The art of blogging has become quite popular in recent years. It seems like everyone is starting a blog, and on every topic. But creating a successful blog that has at least the hope of longevity is not always easy. And though there are many factors to consider, such as blog platform, content, and design, the most important decision to make before starting a blog is the overall topic. There are several tips to consider when deciding on a blog topic.
Make Sure You’re Passionate About Your Topic
One of the keys to a successful blog is in frequent posts and updates. The frequency of these posts can range from once a week to several times a day. That’s a lot of writing about a single topic, especially if you want your blog to last for more than a few months. Think about all the topics you might blog about, and narrow it down to those topics you can truly see yourself writing about for months on end. If you know that you’ll get bored three months in, you might want to select another topic.
Choose a Topic You Enjoy Discussing
Think about the topics you discuss often with your friends and family. Do you find yourself often turning the conversation to politics? Then maybe a political blog might be for you. Can you discuss pets for hours on end? Consider starting a pet blog. Whatever you pick, make sure it’s something you actually enjoy talking about.
At the same time, you’ll want to ensure that you don’t mind if people disagree with you about your chosen topic. A blog is out there for everyone to read, and it’s impossible to please everyone all of the time. As your blog grows and expands, more and more people will read what you write. And some of them will disagree with you. If you can appreciate a healthy debate on your chosen topic, it might be the blog topic for you.
Is There Enough Content on the Topic to Sustain a Blog?
If you’re going to start a successful blog, you’re going to have to continue to produce fresh and unique content for a sustained period of time. If you run out of things to say, your blog will end up floating in the furthest corner of cyberspace where no one will ever see it.
When considering whether there is enough content to support your blog, evaluate your resources. Think about yourself as an author and decide if you can put up fresh content on a consistent basis for more than just a few weeks. Are there enough books, websites, and other resources to provide you with inspiration when you run out of ideas? If you’re passionate about your topic, you probably already have websites bookmarked or books on your shelf that relate to your blog. But it wouldn’t hurt to do a quick Google or Bing search to discover exactly what kind of resources there are in cyberspace.
This serves two purposes. First, it allows you to locate additional references. Second, you’ll get the opportunity to see what other people are writing about. And while you should not copy another writer’s ideas, searching for inspiration is something every writer does.
Don’t Have Too Narrow a Focus
While all blogs should have a clear focus, if your focus is too narrow you’ll find you quickly run out of things to say. For example, a blog on the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will be fairly limited. It only happens once a year, and there’s only so much to talk about. If, on the other hand, you blog about dog shows in general, or about breed conformation, you will be able to blog all year long and still cover the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show every year. In this way, you’ll have a focused blog that will rarely, if ever, run out of fresh topics.
Is the Topic Popular?
Despite how much you may love your topic, the success of a blog is determined by the people willing to read your blog. If you’re the only person in the world who is interested in your topic (unlikely, but remotely possible), you might have a difficult time attracting followers. If you want to create a blog that is frequently read, you’ll need to select your topic carefully.
That being said, you don’t need to appeal to everyone. Your blog only has to be about a topic that some people are interested it. Search out a topic that has active readers, people who will want to revisit your blog frequently to read your latest posts. You may have to tweak your chosen topic a little before you come up with something that your readers will enjoy.
Blogs are a fun and creative way to spend your time. However, choosing a topic that suits both your own needs and the desires of your audience can take some time and consideration. Choose your topic carefully and you’ll find you can blog for many years without losing focus.
Blogging has become something of a phenomenon in recent years. It seems that everyone is starting a blog, and for a variety of reasons. However, most of these blogs never get much traffic. If you’re interested in creating a blog that is truly a destination, then you need to take some time to craft a blog that your audience will return to time and time again. These simple tips can help you do this.
Define Your Goals and Audience
Before you set up a blog or write your first post, you need to know where you’re going and how best to get there. Start by defining your goals for your blog. Do you want to make money? Perhaps you wish to establish yourself as an expert in a certain field. Are you going to be promoting a business or service that you offer? Do you intent to express many social or political ideas? Maybe you’re just in it for fun. Your purpose will define the shape and style of your blog.
