One of the most commonly asked questions among new bloggers – and sometimes even experienced bloggers – is…
“What should I write about?”
This is the first major step in creating an interesting, informative and impressionable blog that will actually keep users on the site.
This is also the step where everything can go wrong…
If you go with the wrong choice, you might be stuck writing on a pointless topic for months before realizing it is time to make a change.
A few common mistakes writers make when choosing a topic are:
- Choosing a topic, they know little about.
- Choosing something they are passionate about, but something very few others are.
- Choosing something that is too diverse – their blog ends up having a very diverse range.
- Choosing something solely because they see others making money writing about it.
These components don’t make up a good blog – they make up an “okay” blog that typically offers no real benefit to the reader.
If you have absolutely no knowledge of the use, manufacturing process, or benefits of smart tokens, contact smart cards, pvc card and scratch cards…
Why spend your time writing about a contactless smart cards company?
It doesn’t make much sense, right?
But, while there are plenty of “don’ts” in the world of blogging, there are also quite a few “do’s”:
Contents
Start with brainstorming.
Write down a list of everything that makes you, you…
Your passions, education, hobbies, skills – in all areas of life –, and experiences. From that list, derive blog topics.
In almost all scenarios, it is easiest to derive topics from something you are familiar with and/or have an interest in. However, it is crucial to just pick one idea and run with it…
Don’t try to use everything on your brainstorming list.
Determine your target audience.
Who are you writing for?
Is it the housewife who needs some tips for how to simplify things in the kitchen?
Or, is it the teenage girl who just needs to read her thoughts laid out on paper?
Similar to how you chose just one brainstorming idea for your topic, choose just one target audience.
You cannot target every single human being – simple as that. A 12-year old girl does not want or need to read the same material as a 65-year old man.
You might run into the rare occasion where they do both enjoy a handful of posts, but this will not happen the majority of the time.
Check out the market.
Once you have determined who your audience is and what the main direction of your content will be it is time to see who else is doing it…
This is good both for seeing what blogs you are up against for traffic and also getting more blog ideas.
Once you narrow down your niche and determine your target audience, find blogs who are already successful in that area.
Take a few of their most successful blog posts and make them your own – address the opposite side of the argument, add your own tips, write about your own experience…
It is obvious that people are already interested in that direction of content, just make it your own for your audience.
Get your name out there.
Once you’ve done all the footwork and have gotten your blog up and running with the right topic, it is time to present it to the world…
One great way to get one foot in the door and start getting your name out there is by enlisting the help of a guest posting service…
A guest posting service will post different blogs – as a guest post – to a variety of blogs, adding a backlink or two to your website. These backlinks then help generate traffic to your site.
Social media is also a great place to promote your blog – always share your new blog post on your personal page, and business page if you have it, for well-known sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
CHOOSING A NICHE FOR YOUR BLOG
Wrapping It Up
A few last tidbits of advice to keep in mind for your first – or next – blogging venture…
Relevancy is key:
- Practice relevancy by focusing on your audience. Brainstorm everything that is important to that target audience and become knowledgeable about it.
- Practice relevancy by focusing on your niche. The narrower you make your niche, the more you can develop it and the more relevant you can become.
- Practice relevancy by focusing on your objectives. Focus on topics relevant to your audience, but ones that still fall within the relevancy of your nice.
- Practice relevancy by focusing on the here and now. Relevancy is timeless. Readers don’t want to read old news – focus on new and updated techniques.
- Practice relevancy by focusing on problem-solving. Good and relevant content begins with needs and develops solutions. When you are dealing with an issue, you offer the reader a strong, relevant reason to read your blog.
Rather than just writing about whatever you wake up feeling like that day, focus on narrowing it down…
Brainstorm, determine your target audience, check out the market, get your name out there, and all the while – stay relevant.