Blogging is a good business to be in and just like every other thing in life, if you really want to be a master blogger then, you must know and learn all you can about it; there are no two ways about it. Blogging is never an easy job but, it’s also not a rocket science so, anyone who is committed and dedicated to it can acquire blogging literacy without much efforts.
It’s all about having a good workable plan and then, following some proven strategies that have worked for other people before.
However, I’m sure you already know the meaning of the word “Literacy” but in case you don’t I will try to define it a little. According to Encarta Dictionary………The word Literacy can be defined as “The ability to have knowledge of or competence in a subject or area of activity”. I guess you now understand it better right? So, let’s move on.
There are many things attached to blogging and, you have to master each aspect of it in order to create a meaningful blog, a blog that will stand the test of time and mind you, blogging is not for lazy people so, if you’re one then I’m sorry, this post is not for you.
Without further ado, let’s go straight to the point.
What Does it Really Take to Acquire Blogging Literacy?
Like I mentioned above, blogging is made up of many branches and, you have to cover all of them before expecting your blog to grow. You can either do them yourself or outsource them. The main thing is to get things done. Below are the things that will enable you to acquire blogging literacy.
1. A clear understanding of what blogging is all about: This is the most important aspect of it all. If you want to be a master blogger then, you will have to first of all understand what blogging is in the first place.
You can never become a master at something you don’t know, true or false?
So before you start talking of being a blogger, the first thing you should do is to know what blogging is and how it functions. This is one thing that has caused the collapse of many blogs today. Some people usually start blogging before they even know what blogging is all about so, how do you expect such a person to succeed?
Therefore, my advice is to gather as much knowledge as you can about the meaning of blogging before you start your own. This will enable you to know if you can do it or not. There is much information on the web today as regards to this; just a little Google search will give you the answer.
2. Having a clear vision of what you want: It is very obvious that we all did not start blogging for the same purpose. You have a reason why you’re a blogger. Some people started blogging just for the fun of it in other words; they take it as a hobby.
While some other people started blogging to make money which means that, they see it as their business. I believe that there are many other reasons why a person can start blogging so; the main thing is to understand why you want to enter it. Why do you want to start blogging? That’s a question you have to ask yourself before creating one.
This is because, a blogger who blogs as a hobby will not view blogging the same way someone who is blogging as a business views it so, knowing what you want from the beginning will help to know how to go about it.
3. Willingness to work hard: I know that you’ve heard this lot but, the truth still remains that….. if you want to achieve any good thing in life, you must work very hard for it. Blogging is not exceptional here, for you to be a master blogger and acquire blogging literacy; you must be willing to work hard.
You must be willing to stay awake when other people are sleeping, you must be willing to work when other people are having fun. This is especially when you’re just starting.
You must be ready to work your ass off so that your blog will be worthwhile. This is why I mentioned above that blogging is never a lazy man’s job. You might have heard before that the easiest way to make money in life is via blogging but my brother, this is the highest lie you will ever hear.
Just like the offline jobs, it also takes time and effort to see any significant result from blogging but, if you’re dedicated to it and desire to make it work for you no matter anything that comes up then, you will surmount mountains and hills.
Desire carries man half way to success
4. Being specific on your choice of niche: A lot of people have written about this one too and, I still believe that it’s better to focus on one niche at a time rather than blogging on multiple niches with one blog. Having a generic blog is never easy and, you might not be able to handle it.
Especially when you’re just starting, it’s good to focus on one niche and become a master at it. Let people see you as an authority on that niche rather than chasing all the niches at the same time. If you plan on blogging on multiple niches then, it’s better to create a separate blog per niche. This is from my own point of view so; I will also want to know what you think about it.
5. Connecting with people that have done it before: This is very important. If there is something I regretted since I started blogging, it’s that I didn’t start networking with other bloggers early enough. I think I’ve being in the business for about 4 months before I discovered the benefits of networking. Neil Petal also shared a post that is similar to this RIGHT HERE.
