How To Be A Successful Blogger In 5 Steps From Popular Bloggers

What do they know that you don’t?

Those top bloggers, with their armies of fans, making waves across the Internet. What do they have that you don’t?

Well, in this research article, you’re about to learn the top 12 secrets of eight of the world’s top bloggers so you can learn how to be a successful blogger, just like them…

What Makes Them A Top Blogger?

This list isn’t an official Top 8 like you hear on the radio. Nobody, not even Google or Alexa, has enough traffic information to create a real ranking.

The bloggers on this list are the top bloggers in their niche, or incredibly up-and-coming bloggers, based on detailed research (and lots of coffee drinking).

But what they did have to do was meet a certain criteria that looks like this:

These folks are frequently featured on top ten and/or top blogger lists for their niche.
They didn’t buy an established blog; they grew it from nothing.
They have a mailing list or social media following of 10,000 or more people.
They’re actively producing content.
A Look Behind The Research

We care about content here at CoSchedule. And how you can create better content: This research aims to reflect that.

I’ve used BuzzSumo’s content analysis tool, as well as my own research, to focus on the content these bloggers have produced and how it’s made them a success.

This covers, but isn’t limited to:

Content length
Their content (and if their readers are content with it)
Visuals
Social media
All with the goal of showing you what they do and how you can do it, too.

Each section breaks down a blog, their content, and what they’ve done to become successful—and how to be a successful blogger all by yourself.

If you’re ready, let’s get into it, shall we?

Jon Morrow: Publish Consistent Content To Build An Audience Of Loyal Fans

Jon’s blog, Boost Blog Traffic, is a powerhouse in the blogging niche. It covers all the tools and skills a blogger needs to become a success in the least amount of time possible.

And, Jon is reportedly making $100,000 per month from this blog alone, which is testament to his abilities as a blogger. Let’s look at how he’s done it…

#1. Consistency Is Key

Jon has a strict posting schedule of only one post per week, maximum. And, more often than not, that post is released on a Thursday.

While that isn’t concrete—the blog occasionally posts on other days—that’s when he achieves the most success. Which shows his audience knows when to expect content, and is flocking there as soon as it’s released.

That consistency doesn’t just apply to when he posts his content. It’s also in how he writes his content.

For example, the introductions to all of the blog’s posts (even the guest ones) follow the exact same style.

Take a look at this from one of their first ever posts back in 2012:

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What That Means For You…

Be consistent with your content. And, not just when you post it, but the style you write it in, too. Give your audience something to expect, and a style that feels like ‘home’ when they read it. The more familiar and consistent it is, the more likely they are to return.
Chiara Ferragni: Blog Frequently And Focus Your Energy On One Social Network

Chiara Ferragni, or The Blonde Salad, is a prolific fashion blogger. And, thankfully, you don’t need to know your Jimmy Choo’s from your Louboutins to understand how she became one.

Admittedly, she was employed as a Guess model which gave her some platform to build from. But that doesn’t make what she’s done with this blog any less impressive.

Because to consistently get over 2,000 shares per blog post means that your content has to be good.

From my research, this comes down to two easy-to-replicate steps:

#2. Maintain A Predictable Frequency

Between Monday and Friday, she posts content of different lengths at least once a day. As Matt Cutts from Google notes says, publishing content frequently can help you build an audience who checks in often to catch the latest information from your blog.

#3. Build One Clear Distribution Channel

While it’s definitely beneficial to get yourself out there on every form of media, it can be more effective to focus on fewer, or as is the case here, just one channel: Facebook.

By focusing on building her Facebook presence, Chiara’s able to predict and manipulate a large source of her traffic. Plus it’s much easier to build a following on one channel than on multiple.

Which is why her blog’s Facebook page has over 1,192,000 likes and counting.
What That Means For You…

If it suits the style of your blog, post content more frequently to drive more traffic back to your site. It doesn’t have to be long; it just has to be valuable and informative.

Narrow down your social media focus instead of trying to cover all of them. Build up an authority standing on Facebook or Twitter and then expand.

Matthew Woodward: Know Your Audience And Dream Bigger

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Matt on a number of projects. And, in the world of effective SEO, he’s one of the go to guys.

From working alongside him, I know three things to be true:

He spends a painstaking amount of time getting to know his audience.
He is extremely particular about his content.
He’s a ferocious networker.
So let’s see how that impacts his blog, and how he’s turned it into a success.

#4. Understanding Your Audience, And Engaging Them, Is Crucial…

Matt’s content doesn’t really go viral. In fact, his social shares are some of the lowest here:
But what he lacks in social shares, he makes up for in comments and engagements. Matt goes out of his way to talk to, and get to know, his audience on a different level. It’s not blogger to audience, it’s friend to friend.

And that’s why his posts regularly exceed 60 comments.

He constantly surveys and asks his audience what they want, how they want it, and when they want it.

There is no such thing as filler content either. He doesn’t have any fluff that just fills a posting schedule. He only provides long-form, actionable, or insightful content that his audience will benefit from.

This level of control for him—and his readers—makes sure that there’s a consistent flow of traffic, and that Boost Blog Traffic style of brand-standard-ness throughout his content.

#5. …But Not As Important As Outreach.

What has truly helped Matt get this blog to such heights is getting out there and networking with other people in the niche. You just need to look at his ‘As Seen On’ page to see just how hard he worked at that:

And, all of that exposure has given his site thousands of backlinks from high quality, authority sites:

how to be a successful blogger with backlinks

Which helps him bring in over 30,000 sessions a month from Google and organic sources alone.

What That Means For You…

While social shares are important as a metric, they can sometimes cloud your measurement for success with vanity. And, it’s possible to have lots of success without ever going viral.

Instead, take the time to get to know your audience—through surveys and emails and polls—to find out what they want and give it to them.

While you’re finding out what your audience wants, be sure to reach out and find opportunities to write for other blogs in your niche, too. Not only does this help for SEO, but it helps for your overall branding and drives traffic to your content from other authorities, too.