Blogging has its ups and downs. I for one can attest to this, as I have been blogging over 4 years now. It’s true it is a bit different for everyone, but I find there are key ingredients to success just as there are in your favorite recipe. I too have struggled over the years to keep going. I’ve been through life changes, love, death, and everything in between. I will be the first to say my blog is not quite what I ever expected, because it’s so much more. Today I am sharing 5 Ways to Remain a Successful blogger. These are all things I have proven to be true and while I know there are many more things that could be added to this list this is the top 5 that work for me. This is not a scientific equation that has been proven will work in every instance. It’s all about finding what works for you.
Push forward
Blogging stats as far as comments, popularity, and page views go up and down. One minute you can be on top and the next at the bottom. It just happens. If you ever step back from blogging where you are not consistently posting you may see a decline in your stats. However, this is normal and there is a way to come back. Simply push forward. Don’t compare your stats to other bloggers. Don’t let the past get your down, because if you keep at it you will see all your hard work pay off. After all if you don’t try you will never know right?
Community
You need to make connections and have a support system. There are times that we need help with post promotions, code errors, blogging questions, etc which having blog friends will come in handy. I am lucky to have made an entire group of blog friends that have supported me through thick and thin. If I ever have any issue I simply post it in our little group and right off amazing blog friends come to my aid. I think this is my favorite part of blogging. I have also in turn been there for them through both blog struggles and also personal situations. I can’t tell you how important it is to build friendships with other bloggers. Not only can you have someone to vent to, help you with issues, but also you can truly make some amazing friends. I find a little boost is never more than a text away. You need others to Help you along your blog journey, trust me!
Post Promotions
It is imperative to promote your posts. Not only do you need to physically schedule tweets, pins, Facebook posts, and instagram posts but you also need to have your blog set up to be promotion friendly. Part of this is having vertical images which are great for Pinterest. I love using Bufferapp to schedule promotions, but also I absolutely love Sumo. I am a wordpress blogger and have the Sumo plug-in installed. Readers have the ability to highlight text and share, share photos and even the post. I find having quick ways to increase the chances of exposure are a must.
Social Media
Being active on your social media accounts is key. If a reader tweets you its so easy and you really need to tweet them back. I find I get many new readers from Twitter. Someone retweets my blog promotion and the next thing I know I get a tweet from a new following telling me they love my blog! I think it is a must to share blog posts photos on all your social media accounts to get all your followers directed to your blog post. If you are active on social media you are also more likely to retain followers. If you let your instagram account go “radio silent” who’s to say your followers won’t unfollow you. Using Bufferapp you can see what clicks and interactions come from social media promotions. You can use this to increase traffic on your blog by finding out what works for you.
Content
It’s imperative to posts on a regular basis. Now I am not talking about slinging something online, you guys know exactly what I mean! It’s important to write current and complete posts to drive more traffic to your blog. For instance, something my blog friends community introduced me to what an idea of writing on specific things that match specific events like holidays. If it is national Tequila day you can write something that corresponds with that. It is common sense to think that increased searches on your post topic will occur during this time. Basically if you don’t give readers something to read that is of good quality and relevant they are not likely to come back. I know from my own experience I have followed bloggers that stopped posting and eventually it was “out of sight out of mind.”
Remaining a successful blogger can be interpreted many ways. I view success as continuing to see moderate stats and new readers. These 5 ways are a great tips for remaining a successful blogger. I hope this helps those that are going through a rough time in blogging! Trust me with hard work and dedication you can remain successful in this ever so competitive blogging world.
