Jun
12
So, you want to be a blogger? Or maybe you already have a blog but want to start a new one in another niche. If so, you should choose carefully because the topic you pick will have an enormous impact on whether or not you are successful.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing a topic for your blog.
What is your passion?
Pick a topic you care about. Don’t go into it thinking “blogs about celebrity gossip make a lot of money so I need to start a blog about Lindsay Lohan”. I haven’t checked but I’m pretty sure there are already a lot of blogs about Lindsay Lohan and guess who will be maintaining those blogs… people who have a passion for celebrity gossip and love blogging about Lindsay Lohan. Do you really think you can compete with those people? If you have a passion for your subject, it will be much easier to create quality content.
Is the topic popular?
If you plan to monetize your blog you must balance your passion with the demand for your topic. In other words, are advertisers looking to sell products and services to the people who will be visiting your site? The ideal topic will have a high number of searches in the search engines with a high level of competition among advertisers.
Can you offer something different?
Have you already picked out a topic? Before you start blogging, visit other blogs in your chosen niche. Find the popular blogs and study them to see what makes them successful. Then look for a different angle. Can you provide something that they don’t? If you can provide a unique service or a different perspective on a topic you will have a much better chance of finding success.
Will you have enough to say?
The key to having a successful blog is posting quality content on a regular basis. You can always post links to the news of the day or interview other experts but eventually you will have to write some original content. Do you have enough to say on your chosen topic to allow you to produce content consistently over the long haul?
What is your monetization strategy?
Blogs can be very profitable and there are many programs available to help you make money with your blog. The problem is, not all programs work for every niche. For example, Google’s Adsense is the most popular way to monetize a blog but it performs very poorly in some situations. When this happens you must focus on other strategies such as affiliate marketing, CPM ads, paid reviews, or even selling site sponsorships.
Contrary to popular opinion, blogging is not easy. It takes a great deal of time and energy to create a successful blog but it can also be a lot of fun. And while no new blog is a sure bet for success, if you do your homework before jumping in headfirst, you will have a better chance than most.
Hi David,
I completely agree that you must pick a topic you are passionate about, instead of just writing about something that others have had success with. I also think that it helps that you have some personal experience with your topic, which makes sense because otherwise how passionate could you be about it?
You are so right that blogging does take a lot of time…there are so many different angles to cover, I just need more time in each of my days!!
I could use a few more hours too.
It’s amazing how many abandoned blogs are out there because the writer didn’t pick an appropriate topic, thought blogging was easy, or lost patience. Gotta write about what you know and love or it becomes a real grind.
I am passionate about making money online and I love the topic, but the internet is too saturated with it, how would you monetize such a blog that is everywhere?
my blog is specific to a newbies point of view, I do not post something that I am not an expert at but something that I am doing or have an idea from
from that I hope to capture an audience that wants to know what I am doing to succeed
Hmmm… it will be difficult to gain any traction in the “make money online” niche because it is so competitive. I’m sure there is a unique way to approach that market but I’m not sure what it is off the top of my head.
It looks like your off to great start. You got quality content and seem to have some active commentators. Just keep plugging away.
Gotta love what you write about … or else … you won’t make it !
Darin
Absolutely, if you don’t love it… it’s just another job. And we all know jobs suck.
That they do.
Passion is a very important thing. It does help to be passionate about what you write. I believe that some of my best posts were the ones that I felt the most passionately.
Reminds me I need to rewrite my passion and productivity post.
To actually standout, I think one should consider the title of posts he or she chooses.
Having enough to say is what keeps me from having a super niche blog. I have static sites that very well with a highly defined topic, but then how often do I have to update content there? Not daily.
Are we talking static sites or blogs? I have highly targeted affiliate sales sites that I never update unless a product changes or I add a new vendor. All their traffic is natural search engine traffic and has remained steady over time. With affiliate sales, I tend not to screw around with something that is working.
If you’re talking about blogs, I think it is more important to blog when you have something to say rather than blogging because you feel you have to post something. That may be 3 times a day, once a day, three times a week or once a week. But if the content is worthwhile, readers will stick around.
Dave - Hey. I think your ‘icon’ Foghorn Leghorn is a hoot. I grew up watching that crazy rooster (who claimed he was a horse) and was a wiseacre. FYI, FH debuted in 8-31-46 in an academy nominated cartoon, “Walky, Talky, Hawkey”. TMI?
Yes, you need PASSION! Without it, you’re just going through the motions. You need to walk the walk and talk the talk - if you don’t your visitors will soon see you for what you are - a fraud.
As you so succinctly put it - if you don’t love it, it’s just another job. Later.
Thanks… Foghorn Leghorn was one of my favorite cartoons as a kid but I didn’t know when Foghorn Leghorn made his debut. That’s interesting.
I don’t think anybody is ready to see my ugly mug so I thought Foghorn would make a great mascot.
[...] Nowadays there is alot of talking about how to be a successful blogger. There are advice and tips everywhere. The most common advice is that you have to choose a niche. [...]
[...] Nowadays there is a lot of talking about how to be a successful blogger. There are advice and tips everywhere. The most common advice is that you have to choose a niche. [...]
This is the hardest part about blogging, finding that topic that is small enough but on the other hand that is being searched for and profitable! I’m having a lot of trouble with this. I’ve never seen anyone mention if geographical type blogs work. Example: http://mainemamas.com I know I haven’t done much with it, I need to get back to posting every day, but I wonder if it is worth it… are there enough mothers in the state of maine… and do I *have* to blog about maine only… hmmm…
[...] Pure Blogging [...]
[...] http://www.pureblogging.com - pure blogging awesome blog I tend to visit it at least once a week, this post i found interesting “Choosing a topic for your blog” [...]