Blogging Tips: Skills You Need as a Blogger

Last Updated on 2nd March 2023 by Sophie Nadeau

Having worked as a full-time blogger for a little while now, it’s safe to say that in the past few months, I’ve learned more about working online and content creation than I could ever have thought possible. Here are 8 skills you need as a blogger…

Just under a year ago, I was still studying at university and thinking about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. For the longest time, I considered a career as an auctioneer (you know, the people who bang the hammer and talk about old stuff really really quickly).

Well, somehow, I ended up as a full-time blogger instead. Now, I create stuff on the internet and get to be my own boss (which is cool and daunting at the same time)!

Skills you need as a blogger

Self-discipline

The biggest question people ask me when I tell them I’m a full-time blogger (besides from asking me how I earn any money!) is how I keep myself motivated when it’s just me working away on this little corner of the internet.

The simple answer is that you need a whole load of self-discipline to get up every day and do stuff when it needs doing (even when the task at hand is incredibly boring).

A better answer is that you should find people who truly support what you’re doing (hello, mum!) and build a team around you who you can call on for motivation when it’s most needed.

Self-motivation

When you blog, particularly in the beginning, you’ll need to motivate yourself to do the work because no one else will. It can be hard to find motivation when it feels like no one is reading your blog, but it’s important to keep going nonetheless if it’s a subject you feel truly passionate about. After all, you’ll never know what could have been if you never even try…

A passion for what you’re talking about!

Of all the skills you need as a blogger, a passion for what you’re talking about and a real interest in the subject you blog about is the most important. Notice how I wrote those last words in bold?

It’s because a passion is really the most important skill you can have as a blogger. Without a passion and a love for what you’re doing, you’ll quickly lose motivation, patience and self-discipline!

Patience

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your blog be! You need to have the patience to improve your writing, hone your photography skills and the understanding that your ideal audience won’t find you straight away.

Blogging isn’t a get rich quick scheme, and patience is key. With this being said, there are ways to monetise your blog (they just take time and plenty of patience!)

Remember that consistency is key

During my two short years of blogging, I’ve seen a whole load of blogs come and go. Many last a mere few months, others just a couple of weeks. The main problem that many people have is finding the time (and motivation- see point one) to blog.

After your first couple of posts are received well, you’ll need to carry on creating content in order to maintain traffic and interest on your blog. Consistency is key, and without it you’ll find it hard to hone self-discipline skills and carve out your own space on the internet.

Confidence in yourself/ your brand

I used to be so incredibly nervous about reaching out to brands I wanted to work with. But at the end of the day, the worst someone can say is ’no’ (and perhaps add a really rude comment!)

One of my best friends once told me ‘If you don’t have confidence in yourself and your blog, then why should any brand have confidence in you and your work?’ The comment really stuck with me, and I hope it sticks with you too. Sometimes a little bit of tough love is just what you need!

#7 Ability to market yourself

In this ever-changing online world, one of the most important skills you need as a blogger is the ability to change and adapt with the times. Algorithms and audience interests are constantly changing, and you need (at least a small) ability to market yourself in order to truly stand out from the crowd.

A willingness to learn from mistakes

When you’re honing a skill for the first time, you’re going to make mistakes. It’s only human to make errors and mess up from time to time. However, the important thing to take away from errors is not to shy away from your mistakes and try to skirt over them but to learn from them so that you improve for the next time around.

Invest in the tools of the trade

Truth be told, in the beginning, I didn’t want to spend a single penny on my blog. However, in time I learnt that if you want to truly make something of blogging, then you’ll need to invest a small amount.

Blogging tips I wish I had known before

Don’t worry too much about what everyone else is doing

‘They’ say ‘comparison is the thief of joy’. I don’t know who they are… But it’s true! Your biggest goal in blogging should be to set out what you aim for, and it should definitely not be endlessly comparing yourself with others, especially other bloggers. The truth is, not everyone is going to like your blog, nor will you like what everyone else is doing!

Instead, set little goals for yourself each month (e.g. ‘I’ll publish once a week’ or ‘I’ll create new pins for each post’). This way, blogging becomes a lot more manageable, fun and you’ll find that you progress faster rather than spending countless hours looking through someone’s Instagram (oh come on, we all do it!)

Read anything (and everything…)

I once read (see what I did there?) that the best way to improve your writing is to read. And to read a lot. This will teach you new writing styles, improve your vocabulary and maybe even give you something else to talk about with your Aunt’s-new-boyfriend-you-can’t-quite-remember-the-name-of. 

