Are You A Blogger or an Entrepreneur Who Blogs?

As a follower the Web Income Journal (ok, that is just an assumption but if you are not, consider subscribe by clicking here!), you will understand that our content is basically focused on helping you build a business as a blogger. Unlike most other bloggers who write mostly on blogging and blogging tips, most of what you read on this blog, is geared towards helping you build an online business.

The temptation to concentrate mostly on blogging tips is definitely strong considering the number of people who are jumping into the blogging bandwagon. Indeed, all of these want to know how to become successful bloggers. But, beyond succeeding as a blogger, I think you should really succeed as an entrepreneur blogger – an entrepreneur who uses the medium of blogging to build a successful business online!

But, Why an Entrepreneur and Not Just A Blogger?

how to succeed with a business blog

Over these past few years, from my personal studies, I’ve come to understand that many of the bloggers who have thrown in the trowel (yes, I’ve seen many come and go!) are really those who did not treat their blogs as entrepreneurs. They approached their blogs simply as bloggers, eager to share their knowledge or passion! Indeed, they loved what they were doing and in a sense, they succeeded.

But then, a few years later those blogs are gone; filling up the dotcom trash can!

Ever wondered why these ‘passionate' bloggers could not continue?

Of course, various reasons could be adduced for this but most often than not, these bloggers have not considered themselves as building a business and therefore have not seen themselves as entrepreneur bloggers.

In this article I want to share with you some distinct marks of an entrepreneur that you need to imbibe as a blogger if you truly want to succeed as an entrepreneur blogger. I hope this will help you succeed building a business and not just a blog.

The truth is it’s not just about starting a blog.  Anyone can do that. The real issue is succeeding as an entrepreneur blogger.

You may also want to read this post on the 5 fundamentals to building a business and not just a blog.

Entrepreneurial Traits Every Blogger Should Imbibe

1.    Self-Confidence

Entrepreneurs are self-starters. Yes, they understand the importance of people in achieving their dreams, but they will never depend on others for their success. They understand that the business world is highly competitive and that it is not a place for the faint in heart. They are quite aware that beyond having the best idea you need self confidence to succeed as an entrepreneur.

As blogger you mustn’t ignore this fact. You must trust in yourself. You must believe in your capabilities to make your business work. Instead of looking for some outside push and drive, you must be self-confident. And of course, you must refuse to live by someone else perception of success.

2.    Risk-Takers

Businesses are prune to losses and failures but an entrepreneur does not allow this to be a hindrance. An entrepreneur understands that a great business idea could come as a hunch but it takes acting on that hunch to make any impact. With such knowledge the entrepreneur is always ready to take calculated risks.

Unfortunately, most bloggers just want to play safe.  Stepping out of their comfort zone is a no-go area. Investing any amount of money in their blogs is a big risk for these type of bloggers. Little things like buying a domain name and paying for a webhost is never in their ‘to do list’ – just in case it doesn’t turn out as desired.

If you must succeed as an entrepreneur blogger you must be ready to take risks because you simply cannot run away from it!

3.    Creativity

I don't know if it is really in-born or they simply develop it along the way but one thing that is really common with entrepreneurs is the ability to innovate or find new ways of doing things, better. They are naturally curious, inquisitive, bright and highly flexible when thinking. They keenly observe their environment and have an eye for spotting new trends that could potentially become a business opportunity.

Unfortunately, this is not the same for the majority of bloggers. You can clearly see this when you visit blogs run by these bloggers. Their content is almost always the same – how to set up a blog, how to build a better blog, what you need to succeed as a blogger! They rarely look for new ways of doing things and in most cases they are controlled by what I call the ‘follow-the-leader' mentality – doing just what some guru says is working. They look to someone else to set the pace, rarely putting on their thinking cap to innovate or build on what they learn.

You cannot really succeed as an entrepreneur blogger with this type of mindset. You must be creative and innovative. You must set your own direction and be prepared to hit your own mark!

4.    Visionary And Goal Oriented

Entrepreneurs are always propelled by a vision and guided by a goal to achieve that vision. Each of their blogging activity is geared towards their business success. They systematize and strategize all with the mind of achieving their set goals.

But this is not the case for the average blogger. If you are simply a blogger chances are you are carrying out your blogging activities without any proper planning and like a rudder-less ship, you are being tossed to and fro by every wind of opinion let loose on the blogosphere.  You must understand you are the captain of your own ship therefore you must take control and drive that ship in the right direction.

