Blogging is a great way to get your name ‘out there’ and share your knowledge with the world. Plus, it’s a great tool to have as part of your search engine optimisation strategy because it 
will help you build back links to your website.
But you already know that because you’ve already set up your blog and are ready to start writing.
Are you ready to lead the life of a blogger?
Do you have what it takes to generate an endless stream of interesting content that will keep your readers coming back for more?
Blogging is a commitment. It can be hard work, but it can also be immensely satisfying and rewarding. So if you’re not sure whether you’ve got what it takes, here are 5 things you’re going to need if you want to succeed – how many do you have?
1. Time
Bloggers fall into 2 categories – those that do it to boost their profile, SEO and impart their knowledge; and those who do it for the money.
If you are looking to monetise your blog, it’s not going to happen over night. Generating an income from your blog will take a lot of hard work and commitment. So before you begin you need to decide what you want to get out of your blogging experience.
2. A love of writing
When you have a blog, writing becomes a continuous pass-time. Once you’ve decided on the frequency of your posts you must stick to it. So, whether its once a week, three times a week, every day or several times a day, you have to be sure you can come up with enough fresh material to fulfil your readers’ needs and expectations.
3. Reading traffic
Don’t get too hung up on checking your analytics every five minutes. Granted, the number of visitors you get is important, but what is more important is the number of returning readers you have.
Running a blog is like building relationships – you have to attract people to you and then keep them entertained so they’ll come back again and again (and hopefully bring some other people along with them). Make sure you nurture those relationships by responding to comments and interacting with your readers.
4. Woohoo, I’m here
Posting regularly to your blog won’t guarantee readers. If you want people to know about what you’re saying, tell them where you are. Use social media to promote your blog posts. People have to know you’re there before they can start reading.
5. Why are you blogging?
To be a success you have to know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. So before you begin think about:
- Your motivation for blogging
- What you are trying to achieve
- How often are you going to post?
- What will you be blogging about?
Just one point to make about that last item, writing about your niche or specialism will help you establish yourself as an expert in your field. Plus, your readers will come to you because they are also interested in that subject and want to learn more about it. Therefore, if you suddenly start writing about something completely different, you’ll begin to lose readers. Your blog should be like a comfy pair of slippers – your readers should know what to expect, so choose your genre carefully and make sure you stick to it.
Blogging is a long term commitment and one that you should only begin if you are sure you have the stamina to keep it going.
But most of all, blogging is fun – so make sure you enjoy it, because if you do it will shine through in your writing so your readers will enjoy it too.