Monetisation of blogs: A case of social media entrepreneurship

The paper aims to investigate the phenomenon of monetising blogs as an example of social media entrepreneurship. Blogging has emerged as an authoritative source of viral marketing owing to its potential of creating extensive readership base. The overwhelming popularity of blogs paves the way for social media entrepreneurship allowing bloggers to engage in various economic activities. The study uses the grounded theory methodology to explore the process of monetisation of blogs as a case of social media entrepreneurship by conducting interviews with bloggers who have successfully managed to leverage their blogs. The researcher identifies and discusses three phases in the process viz preparatory, monetisation and e-entrepreneurship phase through which bloggers mint money. The bloggers create valuable content in their niche to attract readers which makes identification and exploitation of entrepreneurship opportunities possible by corporate stakeholders in their nexus. The integration of virtual and real networks of the bloggers helps them initiate, sustain and expand their entrepreneurial activities through social media networks.