I remember when I first decided to blog, I hadn’t read anything about how to blog, blogging topics, niches -blah, blah, blah. Maybe…just maybe, that was a good thing. Right now, I just write about what I think is interesting or what I want others to know. Also, blogging can be purely academic if you want to blog about a specific topic – but frankly, I think that can get boring if you comparmentalize yourself so early on (in the bloggin world). I could be wrong.
The blog-curious could also be overwhelmed, otherwise, with the amount of information available about blogging. Sometimes, if you have too much info – you can be paralyzed into not choosing anything.
Nice one! I’m glad our convo inspired a post You’re dead on. I think PT actually writes about careers maybe 1 out of every 5 posts. No one’s complaining though, and subscribers aren’t leaving in droves, since everyone loves her voice. After talking to yo uand Milena I think having a strict topic or niche matters less and less — I think if you just write about what is interesting you, a topic will sort of come together and people will associate your blog with certain themes. I think the same can work for you — just write whatever you want, even if it doesnt fit in the “Gen Y” space, and your topic will just come together.
Interesting post! When I first started blogging at a very young age, it was mostly to write about my personal life, and didn’t particularly have a topic. Sometimes, I think these types of blogs tend to be the most popular because it’s fascinating to read about peoples’ personal lives. However, more recently, I’ve decided to write more regarding a theme of human rights, but it’s not in order to attract an audience. It’s more for myself, to help me establish a ‘personal brand’ and to help me understand more about the subject/field, which I want to go into. Establishing such a blog has been immensely helpful in fact, because it’s forced me to really keep up with the related news and learn more about it. So now, I’m so much more knowledgeable about huma rights than when I first started blogging. Moreover, I can’t write about my personal life online under my name because I’m just not used to that sort of publicity; I’m a relatively private person, so I just could never do that. I think it depends what your end goal is. If you want to establish a personal brand or learn more about a topic, you should probably cater your blog to that topic. Of course you can write some off-topic posts. But keeping on topic is helpful for those goals. If you just enjoy writing or if you want to just put your thoughts out there, by all means you don’t need to develop a topic or theme. It just depends what you want to achieve from your blog..
I wrote about how to be a happy blogger. How I did it? Got over the bizarre urge to limit myself to a topic. I’ve never been that way in life – so why try to be that way in writing?
Also, I think we need to give our readers more credit. There is a lot of advice about the “ideal reader” and what they want to hear, so we should make sure we don’t write anything they might not like. I think that’s silly. My ideal readers grow, they change. They are not nameless, faceless consumers of the same hackneyed tidbits. They might not like everything I say, but I shouldn’t insult them by thinking they cannot handle different viewpoints, or that who I am is so unique that they won’t “get” me if I change my direction.
I was thinking about this particular topic over the weekend. Although I am on the side that a blog centered around a specific topic will maximize readers, I feel that my personal blog doesn’t have any one particular topic. The topic is pretty much ME, hence, it’s my personal blog. I was actually thinking of creating a separate blog about entrepreneur lessons and startup interviews.
Secondly, how come a blog like yours has such great followship? I feel that the second element in followship is the personality of the blogger and how willing they are to put themselves in the public eye. You write well, are interesting, and the people in our community want to know what’s going on in your head. That’s why personal blogs can build such a good momentum without always being about teaching and a specific topic.
Interesting topic! I’ve mulled this over a lot myself. I have a fairly popular blog where I write about cool houses and decorating trends. What I’ve found is that if I ever stray from the topic even a little, no one shows up. My stats for the day plummet. At this point, I’m definitely feeling like I’ll have to start a separate blog if I want to write about other things on a regular basis.
Great post, think that this resonates with anyone who blogs on some level!
I think that your goals for blogging should play a significant role in what content you cover on your blog. If you want to establish yourself as a thought leader, obviously you’re going to get closer to that goal if you blog about the topic/industry where you’re trying to make your mark. But this isn’t the only reason people blog, and there’s very clearly still a lot to be gained even if you don’t stick to a narrow/clearly defined topic – I think your blog is proof of this.
I agree with something you and Nisha alluded to, it’s really about the quality of your content and your blogging voice. If you’re writing about something super interesting and you write it in a compelling way, people will read it.
