Guest post by Wayne Howard
Without a doubt, most of us got into blogging because we wanted to make a lot of money quickly or because we actually had a passion for it. When the “money quick” bunch figured out that the money wasn’t exactly quick or even existent, they either disappeared or converted over to the passionate bunch.
What were they passionate about?
Perhaps making money. However, you could still see the fire in their eyes and that very state sort of reminds me of the same state an entrepreneur needs to be in.
I can almost guarantee that when you first introduced your friends or colleagues into your world of blogging, entrepreneur wasn’t the first word that popped in their head. Most likely it was hobbyist, extreme hobbyist even.
Once you really get deep into blogging, however, hobby was the last word you wanted associated with your blog. Your blog was more akin to a start-up company! When we take a dive into the following values, we see just how similar we are. To be successful, you need to have:
Passion
With any entrepreneurial endeavor, you must have a fiery passion that people can feel. The same can be said for blogging. Without this important attribute, you most likely will not put as much into your work as you could. It’s like having that job that you hate so you only give 75% of yourself. True entrepreneurship needs passion. True bloggers need passion.
Vision
When you are starting a company, one of the first things you sit down and come up with is a vision for where you want your business to go. Where will you be in X amount of years and how will you get there? Well, if you already haven’t thought of this, you need to come up with a vision for your blog. All of our visions are probably to have the best blog in the world, but how will we get there? Just like the entrepreneur, we should have this mapped out somewhere.
Persistence
One of the most well known attributes of an entrepreneur is their persistence. After all, they say an overwhelming majority of most start-ups fail right? The same probably could be said for most new blogs, although it is far easier for us to just reinstall WordPress and start over. Down the road to blogging bliss, we will most likely make a ton of mistakes and get frustrated, but it’s that persistence that keeps us going unlike the “quick money” bunch who left after the first paragraph.
The Ability To Network
Entrepreneurs use networking to build teams, get ideas, bond with mentors, secure investors, and much more. We as bloggers should be doing just as much, if not more, networking as the entrepreneur. Our networking comes in the form social media and communities. We need to be actively building relationships with those virtually around us. The Lone Blogger won’t be a blogger for long most likely.
The Need for Freedom
When the entrepreneur goes to tell his friends that he wants to start his own company, unless they have the same mindset, he or she is usually met with with blank stares. They can’t fathom how anyone could want to start a company when there are so many “wonderful” companies we could be working for. This is what separates the blogger and the entrepreneur from others. While we usually aren’t afraid to drag ourselves to work, we realize that there is a lot more to life than the 9-5. Most of us aren’t able to quit our day jobs just yet, but the point that we envision one day being in control of our own time, doing what we love to do.
Blogging is entrepreneurship, point blank. There is no other way to describe it. If you have a blog and your goal is to have more than your spouse and next door neighbor to read it, you are going to treat it like a business. Once you get into this mindset, you become The Entrepreneurial Blogger.
Your Turn
Have you fully transitioned into The Entrepreneurial Blogger or do you see your blog as more of a hobby? What other values do you think the entrepreneur and the blogger share? Let us know what you think!
Wayne Howard is just a young blogger with an entrepreneurial mind who wants to share what he’s learning with the world. He is the creator of Business & Pleasure and The Blogger’s Atlas Project. Connect with him through twitter @WaynesBNP and on facebook at www.facebook.com/WaynesBNP.
Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
About Kiesha Easley
Yes. Passion is the key! but more important is the willingness to serve the people. No matter whatever business you are in to, selling your products or providing a service or just writing a blog sharing your ideas, there must be something that you want to share with the people. At the end of the day, its all about putting a smile on someone else face that matters when you do business.
Lawrence recently posted..Joomla survival tips and tricks in website development.
Great article,
I must say passion is the most important thing which we need to have.
Thanks a lot for this article
Shweta recently posted..Facebook rejects cookie allegations.
Agreed with you 2Devesh, passion and networking are most important for entrepreneurial blogger today.
Thank you for your great article.
Jenni recently posted..Four Ways to Increase Your Blog Traffic and Amass an Audience
Patience is also one characteristic a blogger needs especially for beginners because we can’t have everything we need in just a short time, we must work for it until we become successful.
Virtual Character recently posted..Using Avatars in the Enterprise
Wayne,
Great points. Being successful blogging without passion and vision is highly unlikely. Making MONEY off of blogging (even if successful) would be very hard without networking, persistence and a desire for freedom. Thanks for the post!
Steve recently posted..52 Daily Success Habits to Develop…Starting Today
I think it is important to stop and seriously consider the reasons why you are blogging. Are you really blogging as a way to make money? Or, are you using the money as an excuse to just do something you love to do? I think a lot of people fall into that second category. They blog because they really enjoy it and not really as a way to earn susbtantial income.
I for one have some of each. I have blogs that I generate passive income from that are not passionate at all. In fact, they are dry and boring. They do provide value to people though.
Then I have other blogs like the one most people know about, where I just write about whatever I want so I can connect with other people. That is not really a great way to make money.
If you are serious about MMO, then you really do need to treat your blogging as a business. You need to do what must be done to generate revenue. You need to be the entrepreneur that Wayne is talking about.
Kathy recently posted..Should You Publish A Mean Blog Post Or A Mean Comment
I got into blogging cos I love writing and I tried a website and it didn’t work for me. So when I discovered blogging I was very happy. Also I think to be passionate about a topic and to be able to blog about it as often as I want is great. It isn’t a silver bullet for riches and I know I will have to persist through all the bumps in the road and be patient but as I do blog; hopefully my passion for my chosen niche comes across. Also with blogging it is about relationships and I’m meeting some really nice people in the blogging community. They are encouraging me and offering help when I need it.
Blogging is the best.
Patricia Perth Australia
Patricia recently posted..Relaxing With Lavender
Now that is what I call a great article Wayne. you definitely nailed it! Passion and persistence – that is what blogging is all about. No passion means no motivation, which in turn makes the whole undertaking impossible. Persistence is also a key component and without it you are pretty much bound to fail.
Daniel Sharkov recently posted..Monetizing your Blog – The Less Ads the Better
Thanks! I really appreciate that and you are absolutely correct!
Wayne Howard recently posted..Getting on the Right Track
Hi Wayne,
My blog is a full time entrepreneurial venture. When new to blogging it was a hobby but with time and an increased desire to succeed I decided to turn my hobby into a passion.
Super tips. Networking plays a big part in successful blogging. Building relationships while reaching new readerships expands your presence significantly.
Thanks for sharing your blogging insight.
Ryan Biddulph
Ryan Biddulph recently posted..6 Reasons Why You Should Rush to Start an MLM Business Today
Wayne, you have penned down a wonderful post here. Passion as you rightly put is what determines the rate of success or failure in blogging. Without passion, you can’t make any head way as a blogger and this is the simple truth.
Richard Chidike | Motivatory recently posted..Why Internet Marketing And Affiliate programs Gurus Lie to You
Anything you want to be remotely successful at needs just a little bit of passion. You are dead on.
Thanks!
Wayne Howard recently posted..Getting on the Right Track
Wayne,
Great Post. You’ve made some great Points.
I think Passion and networking are most important for entrepreneurial blogger.
Thanks for sharing this fantastic Post.
I see you very active doing commenting and guest posting. Keep up the good work.
Devesh recently posted..Networking as a Blogger