You’ve probably heard these myths about what it takes for successful blogging, but are they really true?

So often we read article after article telling us what’s necessary for successful blogging. Some of it we should believe, but you’d be surprised at the myths that you shouldn’t.

Yes, it is true that if you want a successful online business, you want to be sure to have a blog… a good blog. Why? Because you can monetize a blog in so many different ways, but it all begins with understanding what it takes for successful blogging.

You don’t have to go too far to figure out some of the things that bloggers are doing to make money. Just check some of the most popular article sites and forums… oh yes… and some popular blogs, too.

But here’s where so many of us seem to miss it when we think about what it takes for successful blogging. We think that a good blog is all about building a pretty site with lots of stuff on it stuffed with links to make money.

Wrong!

Successful blogging is more about building relationships and creating community than anything else.

I really hope that if you’re a blogger or thinking of becoming one that you’re really interested in helping your readers, sharing your thoughts and opinions with information that others can actually benefit from. That’s what will get you from “newbie” blogger to successful blogging.

I mean… don’t get me wrong. I do understand that for most business bloggers, it really is about blogging in a way that will make you money. But, honestly. There are some things going around about successful blogging that we should almost toss out the window… that is… if we really do want to be successful.

Here are a few of the great ‘successful blogging’ tips that you should not assume is 100% accurate.

Myth # 1: Successful Blogging Means You Must Be a Great Writer

Wow.. really? Know that it’s true that many great bloggers are also some amazing writers. But I can’t tell you how many people I’ve coached who never go started because they think their writing just isn’t good enough.

It’s nothing wrong with a new blogger wanting to write well and continue to get better. But, geesh… never let your own opinion of your writing stop you dead in your tracks! Being the best writer in the world is not what successful blogging is all about.

I laugh sometimes when I read writings from some bloggers. It’s almost like visiting a foreign country and trying to communicate when you don’t speak their language. Do you really care how they sound when you ask where’s the nearest bathroom? No. What you really want is the end result. The bathroom. When they point you in a direction and you actually arrive just as they said you would… you’re happy!

Successful blogging is much the same. Did I get the solution to my question–or did I at least get pointed in the right direction? Yes? Then, it’s all good and I’m happy!

If you can write in a way that people can relate, understand, and get what they were looking for at the end of the day… you’re good. Start blogging. The more you blog, the better you’ll get and successful blogging will definitely be in your future.

Myth #2: Successful Blogging Means Content… Content… Content – It’s King!

I write on this topic a lot and so do a million other bloggers, because it’s very important. But let me set the record straight. While you can’t have a good blog without good content, it’s not the only thing you should pay attention to when you’re looking to use the internet to pay your bills.

Never forget that successful blogging means successful marketing!!!!!

Learning how to market is just as important, (almost more important) than having a barrel full of content. Always remember this fact.

“It doesn’t matter how much or how great your content is, if you’re the only person who sees it, what’s the point?”

If you truly want to be a successful blogger, you must learn how to marry content with marketing. All content with no marketing… wrong! All marketing without good content… wrong! 

Myth #3: Successful Blogging Means You Must Have a Self-Hosted WordPress Blog!

Well… here we go. Pro’s… please don’t be me up for this one. I struggled with this idea at one point… but it was only because of what I’d been told. Do I prefer a self-hosted WordPress blog? Absolutely. Do I think that every blogger should have a self-hosted WordPress blog? Absolutely. Is having a self-hosted WordPress blog necessary for online blogging success? Absolutely not!

I remember when I was battling this, I decided to do a search for some keywords that I thought would be pretty easy to rank for. To my surprise… during my research, I found site after site that was actually hosted on the free Blogger platform!!! Go figure!!!

I’d always been told that for successful blogging, you definitely didn’t want to go with any free options. But now understand. All free options are not created equal.

You just can’t ignore the fact that there are some major advantages to owning a Blogger blog in addition to your WordPress blog. Did you forget? Google owns Blogger. Hmmm… need I say much more?

My suggestion is that whatever your WordPress blog is about, create a Blogger blog with the same topic. Every time you post, spin that bad boy and add it to your Blogger blog. After all, why wouldn’t you want more than one spot on the first page of Google? Pretty sweet, I’d say.

Myth #4: The Most Important Thing About Successful Blogging is Traffic

Traffic is a whole topic all by itself. We could talk about it for hours right now and still not even scratch the surface. So knowing that, let’s just touch on one or two points. You can get traffic from your blog, and outside of your blog. You can get traffic from the internet and from offline marketing efforts. Successful blogging means getting traffic from any place where people are.

While you do need to always be marketing, you need to also find readers who will be loyal to you and who will patronize you when you’re writing well, and when your blog post sucks… and believe me, there will be many days that it sucks.

After all, even though you may be marketing and driving traffic, it’s the readers who become subscribers and paying customers that makes the difference in your blog making you $10,000 or $10.

In addition to driving traffic, you have to have your “list” in tact so that you’re able to follow up, build community, and interact. Loyal followers is the main way to create the following you need for successful blogging. We’ve all heard it before… if they know, like, and trust you, they’ll always come back for more.

I can guarantee that as you continue to seek information on what it takes for successful blogging, you will continue to bump into these same so-called “must-haves” over and over again. The people who right about them mean well. And while there is a little truth in each of these statements, they are by no means the “it and the all” to successful blogging.

When you understand the synergy of successful blogging and how all of these components work together, you’ll understand what it takes to have a blog that produces the results you desire.

If you enjoyed this post on what it takes for successful blogging, click to Subscribe to HOW TO BLOG 101 by Email to continue to get more blogging tips!

Rosalind is the author of this blog and the founder of the 10K Inner Circle. She's an expert trainer on blogging and internet marketing, and a sought after speaker among her business peers. She also builds a successful network marketing business. If you enjoyed reading this post, be sure to get more tips here.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts