The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers

I’ve been playing around a bit with the book called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, it’s on the stack with the hundreds of other self help/how-to-be-successful books I own. (Clearly they’re all working wonders.) But it got me thinking about the habits of the successful bloggers that I follow. And no, I’m not just talking about the two gorgeous blondes who have been gracing my Instagram for the past few days while at New York Fashion Week together and are clearly new besties… You know who you are. And God love ya for it.

I’m talking about all of the successful bloggers in general. I understand that success means something different to everyone. So let’s just say if you’ve managed to make a full time career out of blogging and you clearly enjoy doing it, that to me is a success.

Thus I present to you,

(At least this is what it seems like they’re doing from my end, anyway.)

1. They’re Bold.
Whether it be with their content, or with their outfit choices if they’re fashion bloggers, something about them isn’t cookie-cutter. But there’s a fine line between bold and doing something just for shock value, for example I’m going to call bullshit if you throw together a fashion post of you wearing nine inch heels with a rainbow flowy skirt and a chambray shirt and call it “momma’s day out.” No thanks, Courtney Love. Same goes for the bloggers who post something that has “controversy” written all over it. Are you writing about this topic because you genuinely care about it, or because you know it’s going to bring you 10,000 hits today? The bloggers I tend to gravitate toward have found the perfect balance.

2. They’re reliable and consistent.
Notice how the best bloggers are consistently posting new content five-six times a week? That’s pretty damn hard, but some of my favorites run their blogs like a fine oiled machine. It’s their job after all, and it’s evident they take it pretty seriously.

3. They’re actually posting good stuff.
Again, this is a preference thing but to me “good stuff” is content that gets readers engaged and let’s them actually take something away from what they just read, and isn’t like every other post out there. I’m also a big believer in it’s not what you do, but how you write it. Some of my favorite bloggers simply post about their day-to-day activities, but their writing is so strong and entertaining, I love reading about it. I don’t give a damn if you’re touring Europe with a traveling circus, if you write like an illiterate circus monkey, I’m not going to read. Then again that might be a stretch, if you’re in a traveling circus in Europe I will probably read, that sounds kinda interesting.  If you want to read one of my favorite posts from today, check out Bon’s.

4. They’re posting great photos.
Now I’m kind of going to contradict what I said in #3, because some of my favorite fashion bloggers don’t write much at all, but in this case their photos make up for it. Truth be told, I like looking at pretty photos of pretty fashion. I could just be making excuses because I realize my photos aren’t exactly high quality, but I feel like if you’re a fashion blogger it’s even more crucial to take a lot of really great photos. I could be wrong, but isn’t that the point of fashion blogging? To show off beautiful clothes in beautiful photos? Becky at Cella Jane is one of my favorite fashion bloggers. Everything she posts is wearable and actually affordable. And it’s not just a bunch of “c/o” outfits so I know it’s actually her real fashion.

5. They know who they are, so in turn, it makes me feel like I know who they are.
It’s hard to find you niche or voice in the blogging world, but in my opinion, this is one of the most important things. Just like in actual life, if you’re not authentic on your blog what’s the point? We’re here to read about your life, after all.

6. They rise above.
Nothing turns me off faster from a blog than a girl going off on rant about all of her “haters.” And for that matter, nothing turns me off more than the word “hater” either. Negativity comes with the territory of being a bigger blogger, and I think what I respect most about some of my favs is the fact they simply choose to rise above it. With more followers only comes more naysayers, I think it’s a shame it has to be this way but it’s just a fact of the matter.

7. They’re adaptable.
The blogging world is constantly changing. So as a blogger you have to remain on your toes. I’m not talking about changing your page design every month, I actually kinda like to see a page stay the same for a good chunk of time (again, just a preference thing.) I’m more so just talking about a blogger’s overall attitude toward change and adaptability. I think the important thing here is to never say never. I remember when Passionfruit ads first rolled out and I actually saw several bloggers get upset about them, as if they were pissed someone was coming in to make their life easier. “I will never use this site because I prefer to interact with my readers” was a common phrase I saw floating around. wank wank… Six months later, we’re all board. Moral of the story- be open to change. It’s not always a bad thing.

And there you have it, seven habits I’ve noticed from some of the best bloggers I read. Take it for what you want.

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30 Comments

  1. September 11, 2013 / 2:38 pm

    So weird — I'm reading The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People for my MBA class right now. I'm glad I'm required to read it because like you, I have several books that I have kinda sorta read that actually would do me some good if I wasn't so ADD and finished them. I haven't gotten to any of the effective habits yet, but I hope this is one of those life changing books that touch me to my core. Too much?

  2. September 11, 2013 / 2:58 pm

    love this! thank you for posting this 🙂

  3. September 11, 2013 / 3:02 pm

    I love this taylor, bc you are an effective blogger. there is so much to "learn" but really you just need to do the above. it's not that hard.

    well it is but you know/

  4. September 11, 2013 / 3:07 pm

    Love this post! I've always had trouble with consistency, not just in blogging, but in every aspect of my life. Gotta figure out how to fix that!! I especially love the "rising above" aspect. It really does turn my stomach when I see one of my favorite bloggers attack someone that called them out, or responding to their "haters" in a immature or defensive manner. I feel it's best to just ignore them and not be catty about it. I'm lucky enough to not have experienced hate on my thus far, but I've seen quite a bit of it in the blogosphere. For shame!

