Who doesn’t love a good top 5 list? Or top 10 list? I know I do. They are a quick and easy way to get information you want. In today’s world of information now and time is money; quick is always a good thing. When I started this list it was going to be a top 10, but as I worked through the list I kept thinking back to the idea of keeping the information quick and relevant…what ended up happening is I trimmed the list down to what I believe are the top 7 most important tips for new bloggers.

1. Write What You Love

It’s no coincidence that this is in the top spot on this list. If you love what you are writing about that passion will show through and your readers will automatically find themselves more engaged as your passion rubs off on them. This is also important because if you don’t love it you will inevitably lose interest and stop working on it.

2. Be Unique

Let’s face it; there are tons of blogs out there on every topic under the sun. No matter what it is that you want to blog about, odds are that there are at least a dozen blogs out there about the same thing. So, how do you get noticed amongst all of the others? Offer something unique. Give people something they can’t find on other similar blogs. This will require some research, but I guarantee you it will be time well spent.

3. Write for Your Audience

Whatever your blog is about, whether it be cooking, homeschooling, sports, or really anything else, you will have a specific group of people that you are writing for. They are your audience. They are the people who will read your blog because you are offering unique information about something they love. Therefore, you have to know your audience so that you can write for them. Who are they? What are their opinions about your topic? Make your blog interesting for your target audience. (Hint: if you’ve got the first two items on the list covered, you are in pretty good shape for this one as well.)

4. Don’t Give Up

Those who stick with it, day in and day out, win. It’s as simple as that. If you don’t continue to create, you will not succeed. There will be critics. There will be those who say you can’t do it. But you can. Continue finding new things that motivate you to write and stay positive. You will succeed.

5. Network

There are a lot of reasons to network. And I know a lot of you are groaning right now at this one. But networking isn’t about trying to sell something. You don’t have to jump outside your comfort zone too far. Networking is about finding like-minded, positive individuals who can offer advice, inspiration, and support. Having a strong network is paramount in helping you to accomplish number 4 on our list.

6. Make Your Content Easy to Share

No matter which blogging platform you chose to use there is a plugin that will allow you to share your content. This is the digital equivalent to word-of-mouth. In our digital world comprised of Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and literally hundreds of others, it’s very important that your readers are able to easily share your content with their friends so that your blog can continue to grow.

7. Be Consistent

Consistency in anything is key to success. Want to be a better guitar player? You have to practice consistently. Want to write better? Same thing. So why would it be any different for a blog? It’s not. But there are several ways where consistency can help you – from how regularly you post to keeping your content consistent with the theme of your blog. Readers feel more confident consistently returning to your blog when they know and trust the blog to be consistent.