10 Personality Traits Of Successful Bloggers

Most new blogs fail within the first few months.  The hard truth is, there’s a strong possibility that your new blog is going to fail, too.  If that strikes a nerve or puts you in panic mode, RELAX.  I’m here to make sure you know what it takes to be a successful blogger.  If you possess these 10 Characteristics Of Successful Bloggers, you’re almost guaranteed success!

1. Willingness To Change Things Up

First things first, you’ve got to stop the insanity.  Successful bloggers are willing to change when something isn’t working.

Insanity is defined as “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”   (That’s actually not the definition of insanity, just an over-used cliche, but it helps make my point, so just roll with it ?).

If your blog traffic isn’t increasing steadily, your email list is non-existent or isn’t growing, or your blog posts aren’t getting comments and shares (your best-friend and mom don’t count), then “Houston, we have a problem”.

Stop repeating the same actions with your blog and expecting your posts to go viral.  With over 3 million blog posts being published daily, people are not just going to stumble onto your post.

In blogging, there is no such thing as luck.  Success comes from working hard and working smart. So you need to start doing things differently right now.

2. Successful Bloggers Set Goals

What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?  Successful bloggers set goals, both short-term and long-term.  This common trait of successful bloggers is a must.

Every action made regarding your blog should have intent and purpose.  Every blog post, social media post, your branding, even your blog’s design, should fit into the bigger picture.

That’s where goal-setting helps you become a successful blogger.

It’s best to create your long-term goals first.  Then, you’ll have a better idea of what your short-term goals should be.

Long-term goals for your blog are important.  Ask yourself, why did you create your blog?  What do you hope to accomplish with it?  Where do you want to be in 3 years?  What about in 5 or 10 years?

My blogging buddy Nadalie Bardo from It’s All You Boo! is a rock star when it comes to helping people set goals and slay them!  Check out her post about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals – she shares examples and teaches you how to make your own.

The easiest way to do this is to ask yourself “What do I want to be doing with my blog, on this exact day, 3 years from now?”  Be very specific.

• How many email subscribers will you have?
• What products or services will you be offering?
• How much money will you be making as a result of your blog?
• Will you have an assistant to help you?

Once you can verbalize these goals, put them writing.  Then, keep them somewhere that you will see them regularly.

Every decision you make concerning your blog becomes easier once you’ve created these long-term goals.  If an action isn’t going to help you reach them, then don’t waste your time on it.  It’s that simple.

Short-Term Goals

Your short-term goals should be things you want to accomplish today, this week, or even this month.  Anything more than 6 months should probably go under long-term goals.

They can be as small as they need to be, as long as you have to put forth some effort to achieve them.  Some examples of short-term goals might be:

• Adding a new plugin that makes posts easier to share
• Creating Pinterest images for your old blog posts
• Growing your email list by a certain number for the week
• Sending out a certain number of email pitches for guest posting in a month

Setting short-term goals and achieving them will improve your self-esteem and your motivation.  You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and be excited to work towards the next goal.

Don’t just create goals for the sake of accomplishing something.  Be mindful, and create goals that help you reach your long-term goals.

3. Successful Bloggers Have A Plan

It’s important to know which type of content will be successful at any given time.  Successful bloggers have a plan and use a calendar of some kind for their blog and social media posts.

Having a plan will help you decide ahead of time what type of content to publish.  Different seasons and holidays can be used to your advantage if you are prepared.

Create a content calendar in Excel or Google Sheets to plan out your own blog and social media posts.  Be sure to add reminders so you don’t have to create blog posts at the last-minute.

Personally, I prefer using a weekly/monthly planner to keep me on task.  Not only do I plan out my content, my planner helps me stay on task to reach my short and long-term goals.

4. Connect With Other Bloggers

If there’s one lesson to take away from all of this, realize this concept now.  Successful bloggers connect with other bloggers, and help them achieve success.  This is a trait you’ll find with many successful bloggers.

You’ve probably heard about the importance of building your blogger tribe.  Blogging can be one of the loneliest professions if you don’t have a tribe.  No one will be able to relate to your blogging frustrations or achievements like another blogger.

Having other bloggers in your circle doesn’t just happen.  Like anything else worth having, building a strong blogger tribe takes effort.

Even if you’re new to blogging, it doesn’t take long to make connections, with a little effort.  A few ways to start building your tribe include:

• Leaving genuine and meaningful comments to posts on other blogs
• Join and be an active participant in blogger Facebook groups
• Strike up Twitter friendship by sharing another blogger’s content and tweets
• Referencing or recommending other bloggers in your posts and notifying them by email
• Joining their email lists and responding to their communication efforts

Relevant Post: Affiliate Marketing Guide For New Bloggers

Even bloggers in the same niche can be a valuable connection.  Collaborating or offering a guest post could open the door to a new audience that fits your niche.

The Blogosphere is huge, so no need to be competitive.  Take pride in being a blogger and let’s lift each other up.

5. Create A Brand For Themselves

Think about all of your favorite bloggers, especially those that are rockin’ it.  I’m sure you can picture their colors, logo, or images.  Successful bloggers create a brand for themselves and stick to it.

Your website, blog posts, and social media accounts should all reflect the same branding.  Consistency is key to standing out from the competition and getting noticed by the right audience.

Even if you’re brand new to blogging, it’s important to be professional.  By branding yourself, you convey professionalism and give the vibe that you are an expert in your niche.