If you don’t have time to read a whole novel right now, then start by reading other blogs, checking out the back of your cereal box, or simply tackle a chapter of a book a day on the work commute.

Read a variety of content, and you’ll soon learn what works well (and inevitably, what doesn’t). Want more? Here are my very best writing tips!

Practice Writing. Every. Single. Day.

Many people will tell you that the only people who can write well were born with the gift of crafting a good story. While that may be partially true, the only way that those of us who struggle with writing will ever improve is by practising!

Write, write, and then write some more. The same goes for if you want to improve your photography, even if it’s just for ten minutes a day!

Carry a little notebook around with you for when ‘inspiration’ strikes (or if you just have a really good idea). It’s also good to go old school with pen and paper because technology often fails. (I know my phone always runs out of battery since the invention of Instagram stories!)

Have other passions & interests (other than blogging, obviously)

Some of the best bloggers I’ve met (of which I’ve been lucky to have met quite a few) have a million different passions: i.e. they’re interested in everything around them. They want to know why the sky is blue, the best way to rank #1 on Google, or even where your Grandma lives.

They’ll be interested in other people, and actually, listen to what others have to say. After all, some of the best stories are often just around the corner, just waiting to be told… Finally, if you’re looking to make money travel blogging, then having other creative outlets is an absolute must!

Become friends with other bloggers!

Honestly, if there was one thing I would do differently (and perhaps one of the best blogging tips I can give you today), it’s that you should network from the very beginning, and become friends with other bloggers. The first blogger I ever met was the lovely Emily from The Glittering Unknown.

We’ve since become fast friends, and I chat to her most days; whether it be a quick complaint about a Social Media algorithm, or something more important like how jobs and life, in general, are going! Become friends with other bloggers, who likely share the same passions as you and collaborate.

After all, blogging is more fun when it’s shared! I even now have my very own Facebook Group dedicated to fellow female travel bloggers, and it’s called Female Lifestyle Bloggers.

In there, no topic is too silly to discuss and we can talk about everything from SEO to travelling without your SO. As long as you identify as female and have a blog, you’re welcome to join! (click here to join our inclusive community!)

Don’t get too caught up in Social Media

Six months ago, I was quite literally on the brink of blogger burnout (and at the time I alluded to it in my post ‘how I manage social media stress‘). Well, one of the main things I did to combat the burnout, and subsequently continue to produce daily content for my blog was to stop getting caught up in Social Media.

Rather than spending hours each day pouring over my Instagram feed, I’d set myself a time limit of around 20 minutes in which to upload, comment and interact with others. For things like Pinterest and Facebook, I started automating as much as possible so I wouldn’t have to spend so much time online.

Like I said before, it can always be tempting to keep comparing yourself with others, and this is especially true when you’re constantly scrolling through your Facebook homepage!

Blogging is not a race, it’s a marathon

If you’re just starting out, or even if you’ve been plugging at your website for a little while, then try not to get disheartened when the readers don’t immediately show up- I know, easier said than done! (If you want tips on how to keep writing when no one is reading your blog, I’ve written a post here.)

Blogging is and never has been a race to get more numbers, more visitors and more traffic. After all, if your ultimate goal is to get rich quick, then you should probably stop. There are much quicker, and more lucrative ways to make money online than sharing your thoughts on the internet via a blog!

If you keep writing, and the quality of your content is constantly improving (and you’re very very very very very) passionate, then the readers will eventually come. They will! I think one of the hardest things about blogging is that it can often be quite lonely, and it can take weeks, months or even years to see any traction on a post.

We are so used to seeing the likes (or one or two, at least) roll in on Social Media almost as soon as we post. But after 24 hours- 48 hours, that post is pretty much dead. There is no more traffic coming in from it. Like, pretty much, ever!

However, when it comes to articles and blog posts, pretty much the reverse is true. While nothing much may happen in the beginning, thanks to SEO optimization and some clever Pinterest designs, you can continue getting traffic on a single post for years to come!

Post consistently, regularly, and (mostly) to a schedule

Although blogging may be a marathon, that doesn’t mean you can neglect your blog for weeks or months on end! After all, it’s harder to get more traffic, and easy to lose it.

Posting on a schedule and a semi-regular basis will keep your regular readers (as well as the Google algorithm) happy! After all, posting on a regular basis is by and large part of how I grew my travel blog to become a full-time travel blogger!

Never be embarrassed about your blog!

The other day, I was out with a friend for a drink. We were chatting with some other people at the bar about our studies and inevitably ended up discussing what we would like to do with our lives (ie our careers, our aspirations etc.).

