Interview With Shai Coggins of b5media

by Steve Remington

As some of you may be aware, I spent a short time as a blogger at b5media. While I was there I met a good handful of people. b5media is one of the largest blog networks on the web. Shai Coggins is Co-Founder and VP of the Network and has agreed to a short interview. Shai is also an experienced blogger and offers up good advice on how to stay on track and even possibly making a career out of it.

But I would like to thank Shai for taking time out of her busy day and answering some questions. Enjoy!

1- Shai, how many blogs do you have and how long have you been blogging?

My one big addiction is starting blogs. I probably have over a dozen floating around. However, as part of my 2007 online clean-up act, I started archiving most of my blog projects.

So, right now, I only really have 2 active blogs – http://shaicoggins.com and http://justmakemoneyonline.com.

Other than these two, I have http://chrysaliscreativity.com, which I try to update every few weeks or so. And, I have my video blog, http://freshwavetv.com, which gets updated a few times a year.

And, as co-owner and VP (community) of b5media, I also blog at http://b5media.com occasionally.

2- As long time blogger and co-founder of b5media what would you say is the most rewarding part of blogging?

Community, hands down. And I say that not just because it’s my official job scope at b5media.com. I’ve always loved blogs and blogging because of the connections we are able to make. It’s amazing.

3- In your opinion can any person make a living as a blogger?

Short answer: Yes.

But, of course, you know that I have to qualify that answer.

Anyone can make a living as a blogger – but it depends on a lot of factors. Where you live, the lifestyle you lead, your personal expectations, etc.

For example, if you live in a country where the dollar exchange rate is massive compared to your local currency, then making $200-500 a month can make such a big difference.

To those who may not have the same situation, then yeah, it will depend on how much money do you actually spend on your day-to-day life. For some, making a decent living means $500-1,000 a month. That’s certainly doable. For others, anything less than $2,000 is not enough. For these people, it’ll take a lot more work to “make a living off blogging.”

4- For someone who is an expert in the blogging industry, what would you tell a first time blogger if you had the opportunity? What should the blogger focus on the most to really make that blog excel?

Every time someone comes to me for advice in blogging (and probably applicable in other things too!), I always say the same thing: Go ahead and create something that you love. Something that will make your heart sing and dance. Something that will add that extra zing in to your life.

Once you’ve got that part down, then your blog will shine no matter what. It will draw the right kind of readers in to your life. It will resonate with the kind of people that you wish to connect with. And from there, all sorts of wonderful things can – and will – happen.

Now, if you want to take a step ahead by attracting more readers, making money off your blog, etc. – then, you will need to equip yourself with other blogging strategies like SEO, marketing, and such.

5- If you had to think back on your time blogging, can you remember any mistakes you made as a blogger or something you wish you could go back and fix?

Mistakes come part and parcel with attempting anything in life. I wish I can re-do a lot of things in my past! But then, I consider it all part of my learning experience, so I consider it all good in my blogging history.

However, having said that, I did go through a patch of my blogging life where I decided to be a recluse of some sort. I didn’t turn on IMs. I wasn’t answering all comments in my blogs. I didn’t leave enough comments on other people’s blogs.

Not good at all.

If I were given a chance, I would’ve chosen to be a lot more sociable. Make more connections. Then again, I needed that space at that particular time in order to learn a few things in life. I’m just going to have to make up for lost time now.

6- What are the top 5 blogs you personally read every day?

Seriously, I follow so many blogs that I really don’t have the time to follow anything on a daily basis. If I did, I won’t have a life outside my computer.

What I do try to read as regularly as possible:

http://b5media.com – Not only because it’s part of my job!

http://problogger.net – A good way to stay in touch with the world of professional blogging.

http://the-parody.com – My sis is the most regular online connection I have with my family who live overseas.

http://karencheng.com.au – She inspires me on a personal and creative level.

http://lifehacker.com – It’s overwhelming to read it on a regular basis; but I love it anyway.

7- Blogging has evolved in the last year or so. Do you have any predictions as to what blogging will be like in 3 years time?

Growth is still happening in the world of weblogs. There is still so much scope to breathe and grow!

I’m not really one to ‘predict’ things, but I have a wishlist of things to happen in the next few years:

- faster, better, cheaper Internet connections worldwide (dial-up will be phased out slowly, as more people move to broadband); which will introduce blogs to more people
- more use of multimedia, especially videos and even more photos
- more people using blogs professionally, not just as a quick way to make money off adsense and affiliate programmes, but as a way to enhance their working life
- better way to stamp out spammers and sploggers
- most people will know what a ‘blog’ is, without a lot of explanations and blank stares.