5.    Good Work Ethics And Honor

Competition and the drive to make money most times make the business world ruthless, but the true entrepreneur will always strive to make every business deal honorable. The successful entrepreneur has good personal work ethics that ultimately leads to good business practices, excellent reputation and good association with industry peers and business partners. They will never resort to short-cuts and blackhat tactics that will ultimately work against their success.

Most of the unwholesome practices we see around the blogosphere today are perpetuated by bloggers who lack the entrepreneurial spirit. They rarely understand that these things are inimical to their business success. As a blogger who desire true success you must be committed to good work ethics and do everything with the mind of adding value to your target market.

6.    Value For Money And Finances

Every entrepreneur I have ever known or read about has a value for money. Most, through their innovation and creativity, learned how to earn money at a very young age. They are never ashamed to put a price tag to their work. And they are also very good at watching their finances, always making sure that every little spending is an investment that is capable of bringing in a gain.

A blogger without the entrepreneurial spirit would cringe at the prospect of making money from his or her blog. We recently discussed the issue of monetizing a blog with ads. If you are giving value on your blog do not be ashamed to make money from it. Time they say is money. Your time and energy that is being expended on your blog should be recompensed with some monetary reward. So, never shy away from making money from your blog instead be observant and always on the lookout for new ideas and new ways you can make money with your blog.

7.    Perseverance And Hard Work

Entrepreneurs know the value of perseverance and hard work. They understand that in the world of business the courage to face failure and to start again no matter what happens is the sure path to success. They don’t simply give up because things are not going their way. They have a doggedness that is necessary to continue the journey even if failure momentarily obstructs their path.

Many of those who have thrown in the trowel and given up on their blogs did not understand this. To them blogging is just fun – something you do because you love it! They have swallowed hook, line and sinker the idea that when you do what you love the money will come! They never bargain for the hard work involved. They never quite understand that there is always a time lag between when the seed is sown and when the harvest will come!

Dear blogger, you need perseverance while committing yourself to working hard on your blog. Be an entrepreneur and not just a blogger.

So, what’s Your Take Away?

I think it’s time to stop and re-evaluate why you are really blogging. Do you consider yourself as an entrepreneur who is building a business online or you are just a blogger who simply love to share your thoughts with the world? Can you really refer to yourself as an entrepreneur? Do you have a business? What is your product or service?

You cannot allow someone else to decide your terms. Ultimately it’s about you and what you make of your blog. If you simply want to be blogger, fine. But if you must be an entrepreneur then you must run your blog guided by the entrepreneurial spirit.

Over to You: of course these are just my thoughts. I don’t expect you to agree with me. So feel free to let us know what you think about this. I’m waiting to connect with you in the comments section below. 🙂

49 Comments
  1. I think there is a misconception that blogging is a. easy and b. highly lucrative from the outset, both of which we know not to be entirely true. It takes hard work, dedication and determination to be successful online, and blogging is no different. I do agree that you have to decide whether you blog for fun or blog for your future. Entrepreneurs are people who go out and make a future for themselves from their efforts.

    Enjoy the journey.

    Mandy

    • @Mandy Allen,

      You’re definitely right. But how many people are really listening to this? Matter of fact is, many of us jumped into the bandwagon with the mind that making money with blogs is the most simplest thing anyone can do! But what a mistake. Right now we are wiser but many are still falling over heads to jump in. I only hope they are listening.

      Thanks for joining the conversation.

  2. All of these are good points. I agree that to succeed at blogging as a business it takes all of the things you mentioned. I would also add patience. Not all entrepreneurs have that and that alone, even with all the great qualities they possess, can lead to abandoning what they set out to do. Just my thought at the moment. :), Susan Cooper from Network Superstars.

    • @Susan Cooper,

      I truly agree with you! That’s what I tried to put in as perseverance. Of course, it is patience that will help you to persevere. And like you said, this is really the biggest reason why many abandon their blogs. You never understand that Rome was not built in a day.

      Thanks for your thoughts.

  3. Wow. You’re making some excellent points Chadrack. You know I think I got so carried away with making my blog about valuable content that it’s rare I tie it back to monetizing my efforts. I’m actually a serial entrepreneur (right now I have 3 businesses) so I think, and this is a pattern with me, I was separating the blogging outside of monetizing. Now with your insightful summary here, I’ll head in the other direction: valuable blog content that CAN be monetized.

    Thanks so much.