If you haven’t done so already, here are a few ways to create a strong brand for your blog:

• • Have a logo. You can create your own or have one made for you.  I found a designer on Fiverr, and had my logo created for just $5!  Make sure your logo is consistent with your brand.
  • Choose a color palette and stick to it.  Use the same colors on your website, your social media profiles, and image templates.
  • Add your logo and blog url to every image you create.  By doing so, your audience starts to recognize your content no matter where they see it.
  • Create epic content, every single time.  Don’t publish bullshit.  It is not necessary to post every day or even once a week.  What’s important is, that everything you publish is amazing.  That’s what will keep readers coming back for more.  Fluff posts are just a waste of your precious time so learn how to write amazing blog posts.

6. Create Valuable Content Every Time

There is nothing more frustrating than reading the same information on a topic over and over again.  Successful bloggers take time to create valuable content, always.

I’m sure you’ve read a dozen times or more, that you need to publish a new post several times a week to stay on people’s radar.

That’s a crock of crap, and as a result of this advice, new bloggers start churning out a bunch of crap blog posts.  Crap plus crap…you know what that equals!

Blogging isn’t about quantity if you want to be successful, it’s about quality.  

Every post you write should be the best post ever written about your given topic.  Period.

If you can’t write at least 1000 words for your post, do some more research or consider a different topic.  If you need more details on how to create an epic post every time, check out 13 Ways You Can Make Every Blog Post Epic.

7. Find Opportunities To Promote Themselves

Whether it’s guest posting on another blog or hosting their own Facebook group, successful bloggers find opportunities to promote themselves.

Even as a new blogger, there are plenty of ways to start spreading the news about your new blog.  Obviously, don’t push yourself on people.  Look for opportunities to mention your blog to the people that will gain something by checking it out.

If you’re just getting started, here are a few suggestions about promoting yourself:

• Send emails from your domain email account instead of your old Gmail or Yahoo account
• Create an email signature that includes links to your blog or a current freebie and your social media accounts
• Join Facebook groups that are relevant to your niche and answer questions from other members.  This also helps establish you as an authority on the topic.
• Have business cards made and carry them on you to pass out when the opportunity arises.

8. Engage With Their Email Subscribers

One of the important traits of successful bloggers has everything to do with your email list.  All bloggers should be building an email list.  Successful bloggers actually take time to engage with their subscribers.

It’s imperative to stay connected with your subscribers so that you don’t get lost in the Blogosphere again.

You’re collecting those email addresses for a reason, even if you’re not yet sure exactly what you want to accomplish with your blog.  Getting to know your readers will actually help you figure that out.

Related Post: How To Write Your Welcome Email Sequence With Free Templates

If you haven’t decided what products or services you will be offering your readers, staying in contact will make it easier to sell to them.  You can try:

• Sending an email when you publish a new post
• Create a weekly or monthly newsletter that keeps them up to date on hot topics in your niche
• Ask your readers questions to help you shape new content
• Offer a solution to a common problem people have in your niche

Staying connected also helps build trust and brand loyalty.  Treat your email list like the treasure that it is.

9. Successful Bloggers Are Always Learning

So you know everything there is to know about your niche?  Successful bloggers are always learning, so they can stay relevant as concepts in their niche change.

In a society where change is happening all around us, staying relevant is imperative if you want to remain connected to your readers.  In fact, being ahead of trends and them with your readers is a great way to establish yourself as the expert, getting you one step closer to the list of successful bloggers.

Read other blogs, stay engaged on social media, and do your research before creating your blog posts.  If you’re not up to date on all social media platforms, I can bet there’s a blogger that’s created a course to help you.

Take advantage of the wealth of knowledge available from other bloggers.  There are a ton of useful courses available for free, that will get you up to speed on just about anything.  In fact, McKenzie Bean from Moms Make Cents has a fabulous post with over 30 of the best free blogging courses available!  So get to learning my friend.

You could also learn a new software or technique that will add value to your blog.  Learn to create webinars or video tutorials to draw even more excitement for your blog.

Educating yourself sets you apart from the lazy bloggers fit for failure.

10. Don’t Give Up When Things Get Tough

If you’ve just created your first blog, you’re probably disappointed with it’s popularity.  Successful bloggers don’t give up when things don’t go as planned.  In fact, they use failures as stepping stones to something better.

If you haven’t already, you will experience some bumps along your blogging journey.  You may even have a few epic fails.  That’s okay!  Some of your best ideas will come as a result of your failures. May successful bloggers fail many times before they succeed – that’s how we learn!

If you do experience a fail, figure out what went wrong, and fix it.  Keep working at it until you get it right.

Definitely, do not let those moments define you.  Pick yourself up, and start again.  I guess that’s one plus for having so many other blogs to compete with – your mistakes are quickly forgotten.

You’ve Got What It Takes To Be A Successful Blogger

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have all of these habits in place.  It doesn’t mean you have to fail.  These traits of successful bloggers are easy to start.

It takes just 30 days to master a new habit, so choose one of them from above and get to work.

We all start our blogs because we feel what we write about has the potential to help other people.  You’re sharing knowledge, and hoping your experiences will make an impact on your target readers.  You’ve already got what it takes to be a successful blogger.

Conclusion

It’s completely up to you whether you’ll do what it takes to make your blog a success.  With hard work, dedication, and even more hard work, your blog will beat the odds.

Now that you know what it takes to be a successful blogger, let me know your thoughts on the subject.

Do you think I’m right?  Are there other common traits of successful bloggers that you think should be added to the list?  Leave your comments below, and tell me what you’re going to do differently to make your blog successful.

Until Next Time…

Happy Blogging!

P.S.  I’d really appreciate it if you’d share this post on social media.  I know there’s a blogger out there that needs this post 🙂

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