This post is part of Darren’s Habits of Highly Effective Bloggers – Group Writing Project.

The following 12 traits are what I believe makes a ProBlogger.

1. Passionate

Passionate: Showing or caused by strong feelings or a strong belief.

Blogging for money is all very well, but first and foremost the ProBlogger must be passionate about their subjects – passionate to the point that they would write even if they never earned any money.

Passionate writing is original and attractive.

2. Patient

Patient: Able to wait without becoming annoyed or anxious.

Patience is a ProBlogger virtue. There’s nothing ‘get-quick’ about it. Good things come to the ProBlogger who works and waits.

3. Perennial

Perennial: Lasting or existing for a long or apparently infinite time; enduring.

That definition sums up the mindset of the ProBlogger: to be in it for the long haul. ProBlogging is not a route to immediate success; its fruits are only discovered after hard work and time.

4. Persistent

Persistent: continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

The ProBlogger may face many types of difficulty or opposition: Lack of time, lack of motivation, ridicule, apathy, boredom, lack of inspiration, technical problems, personal and life issues, disbelief…

Persistence keeps the ProBlogger going through the tough times as well as through the good.

Persistence propels the ProBlogger onwards and upwards.

5. Personal

Personal: Done or made by a particular person; involving the actual presence or action of a particular individual.

The ProBlogger is a real person, not involved in automated content generators, not hiding behind a web site and ignoring visitors, putting real personality into everything.

6. Persuasive

Persuasive: Good at persuading someone to do or believe something through reasoning or the use of temptation.

ProBloggers are persuasive people, in what they write, in how they interact with their visitors and other bloggers, in how they influence other people with new ideas, plans and projects.

7. Practical

Practical: likely to succeed or be effective in real circumstances; feasible.

The ProBlogger is a practical person, always seeking the most effective ways to research, write and communicate.

8. Proactive

Proactive: creating or controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened.

The ProBlogger is in control of their work and projects, adapting to and managing change, keeping ahead of the game.

9. Professional

Professional: engaged in a specific activity as one’s main paid occupation rather than as a pastime; having or showing the skill appropriate to a professional person.

The ProBlogger maintains professionalism in everything they do. Blogging is not merely a hobby, it is a vocation.

10. Progressive

Progressive: favouring or promoting change or innovation.

The ProBlogger does not accept the status quo, sticking to the same well-trodded projects and ideas. The ProBlogger is an innovator, a trendsetter, always looking for new avenues to excel in, without compromising existing quality.

11. Prophetic

Prophetic: accurately describing or predicting what will happen in the future.

The ProBlogger has their finger on the pulse in the areas of expertise, in blogging and web technologies, adapting to change before it becomes mainstream, keeping ahead of the game. They develop a great ‘sixth sense’ for the next big thing and how to maximise their success.

12. Protective

Protective: having or showing a strong wish to keep someone or something safe from harm.

The ProBlogger is protective of what they have built up, and does what they can to keep it safe from competition, spammers, bad neighbourhoods and other external influences that may damage it or diminish its success.