The internet is full of guides telling you how to be a blogger but really there is only one thing you need to do. Write.

Blogging is all about the writing (unless you’re focus is photography) – regardless of what the thousands of blogging guides and books would have you believe.

How to Really Be a Blogger

It doesn’t matter what you want to blog about, if you have a topic in mind then write about it. Ideally it should be something you’re interested in, something you’re passionate about. If you’re writing about something just because you think it will be popular then your readers will know. They’ll sense that your heart isn’t in it and they’ll stop reading.

Even if you don’t have a specific topic that you can write expertly about, just be honest and relatable with your readers.

I firmly believe that in order to be creative you need to fuel that creativity by appreciating the work of others, this means that if you want to be a blogger you must read other blogs, and not just of the same niche as your own. This not only helps to improve your own writing skills, but also introduces you to alternative ways of writing and exposes you to the opinions and creative ideas of other people.

As you start to build an audience and readership it is important to appreciate the people who are taking the time to read your work, this means responding to each and every comment you receive. It is also a good idea that you comment on other blogs, if you’ve read a post that you have found informative or relatable or funny then tell the author, this encourages them to continue with their own work.

As I said at the beginning of this post, the only way you can be a blogger is to have a blog and post content. It doesn’t matter what you write about, consistency is the key. I’ve been publishing posts every day this month but that’s not realistic for me and my lifestyle on a permanent basis so my posting schedule is usually twice a week, this is much more manageable.

Find your own schedule. If you can’t post twice a week then aim for once, but stick to the same day each week, this way your readers will know when to expect knew content. They’ll soon learn your routine and will hopefully make an effort to visit your blog more often.

Most books and online resources about blogging will tell you the importance of social media, and yes to extent I agree, but I also feel that there is no point in having a large social media following guiding people to your blog if you don’t have any content or the content isn’t very good.

Using social media to engage with your readers is great, it’s something I plan to focus on more over the course of this year, but I also don’t intend to let it rule me. Focusing solely on a platform (ie. Instagram) is not recommended, you need to remember that you do not own any of these platforms so if any of them suddenly shut down all of your content and followers would disappear. This is why the quality of your blog is so important.

So how can you be a blogger in 2020?

Simple. Read, Write and Engage.