in enhancing their capacity in the sub-region.

    Its Chief Marketing Officer, Mrs. Alero Ladipo who spoke during a presentation on How to Promote Your Blog, during the West Africa Blogger Conference (WABC) 2015, held in Lagos, said in as much as bloggers must ensure explicit, informative and clearly defined content delivered with passion and fun, they should not relent in professionalising in order to attract right businesses to monetize the enterprise.

    She listed qualities that distinguish bloggers from others to include sticking to their already created niches built on professionalism, uniqueness, responding quickly to trends, invest in the content design, while building on loyal audience, relationships and reaching out to experts.

    She said the leading ISP is already preparing grounds to partner with 10 bloggers to support them in lifting the platforms to greater heights.

    She said: “People think that blogging is a habit that anybody can just pick up and start practising. However, as we get more people entrenched in consistent growth, it becomes important we make it professional. Essentially, readers visit bloggers for a particular reason. By implication, a blog is not a dumping ground. Stick to the core reason you started the blog and adhere to your principles.

    “There is a philosophy that you stick to certain principles even when many people are deviating; it is the same thing with blogs. When you maintain the professional competencies, people will collaborate with you. For instance, on the course of my presentation I randomly asked participants ‘sell me your blog’, which is simply to market the platform, but people fell-flat on their faces. It is important you know what your blog is all about and you can sell it, and also present it appropriately”.

    According to Ladipo, for bloggers to attain the expected heights, they should improve on marketing and how to communicate, stressing that a lot of people do not know how to use these tow tools. She cited the social media as an example, wondering how many people talk about leveraging the platform to grow their businesses. “People need to understand their target audience, segmentations, and how to retain people’s interest. That is the way they will continue to visit your blog; keeping people interested and understand that you are one among many.

    “That’s the strength you need to have, the tools of marketing and communication and it does not require long sessions of learning. It can be an hour session of going through the principles of marketing and communication at an introductory level, because you are not trying to go deeper on the subject, but how to use the tools. Truly, content is king, you also need to be smart about it. That is where marketing and communication aspects come in.

    “We chose to support the conference due to the link between our service offering and what the bloggers do. During my presentation, I asked how many people had internet connection in order to monitor what is happening now or what has happened in the last hour that could inspire your writing. For bloggers to keep tap on trends, they must have internet connectivity,” she said.

    According to her, internet connectivity is a utility that will soon be in the range of demands such as water supply, electricity and others.

    On the drive to partner with some bloggers, Ladipo said, “the organisers will help in screening ten bloggers that Smile Communications will partner.”

    Managing Director, Advert Strikers Limited, and convener of the conference, Mr. Ayodele Oyebade, thanked Smile Communications for supporting the conference where a new chain of professional bloggers will emerge.

     

  • Blogging is future of journalism

    Blogging is future of journalism

    Lady behind popular blog site, ladunliadinews.com, Oladunni Liad,i speaks on her foray into online journalism, the rewards, challenges of blogging and her aspirations.
    Daniel Adeleye takes her in

    You’ve definitely made an impression as a blogger in Nigeria with your site, ladunliadinews.com. How does it feel to be one of the leading bloggers in the country?

    It feels great, awesome. It has made me believe more in myself. And I just do now is work on how to take it to greater height.

    How did it begin for you? Were you ever into journalism before going into online blogging?

    Oh yes, I practised Journalism for two years before going into blogging. I worked for a soft-sell magazine for two years. But after two years, I just felt it wasn’t challenging enough for me, because I still had a lot of time to myself and I wanted to work all the time. Then I got to know about blogging, and I said yes, now I have my own medium, with which I can work for as long as I want. Frankly, that was it. But then, this is journalism too. Isn’t it?

    It took quite a while for you to reveal yourself to the public, by way of posting your picture very recently; what were you playing at?

    Absolutely nothing. I just see myself has a reporter and not a person in limelight. But then, the more I tried to hide myself, the more people wanted to meet with the face and personality behind the blog. So last year, I decided to do a video for my readers who had threatened to disown me, if I do not reveal myself. More so when most of them found out it was a lady behind it. And of course a lot of the advertising agencies too wanted the face out, so they could convince their clients that the owner is a young Nigerian with an identity, who knows what she is doing.

    What is the rough estimate of visitors to your blog; and do you feel fulfilled?

    Rough estimate? I obviously won’t reveal that. But if you are a blogger, you will know it’s extremely huge. It’s on the high side. Of course I feel fulfilled for now. But again, you know I am not number one yet, so I need to work harder.

    How has it been breaking hot news ahead of traditional media like radio/TV and the newspaper?

    It’s been fun. And there’s this feeling I get when big media houses, like radio, television stations break the news I probably reported some hours back. It makes me fee like, ‘Yes I am working, I am being heard.’

    Again you seem to have also pitched your tent with lifestyle/entertainment news, why so?

    My blog has always been like that. But lately we do all round news, especially in these days of politics. You know that virtually all Nigerians are concentrating on politics and the forthcoming elections now.

    How about advert patronage? How well good is the general corporate support?

    Oh it’s been tremendous, I would say. As a matter of fact, that’s where the real money is. I wonder why I don’t get background takeovers though. But hopefully that’ll begin to happen this year. Aside that, the advert patronage has been great.

    What have been the challenges and hurdles as you forayed into blogging?

    It used to be power and bad internet connection, but those are things of the past now. There are standby generators, and of course we have all the internet connection working in Nigeria today; if you know what I mean. When one is slow, I move onto the next one fast. It’s not that it’s fun buying all of them, but as a serious blogger, you just have to own all the networks. Internet connection in Nigeria is still very bad.

    Recently another leading blogger ran into trouble on account of using stories and materials without permission; how are you coping with this aspect? How do you source and gather your news? Do you have reporters etc?

    I always credit my sources. And yes, I have reporters. But sadly, they can only do the outside job. Handling cameras, attending press conferences and going on few other official assignments. As for my blog, I handle it all alone for now. I just feel that you have to have my mindset if you want to join me in handling the blog.

    Blogging is also generally believed to be highly rewarding, how financially rewarding has it been for you?

    If I will be honest with you, blogging is just like yahoo yahoo scam. The money just keeps coming in, and sometimes you say God, this is something I started like a ‘joke.’ I just wanted my own voice, I just wanted to write. But today, the story is different. It has been very rewarding financially, and I owe it to God.

    How would you assess blogging activities in Nigeria? Do you subscribe to the fact that it is the future of media?

    It is, except we want to hide away from the truth. Blogging as far as I know is modern day journalism. Everyone one wants to be featured on the blogs these days, including politicians, celebrities, leaders and opinion leaders in the country. Doesn’t that tell you that it is indeed the future of journalism?

    But there is also the little snag of it becoming overcrowded, as more bloggers seem to be emerging by the day. How are you coping with that?

    If something is doing well, it is expected that other will join in. It only goes to prove and reinforce the fact that it is indeed the future of journalism. But of course, everyone is welcome on board.

    Do you have any awards and other acknowledgements so far for your efforts?

    Of course. The latest of them is Dot Com Awards for The Best Entertainment

    Blog in 2014 (Practitioners choice).

    Tell us your educational background and antecedents.

    I am an accounting graduate. I attended All Saints Church School, Ibadan, and then ISSI, before I finished at Jelly Las College, Lagos.

    Where do you see yourself in the next five years

    I do not know where God is taking me; but anywhere He leads me, I will go.

    a chat