Blogging is one of the most popular forms of expression out there. Writing and running a blog takes a whole lot of dedication, patience and discipline but there are so many skills that can be gained from sharing special moments and reflections with your readers and the world on a regular basis. Everyone has different reasons for getting into blogging and as with any job, no two days are the same, so it’s important to be open minded and consistent as you embark on your blogging journey.
If this period of uncertainty has taught bloggers anything, I hope that it’s the importance of capitalising on their skill set. Here are some of the skills you need as a blogger:
Content writing – Content is THE most important component of any blog. If the content isn’t engaging or effective, your readership will take a hit. In order to be a storyteller, your content has to have purpose. There’s nothing worse than having an idea, failing to plan and rambling on in a 500+ word post. As with planning content, the key points of any blog post should be outlined. Creating an outline for your post will ensure that your content has a solid structure. Acquiring this skill takes time, but it is possible. There are a lot of writing courses out there you could do, some are even specific to blogging, so if you know you need to hone in on your writing skills, I would encourage you to make an investment. It will be worth it. I have written a blog post about how to improve your blog writing skills: click here to read it.
Social media management – You don’t need to be a pro to have good social media management skills because all bloggers use their social media skills whenever they promote a post: whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter or even Instagram. All platforms have their benefits but the majority of bloggers are turning to Instagram as it’s easier to engage with followers and it’s the most visual platform out of the three. When it comes to Twitter, there are some fantastic blogging communities, accounts and hashtags that you can use to your benefit such as #blogger, #bloggerstribe, and #bloggerslife. Twitter is the second top referrer to my site. If you use WordPress, you can see what your top site referrer is in the stats section. Facebook also has its benefits because you can create a page for your blog and make use of the ad opportunities on offer. What I like about Facebook ads is that they give you a statistical idea of the impact that your ad can have on your number of followers, page views, the people you could reach etc. The determining factor is how much you choose to spend on this activity.
Research – This is something I’ve touched on in previous blog posts but I can’t express how important it is to do your research, especially prior to publication. Blogs are still relevant, regardless of what people may or may not be saying, so if you choose to write about a particular topic, make sure you know your stuff. If you are worried about overwhelming your readers with information, then that’s what hyperlinking is for. When I write about skincare and the benefits of a certain ingredient, for example, Vitamin C, I can’t tell my readers about every single benefit it has. Keep your info brief and hyperlink anything you think your readers may want to know more about. Keywords and research go hand in hand. If you have chosen to write about a certain topic, google it and find out what people are saying. This is how you increase your blog’s position on SERP’s, so research, research, research.
Marketing and selling – For those of you who have done a business course, you’ll know what a USP is. When you start a blog, you have to think about what will set it apart from the rest. Think about what you have to offer and how you can add your own unique spin to it. This is where your niche comes into play: simply identifying your niche as men or women or businesses simply isn’t enough. You need to be descriptive: will your blog be aimed at stay at home mums or perhaps you would like to create content with freelancers in mind? Before you even set up a blog, these questions have got to be answered as they will help you market your blog. When you know who it is you want to target with your content, it’s a lot easier to build a rapport with your readers. In the area of selling, a lot of bloggers will use their platforms to sell products. This isn’t something I’ve done with Kelle’s Space but you can read more about this here. From what I have learned about business through academia, if you are selling a product or service, then make use of platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram, especially the latter as you can do your own product demos and offer existing and potential customers an interactive experience. I’d also say don’t be afraid to shout about what you do because from creative to creative, this work can be so challenging at times. You’ve got to be your own number 1 fan.
Photo editing – I’ll be the first person to raise my hand and say that I’m no wiz when it comes to editing photos but this is an important skill for all bloggers to have: it doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or you are advanced in your abilities. Start small by duplicating a few pictures on your IPhone and using the editing options available such as exposure, for example. The editing features differ with each IPhone. Another tool I am going to recommend is Canva is the best website out there for editing photos and designing graphics. Every blogger needs basic Canva skills. What I like about Canva is that it’s so easy to use, you can choose any template of your choice and you can create a graphic for almost anything: from Pinterest graphics to email headers and Instagram posts: bloggers will eventually need most (if not all) of these at some point in their journey.
Organisational skills – Bloggers are some of the most organised people on the planet. For those who blog full time, they need to have a schedule in place. The same way your favourite YouTubers tell you to expect videos on Tuesdays and Sundays? There’s a lot of bloggers out there who have adopted the same strategy when it comes to publishing content. Honestly speaking, I don’t think that there’s a specific way to organise yourself as a blogger: we all manage our capacity in different ways. For example, I may tell my social media followers about it a day before the post is due to go live or I may just publish it on a whim and then promote it. Another area where you will need to use your organisational skills as a blogger is when you are working with brands. Most brands or agencies will give you a publication deadline. Some may even require you to place links or keywords in the post, so you’ll need to find enough time to ensure that you’ve met the clients’ requirements. There are countless examples of how bloggers use organisational skills but these are the first ones that came to mind.
What skills have you gained since you started blogging? Are there any skills that you’d like to gain during your blogging journey? As always, I love hearing from you all, so do leave a comment below with a response to any of the questions or you can simply let me know what you thought of the post.
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