When it comes to blogging, you cannot do it all alone, you need the assistance of those that has done it before to propel you to success so, it’s good to start connecting and building some solid relationships with other bloggers that has done what you want to do.
I must tell you that my blogging experience changed tremendously when I started connecting with people like Ana Hoffman, Adrienne Smith, Harleena Singh, Yaro Starak, Pat Flynn and many of them. These people started blogging before me and therefore, I had a lot to learn from them.
There are many ways to go about this but; the best way is via blog commenting and social media. Whenever they write a post, read and leave a meaningful comment on it and also, share it on the social media sites this way, they will start recognizing you and, that’s how the relationship will start. Remember…..
Behind every successful man, there are people that triggered it
So, start connecting with influencers in your community now in order to acquire blogging literacy.
6. Learn to Ask Questions: We can never know it all. No matter how much you think you know, you will always come to a point where you don’t know what to do in other words, you will be in a confused state and, the best thing you can do then is to ask for other people’s assistance.
There is no need to feel shy, if you don’t know a thing, ask others and, you will get the answer instead of claiming to know it all. You will never achieve much if you cannot ask reasonable questions.
He who cannot ask, cannot live
7. Always delegate some of the tasks: The worst thing that can happen to any blogger is to try to do it all. Trying to do both your blog setup, promotions, article writing and publishing, product creations, ebook cover creation, video making and editing, etc.
If you try to do all these alone, you will likely end up not achieving any of them. It’s better to do the ones you are good at and then, outsource the rest to people that are experts at it. This will enable you to focus more on the most important aspects of your business.
8. Always set achievable goals: One of the first steps towards achieving anything in life is to set goals. Once you learn to set achievable goals and stick to it, you will definitely go far.
Setting achievable goals will help you to stay on track because sometimes, you might be wasting time without knowing it but, when you focus on your goals, you will be able to work towards achieving it at the stipulated time.
9. Cultivate the habit of reading: For you to be a master blogger, you have to become an avid consumer of information. You have to cultivate a reading habit because; there are many things you will need to learn from other people. In his post, Timo Kiander wrote a post that covered the importance of reading blog posts, you might also wish to check it out.
The more you read, the more you learn new things that will take your blog to a greater height.
10. Build an email list as soon as possible: I’m still far behind on this one but, i do know the benefits and, i will be taking it very serious next year. It is said that the money is in the list and, this is so true. It does not mean that the people that subscribed to your email list are your money making machine but, they are the people that can help to grow your business if you respect them. It is therefore of utmost importance to start building a list as soon as possible and also learn how to respect your subscribers.
11. Give and Take: If you want to become a master blogger, you must also learn to be giving because, the more you give, the more you will receive. Thats it. What i mean here is that, if you ever want anything, you must first give it out freely. Its every bloggers wish to have his readers comment on his blog so, if thats also what you want, you must also learn to comment on other peoples blogs and, they will in turn come back and comment on yours.
If you want a punch, give someone a punch before you know it, you will have a swollen face :). If you want a smile, give it away and you will get as many as possible. Therefore, if you people to share your posts, you must have to share their first. All these are especially when you’re just starting, you will always need to give it the things you want and they will come back to you. If you want to start getting lots of comments on your blog posts then, you will have to read this amazing post that covered the topic.
12. Taking action: One thing that always kills some bloggers is not taking action syndrome. After reading or learning anything that will grow your business, it’s always good to start practising it as soon as possible to see the impact it will create on your business instead of doing nothing. It will only be a waste of time if you finish reading this post and did nothing so, start working on acquiring blogging literacy now. I’m sure that if you follow these steps, you will be creating a blog that will end up being very famous.
Thanks for reading.
I know there are many other ways of acquiring blogging literacy so; I want you to tell me your own methods on the comment section. Let’s discuss further and, let me know what you think about my own points.
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Photo Credit: freedigitalphotos.net
Ryan Biddulph says
Hi Theodore,
11 accelerates your success.
Promote others aggressively and leave comments to blogs – good, helpful comments – to leverage your presence. Some people will promote you and comment on your blog to return the kind act; this is how to grow your audience.
