Do you want to make a six-figure income as a blogger? Here’s what it takes, along with three examples of six-figure bloggers and how they got to where they are.

Know Your Stuff

To become a top blogger, you really need to know a lot about a specific topic. Whether that topic is acting or marketing, gardening or travel really doesn’t matter – but you cannot have a generic blog and succeed.

If you’re able to make a specific subset of people say “Wow, this person really knows their stuff” in a specific market, they will love you.

One example is Gary Vaynerchuk. His father owned a wine store that was making $4 million a year. Through video blogging and by showing that he really knew his stuff when it came to wine, he took that business to $60 million a year in under four years.

Position Yourself as Number One in Something

It’s hard to make a good living if you’re just another “me too.” If you don’t think you can beat the #1 person, pick a specific subset to be an expert in.

Aaron Wall didn’t try to become an expert in everything about internet marketing; but he did know a lot about SEO. When he first got started in the early 2000s, that was a very specific niche with few people competing.

Today, his blog and his membership program generate high five figures every month.

Express Your Personality

People aren’t here just for your information. They’re here for the experience of being on your site. They’re here to experience your personality.

The internet is filled with quirky personalities. From the Lonely Island (I’m on a Boat, I’m the Boss) to the Annoying Orange, quirky personalities get attention, period.

One example of a successful blogger who really puts his personality out there is Steve Pavlina. Pavlina makes a six-figure income from writing his blog “Personal Development for Smart People.”

There are tons and tons of personal development blogs out there. Why do people read Steve’s and not others? It’s simple: Because he has an amazing personality that people can really connect with.

In addition to other things, Pavlina has a habit of doing 30-day challenges where he makes certain commitments and sees what it’s like to stick to them. For example, his raw-foods only 30-day challenge. His non-monogamy challenge. His 20 minutes of sleep every four hours instead of eight hours a night challenge.

People don’t just read for the content, but to see what this wacky guy is up to this week.

These are just three examples of successful bloggers. To be successful, pick a topic you really know something about, post consistently and express your personality. Remember that success doesn’t happen overnight, but as your brand becomes more and more well known, success will come.