I thought this article was really helpful. I tried to use the link button but it doesn't work. Does anyone know how to link sites on a blog post? Do I need to use a different format? Thanks. Here is the link to the article I also copied the article below from the site:
http://www.inkrebels.com/insp/22-traits-of-successful-and-happy-bloggers/
Every blogger wants to be successful and happy, right? For new bloggers, it can seem like such an uphill battle to get visitors and comments on your blog. You spend so much time writing the perfect article, but then sometimes it feels like it just gets lost in the blogosphere, never to be read by anyone. However, I can promise you, if you just keep going and focus on improving your skills every week, you will start to see progress.
When we first started this blog, for example, I remember being so impatient about it all. Whenever I would get antsy about not seeing results, Richard always reminded me of the process we had to go through. He would always say, “baby steps.” The energy it takes to work on your blog is very similar to a rocket. A rocket will use about 80% of its energy and power to get off the ground, and then use only about 20% to keep going. It’s like being an entrepreneur. You will do a lot of work on the front end without seeing any results, but then once it takes off, you’ll be able to consistently see progress slowly but surely.
There are some things you can do to make the journey on your road to being a successful and happy blogger easier for you. It involves tweaking your mindset and attitude. For some people, this mindset comes naturally, for others, like me, it’s a process like everything else. Here are some traits of successful and happy bloggers. I hope this helps you along the way!
Successful And Happy Bloggers Have…
Belief – In my opinion, one of the biggest reasons every successful and happy blogger is where he or she is today is because they believed they could get there. If you don’t believe in yourself, you don’t give yourself much room to grow.
Passion – If we aren’t passionate about what we are doing, we should stop doing it. I believe that 100%. If you aren’t passionate about your blogging, why are you forcing yourself to do it in the first place? The passion has to be there for it all to click.
Winner’s Mindset – It is so important to attack blogging like you would a sport. You must have an “I’ll do whatever it takes” attitude and be willing to back that up with hard work and perseverance.
Thick Skin – Wow, it took me a while to learn this one. The Internet is not always nice, but that’s ok, you can use that fuel to move you further ahead!
Appreciation For Your Readers – To me, readers come first. Period. Without our readers, we wouldn’t be here. It seems like a no brainer, but I think some people still don’t realize this. Appreciate and love your readers.
Creativity – Since you want to produce original, helpful, consistent content, it’s important to be able to tap into your creativity. This post can help you do that – 20 Ways to Stimulate Your Own Creativity
Successful And Happy Bloggers Must Be A Good…
Proofreader – I read my articles at least ten times before publishing them. It’s important to follow the accepted spelling and grammar rules. Successful bloggers are also meticulous editors.
Researcher – It’s all about the research. You want to know your topic and know it well. Sometimes it takes longer to research a topic than it does to write about it.
Connector in the Community – I’m specifically referring to social media. As a blogger, it is important to connect with your readers effectively in social media. You want to give back to the community by providing useful information, not always just blasting them with your latest post.
Communicator – It’s critical that your thoughts and what you are trying to communicate actually get to your reader in the way you intended. Communication can be tough because sometimes humor and little sayings that might make sense to you only confuse your reader. This is an important skill to develop.
Optimizer – Being a good optimizer is very important. I am blown away by the amount of time that Richard spends optimizing our sites. He is constantly tweaking this and that to make them faster and better for our readers.
Successful And Happy Bloggers Know They Need To Be…
Humble and Polite – Humility and politeness go a long way in blogging and in life. Smart and savvy bloggers know this.
Open-Minded – It’s important to listen to new ideas from your mentors, friends and readers, no matter how crazy they may sound in the beginning. You never know.
Accountable – Mean what you say and say what you mean. That is how credibility and trust is built online. Be accountable to yourself and your readers.
Helpful – Somewhere along the way, a reader is going to ask you a question. Do your very best to be responsive and helpful. I know what it’s like to be overwhelmed with questions, but nobody is expecting you to be superhuman. Just do your very best, that is what’s important.
Patient – “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” – I had this quote in a fortune cookie of mine about a year ago, and I’ve kept in on my desk ever since as a reminder. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts in blogging. You just have to buckle down and do the work.
Committed – There will be ups and downs in your blogging. You will have good days and bad days. You will have days when you just want to quit it all. Your commitment will carry you on those “off” days. Commitment is critical to our success.
Authentic and Honest – It’s important for your readers to see you as an authentic and honest human being. You lose credibility when you fake it. I think whoever coined that phrase, “fake it till you make it” was way off base.
Successful And Happy Bloggers Also…
Have the Ability to Follow Through on a Task – Being able to complete a task is very important in blogging and in life. Follow through is one of the simplest yet most challenging traits a blogger has to have.
Have the Willingness to Adapt to New Technology – The blogging environment can change very quickly. It’s important to keep up and stay sharp, if you don’t, you may feel like you are being left in the dust.
Value Your Own Originality – Successful bloggers know that the “experts” aren’t always right. Some rules can and should be broken every now and then.
And last but not least…
Successful and happy bloggers NEVER GIVE UP out of frustration or desperation! They always maintain a sense of hope and optimism! Of course, there are always exceptions. Sometimes ending a blog is part of a well thought out strategy, but think twice before quitting out of impatience or anger, no matter how you might feel in that moment. Instead, draw on the strength of your blogging friends, or heck, tweet me at @adamsconsulting and I’ll talk you off that ledge!
