Bloggers– we hear about them all the time. They rank well in search engines and are excellent targets for PR opportunities. Some of us have our favourites who’s posts we consistently follow, and some of us even consider creating our blog.
Blogging has become a trendy hobby in today’s society. More and more people have been making it into their actual full-time job and are earning more than you would expect. It may sound like the easiest and most awesome career in the world, but in reality, it takes a lot of work and effort into making a blog successful and gaining a fan base. Of course, it isn’t impossible, but to be good at what you do, you must keep a few things in mind while developing your passion.
Thousands of blogs are created every single day, but not many of them become popular. This, of course, has a lot to do with the competition online and other existing blogs that have years of experience which can demotivate and discourage anyone with no experience in this field. You can’t expect to become successful right away and earn thousands. The question is where do you start and what makes a blogger good?
Anyone can become a blogger.
Bloggers communicate and share information about specific topics and interests with an audience. They distribute information through research, writing, sharing photos, publishing and redistributing articles.
There are hundreds of different types of bloggers:
– Lifestyle bloggers- these are the most universal, they write about many topics and work with a wide variety of brands. Lifestyle bloggers tend to get the most sponsorships because of their elasticity.
–Music bloggers- music bloggers review music, share their own work or discuss instruments and studio equipment.
–Food bloggers- they show their way of preparing different meals, review food products and some travel to different restaurants to share their thoughts and opinions about them.
–Fashion bloggers- they cover the latest fashion trends, discuss designers and fashion shows. Many fashion bloggers collaborate with clothing brands and promote and model their items.
–Beauty bloggers- they focus on newly released cosmetics, testing out products and skincare trends in the beauty industry. Many beauty brands reach out to these types of blogs for collaboration and send them their products for promotion.
–Travel bloggers- capturing the moment, writing about their travel experiences and visiting new places is their passion.
It may seem like blogging is all about writing about what you love, but just that alone doesn’t make you good at the job. Being passionate is a significant factor in your work, but without other essential details you won’t gain an audience or have any chances towards monetising your blog.
In order to get your blog going and have a good start, you must check off a few points on what it should contain.
Find your niche
Don’t know what to blog about? Think about what you’re best at, what you enjoy most and what you can see yourself consistently posting. Remember that managing a blog shouldn’t be tiresome and something you despise doing.
A good blog name
The first most basic and important step towards becoming a good blogger. This may seem silly and irrelevant, but it actually makes a huge difference. If a blog name is unique and relates to the topic of the platform, it catches peoples attention and makes someone click on your page. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated, something simple yet original will do the job. Just make sure you stand out and don’t blend in with the rest of the blog names on the internet. Also, remember that your name should be easy to read and non-offensive.
Content is key
Your audience is going to want to learn something from your blog. Make sure your content adds value and informs your readers about the specific topic you chose. It should be both interesting and simply written, you don’t have to attempt to be Shakespeare. Making your content interesting and accurately using keywords will keep your audience coming back to your page and increase your SEO.
Know your audience
Gaining the right audience for you may be hard at first. Depending on your niche, you should figure out who your target audience is and what type of content it enjoys the most. Always remember to still be yourself and post about what you want, but try to keep your audience in mind. You want to form a connection with them. If you post about beauty related topics, you should know that your main audience is women aged 18-25. Of course, others may also browse your posts, but it’s most likely that the same followers will continue to return to your blog.
Be interesting
Don’t be afraid to stand out. Have different content from everybody else. Show your audience that you have a unique perspective on specific topics and how your blog offers them something new that they won’t find anywhere else.
Add graphics
Pictures can completely change the look of your blog. It’s always important to provide visuals for your audience; not many people are fans of long paragraphs and texts without any addition of pictures or videos. Graphics will keep your blog more intriguing and eye-catching.
Have a good offer
Make sure you have a separate bio and information on where someone interested in collaborating can contact you. It’s best to name a few services you offer. A few examples can be:
– Sponsored articles- the bigger the blog, the more brands will reach out to pay for their content to be posted. You want to be careful about posting too many of these because it will lower the quality of your content and your audience will be unsatisfied.
– Product reviews- try to choose products you believe in and enjoy using. For example, if you run a cooking blog try to review good quality products that you use in your everyday meals. It will show your followers that you are honest and transparent.
– Display ads- don’t spam your blog with ads all over. Keep it minimal.
– Affiliate links- a non-harmful way of earning money is through these links. Followers interested in a particular product or service simply click on the link to read about the topic while you gain profit.
– Guest posts- try to get other influencers to post on your blog. This will lead their audience to your platform which will increase the number of your followers.
Let brands know that you’re open to offers. Make sure that you do these in moderation though. Nothing pushes a follower away as much as constant ads and sponsored posts- it makes you seem dishonest and as if you are only blogging for the money.
Be active on social media
Most of your audience will discover your blog through social media. This means that you should post regularly, give updates and show your followers a piece of yourself! Try not to spend hours all day online overloading them with information. A few minutes daily is enough to post about anything blog related.
Aesthetics
A blog that is pleasant to browse is a good blog. No one wants to deal with annoying pop-ups or hundreds of bright colours at a time. Work on your design so that it makes the user’s experience as least problematic as possible. Ask your followers about their opinion on your blog, see what you can do to change the problems that they’re having. A blog should be easy to read and view without too many distractions like ads.
Be consistent
To keep your blog running and increase traffic, you must post regularly. This will show your followers that you care about the content you post and how much the blog means to you. You don’t have to spam them with articles either, it’s up to you how often you post, but every few days or even every other day is a good choice.
If you’ve followed all of the steps above you can consider monetising your blog. Sponsored articles, ads, reviews and affiliate links are just a few ways you can start collaborating with brands and earning money. Try to see what brings the best results and which options to avoid. Focus on the content and quality of your blog and in no time brands will be willing to work with you.
How much a good blogger makes
If you post consistently and keep building your traffic, you can earn from $200 – $2500 a month depending on what you are blogging about. Naturally, beginners make less when they first start. Some experienced bloggers can even make up to $20000 a month on ads alone. (https://millennialmoney.com/how-much-money-make-blogging/) In some cases, it’s a good idea to reach out to brands and present them an offer beneficial to both sides. Putting in more effort and enthusiasm will show brands how dedicated you are, but remember not to spam every single brand with your offers- aim towards the ones that relate to your blog.
There are also a ton of websites that offer bloggers help with investments and statistics. Here are a few:
- Whitepress.net- a platform on which bloggers can provide their services and invest in their posts.
- Indahash- a website dedicated to social media influencers where they can sell their posts’ advertising space.
- GroupHigh- they provide numerous statistics for social media influencers.
- Pressboard- they collect entries for creating content for a particular project.
- BlogVertise- a site dedicated to content and sponsored articles.
Keep in mind that blogging isn’t all about making money, but of course, it’s a great benefit to be able to make a living off of your hobby. You should also remember that you won’t start earning thousands right away. Don’t give up! It takes time, patience and hard work to become successful and reach your goals. Make sure to be active on your blog; consistency is key. Be interested in your audience, see what they like and respond to their needs. It’s only a matter of time before you start seeing results in your blog and your approach to it.
Having an original idea will always bring more interest and potential followers. Be confident in what you write about, make sure your content is transparent, and you will become a pro blogger in no time! 🙂
