Have you ever wondered why certain bloggers manage to break through the noise of 30 million+ blogs (and that’s just in the United States!) and stick around beyond the first couple of posts.
What makes the difference in whether a blog survives or get abandoned?
In this guest post Stephanie did some analysis and came up with her own take on the 9 qualities required for a blogger to succeed.
How many of these do you see in yourself? Remember it’s always up to you, you can choose to improve on any area you need to and gain any skills you’re missing!
And, just flip these around to find the 9 signs your blog won’t survive.
Guest Post by Stephanie Lynch of How Much Is It?
Every day, there are thousands upon thousands of blogs created. Sadly, only a handful of these survive over the next few years.
If you’re thinking about starting up your own blog, or you’ve already started one, you have to realize that if you want to succeed, you will have to know what it takes to be successful in cyberspace.
If you want to be the best of the best, these are nine traits you must have:
9. Willingness to Learn
If you look back over the past five to 10 years, you’ll notice one thing — the Internet changes fast. Even if you think you know everything, there’s always going to be something new to learn. Every day, make it a habit to strive to learn at least one thing you didn’t know about blogging. No matter what level you’re on, you’ll be amazed at how much knowledge builds up over time.
8. Determination
If you want to have a strong following, then persistence is a must. No matter how you’re feeling, create a schedule and stick with it. If you’re having writer’s block or just not having a good day, then you may want to explore creative ways to get rid of it.
7. Imaginative
Take a look at the most successful blogs on the web, and you’ll notice that most have one thing in common — creativity. If you’re going to rehash content and bore your readers, no one will want to visit. However, if you’re unique and offer something that no one else can do, you’d be pleasantly surprised at how fast your blog can grow.
6. Analytical
Aside from being creative, a good blogger will know what kind of content draws in certain types of traffic. Bloggers who are successful will be able to analyze their metrics and create what the internet is looking for.
5. Reaching Out
A good blogger will have a friendly personality and seem like they are easy to approach. Whenever your readers ask a question, comment or even email you, be sure to take the time to respond back. Building relationships are a great way to connect with fellow bloggers and readers.
4. Authority
Keep in mind that you’re not going to be able to become authoritative overnight. As your blog grows, your authority should as well. With this authority, your blog should be able to rank well, draw in new readers and give your content a lot more power.
3. Details
A successful blogger will check their facts, cite their resource and place a unique spin on the topics they are writing about. When it comes to blogging, details are important, and if your blog is lacking these details, it can lead to confusion.
2. Great Story Tellers
Most of your better bloggers are fantastic story tellers. Their writing will often put the reader in their shoes, keeping them on the edge of their seat. While you can’t expect to be a Shakespeare in the beginning, writing can improve over time if you take the initiative to do so.
1. Have Fun
Lastly, blogging shouldn’t feel like work. If you get to this point, then maybe you’re in the wrong field. Blogging is supposed to be a way to express your feelings, reach out to others and even educate yourself as you’re doing it. As long as you’re in it for the right reasons, your blog will skyrocket to the top.
[Note from the Editor: Business blogging sometimes feels like work… you’ve got to plan it, and work your plan… but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it, too! Stay passionate about creating content that’s of service to your readers.]
Stephanie is from How Much Is It — a collection of 4,000+ cost helping guides featuring topics, including professional services, pets, education and so much more. Feel free to connect with her on Twitter @Howmuchforit
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Adalia John says
Thanks Michelle and Stephanie. I’m still working on #2.
Michelle Shaeffer says
Me too, Adalia! Best way to improve is to continue reading great writers/storytellers.
Stephanie L says
Hi Adalia,
I used to be an awful story teller — still am! Ha ha. But I know with practice, I can only become better :)
Naomi says
Hi Michelle.
The shear amount of blogs online today is frightening, no doubt. But very few bloggers stick with it and certainly never use any of the above.
I would say my biggest challenge is 7 (imaginative). The desire to keep my readers interested sometimes blocks my creativity. I find taking 10 minutes to look around me, be exposed to nature and just take in natural surroundings helps kick my creativity back into gear!
All 9 tips are very important to apply, but I do feel number 9 (willingness to learn) is not only important for your blog, but life too.
You stop learning, you stop growing!
Thanks for good read
Naomi
Stephanie L says
Naomi,
If you ever feel you’re not creative for the day, browse larger social media networks (like Reddit) and search certain keywords. This is a great way to find popular topics people are talking about!
Janell says
Thinking if I am that imaginative enough to create blogs for the audience that I am making? The good point is I’m having fun!
Stephanie L says
If you have fun and money follows, then it’s a win-win!! :)
Sunday says
A great post with very strong message. Indeed many blogs “fail” before they start and this is often because of ignorance and lack of commitment to doing what it takes to be success. The nine signs discussed in this post as to how a blog can survive or fail are spot-on. They are basic factors that have lead to blogging success.
This comment was shared in kingged.com the social bookmarking website for Internet marketers, where I found this post.
Sunday – contributor for kingged.com
http://kingged.com/9-signs-your-blog-wont-survive/
Vatsala Shukla says
Hi Michelle
I love blogging and have can tick mark the points shared off my blogging list. The one that I have learned is important since I started blogging in 2011 is to keep myself up to date with technology – part of point 9. A lot has changed in this short period of time and if one forgets to keep up with one’s learning, it shows in the drop in visitors and potential leads..
Ray says
Somewhere along the way I had forgotten that your #1 was why I hard started blogging. As of late I had allowed it become more a job and hence it has suffered. Got to get the fun and sometimes whimsical part of things back so that I enjoy doing the blog again.
Songkran says
Phew! I know my blogs gonna survive. It is so true that persistence and uniqueness of the content will get any blog through. I did suffer from the writer’s block but got over it and still manage to do some posting every week.
metz says
Since I’ve read one post about essential blogging skills, I will put into the table about improving your communication skills. I believe that it is very important. You can survive by doing so. I believe that this post will serve as a reminder to everyone. Nice share!
I found this post shared on Kingged.com, the IM social networking site, and I “kingged” it and left this comment.
James says
This is great. I learned early on that “No matter how you’re feeling, create a schedule and stick with it.” is so true. Sometimes I don’t feel like writing but I know my weekly deadlines are real for me and I push on anyway. Sometimes the Sunday evening panic when I know I haven’t got anything prepared is enough to get some ideas flowing.
Also, I’m not very good at analysing my metrics. Anyone know who has good advice about this?
James
Ahsan says
Hello Michelle,
Blogging is certainly a task. You must do it properly & regular basis. WE need to do proper SEO to get good rank in search engine. These are well written tips for new bloggers. Thanks for share
Cooper says
Persistence is so key. This is especially true when you first start and almost nobody is reading what you have to say. Keeping a routine and fresh content is so critical.