Sow. Reap. Blogging gold. And it is so darn easy to comment for a minute and hit a retweet button, no?
Thanks for sharing!
Theodore Nwangene says
Hello Ryan,
I agree with your points, commenting and sharing other peoples posts will not cost you anything rather than few minutes and, this will certainly propel your blog to a greater height.
Thanks a lot for coming and sharing your awesome opinion with US Ryan, appreciated.
Harleena Singh says
Hi Theodore,
Let me thank you for the kind mention firstly, and for the lovely post yet again 🙂
Yes indeed, I think you said it all within your wonderful points laid out. What’s honestly worked for me has been #11, just as Ryan also mentioned – the give and take or the reciprocation, which is something that works in the Blogosphere. It’s not something I knew when I started blogging, and it took me a while to understand how it’s all done too, but once I knew about it, there was no looking back.
I think blog commenting does real wonders. Besides the link building that people go in for, I think it’s the relationship you build with fellow bloggers that goes a long long way – so much beyond our blogs – and those relationships are for keeps, isn’t it? They develop into good friendship and being there for each other in time of need. I can speak of it because it’s been happening with me, so I know it does work 🙂 Besides, why not give more – why not share more? You lose nothing more than a few seconds, but look at the help it gives the blogger, it widens their reach and you too do a good deed by sharing it with your fans who might like and benefit from someone else’s post. This is one point I always follow, though find others do less of it, which makes me wonder why?
Your other points like being specific about your blogging goals, niche, asking questions, reading, and learning from all the possible places helps you become better each day. I think a bloggers work is never done. If you really want to be good, you’d keep your channels of learning and communication always open and grasp everything from every resource, without thinking about the niche, rank, or other such factors. Just my cents 🙂
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Theodore Nwangene says
Great points Harleena,
Blog commenting is really the best way to build up your blog and, I wish I also discovered this on time.
Many people do comment just for the benefit of getting links but, its benefits is far beyond that.
Like you said, its definitely going to cost you nothing to comment and share other peoples posts except the few minutes it will take you to type your comment and click on the share buttons so, what’s the big deal.
Though sometimes, we do get too busy that we can’t keep up with reading and commenting on other people posts but, its still the right way to go.
Thanks a lot for stopping by Harleena and, do have a great day.
Arun Kallarackal says
Hi Theodore,
The first point is the most important one according to me. Many newbie bloggers fail because they don’t do justice to point #1! This happens when they jump into blogosphere without giving it any second thought.
Then there are those who have myths about blogging rooted in their minds. They think that blogging will be easy, full of breaks and relaxation. But as you said, to thrive blogging, one must be willing to put in hours of hard work.
Having a niche is important. I must admit that I made this mistake of not selecting an appropriate niche at the beginning. Choosing a definite niche helps us set clear goals and work towards them.
And networking, my friend, I believe is unavoidable. Networking is what triggers mutually beneficial relations, give and take etc. I’ve been missing it all this time. Having started it now, I’m enjoying every bit of it 🙂
Wonderful piece of writing Theodore 🙂
Arun
Theodore Nwangene says
You’re so right Arun,
One thing that always kill most bloggers. They believed that the blogging is the easiest way to make money from the internet and, when they finally start it with such mindset, they will end up getting frustrated because, what they expected will no longer be what they will see.
I’m happy you’ve learnt your lessons though which is the main thing.
Thanks for coming brother.
metz says
In botany, an evergreen is a plant that has leaves in all four seasons, always green.
That means an EVERGREEN guide on how to spice up your blogging literacy today is great! And I can personally say that the guide showed in your pillar are timely and comprehensible! I’ve jot down some points, takeaways and tips from you!
Thanks for this! 🙂
Found this post shared on Kingged.com, the IM social bookmarking site.
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks Metz,
I’m happy you found the post interesting enough, thanks for stopping by.
Nosa E Nosa says
Lovely article Theodore, you said everything and I love your first point about understanding what blogging entails. It’s true that a lot of blogs see a sudden fall for this similar reason, and most of the time, it’s too late to make amends.
