Five Ways to Gain Credibility as a Blogger
How credible is your blog?
The first time a visitor arrives at your blog, he looks for signals of credibility. He wants to know whether he can trust you. With so much junk online, establishing trust in your visitors is vital, otherwise their first visit will be their last.
So how do you establish your credibility?
Here are five ways:
1. Know what you’re talking about - have personal experience in the subject of your blog
When you have personal experience in your blog’s subject matter, it shows. Your authority is soon obvious, when you talk about your own personal experiences.
It’s easy to forget to do this, especially if you go against perceived wisdom in your subject. So if you’re making statements which might be seen as controversial, back those statements up with evidence from your own experience.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t blog about subjects in which you’re a beginner. If you’re just starting out in a subject, admit it. As a newcomer in an area, your ideas are valuable, because you see with a fresh eye.
2. Share your opinions, while understanding that others may (violently) disagree with those opinions
Sharing your own point of view on your blog establishes your credibility. However, some readers may not agree with your position, and will let you know in the comments to posts. This is a good thing: if your readers care enough to comment, then they’re invested in your blog.
3. Keep your blog posts positive always - even when discussing negative areas of your industry
Keep your blog posts positive. Some bloggers aim to stir up controversy, and while this may achieve a short-term boost in your blog’s traffic, it does so at the expense of your credibility.
4. Keep learning - no one knows everything, and the world is constantly changing
With the world changing so fast, we’re all learning constantly.
If your opinions have changed on a topic, don’t be afraid to say so. You can update older blog posts, with new information. In new posts, explain how and why your ideas have changed.
5. Use your real name on your blog - create a meaningful “About” page for your blog
If you need to stay anonymous on your blog, explain why on your About page. Not explaining why you’re not giving your real name lowers your credibility.
Keith | January 31st, 2008 at 3:01 pm #
These are some very nice attributes of a successful blog. I would also like to add that if your blog is able to present a type of direction, then readers will want to return because they will be looking forward to the “next” blog entry that continues with the topic at hand. Otherwise, very nice article…kudos! Regards, Keith Johnson, Author, “365 Great Affirmations”
Stocks | January 31st, 2008 at 9:43 pm #
You make some good points but point one I feel is the most important. You have to know what you are talking about and be able to convey that across to readers in a post.