My best posts come from just writing. I mean all my posts revolve around the topic of starting a business because its what I’m doing. But I reall’y don’t try and narrow my view on it. I just write about things that I talk to people about and I try to write like I talk. Since I realized all of this I have seen a solid response with traffic and comments to my blog. But if you never start writing you will never get feedback and you will never know where you will want to take it.
I really enjoyed that you addressed the “Gen Y” and “Millenial” stuff being beaten to death. I’m a “Gen Y”er (by age, not by choice), but I’m sick of hearing about it.
I really enjoy your blog and your candor. Even though I’m a PTrunk fan, I’m really glad you were honest and candid about your experience with BC.
I hope you will keep writing and will grow this blog. You are one of the few off BC that I subscribed to.
Don’t question why people subscribe to your blog. They do, so just keep writing.
I really appreciate this post – I have the hardest time blogging because I feel like I can’t stick to a “theme” or whatever – this is a good excuse for me to just go for it! Thanks Monica!
“Because blogging is an evolution of whom you are, and the online space where you “live” should reflect that.” Excellent coverage of the topic about not having a topic. Seriously, well done. Don’t give in to the pressure to remain chained to a topic. Just get on with it. -Mig
I completely agree with you on this one. I believe we all have so much to learn from our lives and if we can write and share our lessons with others, it is worth it. Also we all have stories to tell, what better a platform than Blogging? If you write on a topic, you might as well write a book. Blogs are free expressions. They are live diaries. They don’t need a theme or consistency. You create this recipe as you go. I maintain four blogs and it is a full time job. It gives me satisfaction and creative contentment that I do not get at my job.
Hi Everyone,
I have a carpet cleaning business in Houston,TX that was doing pretty good until the economy went bad, and with it my clientele. I have a website for the business but I dont
know what I have to do the get it to show up in a search. Right now it’s somewhere in the yahoo/google netherworld (LOL).
Is there someone on here that can give me some insight or know of anyone that coud give me insight on how I can get my local website on the front
page of a Yahoo or Google search to increase my business without it costing me 5 or 10k $$$? If so please share with me.
I thank you and my hungry over-eating children thank you.
This post/dialogue has confirmed my decision to reject a specific topic for my budding blog – thanks! I’m fine with figuring it out as I go.
Like yourself and so many others, I’m in a transitional consulting phase during which I get to explore and learn new things. It hadn’t occurred to me to write about these areas of non-expertise, but I like the suggestion. And I wholeheartedly back Milena’s first point. I cultivate all my interests – oftentimes seemingly disjointed ones – and without fail they end up coming full circle to make complete sense. I think a blog can thrive the same way.
Nice topic or I rather say nice post.. You're right.. you don't need a topic.. just right anything you one.. and after you finish your work, you will realize what was the topic all about..
Nice topic or I rather say nice post.. You're right.. you don't need a topic.. just right anything you one.. and after you finish your work, you will realize what was the topic all about..
Nice topic or I rather say nice post.. You're right.. you don't need a topic.. just right anything you one.. and after you finish your work, you will realize what was the topic all about..
Nice topic or I rather say nice post.. You're right.. you don't need a topic.. just right anything you one.. and after you finish your work, you will realize what was the topic all about..
Great point about getting overwhelmed with (often conflicting) blogging advice. Everyone has a different way of doing things, so it’s no surprise that some bloggers resonate with you better than others.
Also, I really enjoy your blog. I just realized though that I have no idea if your blog has a topic or not. So I guess that’s a good thing, the topic I associate your blog with is you!
Insightful as usual. I remember that post, and now I wish I had linked to it in this post… I was going to link to you for another post actually as an example of someone I will always read even though your blog doesn’t have a clear topic – I cut that paragraph though.
Anyway, you’re definitely right – I feel the same way about putting myself in a box. I can’t stand when other people define me, especially when I have trouble defining myself. Wonderful point about respecting your readers and not underestimating their ability to grow with you and your blog. Thanks!
Such a charmer, haha! Thanks for the compliments. I have thought about starting a more professional blog too that’s purely about my career and industry… my problem is I tend to change both industries and careers all the time
I think topics are a good idea for some people who really know what they want – which is probably you – you know you want to be an entrepreneur for life. Personally, I love your entrepreneurship posts – it is clear to me that your blog is about entrepreneurship and your personal struggles so I don’t think you need a separate blog. My two cents!
