So, here you are. You would like to start a blog or maybe have one already, but you aren’t getting the results you wish for.

Blogging is not only about writing and publishing your texts online. There are a few things to consider in order to become successful.

This article will tell you 11 of the most important facts when it comes to blogging.

1. You Need To Have An Expertise

Authors of successful books always say, write about something you know.

As a blogger, you share your knowledge. You add value to the existing online content, and you help people find answers to their questions. 

Therefore, You must be an expert in the field you want to blog about.

Otherwise, you will never establish any credibility. 

That doesn’t mean you have to be a celebrity chef to post content about cooking or a famous literary critic to write book reviews. 

You don’t have to have any formal training in what you would like to write about.

You just have to be a relative expert with experiences in the fields you are about to share. As long as you know more about a topic than the people you want to reach with your blog, you are adding value. 

If you are addressing beginners, be more advanced; if you are addressing advanced users, be an expert, etc.

2. You Need To Accept Criticism

People who publish content online, expose themselves to an audience

Not everybody will agree with you. Some will feel they know more about a topic than you do, and they will tell you that very clearly.

You have to expect that your views might be met with criticism and sometimes they will be bold and even harsh.

You cannot take everything personally. If you do, you will become defensive and that can damage your credibility.

Instead of providing new content, you will respond to your critics, which will engage you in endless word battles. 

Take it on. Check if the criticism is validated, change what has been criticised if necessary and move on. 

3. Writing Is Your Second Nature

As a blogger, you have to write constantly; it is the main part of your job.

You will not only write your blog posts, but also newsletters, social media posts and publications or e-books.

If you don’t like writing, you can consider becoming a podcaster, vlogger or blogger on Instagram.

4. There Is More Than Writing

As a blogger you have to expand your knowledge and grow with your blog.

Also, you have to learn the technical side of your blogging website, such as administrations of any forums, managing SEO, take care of your web design or the administration of your website.

You have to learn to take decent pictures to post them on your blog and engage in social media marketing.

5. You Will Be Working By Yourself 

If the social contacts at a workplace outside of your home are part of the reason why you go to work, then you have to keep in mind, that working from home means working by yourself.

Yes, there are forums and you will “talk” to other people, but not in person. As a blogger, you’ll spend most of your time in front of your computer.

It is nice not to have a boss looking over your shoulder, but it also means you need a lot of self-motivation and organisation in order to be able to accomplish your work successfully.

If that does not appeal to you, you might think twice before becoming a blogger.

6. You Need To Invest Some Money

You don’t need a high start-up investment. You can sign up for a hosting package for about $3.95 per month.

However, if you plan to turn your blog into a serious business and you want to earn substantial income you have to be aware of higher expenses.

You have to have a computer or laptop, which is capable of handling updates and the climbing amount of necessary RAM. 

There are expenses for softwares, such as image editing, social media planning, WordPRess plugins and themes. 

If you are not good at doing your own taxes, you should invest in tax software or in an accountant.

At some point you will need to bring your blog to the next level with videos or tutorials, and for that you need a good microphone and camera with the appropriate accessories.

Those expenses might not all occur in the beginning, but you have to think of a solid foundation and add further investments as you go along.

You won’t get far with your blog if you are not willing to invest in the necessary equipment or software.

 7. You Need To Have Patience 

You have to let go of the illusion that connecting to the Internet and publishing a few articles will bring you streams of readers in just a few weeks. This is not how it works. 

Building a large number of readers, let alone making a living from your blog, can take a long time.

Patience and consistency are two of the most important attributes you need to bring with you, when you plan to start a blog. 

At least in the first year or two, you can expect to spend a lot of time on your blog and have to it for a monetary return in your investment. 

8. You Need To Network

Even though you are working by yourself, you still need to network and connect with same minded individuals

You do not write for yourself, but for your audience. You do not solve your own problems, but the problems of your readers.

You can increase your traffic and the popularity of your blog faster when you use tools like networking. 

You can mention others on your blog and they can mention you as well. You can also link each other to your blogs accordingly.

9. You Have To Be Consistent

Especially, in the beginning it is of the utmost importance to consistently spend about 20 hours per week on your blog.

If you want to become a successful blogger, you need to invest your time, and maybe let go of other things. 

Most likely, you will still have your regular job and it demands discipline to work another 20 hours on a side job.  

Otherwise, your blog and you as a blogger will only be able to grow slowly.

10. More Ways to Earn Income  

There are a few actions you can take to speed up the growth of your income. Below we will explain how you can add monetary return to your blog:  

• Affiliate marketing
  When you explain products or services, you can add a link to the described item. If a reader clicks on it and buys something, you will get a small commission.
• Advertising banner 
  You can insert a banner from a company, and you will get paid based on the traffic you bring to your website.
• Online courses and e-books 
  Your articles will answer questions your audience might have, but you might want to offer more advice or have more to tell about your subject. Creating online courses and e-books is a perfect way to do so.

11. A Useful Platform To Start As A Blogger

You need a platform for your blogging business to be able to publish your content, and here’s the best one you can use: 

• WordPress.org
  • To get started on WordPress.org, you need a hosting service like Bluehost! They offer a $3.95/month rate for hosting your WordPress site. This even includes a FREE DOMAIN!
  • Join us here for a free step by step guide on how to get started blogging, and making the most of WordPress.