What Makes a Successful Blogger?
Written by Nile | Posted in Blogging | Posted on 
01-04-2010 | 
15 Comments
Tags: blogging, social media
A lot of people have different opinions on how this happens. Some are in their stage of experience in blogging that they are new and others have been writing for years. However, there are some elements like Onibalusi Bamidele writes in his article What are the Elements of Successful Bloggers? that do help make the difference between a normal everyday blogger and successful blogger.
A successful blogger is one that can influence people. (By the way, Micah Baldwin has a great article and slideshow on his article A Community of Influence that defines influence, how it is measured, and much more.) It does not matter how many people it is. If you can influence one person, you have succeeded. How you reach many people depends on your own goals – whether you are going to try to reach out to a target audience and how much time you want to invest.
You have to be knowledgeable about your topic. An author cannot convey a convincing story if they do not know what they are writing about.
You have to like what you are talking about – be passionate. You could like just about anything, but pick the one that you know you could talk about and connect with others. This topic is one you could pick apart and creatively share with others in a way that they are encouraged to add their own ideas or might adopt yours.
Authenticity. Liz Strauss writes about this in her article What Makes a Blog Compelling? – She is right. (And by the way, she is extremely successful. I hope to have the privilege of meeting her again in person soon.) People can figure out fast what a person is like, so you have to be yourself.
Encourage conversation, and be active. You might see a post on another site that you thought did not quite cover everything you wished it did. Of course, you could leave a comment, but why not blog about it and leave link back to the original article if you have a lot of interest in the topic. Not only are you creating content, but you are carrying on a conversation. Make sure to be involved in that conversation and not make it look like you were just trying to pimp links into your site.
To you, what makes a successful blogger?
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Twitter: Ileane
says:
Hi Nile, you have touched on some key factors here. I feel it's also important to establish goals for your blog so that you know when you have reached the point of success. Even for someone that is not interested in monetizing their blog you should look at your own growth and try not to compare yourself to the success of others. I think that will help keep you focused and headed in the right direction.
Thanks for the links too.
@Ileane
My recent post Blogging Legacy – Have You Considered Yours?
Goals are very important. I have talked a lot about blog focus. This is actually one of the most basic things that even web designers learned in their courses… even degrees. When I finally went to get my own degree in Website Design, it was funny to see the points I like to talk about in putting a site together. Then again, it was also good knowing I had not fallen off the bandwagon somewhere in cyberspace.
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To me I'd define a successful blogger as a person who can attract people with his writing, and personality.
My recent post My Secrets to Dominating Blogengage.com
That is a good and short way to put it.
I love the authenticity point, because I don't think it's possible to be a person of real influence unless there is an element of authenticity to your work. Either that or you'd have to be a really good actor.
My recent post The Best Advice I Have Ever Received
I have seen a lot of people act in their blog and they have fallen short by not staying consistent. It was a real shame as in the beginning they seemed genuine. It is hard to find out since there are still bloggers who blog anonymously.
Excellent! Keeping it real and goals are an important priority! Thank you.
Not a problem. Thank you for dropping by and commenting. I hope my articles are a little helpful.
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