Cool blog! I think your blog now has a very specific format and it’s super-niche focused. It sounds like a personal blog might allow you to post more about other topics that interest you. Good luck!
Goals are an important part of blogging – probably why I struggle, I don’t have any major goals right now for my blog. I think you’re right – it comes down to quality of content. If you start writing crap people stop paying attention. So it’s about knowing what’s interesting enough to put into a blog post, maybe. Thanks for the comment! And I would be interested in the follow-up post that you mentioned on Twitter if you still decide to do it.
Thanks for the encouragement! Such kind words. I’m a huge PTrunk fan too (I quote her here), but I also wanted to be honest about my experiences and what I’ve learned.
Thanks again for the comment and continuing to read my blog
Haha, your coverage sentence made me laugh. I like hopping all over the place. It’s a lot easier than starting a new blog every time I want to talk about something wacky.
Blogging is such a free expression for me too. It feels good to just put things out there and let people hate it or love it or whatever. It really just feels good to be myself and feel free to not worry about what people think of it.
Starting a blog is a great way to put more keyword-rich content on your site that Google and Yahoo will love. This technique doesn’t cost money, but it costs time. It won’t produce instant results, but it will pay off in the long run.
Visit wordpress.org to get started setting up a blog on your website. Good luck!
Monica O'Brien is the Director of Digital at Fizz and author of the book Social Pollination, which helps businesses leverage social media for crazy growth!
Monica O'Brien is the Director of Digital at Fizz and author of the book Social Pollination, which helps businesses leverage social media for crazy growth!
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
Cool post.
I remember when I first decided to blog, I hadn’t read anything about how to blog, blogging topics, niches -blah, blah, blah. Maybe…just maybe, that was a good thing. Right now, I just write about what I think is interesting or what I want others to know. Also, blogging can be purely academic if you want to blog about a specific topic – but frankly, I think that can get boring if you comparmentalize yourself so early on (in the bloggin world). I could be wrong.
The blog-curious could also be overwhelmed, otherwise, with the amount of information available about blogging. Sometimes, if you have too much info – you can be paralyzed into not choosing anything.
Nice one! I’m glad our convo inspired a post
You’re dead on. I think PT actually writes about careers maybe 1 out of every 5 posts. No one’s complaining though, and subscribers aren’t leaving in droves, since everyone loves her voice. After talking to yo uand Milena I think having a strict topic or niche matters less and less — I think if you just write about what is interesting you, a topic will sort of come together and people will associate your blog with certain themes. I think the same can work for you — just write whatever you want, even if it doesnt fit in the “Gen Y” space, and your topic will just come together.
Interesting post! When I first started blogging at a very young age, it was mostly to write about my personal life, and didn’t particularly have a topic. Sometimes, I think these types of blogs tend to be the most popular because it’s fascinating to read about peoples’ personal lives. However, more recently, I’ve decided to write more regarding a theme of human rights, but it’s not in order to attract an audience. It’s more for myself, to help me establish a ‘personal brand’ and to help me understand more about the subject/field, which I want to go into. Establishing such a blog has been immensely helpful in fact, because it’s forced me to really keep up with the related news and learn more about it. So now, I’m so much more knowledgeable about huma rights than when I first started blogging. Moreover, I can’t write about my personal life online under my name because I’m just not used to that sort of publicity; I’m a relatively private person, so I just could never do that. I think it depends what your end goal is. If you want to establish a personal brand or learn more about a topic, you should probably cater your blog to that topic. Of course you can write some off-topic posts. But keeping on topic is helpful for those goals. If you just enjoy writing or if you want to just put your thoughts out there, by all means you don’t need to develop a topic or theme. It just depends what you want to achieve from your blog..
I wrote about how to be a happy blogger. How I did it? Got over the bizarre urge to limit myself to a topic. I’ve never been that way in life – so why try to be that way in writing?
