by Natalia Jones

Created on: January 19, 2010

Many people fall into blogging accidentally. They may start experimenting with a personal blog or they may be regular subscribers to other popular blogs and then decide to try their hand at blogging.

The great thing about blogging is there are no barriers to entry. Anyone that is capable of using the internet or who is familiar with social networking sites can technically start a blog. There are free blog platforms as well that offer a number of great features, so no specific programming knowledge is required. However, to become a successful enough to become a freelance blogger takes a certain level of determination and skill.

Decide on Your Niche

There are millions of blogs but only a few thousand ever manage to reach any level of success. To give your blog the best chance amidst a sea of other similar blogs you should define your niche. Think about what you would like to talk about and then write a character sketch of your ideal audience. This will help you to find your voice and make your blog more targeted in the process.

Start a Blog

Of course you would need to actually start a blog. Wordpress.com and Blogger.com are two of the best and most popular free platforms.

Commit to a Regular Schedule for Posting

While you can post sporadically this approach is like opening up a store front with no set opening and closing hours. If you would not expect to make money in the real world with that kind of attitude, expecting customers to find you by chance, then you shouldn’t do this in the virtual world either. Posting at specific times gives your blog a rhythm and your readers will come to expect new material at prescribed times.

Subscribe to Other Blogs

It goes without saying that a blogger should read and enjoy other blogs if he expects success. This is partly because subscribing to other blogs is a way to get noticed by networking but it is also because reading other people’s work can improve your own voice.

Write Guest Posts

This is a great way to expand your readership. Ideally the blog you guest post for should be much more well-known than your own. The concept here can be likened to a smaller band opening for a larger more popular group for exposure. Guest posting can really boost your popularity so you should do your best to make a great impression and of course get a link out of it.

Monetize Your Blog

Clearly, there is no point doing all this hard work if your blog is not monetized. You can subscribe to Google Adsense, sell advertising spots to specific retailers, or post affiliate links that are relevant to your subject. Read How to Earn Money From Blogging for more information. 

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