Print is dying. This is news that won’t make the front page of the daily paper, which a majority of us don’t read anyway. According to Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere 2008, one in five bloggers believe that newspapers will cease to exist in the next 10 years. In fact, blogs will become the major source of news and entertainment in the next 5 years. This most likely explains why a majority of top newspapers have jumped on the bandwagon of blogging.

The Technorati report is a must-read for anyone in the business of blogging for a living—or not for that matter, since an estimated 79% of blogs are personal ones. And those of us who are “professional” bloggers also maintain a personal blog (69%). The statistics below indicate there’s a whole lot of blogging going on.

So, why do people blog? It seems the majority of bloggers view it as an outlet of self-expression, sharing of ideas, and making connections.  And here I was thinking it was all about the ad revenue. In fact 54% reported that they blog for fun, not money. However, 42% wouldn’t mind making some money in the interim. Although there is money to be made, only an estimated 1% earn $200K and higher. The median annual income of bloggers is about $22,000, which supports the theory that a majority blog for personal satisfaction.

The profile of the average blogger did not come as a surprise. Bloggers are educated (72% are college graduates), mostly male (57%), and earn good incomes (50% have household incomes over $75,000). Technorati asserts, “Bloggers are not a homogenous group;” however, the above statistics do not scream diversity to me. It was great, though, to discover that female bloggers are far more sophisticated about bringing in ad revenue, driving traffic to their site, and converting business leads from their blogs—far more than their male counterparts.

There’s a whole lot of other statistics that I could rattle off here; however, even as I write they would lose their relevance, as there are new blogs popping up every day. Gone are the days when mere mention of your blog received a raised eyebrow of interest. Having a blog has become so mainstream. The question being asked now is when will the blogging go out of style?

In a recent post on Wired Paul Boutin sounds the death knell for blogs, citing how professional, well-heeled blogs like The Huffington Post are edging out your average blogger who doesn’t have the capital or the staff to churn out up-to-the-minute blog posts. Boutin’s suggestion: Just give up now, as you will never be able to compete.

I wouldn’t go as far as to discourage the birth of another blog. Now, that would be sad. Yes, the chances that you will be rich and famous (or infamous if that’s how you get your kicks) are slim by starting a blog in this market. However, the average blogger is not seeking worldwide acclaim (as the Technorati report reflects), but is mostly after an outlet of self-expression and connection (and also some moolah).

I’m sure those of you out there in the blogosphere have your own opinions. What do you think? Has blogging become passé?

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