Despite the introduction of new web technologies (video, microblogging, etc) – good ol’ fashioned blogging still remains one of the main areas of interest for people ready to dive into the web and make a living. But after all this time, I still see so many people going about it totally wrong.

When it comes down to it, blogging is a simple two step process.

Step 1: Have an Opinion

People often ask “How do I select a niche for my blog?” It’s an honest question, but to be perfectly blunt – 90% of the people who ask it are immediately setting themselves up for failure. The truth is most people look outside to decide on an area to blog about, when really they need to be reflecting on themselves. The question they should be asking is “What do I have something to say about?” Before you ever start blogging you absolutely have to have an opinion on *something*.

Blogging is a marathon. In order to succeed you have to be able to write about your topic day in and day out. Forever.

Blogging is personal. If you’re not able to give personal insight into your blog area, you’re going to have a tough time meeting the daily demand that comes with running a blog.

If you are not passionate about your topic you’re going to have a very tough time building a worthwhile blog. That’s not to say you can’t be successful writing about something you hate, but you can also make a living recycling cans too. That doesn’t make it good or worthwhile.

Step 2: Have a Friggin Backbone

Okay so you have your opinion. Good for you. So does everyone else. What makes you so special?

When you make the leap to start a blog, you have to be willing to accept the fact that you’re going to make a ton of friends, but also a good amount of enemies. Just for having an opinion. There are a lot of people out there who refuse to accept any opinion other than their own, and if they disagree with you, they’ll damn sure let you know.

Where I see most new bloggers fail is how they deal with their initial trolls. Most bloggers want to find a way to shut them up. Either by overly moderating, apologizing endlessly to the offending troll, or even editing their posts to remove the offending text. That’s a recipe for failure.

If you are confident enough to post an opinion on a blog, then stand behind it. Yes some people are going to flame you for it. But trust me, the number of haters is dismally tiny against the number of good people who will stick up for you and your writing.

If you can’t deal with negativity, you have no business blogging. Simple as that.

So yea that’s pretty much it. Two steps. Should be easy to remember, right?