If you google “how to have a successful blog” you will be flooded with suggestions that encourage popularity, consistency, financial income, etc. While all this might be true, it is not the only definition of a successful blog. Success, for me, is personal. It is creating and achieving something you are proud of, leaving you feeling good. It can give you happiness, peace, and self-expression. Blogging should feel therapeutic. If you want a blog but are scared of it not being successful, in conventional ways, I hope this post inspires you to give it a try because I think it will be a success.

Here are 6 unconventional ways to have a successful blog:

1. Write naturally, not on a deadline.

If you don’t feel like writing, don’t. Creating quality content that you enjoyed writing about should be the focus, not quantity. If you have a good idea but no time to write it, keep it on a saved list of blog ideas such as your notes app on your phone). Then, when you feel like writing and have thought about the topics more let yourself write. From my experience, it will feel much less forced and enjoyable this way. One thing I am really bad at doing is rushing to publish a post. To avoid this I try to give myself a day or a weekend to think on it then come back and review it (if I think it’s necessary). If you insist on having consistency in your publications (such as once a month), another option would be to not publish blogs right away and save them for later so you aren’t stressed and pressuring yourself to post something. I am going to try it with this post, because why not?

2. Don’t worry about perfect grammar or a fancy website.

There are so many free plugins for your web browser such as Grammarly which will suggest improvements to your grammar quickly and easily. I have found this to be the most efficient to make sure my blog looks/sounds better. I will write on a Word document and when I am finished, paste it into my blog draft and review grammar as a final step. Another option would be to have someone proofread it for you but that can take more time (which many of us can’t afford). You also don’t need a fancy website to have a blog. Using something like WordPress lets you focus on your writing and less on complicated website building. You can still style your website the way you want, but they do all the hard stuff for you and make it super user-friendly.

3. Write your honest opinion, even if it is not popular.

Honesty is valuable, interesting, and unique. Did you hate a recipe you tried no matter how many times you tried to improve it? Do popular parenting techniques bother you? Whatever it is that you are experiencing, others will find it valuable when you express it in a respectful but honest way. It may not be a lot of people, but it will be the right people. If you have a following, they should appreciate this honesty and trust that your writing is genuine. I think it is important to remember to write for yourself first and others second. Writing honestly allows us to dissect the experience and grow from it. Hopefully, others will benefit from it as well!

4. Don’t worry about creating a niche, create categories instead.

Are you passionate about a few topics? Did you change your mind about something? Don’t exclude it. Create categories or make transparent edits to your posts. The world and people are always changing, it is normal and should be embraced. Writing about the same thing can be boring, not only for you but for your readers too, and that’s not what we want!

5. Be your target audience.

If you are your target audience, others who relate will find you. But if they don’t, no problem, at least you benefitted from it. Self-benefits from writing include improvements to your mental health, grammar, brain activity (memory/cognitive function), education, and a sense of accomplishment.

6. Don’t do it for personal profit.

It can be tempting to want to earn profit from a blog but I think it is best to avoid it (if possible). I have many reasons for this but the first one would be because it can negatively change your writing motives and enjoyment. As a visitor, I find it distracting and often causes me to leave the page before I have even seen the article. It can also take up valuable time and energy which I would rather spend writing. If you want to make a profit from your site, I would encourage you to donate that profit to a cause that you and your readers care about instead.