Many new bloggers don’t realize that as they grow into professional bloggers, they will pick up many valuable blogging skills along the way. It’s more than blog writer skills we’re talking about here. It’s SEO skills, online marketing skills, email marketing skills and so much more.
Whoa! You just want to be a blogger. Not an email marketer!
But alas, to be successful at blogging, you need to pick up many of these blogging skills yourself or delegate them to others.
Since it can get expensive to farm out some of these tasks, as a beginner blogger, it’s important to learn them.
This post covers the key blogging skills I’ve learned over the years that have helped me successfully grow and manage my blog-based business. They also helped me land some excellent professional roles.
Read up and get inspired to learn new things as a blogger for YOUR success! This is your blogging skill checklist.
DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on a product or service, and decide to purchase it, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. All recommended products and services are based on my positive experience with them. For more information, please read my Disclaimer.
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15 Blogging Skills For Long-Term Blogging Success
Learning all of these blogging skills helps you with efficiency, better results, and the achievement of your goals.
Successful, professional bloggers have more than good habits – they have a plethora of marketing, content creation and sales skills.
Give yourself time to build on these skills. Perfection will come with time.
Knowledge, trial and error, and consistency all help improve your blogging skills. The bonus is that these blogging skills can be added to your resume!
Once you start your blog, begin tackling these blogging skills one by one. I promise you, they will help you achieve your long-term blogging goals.
1. Blog Writer Skills
Let’s start with the obvious: you need blog writer skills to be successful. Writing takes about 30% of your blogging time and attracts people to your site.
Readers are looking for content, whether it be informative, inspirational or entertaining. Whatever the purpose of your content is, your goal should be to keep people on your site, engaging with it. Ideally, you want them to keep coming back to your site.
How do you learn and improve your blog writing skills?
- Read other popular bloggers and learn from what they’re doing well
- Create a process and stick to it: from generating good blog post ideas, creating a blog post outline, researching, applying SEO best practices, visuals and more. Keep it thorough and consistent.
- Eliminate the fluff. Sometimes less is more. You don’t always need 2000-plus words to rank in Google search results.
- Don’t ignore SEO. Make sure to optimize your content even if SEO isn’t your top strategy.
- Proofread your content. Use Grammarly to help with spelling and grammar. Read your content out loud: does it flow well? Does it use your blog’s brand voice?
Your blog writing skills will improve over time. It will become easier to sit down and write your post without too much extra time for research. When you create a natural “flow” to blog post creation, it will be much more fun to create your content.
Practice makes perfect!
RELATED: How To Write Impressive Blog Posts Readers Love To Read
2. SEO Skills
Next on the list of the top blogging skills is search engine optimization (SEO).
Although Google and other search engines are making it harder to rank, it’s still wise to use good SEO practices.
Quality content, the longevity of your site and site authority help boost your ranking.
Site authority takes time to grow, so learning and implementing your SEO skills from the start is a good idea. This is why I recommend it to new bloggers.
While there are many courses out there for SEO, you can learn much by reading up on what it is, and how it works. I also have a simple and easy-to-follow SEO eBook for beginner bloggers.
PRO TIP: At the core of SEO is finding the right keywords to use to optimize your content. Free tools are limited. While you’re focusing on growing your content, consider investing in SEO tools such as RankIQ (keyword ideas and writing support), Keywords Everywhere or Keysearch.co – an affordable keyword tool.
3. Content Strategy Skills
One of the strongest blogging skills you can have is understanding your audience and what it needs from you.
Your content strategy should address your audience’s needs.
It should also include the various types of content you share throughout the year: from evergreen content to seasonal posts. Knowing the ebbs and flows of popular topics makes it easier to add them to your editorial calendar.
Approach content creation mindfully with purpose will help you achieve your goals faster.
PRO TIP: For the best impact, your content strategy should complement your planned social media posts, Pinterest pinning strategies, email marketing and sales activities (if relevant).
4. Content Generation Skills
Blogging requires more than just writing blog posts. You also need to be adept at creating content including:
- Social media content
- Email newsletters, welcome series, lead nurturing series (leads as in potential clients for your services), sales newsletters
- Pinterest pins
- Sales pages (if you’re selling products)
- Landing pages for your newsletter subscriber freebies
- Digital products – eBooks, workbooks, courses
- Presentations/webinar content
- Video voiceovers and more
These are just some of the things you will need to master. Copywriting is another skill that’s a bit different than blog writing: it’s with an intent to convert to an action.
