3 Important Things that Make Someone a Professional Blogger

What makes a blogger a pro blogger? Can we call someone a professional blogger just because he or she got sponsors and is earning income? Can we consider him a pro blogger because he has already won an award? I have noticed a lot of bloggers in my social channels who are bragging about themselves as professional bloggers. I even encountered one blogger who was claiming himself as a pro blogger while showing the number of his sponsors as proof to his claim.

But do they really have the qualities that make them professional bloggers?

The title “pro blogger” can be debatable. If we will ask bloggers from around the world, they will give us a variety of answers. Some will say that professional blogging is blogging for a living. Others will tell that it is blogging for passion.

My first blog came into existence more than 8 years ago. It makes me a blogger for more than 8 years now. However, I don’t use that years of experience as a bragging right to call myself as a pro blogger. For me, these are the 3 important things that make someone a professional blogger.

1. Readers’ loyalty

No matter how many sponsors and advertisers do you have and how many income do you earn, if your main customers, who are your blog’s readers, are dissatisfied with your content or blog post, we cannot call you a professional blogger. Remember that your sponsors and advertisers are only your secondary customers. Your main users or the essence of your blogging are your readers.

Even if your traffic and earnings are rising if you’re doing these unprofessional activities, we cannot consider you as a pro blogger.

a. Placing excessive ads that are too obstructive and annoying to your readers.
b. Creating misleading headlines that destroy the trust and confidence of your readers.
c. Jumping to another topic that’s not appropriate to your loyal readers just to drive more traffic and earn more profit. For example, publishing scandalous posts even if your blog was made for a wholesome topic.

A professional blogger doesn’t leave his loyal readers in exchange for traffic, money and fame.

2. Admiration from fellow bloggers

Professional bloggers are admired by the people in the industry. That is because they have integrity, they help other bloggers, and they show inspiring talents and skills as a blogger. They’re not also doing these unethical practices:

a. Plagiarism or stealing content from other bloggers.
b. Giving the blogging society a bad name (event gatecrashing, spamming, and lying to clients).
c. Attacking other bloggers just to get some attention.

Pro bloggers earn their recognition from peers, not through plaques or trophies, but through respect from the industry. A mere award doesn’t really make someone a professional blogger, especially if it’s only awarded by a few people who don’t even have any idea about what blogging is.

3. Self-respect

Finally, a pro blogger doesn’t lose his self-respect or dignity. He’s happy and he loves his job as a blogger. Professional bloggers achieve self-fulfillment not only from the money they are making but also from the happiness they attain from helping their readers and fellow bloggers.

Professional bloggers appreciate themselves even more because they are doing what makes them happy. They have clear conscience and they don’t have something to be ashamed of.

Of course a pro blogger also makes money from blogging. It’s also a shame if a professional blogger is a financial failure. However, a pro blogger makes money and earn a good living by making his readers happy, inspiring the people in the industry, and maintaining respect for himself.