What to Blog About, and How? And Why?
So now that you have had the chance to get to know who I am via the previous post (and if you haven’t had a chance to read the last post, feel free to head over there after you’ve read this!) let's talk about some less personal things to me. Instead, let’s focus on you and your blog writing journey!
The point of this post is to help you hone in on your writing, and flesh out what you not only want to talk about, but what you need to talk about.
But first and foremost, we need to answer one important question: Why?
Why Am I Doing This?
Why would anyone subject themself to spending a chunk of their work week to consistently write blog posts? Is this a productive use of my time? Would anyone actually read these words?
Well, for me, since you’re reading this, I’d say it’s worth it. Thanks again for reading!
But in my experience, there are a handful of good reasons why keeping up with a blog is not only worth your time, but other people’s time as well. Here are four of them:
Good For The Brand
To be quite frank with you, this is the exact reason why I started blogging. Having a consistent blog has been a proven strategy for building a website’s search engine optimization, and helps with the overall visibility in the rankings.
This is the least romantic reason to blog, but this is also the most functional reason to blog. If you want your website and business to be seen by the most people, having content available to new and returning visitors is a good way to be seen.
Give Me Attention
Now here is what I believe most people think about bloggers, and, to be honest, they’re not always wrong. There are plenty of people who blog who do so to have eyes on them, to build clout, and increase notoriety.
With that said, I think gaining the attention of others is a totally legitimate reason to get into blogging. You don’t need to have the most interesting content to make money. You could make a good living gaining sponsorships and generate revenue from clicks if you’re good enough. I could point to a dozen Twitter accounts that are successful with this mindset.
However, I personally don’t recommend this application. You gain a loyal base of readers with quality content. If you only blog to garner attention, you will lose focus, readers, and potential sponsors quickly.
Sure, get eyes on your blog, that’s a good thing to keep in mind. But have that focus with one, or both, of the following reasons to blog consistently.
I Have Something to Say
What gets you excited? Is there something that you are not only passionate about? Do you have an awful lot to discuss and not enough friends or family willing to listen to everything you need to explore? Consider writing it out in a blog!
If you’re the kind of person who knows way too much about a subject, or if you just got to explore the ends and outs of your niche, start writing about it.
You don’t have to be an expert by any means (unless you want to talk about brain surgery, then you should be an expert). As long as you have the passion for your interest, and can build up legitimacy in your voice, people will want to read what you have to say.
Brand Spanking New Perspective
For my money, this is the best reason to start doing anything in the creative realm. Who are you? What do you bring to the table that others may not? What sets you apart?
Thinking on these questions will help define your unique perspective. While there are similarities in tone and ideology with others, if you are able and willing to dive into yourself, you will find your defined voice.
Here’s the best part: everyone’s perspective is different. Who you are, even if its on a general identity level (race, creed, gender, who you’re attracted to etc.), you can find a groove in the blogosphere for your voice to shine.
Honing in on your unique vantage point will draw in readers, and help establish your blog as one that people will continue to read over and over.
Now that we have explored why people write blogs, let’s dive into why/if people even read these things.
Do People Still Read Blogs?
Well, you’re reading this, aren’t you? So in a sense, yes. The fact that you are reading this is proof that there are people out there who read blogs. In fact, I guarantee that there are plenty of others out there who are willing and able to read quality content.
Question is, what are people reading? Well, everyone has their own interests, but here are a handful of common types of blogs:
DIY
This may be the single most expansive sub-genre of blog writing. These blog posts typically show off the journey of making a thing, and likely giving readers a step by step list of the process of making the thing.
These don’t necessarily need to be general painting tutorials or interior design tips and tricks. Plenty of people have utilized their niche interests into eye-catching content.
I have worked on some local theater productions, and sometimes you are thrust into the role of personal costume designer (for yourself). If you need to learn how to use a hot glue gun, I can attest that there are plenty of helpful costume designers who have written great and detailed blogs about effective hot glue usage.
There is no end to the mass of creative creators who have shared ways they have done it themselves, and want you to learn, too. If you want to make the Mona Lisa out of Legos, or photoshop yourself into an image of a dense jungle, I bet there’s a blog post out there that can show you how to do it!
Cooking
I personally frequent several of these blogs. If you want to spice up your meal planning, or if you want to try something different, then you pull from the vast resource of hundreds, or likely thousands, of meal making blogs
There are blogs that offer a bevy of unique adaptable recipes that can adapt to dietary restriction or needs. There are various blogs that specialize in vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and most any specific meal you can imagine.
Personally, I made a gluten-free chocolate ganache cake with raspberry buttercream for my partner’s birthday. Am I a professional baker? Not in the least bit. However, thanks to a very detailed baking blog, I was able to make a pretty delicious, albeit hideous, cake that surprised her as much as it shocked myself.
If you can track down a blog that can scientifically explain each step of the process, you too can make some pretty great meals! (Visual presentation varies, but they should taste great!)