Also, I think we need to give our readers more credit. There is a lot of advice about the “ideal reader” and what they want to hear, so we should make sure we don’t write anything they might not like. I think that’s silly. My ideal readers grow, they change. They are not nameless, faceless consumers of the same hackneyed tidbits. They might not like everything I say, but I shouldn’t insult them by thinking they cannot handle different viewpoints, or that who I am is so unique that they won’t “get” me if I change my direction.
I was thinking about this particular topic over the weekend. Although I am on the side that a blog centered around a specific topic will maximize readers, I feel that my personal blog doesn’t have any one particular topic. The topic is pretty much ME, hence, it’s my personal blog. I was actually thinking of creating a separate blog about entrepreneur lessons and startup interviews.
Secondly, how come a blog like yours has such great followship? I feel that the second element in followship is the personality of the blogger and how willing they are to put themselves in the public eye. You write well, are interesting, and the people in our community want to know what’s going on in your head. That’s why personal blogs can build such a good momentum without always being about teaching and a specific topic.
Plus, being pretty doesn’t hurt – Jun
Interesting topic! I’ve mulled this over a lot myself. I have a fairly popular blog where I write about cool houses and decorating trends. What I’ve found is that if I ever stray from the topic even a little, no one shows up. My stats for the day plummet. At this point, I’m definitely feeling like I’ll have to start a separate blog if I want to write about other things on a regular basis.
Great post, think that this resonates with anyone who blogs on some level!
I think that your goals for blogging should play a significant role in what content you cover on your blog. If you want to establish yourself as a thought leader, obviously you’re going to get closer to that goal if you blog about the topic/industry where you’re trying to make your mark. But this isn’t the only reason people blog, and there’s very clearly still a lot to be gained even if you don’t stick to a narrow/clearly defined topic – I think your blog is proof of this.
I agree with something you and Nisha alluded to, it’s really about the quality of your content and your blogging voice. If you’re writing about something super interesting and you write it in a compelling way, people will read it.
My best posts come from just writing. I mean all my posts revolve around the topic of starting a business because its what I’m doing. But I reall’y don’t try and narrow my view on it. I just write about things that I talk to people about and I try to write like I talk. Since I realized all of this I have seen a solid response with traffic and comments to my blog. But if you never start writing you will never get feedback and you will never know where you will want to take it.
I really enjoyed that you addressed the “Gen Y” and “Millenial” stuff being beaten to death. I’m a “Gen Y”er (by age, not by choice), but I’m sick of hearing about it.
I really enjoy your blog and your candor. Even though I’m a PTrunk fan, I’m really glad you were honest and candid about your experience with BC.
I hope you will keep writing and will grow this blog. You are one of the few off BC that I subscribed to.
Don’t question why people subscribe to your blog. They do, so just keep writing.
I really appreciate this post – I have the hardest time blogging because I feel like I can’t stick to a “theme” or whatever – this is a good excuse for me to just go for it! Thanks Monica!
“Because blogging is an evolution of whom you are, and the online space where you “live” should reflect that.” Excellent coverage of the topic about not having a topic.
Seriously, well done. Don’t give in to the pressure to remain chained to a topic. Just get on with it. -Mig
I completely agree with you on this one. I believe we all have so much to learn from our lives and if we can write and share our lessons with others, it is worth it. Also we all have stories to tell, what better a platform than Blogging? If you write on a topic, you might as well write a book. Blogs are free expressions. They are live diaries. They don’t need a theme or consistency. You create this recipe as you go. I maintain four blogs and it is a full time job. It gives me satisfaction and creative contentment that I do not get at my job.
Hi Everyone,
I have a carpet cleaning business in Houston,TX that was doing pretty good until the economy went bad, and with it my clientele. I have a website for the business but I dont
know what I have to do the get it to show up in a search. Right now it’s somewhere in the yahoo/google netherworld (LOL).
Is there someone on here that can give me some insight or know of anyone that coud give me insight on how I can get my local website on the front
page of a Yahoo or Google search to increase my business without it costing me 5 or 10k $$$? If so please share with me.
I thank you and my hungry over-eating children thank you.
thanks,
This post/dialogue has confirmed my decision to reject a specific topic for my budding blog – thanks! I’m fine with figuring it out as I go.
