You’ve made a decision. You’re going to start a blog and share your ideas, products or services with the world. Congrats! Now what’s the focus of your blog going to be?
Go too narrow, and your niche might be hard for people to find and understand.
Go too broad, and you’ll be competeting with so many others that have similar content.
Finding that middle-ground sweet spot isn’t quite as difficult as you might think, if you stick to three considerations as you develop your blog topic.
1. Show your passion.
Is there a topic you think about daily? Do you have to know the latest industry news and read about it on the weekends?
Picking a topic that you’re naturally passionate and curious about makes it simpler in the long run to keep plugging away at managing and creating new and insightful content.
Web Writing Advice is geared at a very specific audience of marketers, professional writers and former journalists transitioning into the world of content marketing. I share my experiences, tips and insights gleaned from working within this circle of people daily. It’s enjoyable and easy for me, because I love my career.
Marketers at small agencies often create niche websites for their corporate clients, but aren’t sure which direction to go. The same could be said for a professional writer looking to launch a blog and affiliate marketing business. If there’s a topic that customers bring up over and over again, it might just be the golden goose topic for a niche site.
For example, when I worked on contract creating content for Purina, I wrote for its cat and dog-focused fan site. Although Purina creates a variety of products (like horse feed!), that website focuses specifically on a cross-section of their audience who seeks care tips and heart-warming stories about felines and canines.
2. Choose an evolving topic.
Once you have a few ideas in mind that you’re passionate about, select the topic that’s always growing and changing. If we think back to the pet blog example, there will always be health care tips, stories and new products to promote.
An evolving topic lets you become the expert and a trusted source presenting new developments in your niche.
For example, blogging about advertising trends and tips on Facebook would be an evolving topic. There will continually be updates to the way Facebook integrates and sells ads, both on the consumer and business side. However, if you start a blog specific to one Facebook update, the topic is short-lived and even if it’s a complex change, it wouldn’t be of much interest within a year or two, and your audience will dwindle.
3. Learn publicly and openly.
Speaking of your audience, readers love following your journey, both the ups and the downs. Present a topic they can engage in directly via comments or sharing. For example, when I started my lifestyle blog, Cupcakes and Yoga Pants, I knew it’d be tough to share the low moments in my health journey.
It’s so much easier to encourage people to make healthy lifestyle choices. Then, when health issues pop up that can’t be controlled easily, my readers and I help each other out. They offer helpful tips and words of encouragement as I share my progress, or set backs.
As a team, we ultimately move forward because we’ve both learned something from the experience. Invite your readers to do the same!
Once you have a topic in mind, let it sit in the back of your mind. Brainstorm blog post topics and headlines. Is it still making you giddy with excitement? You might just have your new blog topic!
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