UPDATE: Robyn Tippins just added her own characteristics of a successful blogger that are worth reading. With her list and my list combined, I think we have something here. I encourage you to read her list on how to become a successful (business) blogger as well!
I recently wrote about how to become a successful intern, since I am an INROADS intern, but Robyn Tippins thought it would be a good idea to write about being a successful blogger.
I will give this my best shot, but these are characteristics that I currently working towards since they seem to be prominent in most successful bloggers.
How To Become A Successful Blogger
- Think PASSION, not numbers
- Some bloggers start off or eventually participate in the popularity/number contest–AKA your technorati rank
- Numbers and Ranks are a distraction, instead write about your passion
- Blogs written with passion are much more powerful, resourceful, and interesting
- Join the CONVERSATION
- Shel Israel, author of Naked Conversations, said we should join the conversation by listening FIRST–excellent advice!
- Listen to what others have to say, start writing your own thoughts, comment on other blogs, and invite them to talk with you
- Be a good listener and a good contributor
- Exhibit THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
- Keep your posts unique and resourceful
- Add value to what has already been said and introduce new ideas and questions
- Make your posts thought provoking, not just a summary of what's going on
- Create TRUST
- Shel Israel said blogging should be like:
- "Two neighbors leaning on a fence talking about their interests"
- Create trust by creating an informal and open global conversation
- Invite others to agree and disagree with you
- Shel Israel said blogging should be like:
- Enable comments
- Comments are an important feature of blogs, enable them and help keep the conversation going
- Positive and negative feedback are both good, don't worry
- The best thoughts, perhaps some you did not think of, come from comments
- Become the starting and ending point for all conversations
- You want the conversation to start and end with you
- First, keep up to date with global trends, news, and innovations and provide your honest opinions
- Be enthusiastic and raise eyebrows
- Network with other bloggers
- Build relationships, do not just sit back and hope things will happen
- Venture out in the blogosphere, meet new people, and build friendships
- Commend bloggers for a job well done and help them become thought leaders as well
This is an on-going list that I will continue to update with YOUR COMMENTS! I would really like your feedback for making this list the resource for all bloggers!
YOUR COMMENTS ARE NEEDED!
🙂
Hi Chris,
I found you via Robyn’s Site. I love your list! It’s so great to see how different people think about the same topic. Here are the comments I added to Robyn’s list.
1. Use well-named categories and make posts easy to find. I suppose that’s the professional organizer in me talking, but this is the main reason I left blogger. I couldn’t do categories so I was forcing categories the hard way by creating index type posts.
2. Provide lots of quality links out to related sites your readers will enjoy.
3. You already have listed read other people’s blogs and join the converstion by commenting on their blogs. I want to just add that this has been not only a major factor in my growth as a blogger, but also as a human being…there are some amazing people out their blogging. So not only add comments to their site, but quote them and add meaningful comments & link back to them on your own blog. I have found that doing this (sincerely & not just to do it) has led to people linking back to me and brought me almost the same amount of traffic as the search engines do.
Thanks for the great food for thought!
I agree, the comment has to be a sincere one, it can’t be like spam and what not. I only leave a comment on a blog if I’m genuinely interested in the content.
Austin
I think that it is a very bright idea. Only people with great minds think of these. I am interested in the contenet. It helped me become a leader.
Thankyou very much
zeid