One message I pass onto my blogging students that I too have heard is that blogs must have a theme, a focus, a sort of statement that everything revolves
around… but how do you figure out what that theme is?
How do you choose what to make your blog about? If you don’t want to follow a theme such as party planning, cooking or pets, how do you figure out what to write about? Yourself perhaps?
It may be too specific but a blog about you is obviously harder to promote or find a target audience for than another topic— right? Or wrong?
Personally I enjoy non-themed blogs and wish there were more of them. I love going to a blog and not knowing what’s going to be posted there. Funny stories about life incidents. Home décor ideas. Ethnic recipes. To me a good blog is one that reads like a magazine, curated and edited by someone interesting and, I appreciate funny writers.
Let’s discuss a few problems and solutions of non-themed blogging.
Obstacle: A non-themed blog can miss out on some lucrative themed sponsorship.
We all know certain fashion brands that love the blogosphere, but if you’re not a fashion blogger, they probably won’t come a-knocking. And if you’re not a beauty blogger, companies like Benefit and Body Shoppe aren’t going to fall all over themselves advertising with you. When those companies are googling blogs, your URL won’t come up.
Remedy: Add some themed content – and make sure everybody knows it. You shouldn’t write about something specific to court specific advertisers or readers, but a themed series will give your blog a more cohesive, well-rounded feel. And it makes it more likely that advertisers and bloggers in that niche will link to you and advertise with you.
Obstacle: Nobody knows what my blog is about when they land on my site.
Your friends may review your blog and shout-out: today you’re talking about spirituality and last time you were on psychological family issues. What the heck is going on?
Remedy: Write a clever tagline
Did you know that I’m a professional copywriter? This is where I can place my copywriter hat on for you (think Sherlock Holmes deerstalker cap). If your blog is un-themed, then you need a clever tagline. Something like “Every relationship can be adventuresome” or “On the internet since 2009.”
Obstacle: My blog looks messy
If you’re writing about everything under the sun things can get visually overwhelming.
Remedy: Stick with a color theme and keep your header and sidebar simple. Unless I’m doing a current events post, I try to choose black and white photos that compliment my red header. I didn’t plan it that way, but instinctively went with black and cream since it exudes classic style and sophistication. It’s also dramatic. You may choose soft colors, bright colors or neutrals, however if you refuse to be limited to a certain color palette, try a header/template that’s simple and crisp so your images will be bright and engaging, not busy and tacky. Remember—balance is key.
Obstacle: There are a lot of un-themed blogs out there, how can I stand out?
Remedy: The blogosphere is rife with ladies taking pictures of themselves in thrift store outfits, from their bedrooms, showing off their tattoos, and promoting Etsy. Find and amplify your difference. I love travel and wanted to share my smart and solo adventures that I went on in my 20′s and 30′s as an online diary. At the time I was told, “you have guts.” By sharing them later, I got to travel write. I also love fashion, so I turned my dresses into conversation pieces, also known as anthropomorphism http://lindalaroche.com/blog/dress-you-up.html http://lindalaroche.com/blog/bespoken.html. Perhaps you live in Iceland or sky dive as a hobby. You don’t have to make your point of difference the point of your blog, but play it up! You’re an expert at one unique thing that others will find fascinating!
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| What shall I choose? |
How do you choose what to make your blog about? If you don’t want to follow a theme such as party planning, cooking or pets, how do you figure out what to write about? Yourself perhaps?
It may be too specific but a blog about you is obviously harder to promote or find a target audience for than another topic— right? Or wrong?
Personally I enjoy non-themed blogs and wish there were more of them. I love going to a blog and not knowing what’s going to be posted there. Funny stories about life incidents. Home décor ideas. Ethnic recipes. To me a good blog is one that reads like a magazine, curated and edited by someone interesting and, I appreciate funny writers.
Let’s discuss a few problems and solutions of non-themed blogging.
Obstacle: A non-themed blog can miss out on some lucrative themed sponsorship.
We all know certain fashion brands that love the blogosphere, but if you’re not a fashion blogger, they probably won’t come a-knocking. And if you’re not a beauty blogger, companies like Benefit and Body Shoppe aren’t going to fall all over themselves advertising with you. When those companies are googling blogs, your URL won’t come up.
Remedy: Add some themed content – and make sure everybody knows it. You shouldn’t write about something specific to court specific advertisers or readers, but a themed series will give your blog a more cohesive, well-rounded feel. And it makes it more likely that advertisers and bloggers in that niche will link to you and advertise with you.
Obstacle: Nobody knows what my blog is about when they land on my site.
Your friends may review your blog and shout-out: today you’re talking about spirituality and last time you were on psychological family issues. What the heck is going on?
Remedy: Write a clever tagline
Did you know that I’m a professional copywriter? This is where I can place my copywriter hat on for you (think Sherlock Holmes deerstalker cap). If your blog is un-themed, then you need a clever tagline. Something like “Every relationship can be adventuresome” or “On the internet since 2009.”
Obstacle: My blog looks messy
If you’re writing about everything under the sun things can get visually overwhelming.
Remedy: Stick with a color theme and keep your header and sidebar simple. Unless I’m doing a current events post, I try to choose black and white photos that compliment my red header. I didn’t plan it that way, but instinctively went with black and cream since it exudes classic style and sophistication. It’s also dramatic. You may choose soft colors, bright colors or neutrals, however if you refuse to be limited to a certain color palette, try a header/template that’s simple and crisp so your images will be bright and engaging, not busy and tacky. Remember—balance is key.
Obstacle: There are a lot of un-themed blogs out there, how can I stand out?
Remedy: The blogosphere is rife with ladies taking pictures of themselves in thrift store outfits, from their bedrooms, showing off their tattoos, and promoting Etsy. Find and amplify your difference. I love travel and wanted to share my smart and solo adventures that I went on in my 20′s and 30′s as an online diary. At the time I was told, “you have guts.” By sharing them later, I got to travel write. I also love fashion, so I turned my dresses into conversation pieces, also known as anthropomorphism http://lindalaroche.com/blog/dress-you-up.html http://lindalaroche.com/blog/bespoken.html. Perhaps you live in Iceland or sky dive as a hobby. You don’t have to make your point of difference the point of your blog, but play it up! You’re an expert at one unique thing that others will find fascinating!
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