8 Values And Characteristics Every Successful Blogger Possesses
Many new blogs, across the spectrum of virtually every conceivable topic imaginable, are created and started each and every day on the internet. However, the vast majority of blogs that are created are unsuccessful and the posts are discontinued after a relatively short period of time.
While it may be true that anyone can start a blog, there are certain specific characteristics that make one blogger more successful than another. Below is a list of 8 important characteristics and values that most successful bloggers possess.
Personality
Most people will stop reading a blog very quickly if the content is dry and uninteresting. Bloggers should put personality into their writing so that it’s informative as well as fun to read. Great bloggers choose a subject they are passionate about because it will be easy for them to write about and their passion is often contagious, making blog readers return to the site and recommend it to others.
Balance
Sometimes bloggers put all of their energy into their blogging and neglect other parts of their life. It’s always important to have balance. Money may also be required to start a blog. Many bloggers don’t have the money to spend on a domain name and a good web hosting service. Using a quick online payday loan to finance blog costs can be a great choice for many bloggers. They may be able to make enough money through advertising to pay back the loan and supplement their income.
Social Skills
People who spend large amounts of time on social networking websites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook are likely to have a large following for their blog because they consistently engage new readers and build relationships with the readers they already have. Reading and commenting on blogs that are about the same or a similar industry help bloggers build alliances and create a community feel.
Many bloggers consistently refer readers to other blogs and most of those blog owners return the favor. Competing with similar blogs can often create animosity and drive readers away. It’s usually more effective for business to make friends and share information and customers with bloggers who write about the same subject as you.
Writing Ability
No matter how passionate a blogger is about their subject, they are unlikely to have a good following if they don’t have a strong command of the language they write in. Spelling and grammar mistakes are very distracting and take away from the overall message of a blog. Most people have a hard time trusting the information they read in a blog if it is poorly written. Writing compelling headlines is a good way to draw readers into a blog and interesting and informative writing will likely keep them coming back to read more. Sometimes inviting a guest blogger is a great way to create interest and introduce something different into an existing blog.
Persistance/Work Ethic
According to a survey conducted by Perseus Development Corporation, 66% of the blogs they surveyed hadn’t been updated in at least eight weeks. Most owners of blogs are not dedicated to their writing and often give up writing very quickly.
It takes time for a blog to grow and many bloggers don’t keep their blog going long enough to gain a large following. Updating at least once per week is a good goal for new bloggers. Depending on their subject matter, it’s effective for some blogs to be updated daily, while others would quickly run out of interesting content if their updates are that frequent. The audience the blogger is writing for is a very important and often dictates how often the blog should be updated.
Organization
Almost every aspect of life requires organization, and this is especially true in writing. Bloggers need to manage their schedules effectively and not make promises to their readers that they cannot keep. It’s much better to deliver way more to readers than the blogger has promised. Most bloggers have times that they are busy and forget to post or post something quickly just to have an update. Readers are likely to stop reading a blog that is repetitive or feels rushed.
Writing more than one blog is very common, especially if they are about different subjects that the writer is passionate about. Organization is vital so that posts and other information are posted to the correct blog and the writer doesn’t spend all their time on one blog and neglect another.
Knowledge and Research
Reading blogs to learn about a new subject is very common. Bloggers should be well researched and knowledgeable about their topic. Industry trends and products are constantly changing and most blogger get asked questions about their topics frequently. Not answering questions posted by readers makes a blogger seem detached. All questions should be answered, even if the blogger must do research on the specific question. Sharing real life experiences is a great way to build relationships, but research and knowledge will make the blogger into an authority in their field.
SEO Knowledge
Having knowledge of keyword optimization will help almost any blogger attract more readers. According to data compiled by America Online, about 42% of search engine users click on the first result. They also noted that about 90% of readers click only on sites listed on the first page of results. Bloggers can use SEO knowledge to maximize their search engine ratings to get more people to read their blog in a shorter amount of time than bloggers that don’t possess this knowledge.
Many bloggers would like to make money from their blog and attracting readers will naturally attract the attention of advertisers and make that blog’s ad space more valuable.
Being Successful at Blogging
Blogging success requires organization, persistence, and writing ability. Not everyone can achieve success through blogging and it may take a few tries for each writer to find a subject they are passionate enough about to work hard and be successful. The right combination of personality, marketing and knowledge about a topic may be difficult to come by, but great bloggers often feel a sense of accomplishment when it all comes together.
