Nathan Hangen

The 10 Sterotypical Attributes that Define Successful Bloggers

This is a guest post by Bob Bessette that I think hits the nail on the head in regards to what it takes to be a successful blogger. Although I wouldn’t expect everyone to have these attributes in common, I’m betting that more fit than do not.

What do you think? Make sure to show some love and leave a comment and RT below.

I tend to think that there are certainly more similarities, than differences, when it comes to us bloggers.

We are a unique group and we have what I call stereotypical attributes that are, for lack of a better word, exemplary.

These attributes define our very personality and spirit. I must say that I am proud to be included in this lofty group of individuals whose main goal in life is to grow personally and improve their lot in life.

1. Success-oriented

I tend to think that all bloggers are successes. We always tend to think of successful bloggers as owning blogs which have a certain Alexa rating or Page Rank, but that’s not the way I see it. If you’ve worked at creating a blog and have spent the time to write about your passion, you already are a success. I know the work that it takes to get a blog off-the-ground, technically and otherwise. To say that you are a blogger means to me that you are successful regardless of your current rankings.

2. Goal-setter

To build a blog takes a certain type of person. That person realizes that they must have certain goals in their life if they hope to grow personally, and as a blogger. Taking time to set goals and track them during the year is a prerequisite of any serious blogger.

3. Passionate

We all know people who are passionate. Basically all of the bloggers I have met are passionate in their lives and in their writing. How cool is it to be included in a group of individuals who bring passion to their lives on a daily basis?

There is no way someone can continue to build a blog without bringing passion to their writing on a regular basis. Granted, some days are better than others, but passion is definitely a stereotypical attribute of all bloggers.

4. Focused

Writing a post requires focus. I’m certainly not great at multi-tasking. I like to focus on one task, complete it, and move onto the next. Being able to focus on the task at hand is an attribute of all bloggers.

Being able to eliminate distractions is extremely important when it comes to blogging. Focusing on your content with the readers’ perspective in mind is another common attribute of a blogger.

5. Communicator

We all might not be great at the spoken word but, as bloggers, we need to be able to get our message across. We do this through the words in our blogs. If we weren’t passionate about wanting to get our message to our readers, we wouldn’t be blogging. We realize the importance of using our blogs as a communication tool.

6. Out-of-the-box thinker

Boundaries are something that a blogger simply cannot see. Possibilities are boundless and limits are unknown. Recognizing this fact is an attribute of all bloggers. There are new technologies, resources, and techniques to expand the growth of our blogs.

Bloggers also see the economic opportunities that a blog could open up for them in terms of freelance writing, consulting, or marketing their businesses.

7. Information gatherer

For some of our posts, it may mean that we need to gather information from various resources. We may want to cite a post from another blogger or a periodical that we read online. Being able to gather information and present it effectively in a post is a requirement of all bloggers.

8. Analyzer

If we want our blogs to succeed, we need to be able to analyze what works and what doesn’t in our own personal blog setting. Posting interval, type of content, advertising, guest posting, and site design can all have a drastic effect on traffic coming into our blogs.

Constantly evolving your blog by making changes, in any or all of the above, and analyzing the effects of those changes, is extremely important. Staying abreast of your traffic using Google Analytics or other tools is important if you want to understand what is affecting your traffic.

9. Inquisitive

Bloggers need to understand what their readers want to see in the post content. This is why one of the most common attributes of a blogger is to be inquisitive. Asking readers for their input not only shows that the blog owner cares about what they are writing, it also fosters a relationship with the reader that could grow into being mutually beneficial. Which brings me to…

10. Collaborator

Collaboration is becoming more and more important in the blogging world. A blogger working in a vacuum is a blogger who is destined to fail. Working with other bloggers is becoming more and more common and can be seen all over the blogosphere.

Bloggers are seeking out like-minded individuals to work on joint ventures. One form of collaboration is guest-posting, as I’m doing here on Nathan’s blog. It is a way for me to get more exposure and, at the same time, Nathan is able to add some new content to his blog. And, more importantly for me, it gives me a chance to get to know another blogger whose style I find very appealing.

We, in the blogging world, are fortunate. We get to hang out, so to speak, with other success-oriented individuals through our blogs and our comments. Blog owners are successes, in their own right, for creating, nurturing, and growing something that is so passionate to them.

The attributes discussed in this post define not only bloggers, but, more importantly, a classy group of individuals with which I am proud to be associated.

Bob Bessette writes a blog at TotallyUniqueLife, which is geared toward practical solutions, tips, and advice for your life. You can also click here to follow him on Twitter.

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