Running a successful blog entails adopting a number of specific skills, as with any other job.
Bloggers have various responsibilities and are required to multitask.
Within a company, there are diverse departments that each encompass distinct responsibilities, such as customer service, marketing, and bookkeeping. Conversely, the majority of bloggers are solopreneurs, taking charge of nearly all tasks individually.
It’s no surprise that acquiring a plethora of diverse blogging skills is vital for achieving success as a blogger.
Are you asking about the skills that a blogger possesses?
Hard skills
There are certain blogging-related hard skills, which primarily focus on content creation and marketing. However, it is also important to nurture certain technical skills.
Content writing
Learning content writing is crucial, if not the most crucial, skill for blogging.
If your content is of poor quality, even with a complete understanding of SEO and content marketing in general, you will face difficulties in attracting visitors to your blog and consequently earning income through blogging.
Improving your content writing skills is crucial and should be your top priority.
Grammarly can be used to correct misspellings and grammatical errors through the process of editing.
Is your writing style concise when observed?
If the structure doesn’t make sense, you still have a lot of work to do.
Copywriting
In order to generate income through your blog, it is necessary to have a product or service for sale.
You can promote either your own products or services or promote third-party products through affiliate marketing.
Can you explain what copywriting is?
The purpose of copywriting is to persuade the reader to take action, typically to make a purchase.
Having copywriting skills is essential not only for writing blog posts, but also for crafting email marketing campaigns and creating social media captions.
Crafting clickable “sexy” headlines with copywriting will also assist you in increasing traffic to your blog.
SEO
Every blogger needs to master the skill of SEO as it is crucial to the success of their blog.
SEO is an acronym for search engine optimization, referring to the method of enhancing your content and website to achieve high rankings on search engine result pages.
Google is the most commonly used search engine, being the subject of our discussions most of the time.
SEO consists of three components.
- On-page
- Technical
- Backlinks
On-page SEO encompasses the elements within your website’s content, such as keywords, quality, and meta descriptions.
When referring to Technical SEO, it encompasses various aspects of your website’s overall performance including site speed, mobile-friendliness, as well as the organization and structure of your website.
Backlinks serve as a measure of your website’s authority, as they are external websites that link to your site according to search engines.
To become a skilled blogger, you must acquire expertise in all three of these elements.
Social media marketing
To see your blog thrive, being social is essential as blogging and social media are closely interconnected.
It is ideal to select a single social media platform initially, considering your target audience’s presence on it, and become proficient in using it.
Proceed to another platform only after that.
It can be quite overwhelming to manage numerous platforms simultaneously, particularly due to the distinct algorithms associated with each platform.
Being the Jack of all trades and master of none is something nobody desires.
WordPress
WordPress.org, often distinguished from WordPress.com, stands as the most widely utilized content management system available.
If you have a self-hosted blog, chances are you will be using WordPress.
What exactly is a content management system? It is a tool that enables you to construct your website and incorporate content into it.
Initially, the WordPress dashboard may appear perplexing for numerous novice bloggers; however, with increased exposure and practice, its usage becomes more familiar and manageable.
Basic HTML and CSS
If you don’t have coding skills, don’t worry! However, it would still be beneficial for you to acquaint yourself with the fundamentals of HTML and CSS.
Your blog’s visual side is controlled by HTML and CSS.
CSS is the muscles, skin, and features that compose the body, while HTML serves as its skeleton.
There could be occasions where you will be required to make modifications to your website that surpass the capabilities of your content management system, necessitating the utilization of coding.
Analytics
Being able to interpret analytics is crucial for bloggers.
You must acquire the ability to comprehend your blog’s analytics if you desire its growth.
It is necessary for you to grasp the fundamental key performance indicators (KPIs) and their interpretations.
In addition to monitoring your website analytics through Google Analytics, it is necessary to monitor the analytics of your email marketing and social media performance.
Your email provider will allow you to access and view the analytics of your email marketing.
Before you can access your insights, you will typically need to create a business account on most social media platforms.
Marketing
In order to earn money from blogging, it is necessary to view your blog as a business.
You will be required to acquire marketing skills, specifically in digital marketing.
In reality, a blog serves as a content marketing instrument aimed at increasing the number of individuals interested in purchasing your products or services.
We have already mentioned certain aspects of marketing that you should learn, but here are the specific areas to concentrate on.
- Content marketing
- SEO
- Social media marketing
- Email marketing
If you’re only starting out, there’s no need to worry about paid advertising. However, once you begin selling products or services, you can also consider venturing into it.
Soft skills
Similar to any profession, blogging also necessitates certain soft skills that will enhance your suitability for the job. Nonetheless, it is important to note that the majority of these skills can also be acquired through learning.
Networking
Being social is crucial if you intend to expand the reach of your blog.
