There are three types of bloggers: Those who do it for the money, those who do it for the passion, and those who enjoy both aspects.
Following your passion when it comes to blogging is the best way to find others like you and build a readership. This is a great way to segue into monetized blogging, because when you do what you love, it doesn’t feel like work.
This is especially important in the early stages when you’re not getting paid for what you’re doing. It doesn’t matter if your passion is online casino games or raising emus. Unless you’re in such a small niche that there’s only a handful of others, you’ll easily be able to find your community with your blog.
But passion alone isn’t going to cut it. You also have to be tech-savvy, committed, and follow best blogging practices. Not everyone is cut out to blog, but you may surprise yourself if you give it a try.
Getting started
Take a look at the competition. If you’re blogging for passion, you probably already know who the competition is.
Are you able to fill a void, perhaps by offering a different perspective or unique voice? Does there seem to be a demand for your expertise, and do you have the charisma to draw people over to a brand new blog?
Be realistic about your strengths. Also recognize that you don’t have to be a phenomenal writer to become a successful blogger, though it helps.
There are blogs that consist almost of almost 100 percent videos, images, or content generated by their followers. Know what your strengths are, whether they include writing with a lively personality or putting together Vine videos.
The best and easiest way to create a successful blog is to begin by emphasizing your existing talents.
SEO basics
Like it or not, you’re going to have to tap into best practices of search engine optimization in order to foster your blog. This includes quality content, link building, tagging, and descriptions.
You might be able to finagle link exchanges with other bloggers who aren’t your direct competition. Get free weekly SEO reports to see which pages are working and which aren’t, then take action on what you’ve learned from that.
Most importantly, don’t get discouraged if you don’t succeed straight out of the gate. It can take months to build a following, but you still need to blog at least three times a week.
Keep at it, and in time your followers will come out of the circuitry.
