Last month I wrote an article called My Advice to Aspiring Pro Bloggers, in which I gave 20 of the most important blogging tips I could think of. And after reading over it again, came to the conclusion that I didn't share all that I wanted to say on the subject. After all, that is a very broad topic to cover in a single post.
So here are a few other things I'd like to mention, some of which I've already covered briefly, but would like to elaborate on:
Be "uniquely you".
Many people fall into the trap of trying to emulate others in order to be accepted within our desired social groups. This happens often in our daily lives, so naturally, it's bound to happen online as well.
However, the blogosphere is highly competitive and if you intend to be recognized by a large number of people, it's necessary that you be different from everyone else in your chosen niche, and contribute something unique.
I know, that's not always an easy thing to do. Not everyone has a distinctly unique style and personality, but each of us have some things that do make us different, and we should embrace them. I suppose it's a matter of comfort for some, as many people are nervous about being different, but I personally find that to be an irrational fear that needs to be overcome. Many of the most influential things in our world came about because the people who created them didn't care what others thought, and just did what felt right to them. If you want to change something in this world (whether it affect us in real life, or online, or just provide something that people will find to be extremely useful above all others like it), you must dare to go against the flow of things and stand tall in the face of criticism.
I'm not saying you shouldn't use the most successful blogs as a template for your own- in fact, I recommend it. We all need to start somewhere. But don't go overboard. People don't want a copy of something they already read, they want something different instead of, or in addition to, that. Get ideas from those successful blogs, but make yours "uniquely you."
Get personal (within reason).
This is a touchy subject for some, as it should be. Not all of us are comfortable sharing personal details online, whether it be for security issues, or we don't want our family and coworkers reading what we're writing, etc. If you're like this, I don't blame you.
I felt the same way at one point. But then I came to the conclusion that the internet is only as dangerous (for you) as you make it, and if you don't want your friends and family reading what you're writing, you probably shouldn't be writing it anyway. And a lot of this fear can be attributed to shyness and/or paranoia.
But the truth is, if you intend to own a successful blog based around what you have to say, you have to make yourself known to others. Otherwise, your words are meaningless. It doesn't matter how awesome and useful your latest article is, if people don't know who you are, the vast majority of them will write you off as no one of importance. The goal here is to make yourself known and build your reputation, and only then will people take you seriously.
You don't necessarily have to give out your real name and address and other details you're not comfortable sharing. However, some sort of information needs to be shared in order for others to get to "know" you.
Look at me, for instance. My real name is not Raivyn (it's Kourtney, and my bio states that). But I have used it as a stage and screen name for years, and a lot of people have come to associate me with that. I have a friend whose real name is Jack, but most people know him as Joe, Joey V, and several other variations of that. And that's perfectly fine. It works. But if you go by a screen name like "SuperMom6657" or "UberBabe", you're bound to be overlooked. Few people will take you seriously, if any at all.
You need to be transparent if you expect others to trust you. As in real life, if you lie, people have a tendency to not believe you. If you can't show a face, name, personality, and basic details about who you are and where you're from, then you're just another anonymous person on the web. Words are just words if you can't own up to them.
Don't be afraid to be controversial.
This is another issue I find to be common among bloggers- they're too afraid of what others think of them. And this really annoys me.
Do you really agree with everything others say? Don't you ever speak your mind when something bothers you? Or are you just a mindless drone going along with the flow of life, whether it be right or wrong?
So many bloggers are overly cautious about what they write, to avoid confrontation. If you do this, it's totally understandable.. but I'll be blunt- YOU'RE BORING!
You can't expect others to agree with you all the time. And really, if you do happen to create a fairly popular blog, you will find that you'll receive comments and emails from people who only want to criticize you, no matter what it is you write. It doesn't matter who you are, or how kind or informative your posts are, someone is bound to say that you're wrong, or you're boring, or you don't live up to their religious values, etc. Whatever. You can't please everyone, nor should you bother trying to. Stay true to yourself, and your loyal readers will support you. They are the ones who matter.
Here's another way to think of it- the more "hate mail" you receive, the more of an impact you and your blog are making on others. Don't take it to heart- they are just words, and everyone has an opinion. Try to learn something from those who are attempting to help you despite their disagreement, and throw the personal attacks out the window. They are not worth stressing over.
Just be yourself, have fun, and learn something in the process. That's all that really matters when all is said and done.