31.7 million. That’s the number of bloggers expected to be online in 2020.

The world of blogging has grown at an exponential rate recently. To build your audience and gain credibility, just follow these simple, straightforward blogging tips:

1. Don’t be too general

There are hundreds of general-purpose blogs out there already. If you try to be everything to everyone, you will certainly wind up being nothing for anybody. To capture and retain a loyal audience, you need to speak specifically to a group of people with a common, shared interest.

For example, instead of focusing your blog on knitting, target a group of consumers or practitioners in a specific area of knitting, such as knitters of dog sweaters or matched sets of baby caps, scarves and mittens. Chances are that whatever group you want to write for, there are a lot of people looking for that advice; potentially enough to sustain a healthy blog readership.

2. Don’t sell too much

Where some people want to write a blog just to quash the urge of constantly wanting to talk about their preferred subject, other blog writers would also like to make money from their blog. Monetizing your content is fine; but be aware that placing too much emphasis on sales will drive some people away.

For instance, if you post reviews of products for which you’re an affiliate, don’t get too salesman-like. Offer an honest review to enlighten your readers. If they like it, they might buy from your link, and that’s a bonus. Your priority should be to maintain and satisfy your readership, not chase after their money.

3. Promote, promote, promote

To reach your target audience, you’ll need to get the word out about your blog. One of the most effective ways to promote a blog is to be active on other blogs related to your field. However, don’t just drop by and leave a comment that only links to your blog.

Join the conversation. Leave intelligent, thought-out comments, and try to be as friendly as possible. Always leave a link back to your blog, and if you do this consistently across other blogs in the blogosphere, you’ll find that your readership will steadily increase over time.

Blogging can be personally and financially rewarding, but you have to follow these basic blogging tips to stand out from the crowd.