I’ve had writers block of late, and Darren has got me out of it by asking to participate in a group writing project on the habits of highly effective bloggers. I’ve often looked at blogs or bloggers and envied their readership, traffic, writing style or blog design and wondered what it takes to get to that point. Everyone’s story of how they got there is different, but they definitely share some sort of common factor. These factors or habits are what make them succeed and really stand out amongst the rest.

After thinking really hard about it, these are my 7 Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers.

1. Be humble, yet confident – You should never have to tell people your work or blog is awesome, others will be able to tell you, and the rest of the web, themselves. Being humble enough to realise that, yes you’re awesome, but yes there are also others out there that can better your efforts.
   Notables: Bryan Veloso, Veerle Pieters
2. Use technology efficiently – From the blogging platform you use, to your RSS feeds, effective bloggers know what works for them, and what doesn’t. Also, being able to adjust to the ever changing environment which is the internet, is key to blogging success.
   Notables: Wordpress, Feedburner, Text-link Ads, Podcasting
3. Express your personality in your writing – Being able to write a 1 sentence comment to full-length articles, being able to express yourself is one of the fundamentals of writing. Since you’re not having a one-on-one conversion on your blog, but being able to write your posts as if you are, really gets a person listening.
   Notables: Mike Davidson, Kyle Neath, Scrivs at OreoCEO
4. Re-invent yourself, yet stick to your roots – The internet is an ever changing environment, and what works 1 month, is lame the next. But being able to change the direction of your blog subtly can influence others. As new technology emerges, and your interests change, being able to get others to follow suit really makes one stand out.
5. Giving back – The age old saying of “give and you shall receive” will forever stand true. Always remember who got you to the position you are now in and giving back in some form of another can only benefit you. Whether it is a Wordpress theme, or free advice on a niche topic, give and you shall receive.
   Notables: Sifr, Chaotic Soul, Problogger.net
6. Honesty – Admit your failures when they do arise, but also tell others about your successes and how you managed to accomplish them. Everyone is human after all, and honesty does show a lot about your character.
   Notables: Paul Scrivens, Yaro Starak, Bare-naked app
7. Don’t be afraid – to take chances, to write a “rant” post or to stick your neck out and make a bold statement about something. But always have you facts straight, and stick to your story. If you are proven to be wrong, follow step 6 and admit you’re wrong. But never be afraid to try something different.

I could probably write a book about this post, and then sell it and retire at the age of 23. Oh, but wait, someone beat me to it… Well then I’ll write a post after this one, just about the 8th habit… =)