How do you know about blogging?

How do you know your value?

How do you know your blog is effective? A question that is often asked especially by newbie bloggers. Usually after months of little to no traffic and zero results. The answer is recognition. How to know your blog is effective depends on who sees your blog.

This, however, can take months and even years because building recognition is hard work. The key is to create competitive content. While developing your own writing style so audiences can start to recognize your work.

Once your audience recognize your style? No one else will be able to claim recognition for your hard work. And I cannot agree more with Nikola Tesla, the genius who lit the world!

“I do not care that they stole my idea” he said, “I care that they do not have any ideas of their own!”

One of the greatest inventors of all time, Nikola Tesla, “The genius who lit the world”, is well known for the Tesla coil (which laid the foundation for wireless technologies), the development of the alternating-current electrical system, while also being credited with the discovery of the rotating magnetic field – Source

Nikola Tesla Famous Quotes

How do you know how to know your blog is effective? It will dawn on you once you start getting the response you have been working for.

How do you deal with copy cats?

One way to know how to know is that your content may most probably get copied. Never get too nasty when that happens because it is a compliment in disguise. Just as not everyone is your friend online. Not everyone is your enemy either.

Always be kind because we were all newbies at some point in time. Never forget that. Too much ego will cloud both your judgement and understanding. Because regardless of how much you know. The newbie is just a few research years behind you.

But never allow said copy cats to confuse kindness with weakness. A fair and kind warning will suffice. But if they persist on going the illegal route. Then by all means take the next step and teach a lesson the hard way. Because some people are just rude and lazy to do the research required.

But always attempt to help someone first before you judge. A much-required attribute of kindness which really costs nothing.

Another way how to know you know!

How to know your blog and content is competitive? Well, apart from your blog Alexa rank. You may also notice an increase in comments. But more importantly the emails you will start to receive. You will know your content is competitive. Because people will start contacting you to write for them.

So instead of you contacting sites to write for them? They will now start contacting you. And that is another perfect way to be sure your blog is good enough. Because not only is your content gaining recognition but also appreciation.

Therefore, it is of paramount importance to know as much as possible about your niche. Knowing what your audience needs. AKA common need within your niche. Because when your content is compelling enough you will never need to sales pitch again, ever!

Noticing other professionals noticing you. One of the key elements of professional blogging. And an element obtained only through hard work and years of research. Because the competition is fierce regardless of the niche.

Charisma is one of those things that people assume you’re born with, but that’s not necessarily the case. Regardless of your personality type, it’s entirely possible to become more likeable and develop your charisma – Source

How do you know enough to compete?

You will know you know enough to compete, the minute you are able to teach certain skills. There is always someone that knows less than you. And from a humble point of view remember there will always be someone that knows more than you.

Therefore, it is important to teach those who know less. And learn from other professionals that know more than you. Knowledge is given and taken and without knowing it will be increasingly more difficult to compete.

Compliments and questions are an indication you know enough to compete. Which is why building recognition through questions and answer sites are important. And some of the most responsive Q and A sites are Quora and Stack Exchange.

You will soon know how you know. Merely because audiences will start probing your knowledge to find out how much you know. Therefore, increased engagement is a clear sign you know enough to compete at a professional level.

How do you gain enough knowledge to compete?

In a word? Research. Knowledge is the key to both professional blogging and making money online in any niche. Because making money online is the art of turning knowledge into an income. Which is usually achieved through turning knowledge into a digital product.

Competitive knowledge requires not months but years of research. And form part of how to know you know enough to compete. Knowledge is the hard work part of blogging, writing and recognition. Along with compelling design. Because images you use along with your content show in search results on mobile devices.

And a bit of extra info? Always place any text you use in images to the center of the image. Because search result display will reduce the image slightly from the side. And focusing text to the center will prevent your message from being watered down.

Know how to use the two most important factors with the presentation. Addressing a need and offering a solution without the sales pitch. Kind of like sending a “between the lines” message.

When you’re researching online, you might come across multiple pages you want to refer back to later. Instead of leaving them open and wasting precious resources, you can use the following methods to save your Chrome tabs – Source

How do you know you are ready for blogging?

If you are to wait until you are ready for blogging. In months to come, you will still be waiting. The best way to know and find out if you know how is to get started. Because the more you write, design and blog. The better you will get on your journey to building an arsenal of knowledge.

You will never know how unless you have tried. Perhaps start with a free blog on the most popular blogging platforms, which are Google Blogger and WordPress. And should it turn out you may not be quite ready? Then it only means you must work a little harder until you know how to know.

Taking the first step is the best way how to know whether you are ready for blogging. But a word of caution. Blogging can be rather addictive once you get the hang of all the technical detail. Among which SEO must be the most frustrating. Not because it is all that difficult.

But rather time-consuming because time is the most important part of successful SEO. It requires constant updating and even page and post-editing. Because what works this year may not necessarily be working next year.