You don’t want to have too many topics or ideas for a single blog. Stick to a particular niche. For example, if it’s a political blog, you’ll want to leave out the posts about what funny things your kids did over the weekend. A blog about cats will probably not include a recap about your recent hiking trip. Stay on topic if you want to attract and keep readers. Choose your niche, preferably one you have some knowledge about, and stick to that niche.
Readers are the single most important part of a blog. You need to keep their attention. To do this, figure out exactly who main audience will be and write for them and only them. If your audience is teenagers, you should have a blog that appeals to them. This means both the aesthetics of your blog and its content. On the other hand, a blog written for real estate professionals shouldn’t look like it was designed by a teenager. You audience will have certain expectations, and it is your job to meet or exceed these wherever possible.
Choose Your Blogging Platform
There are literally hundreds of different blogging platforms available on the internet today. Two of the most popular are Blogger and Wordpress, but there are many others. Which one you choose will be based upon your own particular needs. Some of them are easier to use than others, and some of them appeal to certain audiences. Go through all your options and choose the platform that you are most comfortable with.
Some platforms are free, others will cost you money. Before you decide to invest in a platform that isn’t free, consider your own needs. If your blog will primarily be a creative outlet, then a free platform should suit you just fine. However, if you want to make serious money from your blog, you might want to consider investing a little money yourself. Typically, free platforms are more difficult to monetize, but this isn’t always the case.
Select the Look of Your Blog
Now that you’ve figured out which platform you’ll be using, it’s time to design your blog. Again, you’ll want to consider your audience. For the most part, you’ll want to avoid busy backgrounds, as they can be hard on the eyes and detract from your content. Also choose a font that contrasts well with your background. Navy may seem like a good color for your font, but against a black background, it disappears. Preview everything before deciding on a final look.
Also make sure that your blog is accessible to readers. Your posts should stand out, not get lost in sidebars and advertising. There’s nothing wrong with advertising and the occasional sidebar, but make sure your posts are the focus of your blog. This will make information easier to find, and your readers will thank you for it.
Once you pick a theme and layout, stick with it. Changing your backgrounds every week may seem like fun, but it becomes hard to create an identity for your blog if you don’t have something consistent. Your readers will also have a hard time recognizing your blog. Try to change things only when absolutely necessary.
Focus on Content
Now it’s time to write something for your blog. Content is the driving force behind any blog, so you’ll need to select it carefully. You’ve already determined your audience and niche, so content should come naturally. To attract loyal readers, you’ll need good quality content that’s posted on a frequent basis. Try to post new content at least once a week. Establish a schedule that your readers can predict.
Give your readers relevant, useful content. Stay on topic, write your content well, and your audience will find you.
Don’t Be a Thief
There’s a lot of great content out there on the internet, and it can be tempting just to copy and paste whatever will work for your blog. Don’t. Write original content, and if you do use an idea or quote, attribute it correctly. Besides being unethical, copying material or images without permission and proper attribution can get you in trouble. Most hosts will shut down a blog if plagiarism is proven, and you could lose all your hard work. Duplicate content also isn’t very interesting, and your readers will eventually just go to the original source. You shouldn’t have to steal anyway, since you are presumably blogging on a topic about which you have some general knowledge.
Establish Yourself as an Authority
Why should anyone read your blog? This is an important question. If you’ve started a blog about training a dog, for example, you have to give your audience a reason to take your advice. This is where the “Contact Me” or “About Me” page comes in handy. You don’t have to detail every moment of your life. Keep it relevant to the blog. In the dog training example, you would want to include any personal information that would help your readers understand why you’re blogging about dog training. Maybe you’ve been training dogs for twenty years, or you might be a certified dog trainer. Make the page friendly and inviting, but relevant.
Use Ads Sparingly
Don’t have a page that’s essentially all ads. It turns readers off. Most readers understand that bloggers make money from ads, so they’ll accept some ads, but don’t go overboard. A few well-placed ads will have more effect than a page of flashing ads that just annoys your readers.
Be Unique
There are thousands upon thousands of blogs out there. You need to try to stand out, at least a little. Write interesting and unique articles, use an authorial voice, and focus on your audience. With a unique blog, you’ll soon find you have more followers and readers than you know what to do with.