Over the years, I’ve delved into each of these things and they’ve helped me in my professional life. Don’t underestimate what you can add to your resume based on what you learn as a blogger.
PRO TIP: Set your blog brand tone and personality and keep it consistent across everything you produce. This will help your readers identify your approach and whether you align with their preferred style.
5. Email Marketing Skills
You may have heard this said: “Your email subscriber list is very important for making money with a blog.” This is very true.
However, just having a list isn’t enough. Regularly sending an email newsletter with valuable insights and tips helps nurture your subscribers and convert them to potential customers.
Email marketing includes:
- Your regular newsletters
- Email welcome series when sending a freebie
- New product launches
- Sales announcements
Email subscriber lists are a source of sales and affiliate commissions if you’re monetizing your blog and newsletter.
Start building your email subscriber list as soon as possible with free lead magnets (freebie offers).
PRO TIP: Use a platform such as Mailerlite or Kit to grow your subscriber list. These are powerful email marketing platforms that give you the flexibility to create different types of emails and automations.
Learning new blogging skills takes time: don’t rush greatness
6. Social Media Skills
One of the top blogging skills you’ll need to learn is how to promote a blog using social media – consistently and successfully.
Your blog goals with social media should be:
- Grow awareness of your blog
- Build readership and a following
- Drive conversions: sales, sign-ups
Understanding how each of the social media platforms works is important. Instagram is going to be different from LinkedIn.
Your audience uses each platform differently and expects different types of content. For example, a Facebook page post won’t have an Instagram carousel post.
Determine the purpose of your social media activities. For example, I use my Instagram account @margaretbournemedia as a means of building awareness and growing my personal brand.
PRO TIP: Determine one or two social media platforms where your audience spends their time. Does that platform and the way you share content there help you achieve your blogging goals? If yes, then make it part of your marketing plan. Don’t waste time on social media if it doesn’t help you effectively achieve your goals.
7. Pinterest Marketing Skills
Probably one of the most important blogging skills to have right now is Pinterest marketing skills. Promoting your content through clickworthy Pinterest pin designs is a skill that will be very helpful when dealing with Google ranking fluctuations.
When Google’s core updates hit many bloggers hard in 2024, I had a buffer because my Pinterest activities were bringing in traffic.
When you understand that Pinterest is a visual version of Google, with a SEO structure and algorithm, then it becomes easier to promote your blog content successfully.
Get started on Pinterest as a blogger with my guide.
Go in-depth with Pinterest skills with my full Pin It Better course.
8. Monetization Skills
If your blog goals include making an income from your site, you will need to build your monetization skills.
Creating a product and placing it on your shop page isn’t enough.
A positive money mindset, product promotion and sales skills are some of the top skills bloggers need for success.
Monetization skills can be broken down into different income streams:
- Affiliate marketing
- Creating and selling digital products
- Courses and webinars
- Sponsored content
- Advertising
- Freelance services
- Coaching services
- Consulting services
Bloggers can also go beyond online activities and sell physical products as well. This may involve dropshipping on demand or managing inventory.
RELATED: Top Ways To Make Money With Your Blog
9. Sales Skills
One of the blogging skills some bloggers shy away from is learning about sales. From dealing with a case of imposter syndrome to being unsure how to promote their products, bloggers often avoid growing sales skills.
Some just don’t want to sound too “salesy” and pushy.
However, it’s important to understand that blogs are a business. It’s not selling just a product, it’s also selling ideas and potential collaborations with network partners.
Understanding the psychology of sales helps bloggers craft copy and marketing strategies that transform readers into buyers.
Check out the Hubspot Academy for great free online courses regarding selling and online sales techniques. You don’t have to take all of them – choose the ones that will be of most benefit to you. I recommend anything about customer personas, inbound marketing and topics to do with content for sales.
10. Lead Generation Skills
More sales terminology! What is lead generation? It’s the acquisition of a potential customer into your “sales pipeline” through a lead magnet.
This means you’re attracting people who are interested in a specific topic for which you have a product or service that you can sell to them.
