So, you're starting to think about entering a career as a blogger. There's a lot of opportunity in the field, but it's important to understand that there's an art to succeeding as a new blogger.
We're going to give you some expert tips on how to manage your career as a blogger and be as productive as you can be. Hopefully, our look at blogging for beginners will give you some inspiration to get out there and explore your opportunities.
Let's get started.
1. Emphasize Writing Quality
We often forget that the primary thing we're doing as a blogger is writing. There's always something to be said about the style and unique factors of a person's writing, but there's an underlying quality that has to be there.
Focus on your grammar, spelling, and the structure of your writing. If you can hammer those down, you'll be able to be a lot freer with your style within the confines of good fundamentals.
Consider installing a writing assistant software that checks your spelling and grammar for you as you write.
2. Don't Turn Down Early Opportunities
The beautiful thing about being a blogger, in most cases, is that you'll have the chance to write on a freelance basis.
That means you can take work, try it out, and respectfully decline to go on if you don't enjoy it. It can be hard to find well-paying work at first, though, so it's important that you take those opportunities when they come.
Maybe the subject matter isn't your thing, or you're not sure that you can write in the style that's expected. In any case, give it a shot. The only way to get experience is through doing those things that are not comfortable.
3. Write Your Own Blog
There are a lot of different ways to be a "blogger." Some write blogs for others, some work for businesses, and others write and curate their own blogs. The dream is to have your own blog that subscribers read and enjoy.
If you can generate enough interest to make a living that way, you'll be in a great position. Even if you're not in that position, though, it's smart to have your own blog.
You can use your blog as practice for exploring new topics. More importantly, you'll have those writings as a solid portfolio to use when it comes time to apply for different jobs. Be sure to use some free stock photos to beef up your content up a little bit.
Plus, who knows, you might find that it takes off and brings in a lot of money.
4. Prepare for Feedback
It hurts to hear that someone doesn't like your writing. That said, feedback is an important part of the process. We can't get in the heads of the people we work for, so there are going to be some inconsistencies.
When it comes to writing for other people, we can't be too attached to the writing that we do. It's great to take pride in what we do, but don't take it too personally when the piece comes back with revisions.
Just make the revisions, ask yourself if you can learn anything from them, and move on.
5. Diversify Your Income
As a freelancer, things can get tenuous sometimes. You might have a client who stops talking to you out of the blue. You might find that the marketing budget for a client stops allowing for blogging.
These things happen, although they're not going to happen every time. That said, it's important to have a couple of sources of income working at all times. Unless you have a contract and it's a sure thing, make sure that you secure yourself with a regular paycheck even if it means working for a few clients.
6. Market Yourself
When you become a blogger, you're becoming an entrepreneur in some sense. You're creating your own business, working for yourself, and marketing yourself.
It's not as difficult as it might seem at first, so don't get too freaked out by that. You just have to make sure that you're putting yourself out there. Reach out to potential clients, get denied, and move forward.
Over time, you'll land a few excellent clients who stick around.
7. Determine Your Niche Early
If you're blogging for a living, you want to be writing about things that are interesting to you. Pick your area of passion, and start digging your own little spot into that niche.
You can work for websites that need content about the things that you're passionate about. There are a lot of websites in every niche, and all of them need content.
Just reach out to people you're interested in, do your best, and see where that takes you.
8. Be Mindful of SEO
Digital marketing is an important aspect of most blogging. Search engine optimization (SEO) is an integral part of that.
The idea is that you use a few target keywords in your writing and you write the content in response to those particular keywords. There are a number of other factors to keep in mind, but doing so will help your content to rank well in search engine results pages.
9. Cut Out Toxic Clients
Another one of the beautiful parts about working for yourself is that you don't have to put up with any harassment. If your employer isn't holding up their end of the bargain, cut them out.
If you don't enjoy the work, leave. Do so respectfully, of course, but know that you're not tied down at all.
10. Create a Workspace
Working from home (or wherever you'd like) seems like bliss. The thing is, it's hard to stay focused. There's a lot to get in the way of concentration and productivity.
So, carve yourself space and make it optimal for hard work. Cut down distractions, and make your home office somewhere that doesn't hold you back.
Need More New Blogger Tips?
Starting out as a new blogger can be challenging, even scary. There's a lot of information that might help you to stay confident and succeed, though. We're here to help you move forward.
Explore our site for more ideas on how to succeed in your blog writing, how to build a blog, and general tips for new bloggers.