6 Key Skills for Success in the Blogosphere

5 Key Skills for Success in the Blogosphere

3 February 2010 678 views Comments

startingablog Thinking of starting a blog?

It’s no secret that keeping a blog is hard work. Blogging takes time, energy, brainpower, etc…but for me and many others, it’s truly worth it.

So if you’ve been thinking of starting a blog and just aren’t sure if you should, here are a few things that might help you decide. This is my list of the skills I believe you should have in order to be successful in the blogosphere:

Knowledge: In order to be successful in blogging, you of course need to be knowledgeable about the topic you are writing on. You can blog about the field you work in, about a hobby you enjoy, about being a parent, etc. — Just make sure you know your stuff. After all, you’re trying to prove you’re a thought-leader, right?
Love: There’s no point in starting a blog if you don’t love to write. It’s rare that you’re going to get rich by being a blogger, so don’t do it just because you think it could make you money. If you love to write and you’re passionate about the topic, I encourage you to start blogging, but don’t do it if you don’t love it.
Dedication: Blogging takes a lot of work. Each post needs to be thought out and written with care. Sometimes you even have to do a little research. In addition, to be successful in blogging, you need to post fairly often, so make sure you really love doing it (and can devote time to it) before you get in over your head.
Patience: Your blog is not going to blow up overnight, so don’t be discouraged if your visitor numbers are fairly low in the first few months you’re blogging. Just keep writing posts, promoting them on Twitter, Facebook, etc…and eventually the visitors will grow. It also helps to comment on other blogs and connect with like-minded people on Twitter.
Tough Skin: Not everyone is going to agree with you all the time. (Did you see my post on YellowBook?!) As bloggers, we’re putting our opinions on the line and sometimes people are going to disagree with us. When someone opposes you on your own blog, be thoughtful and craft a good response. You’ll actually find it’s nice to get a good debate going.

What do you think? Any questions?

What other qualities do you think a blogger needs in order to be successful?

Photo from Annie Mole – used under creative commons.

Srinivas Rao

Hi Nicole,

I've been following your comments on Matt's blog for a while. Great stuff in this post. One thing I would add is persistence, which kind of goes along with patience. Another thing I would say is that you need to really be good at building relationships with other people. I don't think I could have accomplished anywhere near what I have without the help of all the other bloggers I've connected with.

Nicole VanScoten

Srinivas,

Great additions! I agree that a huge factor in how you do at building a blog is how able you are to build a community...and relationships are very important in that. I always encourage people to comment on other blogs and really get to know their fellow bloggers, as that often has a direct effect on how the blog grows. Matt's blog is an amazing example of community building, and it's clear that he puts A TON of work into it, but he's also really great at engaging people. Glad to see his blog led you here! I'll have to check yours out as well :)

Akash Sharma

Great thoughts Nicole, I think the point of being a blogger is being obsessed with a particular subject and all the related analogies.I got here from Matt's blog as these tips were mentioned in his Friday quick hits.I am a feed reader now, looking forward to your future posts.
Keep up the good work!!

Nicole VanScoten

Thanks, Akash! Hopefully I don't disappoint ;)

I agree that a blogger should be really involved with a particular subject. However, I also think it's important to allow your blog to grow with you as you do. On my blog in particular, I started just talking about PR, then I moved into more social media talk, and now that I'm engaged, I added a completely separate focus based on wedding planning. -- and I've actually found some great success adding that topic to my blog. So while I agree you need to know your topic, I also think blogging provides a unique outlet to branch out and expand your focus. What do you think?

Akash Sharma

True Nicole, I am with you on this one, we can't be confined to a certain topic, we are going to burn out anyhow, I think as businesses evolve our thoughts also evolve and that's why we can't just be talking solely about a subject.
A blog which I though was just related to branding, "Branding Strategy Insider" has also evolved as they have started sharing insights on social media and customer service.
I think the point here is that everything is interconnected to social values now.
Now I wonder why some teachers in school were always boring and exhausted because they taught the same thing everyday.
Thanks....for the insightful reply.

Ryan Knapp

Good post nicole. It's a nice quick summary of what people should think about when starting up a blog.

Your last point is especially as important. If you aren't pissing someone of, then you aren't really doing a good job. If you make people disagree, that means you are coming up with new ways of thinking and not just rehashing old views.

Nicole VanScoten

Thanks, Ryan!

I completely agree! When I look back at my most commented and most popular posts, they're often the ones with strong opinions. If you never push people's buttons, then many people will never comment. While it is hard to swallow your first angry comment, it becomes fun to debate with people :)

Matt Cheuvront

I love this Nicole - goes very very well with the post I wrote today: http://www.lifewithoutpants.com/blogging/stop-d... - love your points here and as a pre-emptive FYI, I am featuring this post on tomorrow's Friday Quick Hits. Hope you're having a great week!

Nicole VanScoten

Matt,

When I read your post this morning, I thought "damn, great minds think alike!" (lol). Your post is a really great one for people who are thinking of starting a blog and just need a little motivation. Thanks for the shout out tomorrow BTW!