Lead generation is important for bloggers because it:
- Helps grow your audience
- Lets you build a loyal community
- Grows monetization opportunities
Lead generation through email marketing helps you identify potential customers and nurture them through your pipeline to a sales opportunity. This could be a digital product or your service.
It’s one of the toughest blogging skills to learn but when you’ve got it figured out, it’s also very lucrative.
Knowing how to attract potential customers with your content is a skill that you should be proud to have in your arsenal of blogging skills.
RELATED: How To Create Lead Magnets To Boost Your Email List Subscribers
11. Branding Skills
Being able to brand your blog both visually and through your brand story is a blogging skill that helps you connect with the right audience.
Branding is more than a logo and colour palette. It’s also your mission and vision statement and your values. It’s also your unique approach that makes you stand out among competitors.
One of the best exercises you can do to determine your brand is to write your About Me page.
12. WordPress/Content Management System & Technical Skills
While some bloggers like to outsource the basic technical aspects of blogging and WordPress, I believe a top blogging skill is understanding your content management system.
Whether it’s WordPress or Wix, it doesn’t matter: having technical skills in setting up and managing your WordPress website is a great asset.
Understanding the concept of content management systems makes it easier to use them.
Learn how your content management system works and understand the basics of URL domains, hosting and how to improve your website. It will help you when issues arise.
PRO TIPS: Search out your WordPress issue online first before panicking! There are often many explanations for why you are getting an error. Sometimes errors are temporary. Google and YouTube are your first source for answers. In other cases, you may need support from your hosting provider or external experts.
13. Time Management
Many bloggers, including myself, blog part-time: we balance jobs, family commitments and general life responsibilities. Managing your time and priorities can be tricky.
If you don’t manage your time well, you can end up with blogger burnout.
Here are some tips for managing time better:
- Consider ROIT – return on time invested: is your blogging activity going to have a good return on the time you’re putting into it (financially, or with increased readers – depends on your goal)
- Batch your activities: doing things in small, focused chunks keeps you progressing even when you’re busy.
- Schedule and automate when you can: from scheduling social media posts to automating welcome emails when somebody signs up for your freebie. It all helps!
My eBook – Focus & Flourish – is for busy bloggers who want to get ahead with smart time management strategies.
14. Organization Skills
Organizational skills that complement time management skills are a superpower for top bloggers.
What do I mean by organization skills?
The ability to:
- Manage your content and blog post ideas in one database
- Create an editorial calendar for blog content, email newsletters, social media and sales
- Effectively manage your content on your laptop/memory drives
- Manage your income/expenses for taxes
The list goes on! These are all things that make your blog run smoother with less stress so you can focus on doing great things with it.
15. Business & Networking Skills
These two related blogging skills can greatly improve your blog-based business.
From knowing how to reach out to a contact via email or message with a great business idea to helping connect people and more…
Business and networking skills involve learning good business etiquette, leveraging opportunities, taking risks and sometimes giving more than what you get.
Building your personal brand helps with networking. When people respect you and recognize you as an expert in your niche, they are more likely to recommend you to others.
How To Improve Blogging Skills
Learning and perfecting blogging skills doesn’t happen overnight.
Here are some ways to improve your blogging skills:
- Dedicate time to learning and trying new things
- Google, YouTube, free courses and other online resources are excellent sources of information
- Focus on one blogging skill at a time: immerse yourself in it completely to understand and be comfortable with it
- Trial and error is still the best way to understand how something works, and potential pitfalls
You can speed up your blogging skills by working with a blog coach like myself.
In some cases, bloggers work better when they interact one-on-one with a coach who acts as an instructor, walking them through the do’s and don’ts.
Next Steps For Growing Your Blogging Skills
Now that you have a list of the key blogging skills, your next step is to choose one and start focusing on it.
If you’re a beginner blogger, learn more about blog writing skills and SEO.
For intermediate bloggers, monetization, sales and email marketing should be some of your key skills to explore.
One thing to remember: you can add many of these blogging skills to your resume.
Your journey as a blogger can open doors to new jobs and career possibilities if you decide to keep blogging a part-time thing.
Learn more about online jobs that you can do from home with blogging skills.
QUESTION: Which of these blogging skills are you working on right now?
