Time to be taken seriously as a blogger? *

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome when you start out as a blogger is the problem of being taken seriously. Pretty much anyone with access to a computer and the internet can set up a blog these days, which not only means that there are a lot of them about, but also that newbies aren’t always taken as seriously as they should be. This is a major problem if you want to build a following and eventually start making money out of your new venture, so what can you do about it?

Take it Completely Seriously

First and foremost, no one is going to take you seriously as a blogger if you don’t even take yourself seriously. So, when people ask you what you do, don’t be afraid to tell them that you’re a blogger without putting yourself down and minimizing exactly what it is you do. This is a common problem whereby bloggers put themselves down telling people they merely mess around posting their opinions or pictures of themselves online. It creates the impression that they are not serious and they do not work hard, which is far from true and which prevents them from being taken seriously in their work.

Write Regularly

You will be taken a lot more seriously and given way more respect if you write regularly, keeping to a predefined schedule that you have set for yourself. Why? Because this shows that you are consistent; that you are serious about what you do and you work hard to achieve your aims.

Impress with Your Address

If you are including your mailing address as part of your contact information, something which can immediately give you more credibility and boost trust with your readers and something which might actually be required depending on where you live, why not go that extra mile by making your address as impressive as possible. No, you don’t have to move home or pay a premium for office space in the most prestigious part of town – you simply need to visit https://yourvirtualofficelondon.co.uk/. By using one of their prestigious addresses, not only will you appear more professional from the off, but you will be able to have a professional address on your blog without having to worry about your personal safety.

Improve Your Blog’s Look

Image Credit

You don’t have to spend a fortune hiring expensive web designers, but if your blog is pretty basic in the way that it looks, then buying a premium theme or having a freelancer create a custom one just for you can pay off more than you would think. You see, although it is your actual content that matters the most, many people are turned off by an amateur website that doesn’t function as well as it could. So. sorting that out should be something you seek to do if you know it’s a problem for you.

Guest Post

Once your writing is sufficiently good enough, pursue guest posting opportunities on bigger, more established blogs within your niche. If readers see that your writing is good enough for the big names, such as Problogger.com and The Huffington Post, they will start to see you as being a capable, competent expert and that will make them not only more likely to take you seriously but also that they will visit your blog and become a loyal follower. The SEO juice won’t hurt either!

Go After Affiliates and Sponsorship Deals

A lot of bloggers wait until they are being taken seriously to go after sponsorship deals and the like with bigger brands, but if your blog is good, you can get these kinds of deals with a relatively small band of followers, and by doing so, it shows everyone that you are serious and that you can be successful. So, don’t wait until you have 100,000 visitors every month to pursue ideals because you never know where being proactive now could take you in the future.

Attend Events

Attending events and conferences in your niche, whether as a speaker or an attendee is a great way to rub shoulders with established success and piggyback off them to boost your own career and show people how serious you are. More importantly, it’s a great way to meet people and make new friends who are interested in the same kinds of things as you are.

Being taken seriously as a blogger can be difficult, but if you’re willing to put in the time and effort and you have the determination to show everyone what you can do, you shouldn’t find it too tough. Just hang in there, make sure you’re doing all of the above, and you will go far!

* This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links