Like yourself and so many others, I’m in a transitional consulting phase during which I get to explore and learn new things. It hadn’t occurred to me to write about these areas of non-expertise, but I like the suggestion. And I wholeheartedly back Milena’s first point. I cultivate all my interests – oftentimes seemingly disjointed ones – and without fail they end up coming full circle to make complete sense. I think a blog can thrive the same way.
I’m the only one in this world. Can please someone join me in this life? Or maybe death…
Nice topic or I rather say nice post.. You're right.. you don't need a topic.. just right anything you one.. and after you finish your work, you will realize what was the topic all about..
Nice topic or I rather say nice post.. You're right.. you don't need a topic.. just right anything you one.. and after you finish your work, you will realize what was the topic all about..
Nice topic or I rather say nice post.. You're right.. you don't need a topic.. just right anything you one.. and after you finish your work, you will realize what was the topic all about..
Nice topic or I rather say nice post.. You're right.. you don't need a topic.. just right anything you one.. and after you finish your work, you will realize what was the topic all about..
I hope it get’s big!
Raven,
Great point about getting overwhelmed with (often conflicting) blogging advice. Everyone has a different way of doing things, so it’s no surprise that some bloggers resonate with you better than others.
Also, I really enjoy your blog. I just realized though that I have no idea if your blog has a topic or not. So I guess that’s a good thing, the topic I associate your blog with is you!
Nisha,
Loved our talk. I think you’re right – let the content define your topics rather than letting a topic define your content. Great perspective.
Akhila,
I was the same way when I was young – well, actually all my life. I have always and will always write – there is no question about that.
You have a good strategy – write about one topic, and sometimes write off topic. Sounds doable. Thanks for the advice!
Milena,
Insightful as usual. I remember that post, and now I wish I had linked to it in this post… I was going to link to you for another post actually as an example of someone I will always read even though your blog doesn’t have a clear topic
– I cut that paragraph though.
Anyway, you’re definitely right – I feel the same way about putting myself in a box. I can’t stand when other people define me, especially when I have trouble defining myself. Wonderful point about respecting your readers and not underestimating their ability to grow with you and your blog. Thanks!
Jun,
Such a charmer, haha! Thanks for the compliments. I have thought about starting a more professional blog too that’s purely about my career and industry… my problem is I tend to change both industries and careers all the time
I think topics are a good idea for some people who really know what they want – which is probably you – you know you want to be an entrepreneur for life. Personally, I love your entrepreneurship posts – it is clear to me that your blog is about entrepreneurship and your personal struggles so I don’t think you need a separate blog. My two cents!
Julia,
Cool blog! I think your blog now has a very specific format and it’s super-niche focused. It sounds like a personal blog might allow you to post more about other topics that interest you. Good luck!
Jaclyn,
Goals are an important part of blogging – probably why I struggle, I don’t have any major goals right now for my blog. I think you’re right – it comes down to quality of content. If you start writing crap people stop paying attention. So it’s about knowing what’s interesting enough to put into a blog post, maybe. Thanks for the comment! And I would be interested in the follow-up post that you mentioned on Twitter if you still decide to do it.
Jared,
Sounds like a winning strategy for you. I guess I do the same thing and didn’t realize it.
Another strategy is making your topic(s) so broad that everything can fit into it or be connected to it somehow. Just a thought.
Thanks for the comment!
Erin,
Thanks for the encouragement! Such kind words. I’m a huge PTrunk fan too (I quote her here), but I also wanted to be honest about my experiences and what I’ve learned.
Thanks again for the comment and continuing to read my blog
Alyssa,
Good luck girl! I like very loose themes… the wider they are the more you can get away with
Miguel,
Haha, your coverage sentence made me laugh. I like hopping all over the place. It’s a lot easier than starting a new blog every time I want to talk about something wacky.
Shivam,
Blogging is such a free expression for me too. It feels good to just put things out there and let people hate it or love it or whatever. It really just feels good to be myself and feel free to not worry about what people think of it.
TonyB,
Starting a blog is a great way to put more keyword-rich content on your site that Google and Yahoo will love. This technique doesn’t cost money, but it costs time. It won’t produce instant results, but it will pay off in the long run.
Visit wordpress.org to get started setting up a blog on your website. Good luck!
Hylah,
Cool, I look forward to seeing the direction your blog takes!
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