Why Blogging is the Perfect Job for Introverts
Many people have a misconception about introverts. Introverts are not just shy, quiet people who stay out of the limelight. In actuality, introverts are people who become drained and tired after social interaction. Being alone, however, makes them feel energized and refreshed.
So where does this leave introverts regarding jobs? Blogging is the perfect job for introverts for many reasons. Blogging requires minimal interaction with others while you spend hours crafting content for your job. You may have to field one or two phone calls and answer email during the week, but the rest of the time, you are free to be alone and write.
You don’t need to be the life of the party to be successful. There are dozens of highly successful bloggers who are hardcore introverts. To develop a career in blogging as an introvert, all you need is top-notch writing skills and some strategy.
Famous Bloggers
In 2005, Pete Cashmore started Mashable out of his home in Scotland. The famous blogging site now earns $2,000,000 per month. Cashmore himself used to write all the content, and all that money comes primarily from advertising.
Arriana Huffington also started Huffington Post in 2005. The widely popular blogging site is devoted to a liberal’s view of life and politics. The blog earns $14,000,000 per month, and she sold it to AOL for $315 million in 2011.
Darren Rowse started a blog in 2002 as a hobby to see if he could make any money with it. What grew from that is a legend. Within two years he was working at it full time. He now has over 8,000 posts on his website Problogger, and spends his time teaching other people how to monetize their blogs and make a living at it.
Why Blogging Works for Introverts
Introverted bloggers do need to be able to communicate well and market themselves to get work. Writing a great cover letter is much easier than walking into a face-to-face interview. One of the advantages of a blogging position is, many times, you never have to meet your employer. Everything is done online and through phone and email.
Writing helps introverts appear confident and credible despite their reluctance to be the center of attention. Sometimes quiet people are underestimated. Writing helps to solve this issue. Speaking in person can be intimidating, and some get flustered. Writing affords you the time to reflect and make every word perfect before sending it off to your recipient.
Introverts love alone-time, and writing for hours each day provides that. It’s an ideal work situation where they can be comfortable in their surroundings and enjoy peace and quiet while carefully creating content and earning money.
Skills You Need to be a Blogger
Working as a professional blogger can be a great career, but you have to have specific skills if you want to be successful. First, you will need to be able to create fresh, interesting content and a lot of it. You also need to be able to meet strict deadlines and affably deal with feedback from editors.
Blogging is a specialized art form and conforms to specific formatting guidelines. Many people only skim articles now. Therefore, it helps to break them up using subheads and short paragraphs. Blogging is about telling a story, regardless of the topic. To keep your audience interested, you will need storytelling skills.
Professional bloggers also need proper grammar and spelling skills. These you can learn, and there are tools like Grammarly that can help with that. When marketing yourself to potential blogging clients, it helps to have a portfolio of your writing. Show how you can add value and set yourself apart. Versatility in writing styles and tone is also crucial.
A Strong Introduction to Grab Your Audience
In our fast-paced world, many people don’t have time to read long articles. Instead, they “skim” through the story, stopping only to read what grabs their attention. Therefore, you need a hook in your introduction to catch them and keep them reading.
One way to do this is to ask a question in the first couple of sentences. Then, later in the piece, provide the answer. Another way to hook your audience is to quote a fact or statistic, then back it up throughout the article. You can also start by telling a cute story or anecdote.
Sometimes you can get someone’s attention with a strange or oddly written first sentence. Quoting a success story might pique the interest of readers as well. Some bloggers like to summarize up front what the article is about and then go on to provide the details.
Making Your Content Great
Blogging is more than just writing great articles and posting them online for the public to read. It’s about the conversation between you and your audience. It is essentially a relationship. Although it appears to be one-sided, it is not. Many blogs allow commenting so readers can chime in with their opinions or disagreements. Opening that door keeps the conversation going and engages readers making them a part of the process.
Top bloggers encourage reader participation and enjoy that back-and-forth. They use questions in their blogs to get the audience to respond. Sometimes they might use shocking or strong opinions to get a reaction. Many bloggers create value in their writing by offering up solutions to problems or questions. Regardless of technique, the goal is to create a connection with your readers and keep it going.
Promote on Social Media for More Attention
One of the best ways to promote your blog is through social media. More than 25 million businesses promote their online presence through social media. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the three top social media platforms to use for promotion.
Some of the ways companies are using Instagram to promote blogs is through creating Instagram Stories. Short videos or GIFs that tell a story combined with hashtags are powerful tools to get the word out about your brand. Some bloggers like to break things up with fun images that break protocol and don’t necessarily follow their standard format. Uniqueness gets attention.
You can also embed Instagram images into your blog posts for even more traction. Photo contests are another great way to get and keep audience participation. It’s all about that blogging connection with your audience and keeping them on the edge of their seats waiting to see what you post next.
