Blogging has really taken off in the last few years. It’s gone from something that was once a hobby to big business, the larger companies of the world cottoned on to how influential bloggers can be, and as a result pay well to work with them. This has meant that many who started a blog just for a bit of fun have now been able to quit their day job and earn a living solely through blogging at home instead. Others will work it around their job earning them a part time wage, for some it’s just a bit of extra pocket money here and there. A successful blog isn’t just defined by how much money it earns, but it is a good indicator. So for this post we will discuss what makes a blog successful in terms of what sponsors will be looking out for.
Great Content
First and foremost, as a blogger you should always be aiming to put out the best content you can. It should be well written, informative and provide something to a reader. Never spin articles or use duplicated content, as a blogger you need to have a passion for writing so put effort into the posts you write. Your content should be split into readable paragraphs with subheadings if needed. Research each topic you write about well, and link out to other useful sources where needed so the reader can get more information if they want to. As they say, content is king and this really is true. The foundation to a great blog is great blog posts that people actually want to read and give them something of value. Work to find your own ‘voice’- the thing that people love about blogs is their personal. People come back because they want to know your personal thoughts and views on a topic. In time you will develop a tone and writing style that reflects you and that your readers will recognise.
Clear, Beautiful Images
Your words are what will keep a reader coming back week after week, however it’s images that are what will draw them in. They will bring your words to life, and make your blog posts look visually appealing. A DSLR camera is a good investment as a blogger, you can go on day courses for beginners to learn how to use the different functions. Photoshop or other editing software is useful to play around with too, so you can enhance your images and make them the best they can be. If you’re the kind of blogger who writes reviews, you will need clear, high quality images of the products in question. If you’re a lifestyle or travel blogger you will need stunning shots of the places you visit. While smartphone cameras can be great these days, if you really want to get serious with your blog then a great camera is a worthwhile investment to make.
A Nice Layout
Have you ever clicked onto a blog and then exited out again before reading a single word because they layout gave you a headache? We’ve all done it. Cluttered with ads, messy presentation, fonts in styles and colours that are difficult to read, background music playing- it all makes for a very unpleasant aesthetic. No one will read a word you have to say if it’s not easy for them, if you have things like pop ups springing up and other unnecessary features all you will do is make people click out. You might think your layout looks great but be putting people off in all kinds of ways, so your best bet is to either use a premade template or find a web designer. You can purchase templates on places like Etsy they’re inexpensive but give a much more professional look. If you’re very serious about your blog and want something custom creating then a web designer will be able to bring your vision to life. You could find an illustrator or designer on a freelance site and have them put together a beautiful banner for you to make you stand out. Either way, a crisp, clean professional looking template will draw in a reader and are what sponsors will be looking for too, with so many bloggers out there to choose from you will want to catch a sponsors eye. They will want to have their clients links placed on the best sites they can, and aesthetics do play into that.
A Good Understanding Of Promotion
When you start a blog, you’re a tiny page floating in cyberspace. It’s not as simple as ‘build it and they will come’, in order to find readers you need to understand marketing and promotion. If you want to earn money from your blog you need to treat it like a business, a company like Vivo Marketing will guide you when it comes to things like business planning, branding and design, SEO, getting backlinks and more. You will need to use social media to your advantage, connecting with other likeminded bloggers and sharing their content and joining chats. In time, you will build up your network which will help to grow your readership and increase page views, something sponsors will find attractive. Even something as simple as leaving comments on other blogs is worthwhile. Leave a meaningful comment with a link back to your own blog, this will encourage others to do the same for you. Sometimes sponsors will look at the interaction you’re getting on your posts and use this to gauge whether they want to work with you. As well as it being a great feeling that people are reading and appreciating your work, it can be useful for leading to paid opportunities too.
Hard Work and Dedication
Finally, this is a point not to be overlooked. Anyone can set up a blog, it’s free and simple to do. But not everyone can make money from it, least of all enough to quit their full time job. If you want to get to this stage, you need to be prepared to work hard. This means hours and hours of producing content and networking to get your blog to a stage that sponsors are interested with working with you. You really need to have the passion to do this without money being the driving force, at least for the first year or two.