There may be lots of ways for a blogger to achieve success, but there are also more than a few in which things can go wrong. At BlogWorld, Anita Campbell gave tips that should help steer everyone towards the first outcome.

Campbell, the founder, CEO, and editor in chief of Small Business Trends, said in an interview with Abby Johnson that “mixing monetization styles and monetization goals is one of the key things” people get wrong. “Have a clear idea of what it is you’re actually trying to sell or promote with the blog from a business perspective,” she suggested.

Also, don’t try to rush things. Campbell stated, “It takes a while to build up traffic to a blog, it takes a while to build up brand recognition and visibility.” She observed, “People try too early to monetize . . .”

Still, there are things bloggers can do to achieve success sooner rather than (a lot) later, and Campbell suggested getting comfortable with self-promotion. “You have to be comfortable getting out there in social media and reaching out to people and talking,” she said.

Just be careful how you go about drumming up business. Campbell advised, “You have to do it in a way that’s not offensive . . . . a way that actually gives back to the community.”