Blogs were first written by those who wanted to share their thoughts, family photos and stories with a small group of people. Most were used to chronicle the lives of person writing the blog. Blogs caught on due to the friendly nature and transparency of the authors. The popularity mounted and soon they evolved into the realm of making money. Once a blogger earns an income from her blog she becomes a professional blogger. When blogs were first conceived I am sure no one ever thought it would give rise to professional bloggers making a living reviewing products and chronicling the day.
The blogosphere is not filled with bloggers looking to monetize and gain a foothold in their niche.
3 Tips for Becoming a Professional Blogger or Monetizing a Personal Blog
Find a Niche: Writing about everything under the sun or what you had for breakfast will not catapult you into blog stardom. You need to find one to three areas you can focus on, develop, and become an expert in to get to the next level of blogging. If you like to bake then focus your blog around baking techniques, recipes, and cake decorating. Once you establish your following you can begin to sell advertising space and review items in your area of expertise.
Content is King: You will gain readers by having excellent content. You need to be a blog that people come back to for advice, ideas, direction, or something relevant to their lives. You do not have to be a perfect writer but one who shares a transparent voice yet one with authority and a friendly tone. If you are humorous that will be a plus. Your content will draw readers back day after day. Remember you are writing to your readers not to hear yourself type. What can you offer your readers?
SEO: Search Engine Optimization is key for blogging success. If you can write your posts to get the attention of the search engines then you can drive more traffic to your blogs. Furthermore, if you can do this successfully you can market yourself and start getting paid to blog for sites other than your own.
These tips may be sound simple but they will take some time and experience. Get to know the blogosphere and your niche. You will learn by doing in this field.