I won’t agree with you on one niche blogging. Alot has been said about that everyday, but I am that stubborn, I don’t agree with certain things. I have been a multi-niched blogger and a niche blogger before settling for a multi-niched blogging. In life, there are rules, but some rule don’t apply to everyone. What I believe is that one has to test what he likes, I am not comfortable running from one blog to another. My blog is everything I love doing. Each category of my blog is my niche and I find that easier to work it.
Like i hinted, what works for one might be a failure to another. If one must be a multi-niche blogger, the entire planing should be done at the blog’s foundation.
Overall, great piece buddy, and enjoy the rest of the day.
Theodore Nwangene says
Hello Nosa,
I understand where you’re coming from and, i won’t doubt you at all because, we’re all different and what worked for you might not work for another person so, if having multiple niche in one blog works for you then, keep on doing it. The most important thing is the ability to manage it well which I’m sure you’re already doing.
More strength to your elbows my friend 🙂
Philip Okechukwu says
Dear Theo, Nice article on Acquiring Blogging literacy.
The points I listed below are those that interest me most
9: Reading habit: Each time one reads, he or she expands their wealth of knowledge, this point goes beyond from blogging to our real world.
6: Asking question:A man that asks questions never misses his way; some don’t ask questions due to arrogance, pride or some even feel shy to ask.
Their is no weakness in learning, rather strength is exhibited when one shows a learnable heart.
5: connecting with people: what ever stage you are aspiring to acquire, there are people who were in that position and have gone past it. Connecting with them makes you avoiding making the same mistakes that they made on their way up. no man has ever succeeded been an island.
thanks for sharing.
Philip
Theodore Nwangene says
You’ve already said it all Phil,
And, i couldn’t have agreed more. Thanks a lot for shading more light to the topic and, have a lovely weekend.
Asaolu olubayode says
Hey Theodore,
i was actually reading this post on my smartphone, before your words drove me up to use my Pc to comment. Blogging is like a journey My brother, it requires necessary attention and willing mind. You’ve actually said everything about blogging literacy, which i firmly support. And to the commenting issue theo, that is just the surefire ways to get your blog visible. Your are also right when you said in your point #1 that Many bloggers don’t know the clear meaning of blogging. (I wrote an article earlier in my blogging career, which was “What is blogging”) Blogging is just more than putting articles together……it’s all about networking, Friendship and Many More. You are the best bro, have a wonderful weekend.
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks for adding to the post Asaolu,
I’m glad you agree with the message I’m trying to pass. Thanks a lot for stopping by
Eyram says
Theodore,
I must add that for we bloggers, it is important to keep the pain of our ideal readers before us. This is really what keeps us and our solutions evergreen – Knowing why they read our posts in the first place. After all, is the first rule to blogging success or make money online not, Find a market in great pain and provide the solution?
Jeevan Jacob John says
Great points, Theodore!
#1 – We may not necessarily be able to learn and understand everything, particularly before we start a blog. But, it does help to know the stuff before we start (and how many people actually do the research? They just jump right in, hoping to make easy cash).
#2 – Oh, yes. This one is important. I start blogging as a hobby. It is still a hobby to an extent, but it is also a business for me.
#3 – Of course. Blogging has helped me to evolve – my personality 😀 Develop useful traits, such as hard work and perseverance. Blogging has helped me to understand the value of trying again, and of course, quitting 😉 Before blogging, my ideals were different, my ideas were different. If we want to achieve success in blogging, we have to be willing to work hard (and work smart).
#4 – I have played around with this one. I started with a very broad niche – Science and Tech. I had lots to write, lots to choose from (overwhelming, for one writer!). I eventually shifted my focus to blogging (but, I still maintained the tech part; posted a tech related article every now and then). I had decided to go specific for my second blog, but eventually I ended up choosing two ‘broad’ niches – networking and marketing. For my upcoming blog, I am going with three different topics: Content marketing, Productivity, Personal development 😉 Not too broad and not too narrow.
