SpikeTheLobsterBlogging Basics 2: Choosing Your Subject
March 18th 2009 01:38
The best advice anyone can give a new blogger when they ask what subject to choose for their blog is, thankfully, the one most people give: pick a subject about which you are knowledgeable, passionate and can write a lot.
Look at it from the point of view of a visitor. It is extremely unlikely that your blog will be the only one covering the subject chosen. Consequently, it needs to have sufficient interesting content to keep the visitor reading and the best way to do this is to write with authority and confidence on a topic that really interests you.
Of course, there are some subjects that are better choices for different types of blog. If you're interested in voicing an opinion, relating personal thoughts or just randomly posting chatty entries, popularity and income are less important and less likely to occur. If, however, you are interested in blogging to earn a little extra money, then it may be better to choose a more commercial subject than your own life. Good examples of commercially viable blog subjects include financial matters (especially debt in this time of economic difficulty), politics, employment, cars, movies, music, celebrities and sports.
Some of those subjects may not seem very commercial at first glance. Income from a blog is generally dependant on traffic, so the first priority is to pick something that is popular. The advertisements which will provide the majority of blogs with income are generally selected by keyword content, so obviously some topics are more appropriate than others (that is, a tennis blog will receive tennis ads, while a political blog might receive all sorts, depending on the day's entry). By choosing a subject that is popular and which generates good ads, higher revenue can be generated.
Bear in mind as well that your blog will be in direct competition with others. Even if it's a blog on poetry, history or another art or humanity, other bloggers out there are doing the same thing. You will be sharing traffic with them, so picking a subject which is already over-subscribed (such as how to make money online) or one that is dominated by other established sites (such as general technology) means you will generally see a smaller 'cut' of the total visits. This is where writing with personality and a different angle on things can really make a difference.
As a final note, unless you are blogging purely for pleasure and do not care about the cash, stick to one subject. That's not to say that you can't post off-topic every once in a while, but having a blog that meanders through very different subject areas puts a lot of visitors off. People mostly want to read consistent, focussed articles.
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Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
Comment by Chris Champion
LettersToNorm
Vyoos
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Bloggercises
The Blog of Lists
Comment by Zabeena
you're talking to me, aren't you? No focus, can't stick to one subject, inconsistent....
You're totally right, of course, absolutely and totally, and I'd say the same if someone asked me.
I suppose I do just write to please myself and to keep a log of what's happening...
I didn't even realise you could generate income! How exactly does that work?
PS: Making silly mistakes - I think it's age, Spike (sorry!!!). I have noticed that my rate has gone up over the years - and don't I just hate it!! Also: it's so much easier to detect someone else's than your own! I hope you don't mind. (Talking of which - 'dependent' as an adjective with 'e'? Only as a noun with either 'a' or 'e'? I could be wrong though...)
Comment by Spike 2
Wordophilia
Qwerk
Peanut Butter
Income from blogs is entirely possible. I could type it all in here (though it'll be alater Basics post anyway), but I'll link this MyLot discussion instead (look for my ugly mug at response 6 for the details).
And you hit one of my bugbears there: 'dependant'. I always get it wrong. Poopy bottoms, I say. Poopy bottoms!
Comment by Whitney
The Female View
Pet Advice
Tech Stripe
Alternative Look
It's hard to pick a niche that you're interested in that hasn't been done a hundred times over already. I have the pet advice and alternative looks blogs, and they do much better than the other two, but again it's still a large niche and topic to cover.
By picking a subject that has a very small popularity, you're traffic will be limited, but at the same time with a small percent of other blogs on that topic, you'll get more hits because there is less info available.
I think for the most part, it's marketing and how well you market the blog, not just he subject.
Comment by Spike 2
Wordophilia
Qwerk
Peanut Butter
Comment by Whitney
The Female View
Pet Advice
Tech Stripe
Alternative Look
(By the way, I'm beginning to see more people on Orble on HP, that or the other way around. Where you here or there first?)
Comment by Spike 2
Wordophilia
Qwerk
Peanut Butter
Comment by stu-kicks
stu kicks
Comment by Zabeena
What I do know now, is that you're from Worthing. OMG! Where Keith Emerson grew up!! Numerous other connections.... some other time, some other time...
I never made it back into the kitchen yesterday, not to clean the floor anyway, but The Man comes back today, so I'd better get on with it!!
Comment by Spike 2
Wordophilia
Qwerk
Peanut Butter
And now that you mention it, I need to clean my kitchen, too. Bleh.