Get Your Blog Out There
Once you have some useful information, you need to make sure your blog is found by people who want to read it. While many of your readers may find your blog through search engines such as Bing and Google, there are other ways to promote your blog. Join one or more of the many social networking sites designed for bloggers. Try creating a Facebook Fan Page for your blog to draw in friends and family, and encourage them to invite their friends. Twitter can be used as a way to gain additional fans as well. Also look for blogs on similar topics and follow them, inviting the author of the blog to follow you in turn.
Be Yourself
Your blog is almost an extension of you, so be true to yourself. Inject a little of your own personality into your blog. People read blogs for more than information. They read blogs to connect. Do don’t blog like some emotionless news report. Blog from the heart and you’ll soon find that you gain follows almost without any effort.
There are many other tips for beginning bloggers. You’ll want to master the use of plug-ins, be thoughtful, and encourage conversation, among other things. But the ten tips found here are the essentials for any blogger to consider while crafting their first blog.
Last year my son had an idea. He thought he and his friends could be knights. He thought they should go on an adventure. And he thought I should write it all down for him. And now, one year later, The Search for Grandmaster Svend is available for purchase.
This book was inspired by the vivid imagination of Tristan, my seven-year-old son (though he was six when we wrote it). As an author, I assisted him in bringing the story to life, but it's still his story. The characters (at least the good guys) are all based on friends and family. Svend, the grandmaster who needs rescuing, is his grandfather. Payton, the blue knight, is his best friend. The queen is actually his grandmother. Every one of the good guys in the book means something to him. The book also contains six illustrations, all of them done by Tristan himself.
This book is intended for children my son's age (seven) and older. Adults will also enjoy it, but it's really designed for kids. It's assessed ready level is 4.9 (though take that with a grain of salt). Boys and girls alike can relate to the adventures of The Knights of St. Andrews, but there are few female characters. Tristan promises there will be at least two "girl knights" as he works on future stories. These girls will probably be his two best "girl friends" from school, but he hasn't actually told me that yet.
Tristan is even now working on the plot of the next story. Perhaps it will be available next year. Until then, enjoy The Knights of St. Andrews, Book One: The Search for Grandmaster Svend.
I understand electronic media. I'm an author, and all of my work is available in electronic format. More than half my sales come from e-books and other electronic media. That's fine. But in my heart of hearts, I like print. I especially like print when it comes to consuming the daily news.
There are very few things in life that I find as satisfying as walking down to the corner and purchasing my daily paper each and every morning. It's not just about reading the news or being informed. It's about the feel of a paper in my hands and the sight of all those neatly printed columns. In our house, the personality of print media has never been more important.
It may sound odd, but the thing I enjoy most about the daily newspaper is the smell. All print media, whether it be a book, magazine, or newspaper, has a particular scent, no matter how faint that scent may be. The daily paper smells of paper and ink and hard work, and that's something that my computer just can't replicate. The scent of the paper as I slowly turn the pages in the comfort of the conservatory is an experience that I'm not ready to give up any time soon.
I much prefer looking at a print newspaper instead of the electronic version. The columns are arranged neatly, everything is well organized, and best of all, the ads are placed in logical places that do not interfere with my ability to read and enjoy the stories which interest me. Whenever I've read the news online, I'm noticed how the adds detract from my experience. They get in the way, and instead of getting my attention, they only persuade me to surf on over to a different site.
Part of my morning routine is stretching, grabbing the leashes, and walking the dogs down to the corner where I purchase my paper. Sometimes, we even run into my father, who's doing the same thing. It's a chance to get outside, breathe the clean and cool morning air, and get some exercise before the rush of the day descends upon us. The walk over to the computer just doesn't have the same effect. I rather like having to get dressed first thing and head outside.
Electronic media may be somewhat cheaper and more convenient, but that isn't always a good thing in the long run. Too many things in this world are just too convenient, including finding the daily news online. In this age of computers and instant access, it's all too easy to forget the simple pleasures in life. My morning paper is one of those simple pleasures that I intend to cling to.
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