#6 – Asking questions is indeed important. Unfortunately, we aren’t exactly encouraged to ask questions (Think to classrooms. Every time, we look around and look whether there is anyone else asking questions…we assume others understand everything, so we don’t ask the question we want to ask; we don’t want to come off as stupid). That kind of mindset will only hurt us. We need to abandon that idea; forget what other people will think about us, focus on who we really are and what we do.
#9 – Reading. I do love reading. It’s the best way to get inspiration for new blog posts (at least for me). Don’t just limit our reading to blog posts, read books from a wide variety of topics – fiction to non fiction.
#11 and 12 – Perhaps the most important points of all. Give and we shall get (even if we don’t, just give). It’s okay to be selfish, but don’t be too selfish 😉
Taking action is more important than learning something..what is the purpose of learning something if we don’t apply it to our lives? (It’s like getting a driver’s license and not driving at all?).
Great points, Theodore 🙂 Thank you for sharing them! I hope you are having a great weekend!
Lisa says
Great post Theodore, I particularly like your point about blogging being HARD WORK. Too many start out thinking they will make money right away and it’s a false assumption. It does take much TIME and over TIME to make money and be successful. You cannot go it alone, I always said we are not an island online. The friendships we make along the way is an added bonus. I did not realize I would met so many wonderful people along this journey Theodore.
GIVING is not something all bloggers do until they almost fail and then realize why. I think you must be genuinely interested in people to accomplish it as well. Otherwise it will show right through you and people will pick up on it.
I would also add to gain blogging literacy it must become a HABIT, no?
Qasim says
Hi Theodore,
What an awesome post, blogging is not that hard to understand and do but it need skills, dedication and efforts. As you said you have to focus on your specific niche and search for proven strategies that works for others, you need to test those strategies for your own blog and then modify them based on your results. You need to connect and interact with other bloggers in your niche. Thank you so much for sharing this enlightening post.
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks a lot Qasim,
I’m happy you like the posts and agreed to what i said.
Adrienne says
Wow Theodore, what a jam packed post my friend. I do believe that you’ve covered it all and I also appreciate the mention here. I’m always so thrilled when people learn from me because I’ve learned from others.
I agree, you definitely need to read other’s content because that’s how I started to really learn and grow. Don’t be afraid to ask questions either because if you ask someone who isn’t open to helping you then you don’t have to waste your time trying to build a relationship with them. We both know how important that is to our overall success due to the many ways we can help each other. I wish every blogger was that open but I think the ones we know definitely are.
Sharing is caring and getting yourself in front of the right people will really help with where you can take your blog and your business.
Blog commenting really helped me the most when I started this particular journey. I never fully understood the benefits of it because I was just taught it was a great way to get traffic to your blog. It is but today there has to be more. People will stop by but if your content won’t keep them there then they probably won’t be back. Connecting with other bloggers though is the real key to getting in front of the right people.
Really great post Theodore, I so appreciate the time you took to put this one together. I’m sure everyone else does as well.
Enjoy your week and thanks again.
~Adrienne
Susan Neal says
Hi Theodore,
I agree with the many other comments, particularly those who emphasise the importance of give and take. You’ve offered some great advice here, which will give anyone thinking about starting a blog a really good impression of what’s really involved – including the fact that it IS hard work! As with many other things in life, I think the more you give, the more you get.
Thanks, Theodore – an excellent post.
Theodore Nwangene says
Thanks Sue,
I’m happy that you’re agree with the points here. Thanks for visiting
Vicky says
Wonderful post! You’ve shared great points regarding blogging literacy. And I liked #6 point ” Learn to Ask Questions” which is kinda important for learn more things in our time.
Thanks for sharing.!
Ashish says
Hello,
Great article! Having a vision of what coming next and writing about would be great idea to drive more traffic. These tips are really informative.
Thanks for sharing
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Jahnavi says
Nice post. Liked all of your given points regarding blogging literacy. Keep up the hard work… 🙂