How to choose your blog content and topics

In the previous Blogging Basics posts, we discussed coming up with a blog name, choosing a blogging platform and how to set up an account on WordPress and Blogger. This post is going to be about picking your blog topics. Content is another really important part of blogging, it’s the reason people visit blogs in the first place.

Pick a Blog Topic

When picking your topic, it’s important that it fits with you – your interests, hobbies and loves. You should like what you’re blogging about, otherwise what’s the point. If you stumbled across your blog would YOU sit and read it for hours? If not, why would others? If you’re not interested in what you’re posting about, it will show and forcing yourself to post will leave you uninspired. There are so many things out there to write about from babies, gardening, fashion to cars, DIY and music. The list is absolutely endless! Sometimes its easier just to start blogging and find your voice/topic along the way, that’s okay. Your blog can grow and evolve as you do.

You’ll want to set a guideline for your blog posts, try not to be too general with your topics. For example, misseblog was a mix of design, beauty, fashion and life…that was one topic too many. Design just didn’t fit in with the others. It was such a huge area and it either overtook the other posts or got lost and became hard to find. I moved design to this blog instead and now misseblog is a personal beauty and style blog. My advice is to pick a couple of topics you enjoy that fit together somehow. Of course if you have a personal/lifestyle blog it will be a bit of everything – that’s your topic, your life, your diary.

Content is King

Remember that content is king, it is the reason people read your blog. Create great content on a regular basis and you’ll see results. Include useful information, detailed descriptions and big clear images. In terms of how often you should update, find a schedule that works for you and try to stick to it. It’s better to be consistent so your readers know when to expect new posts. If you’re stuck on what to write, try a featured weekly/monthly post, visit some other blogs, update an old post. I’ll write more about overcoming writers block in a future post.

Be Yourself, Be Supportive, Don’t compare

Be yourself, if you enjoy what you write then other people will enjoy it too. If they do enjoy it, then they are sure to follow. The minute you start copying someone else, you are irrelevant. That blog and blogger already exists. Try not to compare yourself to others. It’s sometimes easy to get caught up in follower numbers and stats, especially when others seem to be doing really well. They’ve probably been around a lot longer than you or maybe even have a popular blogging friend who gave them a shout out. Followers aren’t everything and don’t determine how well a blog is doing, what about comments and shares? Continue at it and don’t start that downward spiral. If you love blogging, then that’s the most important thing. The online creative/blogging community is huge, overwhelmingly so and your blog represents a tiny space. You may not be “internet famous” but you have a space, a little place that is yours, you’re part of a community and we all start somewhere. Keep working at it, who knows where you’ll be in six months.