So you’ve been charged with creating a blog and now you’re freaking out about what to blog about. Relax. Having the creative freedom to choose your own topic is way better than being assigned a boring subject.
Here are five questions to help you discover your blogging niche:
1. What are you interested in? A blog is a big commitment. You’ll be happier in the long run if you choose a topic that interests you, not just something you think others want to read. I happen to be really interested in media issues. I started my blog when I was at a college media conference and realized I knew some things that would really benefit others. I decided to launch my blog to share knowledge with other advisers, professors and students, and hopefully to create a conversation between those groups and people working within the media industry.
2. What is your expertise? Don’t say “nothing.” Everyone knows a lot about something. You just have to figure out what it is. Think about the subjects you’re interested in. Now ask yourself: “Why/how am I qualified to write about this topic?” If you can’t sell it to yourself, you’ll never convince your readers. I’m lucky enough to be considered an “expert” in media, which was my blogging area of choice. However, not everyone who presents themselves as an expert on a subject has the educational background to support their claim. Instead, most of them have life experiences that resulted in their expertise. For example, one of the top growing segments of bloggers right now is “mommy bloggers.” They know a lot about being moms because they are living that experience every day.
3. Does your expertise interest others? I bet it does! There is a whole group of people out there just like you who want to know more about your interest. The real question is, who are these people? As soon as you determine your audience, you’ll be able to begin to fit your interests and expertise with their needs. I was again fortunate enough to be at a conference full of people who I knew were an audience for my blog. Perhaps this is a good way to think about it. Are there conferences, meetings, organizations, etc. where people gather to discuss your topic? If so, they’re the people you probably want to reach/serve with your messages.
4. Where is your audience getting this type of information? This is one of the more difficult issues that bloggers face. There literally is a blog (or hundreds) out there for every type of niche you can imagine. This means you have to do some research about what’s already out there. Then you have to determine what you can provide the audience that they aren’t already getting somewhere else or how you can do it better than the competition. There’s nothing wrong with having competition, as long as you can provide something different or better. This is where you really begin to develop your niche and carve out your chances of success.
5. What will you write about? I always find it interesting when bloggers complain about not knowing what to write about. I typically have way more ideas than I have time. Just like when you’re working a news beat, you should have a running list of blog ideas. Each idea should lead you to the next one. If you can’t immediately brainstorm 10 or more ideas for blog posts, then you may want to rethink your idea. Your blog needs to be something you can feed long term.
If you still can’t come up with a blog idea, you may want to consider a personal blog. My personal blog, kennaray.com, has proven to be just as popular (if not more) than my journalism blog. I think this is because I have a captive audience in my family and friends. Of course, the issue with a personal blog is that you have to be willing to write candidly and share big parts of yourself with your readers. This is not an easy thing to do.
When I first started my personal blog, I kept it “private.” My readers were only a few family members and friends who I invited to read. I was bothered by having a “private” blog. I even joked that a “private blog” was an oxymoron. I decided that if I couldn’t put it “out there” for the world to see, I shouldn’t be putting it online. To be honest, I knew better. So, I was faced with the decision of making my “private” blog “public” or taking it down. It’s “out there” now, and I honestly still wonder if this was a good decision. Perhaps only time will tell.
If you’re considering a personal blog, I recommend reading “Why Have a Personal Blog?” by Heidi Cohen.
Once you determine your niche, the next step is to name and theme your blog. Not sure what to name your new blog? To get started, I recommend reading “5 Blog Naming Basics” on ProBlogger.
Good luck!
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