Many of us dream of being a professional blogger (myself included), but very few actually get to live the dream. I like many share the hope of one day turning my blog into some form of a success story. It seems anyone can create a blog and many more can get some people to visit their site, but I’ve quickly come to realize it takes certain key components to build a successful blog community and to keep people coming back for more over the long-run. That’s why I’ve decided to highlight some of those crucial components that have made other blogs a success along with some of my own personal experience.
SocialTimes published a list of five steps anyone who is interested in becoming a professional blogger should take. Here are those five steps along with my own personal experience (*) with regards to each step:
- Pick a niche:
*Make sure you pick a topic you really enjoy writing about, but also a topic you can see yourself writing consistently on for a long time.
*Make sure your blog has a DEFINED focus.- Select a good domain:
*Pick a domain name that describes your site in some fashion.
*Be sure to take keyword rankings (SEO) into consideration when selecting a domain.- Regularly update your site:
*Quality is much more important than quantity.
*Select a weekly schedule that works for you (3 posts per week average is mine) and stick to it. Readers want consistency.- Monetize from the beginning:
*Include ads from the beginning and your readers will be accustom to them. Ads will be your primary source of revenue as a professional blogger making this step crucial.- Pursue new revenue channels:
*Always be on the lookout for new ways to evolve both the site itself and the way in which you generate revenue for the site.
* Reader feedback is huge. Listen to what they have to say and incorporate their suggestions where appropriate. Invest in your site and your readers will invest in you.
I found these five steps really insightful as someone who hopes to be a professional blogger someday. What do you think? Have any thoughts or comments about professional blogging or blogging in general? I’d love to hear them. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think.
