When you started blogging, you may have dreamed of becoming a famous blogger. Of earning lots of money, working with renowned brands and getting to go to fantastic, star-studded events. You saw book deals and photoshoots in your future. You’d seen other bloggers doing all of this and thought you could easily do the same.
Then, a few weeks in, you realized this wasn’t going to be as easy as you’d hoped. No one read your blog; you spend hours and hours promoting for a few measly views and brands didn’t even reply to your enquires. You realized it was going to take a lot of time and effort to become a successful blogger. Well, this is all totally normal. In fact, many bloggers give up within the first year, mostly because they find that it’s not as easy as they thought and far from getting free stuff, professional bloggers were actually working for hours and hours for free before they received anything.
It takes time to grow. Most bloggers don’t reach the point of going pro for at least two years. Let’s take a look at what you need if you want to take the next step.
Clear Branding
If you want to be taken seriously and to work with the best people, you need to create a brand. You should have a great logo and color scheme that you use across all platforms. A tagline that fits your brand and a brand story which explains who you are and what you are doing. Your branding is like your digital first impression, so it’s exceptionally important. Contact SmashBrand for some help getting it just right.
Time
Blogging takes time. If you want to make a full-time income from your blog, you need to be able to commit full-time hours. This is where many people struggle. To be able to earn money blogging, you need to work on it full-time. But, you can’t give up your other job until it’s earning money. The best thing to do is build up slowly. Start giving it more as and when you can. Assess your finances and go pro when you can afford to take the risk.
Passion
Blogging is hard work. You’ll spend hours trying to figure out the CSS or HTML to make tiny changes. You’ll bang your head up against a wall when your following isn’t growing or your emails aren’t sending when they should. You’ll give it hours and hours of your life for nothing. If you don’t feel passionate about it, you will give up when it gets too tough.
A Clear Voice
There are so many blogs out there it can be hard to find a different topic or niche. Most of your posts have been written before. But, not by you. Your voice is what makes you stand out from the crowd. It’s what brings people back time and time again. So, if you haven’t already found it, you need to before you go pro. The best way to do this is by writing. Just keep practicing, and it will come.
Equipment
You can start blogging with nothing more than a smartphone. But, if you want to take it to the next level, you should make some more investments. You’ll need a good laptop and a decent camera to start. You may also want lighting, a video camera, a microphone and some backdrops and props.
Remember, even when you do start to turn your blog into a business, it should still be fun! Enjoy it!
