Do you have dreams of becoming a successful blogger? Maybe you’ve just started, and you’re not quite sure if you have what it takes after all?
Being able to blog is truly a gift that the internet and social media have provided us. It allows our voices to be heard. It can provide a part-time or even full-time income. Blogging can change your life if you do it right.
But not everybody is cut out to be a blogger. So how do you know if blogging is right for you? Ask yourself if you have these five things in this post.
1. You Have to Believe in Yourself
It seems like everybody is a blogger these days and the internet is so saturated with online influencers and marketers. Is your blog different? Is it going to speak to someone?
If you can’t answer yes to these questions, you either need to shift your attitude or get out. If you don’t believe in yourself or your work, nobody else is going to either.
More likely than not, you are different, and your blog will speak to someone because you are a unique human being. Figure out what makes you special and own it. Believe in yourself. That’s step one.
2. Have a Willingness to be Continually Learning
Blogging isn’t just writing posts and showing up on Instagram. It’s also setting up and maintaining websites, marketing for others or for yourself, creating products, customer service, search engine optimization, graphic design, and branding.
If you’re interested in starting a blog, you’re going to be doing everything until you’re at a point where you can hire somebody. And since most of us don’t happen to be tech geeks and writers and designers and social media gurus all at once, we have to take the time to learn those things.
Because the internet moves so fast, all that stuff you thought you knew will constantly be evolving, and you’ll have to keep learning about those things too. So be prepared to be always learning.
3. Have the Ability to Know When to Get Help
One of the best tips I’ve ever heard is this: if there is anything on your to-do list that you continually procrastinate, hire somebody else to do it.
There’s probably a reason you’re always procrastinating looking after your website, or you’re delaying making simple phone calls to schedule meetings and appointments. That reason is, likely that you just don’t have the same passion for those tasks as you do for others. That is fine. In fact, it’s normal! So if you’re in a place where you can hire out those tasks, do it, because they’re not getting done right now.
You also need to be willing to ask for help when there’s something you just don’t know how to do. When I felt overwhelmed by social media, I invested in myself and purchased an Instagram course. It made a big difference in my confidence and my skills.
There are a ton of resources out there on the internet (free or not). You should be using those to your advantage! Get help from those who are more knowledgeable than you!
4. You Must Be Self-Driven
Whether your blog is a hobby, a side hustle, or your job, the only person you are accountable to is you. Nobody is going to reprimand you for not posting on time, you don’t have quarterly interviews with your boss to talk about the quality of your work, and you’re not exactly at risk of being fired.
So who is in charge of making sure you’re producing timely and quality work? That’s all you.
Without self-drive, it can be easy to take a two-hour lunch break, to do “research” on social media, or to even just say, “I’ll do it tomorrow!” You can’t let yourself regularly fall into these patterns, or your blog’s progress will progress at a snail’s pace. You need to show up for yourself.
5. Have a Story to Tell or a Message to Spread
It’s all well and good to say, “I like writing. I think I’ll start a blog!”
But what are you going to write about?
There needs to be a story you want to tell or some message you think the world needs to hear. Without something to write about, your blog will be listless, floating around wherever the wind takes it, instead of driving towards a goal.
Maybe you want to share your journey towards living a greener life, or maybe you want to help people eat healthier on a budget, perhaps you want to teach the world everything there is to know about crochet!
No matter how niched down your blog topic is, it needs to be about something and not about anything.
If you feel like you have the five qualities listed in this post, you have the basic tools needed for becoming a successful blogger. Congrats!
If you look at this list and feel like you’re missing a thing or two, don’t worry. These are all things you can work towards if you put your mind to it. It’s hard work, but being able to produce a blog that you’re proud of is so worth it.
About the Author
Heather Currie is a Saskatoon, Canada native who has been blogging since 2016 on her website See Heather Smile. On See Heather Smile, she likes to write about the arts and positive living. As well as blogging, Heather is an aspiring fiction author. She is also a fitness and music instructor and a choreographer. If you’d like to see more of Heather, you can follow her on Instagram.
More Articles You May Like: