Wondering how to become a successful blogger? Find out, from those who have already done it.
Recently, I asked bloggers making between $1K and $5K to share their best advice and what they wished they knew when they were just starting out.
I’ve rounded up their answers for you, and there’s some real gems in here!
Why did you start blogging?
Blogs get started for all kinds of reasons – some people have a business in mind from day one, while others start a blog as a creative outlet or fun hobby, and decide to do more with it later on. Here are three different bloggers’ startup stories:
I started hobby blogging in the year 2000, back when it was referred to as weblogging, cursor tails were cool, and everyone was building their sites with Geocities. It was a way for me to escape and share my stories. Then in November of 2015, I launched my first for-profit site. At that time I had two kids under two and was out of the house 12 hours a day working; it wasn’t the life I wanted for myself or my family. So I combined my hobby blogging expertise with my professional experience in digital marketing and turned Thrifty Guardian into a money maker! – Thrifty Guardian
I started blogging originally as a hobby when I was pregnant with my first child. I was looking for a creative outlet. My blog turned into a business during the pandemic, and I’m grateful that I had the platform to grow! – Mimosas and Motherhood
I had been doing freelance writing and editing for a few years. I was earning decent money, but I was wholly dependent on clients and available work. One day my husband suggested I start a blog to earn more income and within 3 weeks I was up and running. – No Sweat Vegan
What was your biggest struggle growing your blog?
Once you decide to grow your blog into a business, there will be roadblocks and stumbling stones. From lack of knowledge to lack of time, personal crises to world events, the key to success is perseverance and creativity. If you don’t quit (and stay open to new solutions), struggles can be overcome.
This answer above is outside of the obvious, the pandemic. There has been nothing that has been as devastating to my blog and business as the complete shut down of the cruise industry for about a year. I had a lot of anxiety especially the first few months and struggled to know what content to create and even what would remain relevant as cruising returned. – Life Well Cruised
Time! We have three kids 6 and under and a busy life with homeschooling, work and other commitments. It can be really hard to find the time to work on the blog, but we really love it, so we just keep plugging away, a little bit at a time. – Delicious on a Dime
My biggest struggle from the very beginning was that I knew literally nothing about blogging, running a business or anything at all. I was also working on very limited hours as a new mom. It took me quite a bit of time to learn the crucial lessons like SEO, Social Media presence, Technicalities of running a website and things of that nature that can be pretty time consuming. – Mom After Baby
How to become a successful blogger: what has been your biggest breakthrough growing your blog?
Sometimes, breakthroughs are big and dramatic, but just as often, success can be traced back to one or more small, strategic tweaks that add up over time.
Not putting all our eggs in one basket so to speak. Things change all the time and it’s not smart to rely on one source for traffic. – We Three Shanes
SEO. Learning SEO was a game changer for me. – Frozen Pennies
Getting into Mediavine for ads has made a huge difference! – The Parks Expert
Building up my email list. – SVG Nation
What is your advice for new bloggers?
Starting a blog can be super overwhelming; the best way to overcome that is to find successful, established bloggers who have already been through those early stages. Learning from other’s successes – and mistakes! – can save you a lot of grief. Here’s some starting-out advice from 6 seasoned bloggers:
If you’re blogging because you love to share and you love doing that – never stop. It is wonderful. If you are blogging because you want to make money, it is an always changing challenging career… it takes a lot of work, but the payout is wonderful doing something you love! – I See Stars Quilting
Network network network! Did I say network?! The resources, advice, support and collaboration I’ve gained in this journey far outweigh any course you could purchase. You never know where a simple hello will take you, and I wouldn’t be this far if I didn’t put myself out there and seek advice and offer assistance to others. It’s opened so many doors and makes blogging so less lonely. – The Lived-In Look
Do not fall for every blog out there that teaches you how to blog. I have been there. There are some people that are doing wrong and teaching wrong as well. And do not listen to every person. Pick 2-3 you think are the experts and follow every word they say. And guys, don’t loose hope, it is hard work but you WILL get there! – Your Girl Knows
Don’t listen to rumors in Facebook groups. Do research and don’t start doing something just because “you heard” someone say something. – Southern Bytes
It’s a hard journey but it will be worth it. Just start now, don’t wait for that perfect moment. And most importantly – stay persistent. There are always ups and downs, it’s normal, but if you persist it will eventually pay off. – Masha Plans
Don’t compare. It will break you down – Serena Joyce
What do you wish you’d known when you got started?
Sometimes, a little timely knowledge can spare you a lot of trouble down the road. Here is what 4 successful bloggers wish they’d known sooner:
Be yourself. It’s okay to hop on a lot of trending factors, but if you can’t do it all, don’t beat yourself up. Pick 1-2 channels that work for you and focus all your efforts on just that! – Stray Curls
I wish I started developing a strong site structure and focusing on the needs of the reader from the beginning. I’ve had to go back and edit a lot of old posts, and I still have a ton of work to do! – Summer Yule
It’s a marathon. Not everything will be done in a day (or even year) but once things start taking off it snowballs! – Champagne & Coffee Stains
I wish I had known how much work blogging really is. It’s hard to keep going when you’re not making money and it’s difficult to write when you don’t know if it’ll pay off. I think being consistent, at least in the beginning is essential to having a successful blog or niche site. – Walls of Wonderland
Anything else to add to help someone learn how to become a successful blogger?
Do you get overwhelmed with FOMO, trying to do all the things and worrying about what people are thinking about you? It can be hard to stay focused and keep going, but it’s worth the payoff.
There’s so many things you can try when you first start a blog. All the different social media platforms, writing tons of content, starting an email list, etc. Don’t try to do all the things. Focus on one or two that are working for you and dive deep on those before trying something new. You’ll see results much faster if you keep doing what’s working versus skipping around trying new things all the time. – Raising Biracial Babies
Do not stress out if you are not increasing followers or getting hate, that’s is going to happen because people are scared of new things. Once you put your feet on the ground and keep going, trust me, it will pay off! – Chakshu Bohra
The best way to becoming a successful blogger and make reliable income is to follow in the footsteps of those who have already done it.
So many times, new bloggers try to reinvent the wheel, starting from nothing, not realizing that there are proven strategies and methods for how to become a successful blogger much, much faster. I hope you have found these tidbits useful!
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If you’d like some help learning how to become a successful blogger, let’s chat: AlisonReeves.Co/strategy-call