If you want to secure collaborations and sponsorships, it is essential to develop bonds with fellow bloggers as well as brands.
Networking is essential in this situation.
Don’t fret if you’re an introvert and the idea of networking is causing you distress.
Avoid making things more complicated than necessary.
It is possible to accomplish all of this through online platforms such as social media.
One can initiate networking by leaving a comment on someone’s post or responding with a meaningful message to their Instagram story.
Researching
A significant amount of research is necessary when running a blog.
In order to create any content, it is necessary to conduct research on the topic, keywords, relevant questions, and supporting resources for substantiating your statements.
In addition, it is necessary to conduct research on the preferences of your target audience in terms of reading material.
Planning and organization skills
In order to remain competitive, you must strategically plan and efficiently organize every aspect.
To ensure consistency, blog content is usually scheduled weeks or even months ahead.
Furthermore, being a blogger grants you the autonomy to be your own boss, eliminating the need for anyone to supervise your work.
Time-management
In addition to this, time-management skills are essential as you must effectively schedule and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
Being your own boss means having the freedom to determine your own working hours, which can often result in individuals wasting a significant amount of time.
One of the Best Ways to Make Money Blogging
If you have been actively blogging for some time, you might already be familiar with the concept of “affiliate marketing.” It is possible that you have even been advised that becoming an affiliate is essential in order to generate income as a blogger.
What is meant by affiliate marketing? And why is it important for you to understand it?
In simple terms, affiliate marketing involves promoting and selling products owned by others on your blog. As an affiliate, you receive a specific link referred to as a referral or affiliate link, which keeps track of your sales. This link informs the product owner about the customers you directed towards their product, ultimately leading to you receiving a commission for each sale they make through your link.
If you’re a beginner in blogging, it’s crucial for you to be aware of this method as it is one of the most effective ways to earn money through blogging.
How Do You Become an Affiliate?
There are numerous paths you can choose from when embarking on affiliate marketing. However, I aim to avoid overwhelming you. Rest assured, it doesn’t need to be intricate – I guarantee it! Here are several uncomplicated approaches to commence your journey as an affiliate.
Become an Amazon Affiliate
Amazon, renowned for being utilized by the majority in various contexts, stands as a leading affiliate partner within the industry. Once registered as an affiliate, individuals have access to a program allowing them to create referral links for any product available on the Amazon website. Consequently, a fraction of commission can be earned should one’s audience click on the provided link and proceed to purchase said product.
The Amazon affiliate program offers great convenience as it only requires signing up and generating links to start earning. It can serve as a lucrative opportunity for earning some additional income by promoting products that Amazon already sells.
One issue with Amazon is the exceptionally low commission rates they offer. Even at the highest tier, you can only earn around 7 or 8% for each sale. Therefore, generating substantial income requires a substantial amount of traffic. Achieving a full-time income through this route is exceedingly challenging.
Find High-Commission Products That Align With Your Avatar
To generate a significant income from affiliate marketing, it is more advantageous to discover products that both appeal greatly to your audience and offer a higher commission rate. This approach ensures a mutually beneficial outcome: your audience benefits from being introduced to a highly useful or intriguing product, while you gain a considerably higher profit with every sale.
It is an advantageous feature of this strategy that when you come across an exceptional affiliate product that your audience would be enthusiastic about, it generally aligns with your own preferences. As it is a product you would genuinely enjoy using, discussing it and generating excitement among your audience will come naturally to you.
How Much Can You Make?
Although there is no standardized pricing structure for affiliate programs, it’s typically observed that you earn a significantly higher commission by promoting and selling services or digital products compared to physical products.
Commission ranges usually fall within:
- 4 – 15% for physical products
- 40 – 60% for digital products or services
- A flat fee per signup or subscription
Your earnings are directly linked to the number of sales made through your affiliate link. The more effort you put into promoting your affiliates, the greater your potential income.
How to Be an Amazing Affiliate
When it comes to affiliate marketing, it’s important to note that all affiliates are not equal.
The choice to take that path can result in more harm than benefit!
Losing the trust of your audience is a potential consequence when you endorse products or services that do not align with their interests or do not meet the expected quality standards. No amount of commission is valuable enough to justify this loss of trust.
It is crucial to personally use a product or service before becoming an affiliate to effectively promote it. To effectively discuss and endorse what you are promoting, you require a certain level of experience and enthusiasm. Without using the product or service yourself, it is impossible to gain the necessary experience and enthusiasm. Moreover, if you fail to test what you are endorsing, there is a risk that it may not meet the quality standards expected by your audience, which can damage their trust in you.
If you prioritize your audience and only endorse products that suit them well, affiliate marketing can be an excellent method for earning money online. This ensures a mutually beneficial outcome: your audience gains significant advantages while you generate substantial profits.
