Many people dream of making money from writing about something they love. Anyone with internet access can give this a shot, but success only comes to those who put in the necessary effort. If you have a blog idea but you’re not sure how to make it successful, here are eleven steps you should follow. 

1: Use Social Media 

Social media is the queen of online marketing. If you want to grow a loyal following, you should start by promoting your blog on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok. Remember, it’s not just a numbers game – it’s better to have fewer loyal followers than it is to have many who aren’t interested in what you write. 

If you work hard enough, then you could enter influencer status and collaborate with other successful blogs. To learn how to do this, take a look at a leading global influencer agency headquartered in Chicago. 

2: Find Communities

There are plenty of online communities out there, so find ones that match your niche and get involved. Don’t be too promotional at first, as you’ll come across as pushy and too sales heavy. Instead, find communities you genuinely like and start contributing to them. Over time, you can start pointing members in the direction of your blog, and by that point, they’ll already be interested in what you have to say! 

3: Improve Your Writing Skills

This one may seem obvious, but many people start blogging without any writing experience. Don’t worry if you don’t have any, as there are plenty of ways to improve your skills! 

If you want to create interesting content, consider taking a writing class either online or in real life. The great thing is that being a talented writer pays in more ways than one – there are actually plenty of benefits. 

4: Eye-Catching Images 

People will see the images before they read the writing, so you must make them eye-catching. Choose bright, exciting images that perfectly reflect what you are writing about. If you decide to take your own pictures, then work on your photography skills and start dabbling in photoshop. 

5: An Attractive, User-Friendly Site 

Bloggers usually use a hosting site, but you can also build your website. Whichever you choose, make sure that your site is both usable and attractive so that users stay on long enough to read your posts. 

Think about when you click on a website for the first time. If you can’t navigate easily, the text is too small, and the links take a long time to load, then you are likely to leave the website in favor of another. Don’t lose readers by providing a website like that! 

The usability is just as important as the content itself, so, when building the site, consistently criticize it as if you were a user so that you end up with a functioning, attractive blog. 

6: Engage with the Audience 

A great way to build a loyal following is by continuously interacting with the audience. If your readers feel heard, they will be more likely to come back to your blog. 

Get the conversation rolling by asking your audience questions in the blog post. For example, if you’re a food blogger, you could ask what their favorite chocolate cake toppings are. Then, when people comment under the post, reply to them and push the conversation forward you’ll get improved engagement, which can make a blog more visible. You’ll also come across as friendly, interesting, and appreciative of your audience! 

7: Find a Fresh Angle 

One reason it is so difficult to become a popular blogger these days is that there are already thousands of blogs about traveling, food, horror films, etc. If you want to stand out, you must find an interesting niche that hasn’t been written about countless times. 

If you’re starting a travel blog, for example, then don’t just make it about traveling to popular places. Find a unique, fresh angle, like hunting down the world’s best milkshakes or capturing the most beautiful sunsets. 

8: Content that Lasts

You want your articles to be read years from now, so make sure your content is evergreen. It means that when readers find your blog in one, five, or even ten years’ time, they can spend time reading back over your blog history. 

9: Plan, Plan, Plan 

Managing a successful blog isn’t about whipping out your laptop every time you get a boost of inspiration and then leaving it until another idea hits you. Consistency is necessary for a large readership, so you must be organized with posting. 

At the beginning of each week, you should create a list of tasks you wish to complete. If you put out three blog posts a week, then make sure you make the time for that by creating a schedule. Take some time to write out future blog titles, too, so you have something to work with on the days where ideas run dry. 

10: Collaborate with Other Bloggers 

Collaboration is an easy way of reaching more bloggers, so take the opportunities offered. If a well-liked blogger talks positively about your blog, then their readers will automatically trust that your site is worth reading. 

The chances are, bloggers with thousands of readers won’t collaborate with a blog with under a hundred readers, so don’t waste your time shooting your shot on these blogs in the early days. Instead, offer to collaborate with bloggers who hold similar followers to you. You should also find blogs with a niche similar to yours – not many country living readers will be interested in college life blogs! 

11: Genuine Knowledge 

The difference between an average blog and an excellent one is the amount of knowledge the writer has on the subject. Sure, you can be a great writer, but that doesn’t mean you can write engaging posts about cars if you’re not at all interested in them!

Make sure the niche you choose is something you have genuine knowledge about, and you’ll find writing about it much easier and the quality far higher. The secret is simple – write what you love.