Travel
Wanderlust is a common feeling, and plenty of people want to get out and see what is out in this big ol’ world. However, traveling can be stressful and expensive. Who has the time and energy to plan and for exotic adventures?
Well, you could. If you know where to look. There are travel blogs that help with finding inexpensive solutions for your ideal locations, and provide helpful tips on how to get the most out of your dream destination.
The last time I went to New York City, I was a broke recent college grad who wanted to go see some Broadway shows. So to get into the most shows possible, I did some research on which shows had deals. I realized quickly that the major ticket sites weren’t giving me much of a discount, so I looked into some travel blogs of people who frequent the city. These blogs were so effective and helpful that I was able to see three shows in four days for less than $100.
People who have been to the places you want to go want others to experience their journeys, and are a great resource to help fellow travelers chase their dreams.
Business
I imagine a chuck of you reading this heading felt your eyes glaze over, so I’ll keep this section short and sweet.
Yes, there are a lot of dry, information driven business blogs that will only intrigue people who you’d want to avoid at parties (hi, I’m one of those people). But you should absolutely give these blogs a shot! The data and intel available in these blogs can be a proverbial El Dorado of knowledge that can help you succeed.
Starting my own business felt daunting, but I found plenty of tips that changed my thinking on how to approach building my company. In fact, it was one of those business blogs that encouraged me to start writing a blog for Sage Coast.
Grit your teeth, be ready to read some boring jargon, and if you stick with it, you will find some good advice to help you in your professional field!
Parenting
Now, I’m not a parent yet, so my knowledge of this subgenre is limited. However, as someone who would love to be a dad, but is also overwhelmed at what actually entails, I’m grateful for every mom, dad, and parent who has shared experiences and tips in their child rearing experience.
While I don’t have kids, I do have a couple nieces who needed to be swaddled when they were itty bitty. What’s swaddling? I had no idea, but my sister-in-law needed some help with swaddling my oldest niece. We didn’t have a clue what we were doing, but a blog post she found helped walk through swaddling. In no time, my newborn niece was transformed into the most adorable little baby burrito by her mom.
Even if you just want to read what other parents have experienced, there are plenty of people who provide their own unique parenting journeys to help make others feel at ease.
Personal
If you’re between the ages of 25-40, I’m sure your mind immediately remembers that cringe-inducing MySpace blog you updated a little too frequently with your feelings and whatnot. It’s okay to admit it, I had one too.
This type of blog can easily lack substance, especially if the writer doesn’t have a point to their posts. However, there are a whole lot of interesting people who have lives that need to be shared, and a way to tell stories that are well worth the reader’s time.
While these blogs may not be the most informative, there are those out there that can engage and entertain readers.
So now that we’ve gone over just a few types of blog people have written, let’s talk about you and what you could even do for your blog!
What Do I Even Write About?
Boy, that’s a hefty question, huh? If you have ever stared at a blank word document with the blinking on and off in front of your eye, then you may have felt the overwhelming feeling of ‘what’s now’?
When you can write about anything, it’s tough to figure out what to funnel your focus upon. Lucky for you, I have developed a three stage process to help you figure out what to write about!
1) What Interests You?
When I say ‘interests’, I’m not saying that this is something that you find surface-level enjoyment. By interest, I mean you have an interest that you want to dive deep into knowing as much as you can, and need to share that knowledge.
For example, I’m a baseball fan. I keep up with my team, check scores, and see how they look for the postseason. But I’m not the kind of person who will go to every home game, or track each pitchers’ ERA and statistics, or discuss the complexities of who should go where in a batting line up.
Finding something that excites you the more you dig into, and you want to keep discovering more, then that is an interest you can write about!
2) What Have You Experienced?
There is an old writing adage I learned in school: write what you know. Basically, this means you should focus on subjects that you have some concrete experience with instead of those you have yet to experience.
If you have never stepped foot in a kitchen, maybe don’t write about how to make the best chocolate chip cookies. Don’t write about traveling to places you haven’t been, or making something you haven’t created yourself. Write with legitimacy based on the experiences that are unique to yourself.
The subject of your blog could be as simple as discussing an experience in real time. Your journey could be documented in a blog as you learn more (that’s what this blog is in a nutshell)!
3) What Do You Feel Confident Speaking About?
This is the most important function of writing. If you aren’t able to convey confidence in your writing, readers will be able to see right through your text, and move on to the next blog.
The most effective strategy I’ve found to help with building credibility is utilizing research. Checking resources and using facts in your writing will help solidify the confidence your readers will need from you.
If that theater blog had bad links to websites for discount Broadway shows, I would have clicked off and never recommended the blog to my friends. But instead, I got a great price on discounted tickets, and share the blog with others,
Being able to confidently speak on your niche interests that you’ve legitimately experienced will help establish credibility, and will better your chances to gather an audience.
Now that you’ve taken the time to read through this blog post, and learned a little bit about the what, how and why of blog writing, there’s just one last thing you need to do now: write!