From the moment I said “Oh, I’m a writer, I have this blog and it’s kind of now my job,” I received the kind of pity look reserved for people who have something a bit silly. So one of my best blogging tips may sound a little ridiculous, but it’s simply this: don’t be embarrassed about your blog! After all…

“Fear Kills More Dreams Than Failure Ever Will” – Suzy Kassem

I guess my point is, for the longest time, I refrained from telling people in my life about my little ‘blog’, for fear that they would judge me for it.

However, I now say I ‘just’ have a blog because I’ve dedicated months of my life into turning this into an online platform with (hopefully) useful information and inspiring others to go out and see the world. So perhaps my best blogging tip of today is: never be embarrassed about your blog. Like, ever.

Here’s why your blog can’t be everything to everyone

A few weeks ago, I opened the un-approved comments section of my site to find one that literally just read: “go kill yourself”. And screw you, Jon– if that’s really your real name- because I can’t believe I’m even still thinking about this.

However, this particularly trolling comment brings me rather nicely to a topic I’ve wanted to speak about for the longest time: your blog can’t be everything to everyone.

You’re allowed to have an opinion…

And when you have an opinion, it’s just that: an opinion. People can agree with you, but they can also disagree with you. Obviously, this automatically means that your blog can’t be everything to everyone.

If you blog about fashion, you’re allowed to say you don’t like that dress.If you blog about blogging, you’re allowed to say you don’t like or use a certain tool that everyone else seems to be raving about. You get what I’m trying to say.

It’s okay. Have your opinion, blog about your opinion and just be yourself. People who are your ideal reader will appreciate this. After all, no one likes inauthenticity, and people of the internet can tell if something is fake from a mile away!

If you try to cater to everyone, you’ll end up catering to nobody…

Here’s a thought: stop trying to cater to everyone. Instead, think about what you’re particularly passionate about. Imagine what your ideal reader would want to read (it helps if you also try to picture your ideal reader in your mind) and write for them. 

This way, you’ll attract a loyal audience by catering to specific passions rather than being all over the place. If we think about this another way, I’m sure you’ve been into clothing stores where their brand is all over the place. (Oh, that’s another thing: start thinking of your blog as a brand- but that’s a post for another day).

You walk in, and you have no idea who the ideal customer for the store is meant to be! Are they older or younger? Do they love contemporary fashion or vintage styles? I mean, who is this store trying to target! In trying to target literally everyone, the clothing store is basically targeting no one.

Well, think of your blog a little bit like the clothing store. You don’t want people to land on your website and be confused! Have your opinion, write about your passions and make sure your reader knows what they are too.

A blog is a personal space… so make sure to be yourself. I’m not necessarily saying you should have a ‘niche’. Instead, focus on writing things that you’re passionate about. Things that make you feel alive.

Write about what you’re passionate about (and not what you ‘think’ you should write about)

If you are particularly passionate about fly fishing in Alaska, I can guarantee that there are dozens of other people who are too. And the funny thing about the internet (as well as Google search) is that it has a way of bringing people with similar interests together.

Write about what you’re passionate about rather than worrying about your blog being something to everyone. Because, whatever you do, make sure you craft everything you write with passion.

There will be times when you want to give up and throw your blog out the (metaphorical) window. And there will be times when you think that writing on your site seems pointless (read: much more often than you would ever have anticipated).

During these periods, it’s important to blog about something you’re passionate about. If you love model train sets, write about them. If you love Global Politics, blog about that. What I’m saying is: blog with passion or not at all. 

Finally: there will always be people who hate everything you do…

And that’s also okay. After all, it says much more about them than it does about you.

Blogging resources

Hosting: For my blog’s hosting needs, I use Lyrical Host. I find their customer support and help to be some of the best I’ve ever had during my time blogging and couldn’t recommend them more! If you use my affiliate code ‘solosophie’ then you’ll get 10% off your first hosting plan payment. See more details here.

Email: One of the best ways to capture your return subscribers is by building an email list. I personally love Flodesk. Sign up using my link or the code ‘SOPHIE’ to get 50% off your subscription. See more details here.

Affiliate programmes: As well as display advertising, one of the best ways for bloggers to make money is by using affiliate programmes. In order to refer tours on this website, I use numerous providers. This includes Get Your Guide and Share a Sale.

Grammarly is a good tool to check through your work for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and bad phrasing. Find out more about Grammarly here.

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Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, travel, pizza, and history. A fan of all things France related, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming something sweet. She lives in London but travels as much as she can. Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.