  5. September 11, 2013 / 3:07 pm

    Truth. I'm really bad at that reliable and consistent one. Hence why my blog is blank today. Whoops.

  6. September 11, 2013 / 3:09 pm

    I liked what you said about the balance between being bold–and all-too-obviously stirring up controversy for the sake of pageviews. And I've always been a big believer in consistent posting of quality writing–there's all too much mediocre posts in the blog world, I hope to always write posts that stand out! 🙂

  7. September 11, 2013 / 3:12 pm

    I post crap iphone photos of Hawkeye, but I think she gets a pass because she's cute no matter what. Other than that, I too am totally jealous of the fantastic photos some bloggers post. Niki at Glossy Blonde – swoon.

  8. September 11, 2013 / 3:26 pm

    Great post girl, I love all of the points.

    Also, something else, that kind of goes with what you said about posting good stuff and good pictures: one thing I CANNOT stand is when someone writes posts something that is very heartfelt and detailed, and maybe 1 or 2 pictures and the only thing another Blogger comments on about the post is the picture and does not mention a word about the entry.

    Being a good Blogger is also being a good reader, in my opinion as well. 🙂

    xoxo

  9. September 11, 2013 / 3:40 pm

    All very good, and very true! For the record, I think you're a very effective blogger =)

  10. September 11, 2013 / 3:49 pm

    I like these. I think all very relevant! I also have found my best form of success is comments! I love when people interact with me on my blog!

  11. September 11, 2013 / 4:01 pm

    These are all really great, and I think I would like to read the book for effective people!

    However, I have had a hard time finding a blog design I love, so I have changed that like underwear even though I want to just stick with something. Oops! 🙂

    Love this post!

  12. September 11, 2013 / 5:47 pm

    Great list! You definitely have it all. Love your blog!

  13. September 11, 2013 / 6:52 pm

    Love all of these! I just started blogging myself but have been reading blogs for quite a while.. it's hard to find good ones sometimes!

  14. September 11, 2013 / 7:33 pm

    OH my gosh amen on #6 (and everything else) but I am so over the bashing on bigger blogs about their "haters" or "jealous readers"

    Please. Stop. Like yesterday.

    but in all seriousness, I so agree with everything you stated above. It is everything I search for in my everyday reading!

  15. September 11, 2013 / 9:05 pm

    I love this entire list! Every point it relevant and just so key for everyone in the blogging community. Keep on being amazing- you've always been a favorite!

  16. September 11, 2013 / 9:20 pm

    I teach 7 habits of highly effective teens to my 8th grade leadership students. i think they are great books. This list is great as well. I agree with all 7!

  17. September 11, 2013 / 10:10 pm

    Im still sort of a newbie to this bloggy world so I def learned something from this list!

  18. September 11, 2013 / 10:14 pm

    This is a wonderful post Taylor,
    I really am a horrid blogger. I am constantly trying to increase my followers mainly because I do not have a close network of blogger friends like so many others. I love reading your guides to blogging as each time I adapt my blog a little more and each time I met more blogger.
    Thanks yet again for the wonderful advice.
    Love Gi
    xx

  19. September 11, 2013 / 10:30 pm

    Ah crap, I used the word haters in my post for Friday. But "Sorry people who don't like pumpkin in their soup" sounds less cool than "pumpkin haters". I'll THINK about changing it 🙂

  20. September 11, 2013 / 11:51 pm

    yeah I'm pretty much all seven of these…

  21. September 12, 2013 / 1:27 am

    These are definitely without a doubt great habits to work on for a blogger. I like what you said about being "cookie cutter" which can definitely be hard considering the millions of blogs that exist!

    Thanks for the tips!

    Siobhain
    http://www.thehapagirl.com

  22. September 12, 2013 / 7:25 am

    I absolutely love your no shits are given attitude, which is why I feel like being bold with your writing applies to you in the best of ways. I think there are definitely some good habits on this list that bloggers use, and I'm thinking about picking up the book. Thanks for a thoroughly entertaining post!

  23. September 12, 2013 / 8:56 am

    Great tips, and I totally agree with all of them, even though I am guilty of breaking a few of those….ie crappy iphone photos because I'm just too darn lazy to find the camera. Thanks for the post 🙂

  24. September 12, 2013 / 10:56 am

    Thanks for this! Very helpful to a newer blogger. I try super hard to stay authentic and positive in my posts 🙂 Good to know I'm doing the right thing!

    katelynnow.com

  25. September 12, 2013 / 12:44 pm

    I totally agree with all points. Sort of in line with #1 and #6 I really dislike when their are blog posts about disliking or ranting about what others post. If something isn't for you that day skip it. It is their blog and relevant to them you don't have to read every post if you don't want to.

  26. January 6, 2015 / 5:30 am

    I've just decided to create a blog, which I have been wanting to do for a while. Thanks for this post, it's really useful!
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