    • @Patricia Weber,

      Glad to know that this has been of help somehow! 🙂 Frankly, the issue of monetization was discussed on this blog a few days ago and I’m still surprised that many still believe that blogs should not be monetized. May be you were in this category and that’s why you have been focusing on great content without the mind of monetizing your efforts.

      Any way I sincere hope you make good use of this new insight! Thanks for the comment.

  4. You’re so right Chadrack, doing the things to create a profitable blog is what most entrepreneurs are doing it for. But as you said and I agree, most people quit too early when that see it’s not bringing in income.

    Nothing else to be said. You covered everything to get started and I really learned a lot from it. Thanks!

    Rick

    • @Rick Salas,

      Indeed, many quit too early. But it’s just because they have a wrong perception about the whole thing from the beginning. It great to know that this is really helpful!

      Thanks for the comment.

  5. Hello there for me I think both, I can be an entrepreneur or a blogger, being an entrepreneur is owning a business and blogger creating something that will teach or help something.

  6. Chadrack, I read your full post and i liked it as usual. I do agree with you that “if you must be an entrepreneur then you must run your blog guided by the entrepreneurial spirit.”
    Sharing your thoughts is a different thing and running your business online is a different. So, in this case the statement made by you is quite correct.

    • @bj,

      That’s great to hear! There is always a difference between entrepreneurs blogging and just any other blogger.

      Btw. in your response to the post about monetizing blogs, you specifically stated you don’t go for it. Now, considering that fact that many bloggers are entrepreneurs don’t you think such a one will always want to monetize his blog?

  7. You have certainly given me a lot to think about. I have not yet tried to monetize my blog, but I am giving serious thought to how I want to do it. My view is that I do not want to do the typical stuff everyone usually does. I am taking my time and not rushing in to anything.

  8. Hey liked your way of explanation you have covered everything to get started and I really learned a lot from it.

    Thanks

  9. We cannot deny the fact that blogging is now being used by many entrepreneurs as form of marketing. It’s not really a sin to do so. I admire your clever thoughts about blogging and business blogging. More power!

  10. @ Chadrack,
    you have put a very good question here that many people come on post and give their comments as a bloggers but don’t give their comment on what they achieve and get but the problem is that they do this to make money and are not goal oriented.so this is right to re-evaluate yourself me you and everyone also.is it????

    • @Bhushan,

      Exactly. You see, most bloggers are blogging because they want to make money with their blogs. But unfortunately not many are running their blogs like a business. Many take their blogs just as past-time or a thing of fun and yet want to make good money from it.

      The post is to help us re-evaluate how we are really running our blogs. So, the question is, are you working on your blog as an entrepreneur or you just consider yourself a blogger who wants to share his thoughts with the world?

  11. yes when i heard of blogging i thought that it will be easy. but now when i am a blogger i can understand how tough it is to maintain the blog. A blogger should posses these qualities from the beginning. nice post for newone’s in this field…keep it up…:)

    • @praveen,

      Yea, that has always been the mind with which many took to blogging. But now that we are the wiser, it is definite that we put in more seriousness and of course do it as every entrepreneur would!

  12. Chadrack, You’re mentioned some great points here. I’m blogging because of both reasons which you talked about here. I want to be an entrepreneur to build an online business with my blog and also I blog to share my thoughts with the world.

    • @Ehsan Ullah,

      Got it really clear! That’s what I really expect of most of us who are blogging. There is the joy of connecting with other bloggers and sharing our knowledge but then we must also understand that we are entrepreneurs who wants to make a living online. Thanks for the comment.

  13. Chadrack, I read your full post and i liked it as usual. I do agree with you that “if you must be an entrepreneur then you have to run your blog guided by the entrepreneurial spirit.”
    Sharing your thoughts is a alternative thing and running your business online is a different. So, in this case the statement made by you is quite correct.

    • @buy seo services,

      Actually it is the entrepreneurial spirit that will carry you far. You may make some money as a blogger but if you truly want to take your online business to the next level, you need to think and act like an entrepreneur. Thanks for the comment.

  14. Hi Chadrack,

    An Entrepreneur has a plan of action and has devised a strategy of how their blogging endeavours are going to pan out. They will have a product or products that will be used to cater for their niche. An entrepreneur is someone that captures a niche and become the leader.

    Bloggers can do all of the above, but this innate ability and mindset is not ingrained in them from the beginning. This can be learnt eventually over time but this is not written in their DNA.

