There are many, many many different bloggers out there trying to stake their claim in the endless and ever-expanding frontier that is the digital landscape. As of last year, there were around 350 million blogs on Tumblr alone. In such an oversaturated marketplace it takes a real pioneering spirit to plant your flag in the dirt and let everyone hear your voice. Broadly speaking, bloggers fall into 3 distinct categories. The first category is made up of hobbyists who use their blog as a whetstone to hone their writing skills, document their day to day lives and/or use their blog as a vehicle to keep far away friends abreast at what’s going on with them. The second group are the semi-pros. They’re committed to growing their blog and while they hope to someday use it as their main source of income… they’re not quite there yet. The third are the professionals. They have a sizeable following, they’ve monetized their blog and use it as their primary source of income.
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Transitioning from the first category to the second is relatively straightforward. All you need to do is commit to creating regular content and put the effort in to grow your audience. Making it into the realms of the professionals, however, is a tricky business and there are many impediments that will try to block your path. Don’t let these repeat offenders stop you from living your dream…
Lack of investment
Few bloggers realize just how much they need to invest to be able to turn pro, which might necessitate a change in net working capital. Your battered old laptop and your basic WordPress site are unlikely to launch you into the stratosphere. A good laptop will be important to ensure that you’re able to manage several processes at once without slowing you down. Creating your own high-resolution images will allow you to stand out from the crowd so a good quality camera is also a good idea. You’ll also need to invest in your own domain name and a web hosting package with enough space to store your content.
Apathy
All bloggers start their journey with boundless enthusiasm, churning out content with gusto. If the content doesn’t find its audience, however, it’s easy for that enthusiasm to erode and turn into apathy and self-doubt. Before long they’re barely posting content anymore because… Why bother? If this sounds achingly familiar you may need to give yourself a shake to stay motivated.
Fear
There’s no greater enemy to creativity than fear. Fear that we’ll never be as good as our peers. Fear that nobody will care to read our content. Fear that we’ll receive nasty comments. Fear that we’ll be shunned by the community of bloggers and fear that we’ll be laughed out of the internet. While fear can be potent in stifling your creative spark it must not be allowed to extinguish it. Post regularly, share on social media regularly and maintain good relations with your fellow bloggers and the interest will come!
Lack of focus
With so much content out there, people like to go to particular blogs to read about very particular things. Therefore the more you know your niche the better. If you’re a parenting blog, choose a specialism in the realm of parenting like nutrition or education. If you love to write about movies, specialize in a genre like science fiction or horror. The more focused your niche, the better chance you have of reaching your target audience.
Great advice and helpful post! Thank you so much!
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Thank you, Bridget for taking the time to read and comment.
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Thanks, that’s great tips!
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so relevant and true –
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Great tips Jacqueline. I did not realise there were quire so many bloggers out there 🌼
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Good post my friend
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Good advice.
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Thanks
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As always great advice. I need to have a look at my blog and refresh it. Been finding it hard to write meaningful posts.
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You are not alone in this Janmalique. My second blog is suffering badly. I need to get to it asap.
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Same with me.
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Just keep doing it a bit at a time so it doesn’t get overwhelming.
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Good advice, I need to re-evaluate its purpose.
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Surely, there is still a lot to learn. Thanks for the advice
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Blogging is a continuous learning process. Good to see you 🙂
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You’ve caught the right nerve, Jac. This was very helpful. Thanks!
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Thanks for taking the time to read this 🙂
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Great information, thanks!
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These are really great tips and ones that I will follow
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Good advice……I am horrible about “growing my blog”. I have been blogging for almost four years, but narrowing down the topic has given me food for thought. Thank you!
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The new blogger in me will keep your tips in mind!
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Good to know. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
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great advice…from a beginner blogger.
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I’m glad that you find it useful. Welcome to blogosphere. I hope you enjoy the ride 🙂
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It’s a lot to take on but im sure il get there 🤗
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You definitely will!
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Thank you always for your solid advice
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Thanks for the advice. I’ve just started and it’s a long time goal of my to just try it and put something out there. I have no long terms plans at the moment just experimenting but it’s nice to learn along the way about the ins and outs.
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Sometimes, it’s better to just take each day at a time, go along with it and see how the lines fall pleasantly. All the best.
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