19 comments The Secret Ingredient to Blogging Success: Passion
by Vanessa
03/31/11
Sometimes blogging success feels like an impossible dream. If you publish thoughtful posts and no one’s responding, you might be missing the secret ingredient in your blogging recipe. That simple and vital ingredient is passion.
In this post, I’ll let you know why a smoldering passion is necessary to accomplish your lofty blogging goals, and how to generate blogging mojo after your creativity is drained.
Blogging is Work
Successful blogging isn’t easy, it’s hard work. You can’t plan, write, and take pictures for your blog day in and day out unless you love it. Work without passion, and you’re guaranteed to crash and burn. This is why good blogs are sometimes abandoned.
Pick the Right Topic
If you’re struggling to write for your blog every day, maybe you need to change your focus. Brainstorm; think about the subject that you could never stop gushing about it. Maybe you’ll end up picking a few of these topics.
Narrow your focus down to the top three topics you love. When you make the topics you’re the most passionate about the focus of your blog, you’ll never run out of things to write.
Passion Creates Quality Blog Posts
When you’re passionate about a subject, you’ll want to create the highest quality content possible.
People Will Relate to Your Passion
When you’re passionate about your blog, it’s obvious. Your readers will sense your energy. They’ll share your blog posts, they’ll comment, and they’ll relate to you. After all, every niche has its followers.
When You’re Passionate, You’ll Network
Even the hard stuff, like marketing your blog, is easier when you’re passionate. Out of passion you’ve already created a quality product you’re proud to promote. Since you’ve chosen a topic you love, networking with others in your niche comes naturally. It’s so easy to chat with people when they love the same things you do and share your interests.
When you blog about a subject you’re passionate about, the hard work is already done for you. Blogging when you’re not passionate is like swimming against the current. Make blogging and be successful by choosing the right topic.
*image Happy Moment by Shirae
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
This entry is filed under blogging advice, blogging passion, blogging success, blogging your passion, The Secret Ingredient to Blogging Success, What's the Secret Ingredient to Blogging Success.
Great post and some sound advice.
I love how you talked about narrowing your focus to three things. It’s funny because just the other week I changed my header to incorporate the three things I’m passionate about art, nature and photography.
Kathryn Dyche Dechairo commented on March 31st, 2011 at 1:34 pmKathryn Dyche Dechairo recently posted..In Flight
How perfect Kathryn. Funny how those things happen sometimes, huh?
papernstitch commented on March 31st, 2011 at 2:08 pmyayyyy creative biz success tips are back. love it!
Mayi Carles @ Heartmade commented on March 31st, 2011 at 2:13 pmme too mayi. hopefully, i’ll have time to occasionally write some tips myself as well. although, i really prefer video these days.
papernstitch commented on March 31st, 2011 at 2:15 pm-brittni
oh gosh…even this makes it sound too easy…i swear it’s all totally random (ok, mostly random)
patience commented on March 31st, 2011 at 2:17 pmpatience recently posted..i love letterpress
Gushing is the word I’ve been looking for. Exactly! Thank You for sharing
Sanja commented on March 31st, 2011 at 2:29 pmSanja recently posted..Unemployed on Wednesday – Develop a Drinking Habit Pt II
Thanks Sanja and Patience for stopping by!
papernstitch commented on March 31st, 2011 at 3:57 pmreally enjoying this post! thank you so much for sharing~
satsuki | zakka nouveau commented on March 31st, 2011 at 7:17 pmHi Vanessa, thanks so much for posting this! I don’t have a blog myself, but I still think these tips can be applied to other aspects of business as well.
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Mai commented on April 1st, 2011 at 1:25 pmSo true Mai. So true.
papernstitch commented on April 1st, 2011 at 3:57 pmI don’t blog everyday. For this reason I took all the dates off my blog (http://davenportal.blogspot.com/) as my blog isn’t meant to be followed on everyday terms but when someone takes particular interest in a painting I’ve done, then I can refer them to my blog and they can read about what the background story is on the painting they like:)
But thank you for this post, if I ever take up regular blogging I will surely remember it!:)
Davs commented on April 1st, 2011 at 4:15 pmDavs recently posted..Geometric Tango and original oil painting
What a great use of a blog Davs. I love that. By the way, that newest swan painting is AWESOME!
papernstitch commented on April 1st, 2011 at 8:56 pm-Brittni
Thanks, Vanessa! That is a really great outlook on the blog world. I agree with you for the most part, though I do think you’re optimistic about the networking/marketing side of things. The blog world is so saturated right now (especially if you’re not in a small niche, but rather in a larger category like fashion, design, or craft) that there’s not really enough attention to go around. I think that eventually you’ll find a readership if you’re passionate and learn to write well, etc. But it could take some time and a whole heap of forcing yourself out of your comfort zone if you’re not naturally social or if you don’t happen to know a lot of people with similar interests.
Laura commented on April 2nd, 2011 at 11:34 pmI’ve been blogging at my second blog (linked) since January and talking it up to friends I think would enjoy since about the second week! But only one of my friends follows my blog (or reads it at all) and I only have a (tiny) handful of other readers. I’m comfortable with this for now and am not necessarily blogging “for success”, but if it did eventually happen I would be ecstatic. The truth is, this second blog is so easy to write because I just love everything I post about! But it will probably take two or three years before I have a decent readership and even longer before I might be making any money from it.
Laura recently posted..iPad Accessory Love
you’re absolutely correct. without passion, i couldn’t imagine spending as much time on the blog as i do. for me though, even passion doesn’t help the marketing of my blog. marketing is my profession and i’m still extremely shy about putting it out there with the blog. i must work on that apparently. thanks for the encouragement!
Down and Out Chic commented on April 3rd, 2011 at 12:31 pmDown and Out Chic recently posted..D&OC Foster Care Visitation Room
I agree with the passion! You have to have it or it’s just words. =)
Melanie's Randomness commented on April 3rd, 2011 at 6:46 pmMelanie’s Randomness recently posted..BirthdaysElephantsQuiches& Ninjas! What a Weekend this Shall Be!
[...] If you come off reading those last two articles and feel inspired or brimming full of ideas, good. Now take some advice from Papernstitch and turn that great feeling into something productive: A passionate blog perhaps? [...]
Sunday Afternoon Housewife » Blog Archive » Link Love: Inspiration and Blogging Tips to Grow Your Crafty Biz commented on April 4th, 2011 at 7:13 amAmazing! Thanks for this great advice – good to hear that one’s perhaps doing something right… and there seems niches out there but the problem is that first people have to realise that they’re interested in that specific topic at all when the niche really is very specific.
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Linda commented on April 8th, 2011 at 12:07 pmOh, and thanks a lot for making clear that blogging is work (forwarded it to my boyfriend
Linda
Thank you so much for great words of wisdom, really reading this in the right time. Wonderful inspiration.
stitchinnetka commented on April 11th, 2011 at 10:29 pmstitchinnetka recently posted..Birthday Party Flags – Fabric Banner – Baby Shower- Reusable Decoration – Festive Garland- Photo Prop
[...] The Secret Ingredient to Blogging Success: Passion What are some things you’ve found that made you a happier blogger? What advice would you give to someone just starting out? How did you handle the ups and downs of your blog? I’d love to hear what you guys have to say on this topic. (featured image from owenbrown via flickr) [...]
5 Ways To Be a Happier Blogger commented on September 28th, 2011 at 1:39 pm