    Entrepreneurs focuses on Money
    Bloggers focuses on People

    That’s my take on the matter…

    • @Simmeon,

      Hmm, what an insight! Entrepreneurs focuses on Money; Bloggers focuses on People! 🙂

      That’s really a good way to put it. But the fact is that entrepreneurs do focus on people because ultimately they know it’s people who matters if you must make a profit. The main difference is what you first mentioned, the mindset. The bloggers mindset is greatly different from that of the entrepreneur.

      The blogger, because he is not focusing on making a gain finds it most times difficult to make a sales pitch instead he will want to share and share! Thanks for the comment.

  15. Hey Chadrack,
    I am a 100% behind you on this one.

    It is important that as we blog, we also think of ways to make our blogs become self-sustainable.

    If our blog depends on our other sources of income-from our real life, maybe :)-we would run out of motivation before long because at heart we are all capitalists (unless as you pointed out in your comment in your previous post, you happen to be a secret millionaire).

    It is important that as we spend time building an audience online that looks up to us for information, we also take the time out to learn how to produce, market and sell solutions to them.

    Our blogs have to become platforms for merchandising our products and services, leveraging on the goodwill we have earned by providing tons of quality information for free.

    That marks the turning point where we are no longer just bloggers, but as my friend Devesh would say, we become blogpreneurs. 🙂

    • @Yeremi Akpan,

      This is really deep one my brother! The truth is that not many bloggers understand this. Your blog should actually be a way of you studying your readership and finding ways of pulling in some returns! 🙂

      I think that word is really great, blogpreneurs! Very soon that will be going into the blogging dictionary. 🙂

      Thanks for the comment.

  16. @chadrack..
    The above mentioned tips are just awesome and I’m sure that these tips will help in getting better ranking and traffic 😀

    • @Mohammed Abdullah Khan,

      Hmm, that’s great to hear. But come on, we are talking about making good returns as entrepreneurs and just about seo and traffic generation. In fact, we never inferred that in the post. don’t you think it will be good for you to let us know what you are a blogger or entrepreneur? Will want to hear from you!

  17. Really inspirational thoughts, I really like your point on taking risks, and I totally admit it, no risk – no fun!

  18. Hi Chadrack,

    Yes I completely agree that there has to be a business behind the blog, and there is no point in blogging just for sake of blogging.

    Way too many start a blog on a broad topic and have no idea who their target audience is or what they want. And if you ask them why they are blogging most can’t answer the question properly.

    These tips are a wake up call for people that do not have a clear purpose for their blog. Otherwise if you don’t gain clarity you just burn out and end up in the dot com trash bin as you put it.

    Keep up the great work man 🙂

  19. HI Chadrack! I think we can be both, I have learned so much by reading your blog. It always amazes me how much there is to learn. It is also mind boggling how fast things change. For a newbie like me having a resource like you.

  20. I think majority people blogs only for money.But the author of the post differentiate a blogger and entrepreneur very well. Thanks to the author for sharing this interesting article

  21. Hi Chadrack,
    I’m a NOOB blogger here.

    I am happy to find your distinguished way of writing the post about blogging. Now you make it easy for me to understand and implement the concept. But im still getting hard to drive traffic to my blog, and i hope you can share with us about this to.

  22. Content marketing – write thematic content, with some advanced or latest information on your company product or services

  23. Interesting article. Thanks for making it clear to your readers especially those who aspire to blog for business purposes.

  24. You have definitely given me a lot to consider. I have not yet tried to monetize my blog, but I am giving significant thought to how I really need to do it. My view is that I dont want to do the typical stuff everyone sometimes does. I am taking my time and not rushing in to anything.

  25. HI Chadrack! i guess we can be both, I have learned so much by reading your blog. It always amazes me how much there is to learn. it is also mind boggling how fast things change. For a newbie like me having a resource like you.

  26. I have a client who does this, and the traffic she gets is insane. But, this is only one step in the process. She also networks like a fool, both online and offline.

  27. Actually, I am only a blogger. I blog what I am interested in and wanna share with others. But, it doesn’t work well. Why I blog? I just wanna others share good things with me, who have common interests with me. But, now it does not work as I expected.

    • @Bonnie Smith,

      Hi Bonnie, well sometimes you need to build up things before you start seeing the results. So if it is not working for now don’t lose heart. Learn more, act more and very soon you will be seeing the results.

      Thanks for visiting.

    Leave a reply

    Empowering You to Make Money Online
    Logo