So, you want to know what to blog about? Not sure if I can help, but I’ll give it a try.
Years ago, my kids and I watched Napoleon Dynamite and for some strange reason, our favorite line throughout the whole movie, comes when Napoleon’s grandmother tells him she’s going on a trip.
Disappointed that she’s leaving, he asks, “Well, what am I gonna eat?”
She replies, “I don’t know, Napoleon! Make yourself a dang quesadilla! (last syllable pronounced “dillah”) Her mispronunciation cracks us up every time, and now any time someone asks a question about something they should be answering or doing for themselves, one of us will break in with the joke: “I don’t know… Make yourself a dang quesa-dillah!”
Of course, outsiders look at us as if we’re crazy, because they don’t have a clue what we’re talking about. But the point is that there are some questions in life that no one else can answer for you; they are questions you should be asking yourself.
When people ask me:
What to blog about?
I’m almost always caught off guard and unprepared to answer. I think it’s because it’s such a loaded question, and really the answer should come from the person asking the question, not the person they hope will answer it…
Huh? Did that make sense?
In other words, it’s very difficult for me to tell someone what to blog about. How can I know exactly where their passions lie, what their strengths are or what their level of expertise is.
So really, I just end up answering their question with these questions:
- What are you most passionate about?
- What areas of expertise do you have?
- What hobbies or hidden talents do you have?
- What have you written about in the past?
- What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?
Until I get a feel for what they know and what they like to do, I’m really at a loss I can’t really tell them what to blog about. Until they can articulate what their purpose for blogging is, I can’t really help them.
If they tell me their purpose for blogging is to make some money, I quickly tell them, that there are no guarantees you’ll make any money, and when you finally do, it will be sporadic and in small amounts.
If we’re talking in person, that’s usually the moment when they’ll look at me crossed-eyed as a line of frustration spreads across their brow. If we’re discussing things over the phone, that’s usually when the awkward silence comes.
It becomes apparent to me why they don’t know what to blog about.
But then, there is another group of people, that I actually love talking to about blogging. It’s those who don’t know what they want to blog about, but they know they want a blog. They want a platform to express themselves, meet new people all around the world, and open themselves up to opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be within their grasp.
They have a vague idea, usually something surrounding their passion for helping others and making a positive mark on the world.
They understand there really isn’t a concrete way to decide on what to blog about – they realize that some things come through discovery – the act of jumping in and finding out in which directions their interests will pull them.
Vaguely, they understand that you should blog about what matters most to you. For some, that might mean blogging about hobby projects with pictures and videos. For others, it might mean writing about everything that just happens to be pink. Or even telling stories – I once met a woman blogger who writes from the perspective of an 80 year old man. She tells his stories as if they were her/his own. (don’t ask!)
What should be the focus of your blog?
You should make your blog center around whatever you can talk about over and over again without getting nauseated, or extremely dizzy.
Okay, I admit, this might not work if you plan to blog for business – or can it?
Potential clients or customers might actually find it refreshing to arrive on your blog and discover personal experience stories or informative posts written in narrative form. It could work.
But if you still want to know what to blog about, here are some ideas:
If your goal is to market your product-
You could blog about ways to get more out of it. You could create tutorials and how-to posts that teach people how to use it or how to extend its use. You could create photo posts or videos.
If your goal is to market your services-
You could offer tips that people can apply themselves. Don’t worry, it won’t undermine your business, people will still be willing to pay for those services that they can’t do for themselves or don’t have time for.
If your goal is to market your skills and talents to snag a job at a major company or get discovered by record company -
You should blog about topics that build your reputation and credibility. It should NOT be an all ME, ME, ME Show, but if you make it your goal to share your talents with others in a way that is engaging and entertaining, you’ll need to reveal those interesting tidbits about yourself and your life’s lessons. If you can sing, create some music videos. If you’re a comedian do a stand-up video.
You don’t need to write posts about what you ate for breakfast, but if there’s a lesson to be learned or an insight to be shared, then it’s appropriate to share those types of details.
Whatever you blog about should help you connect with your audience.
I can’t really get more specific on what to blog about because there’s no way to capture every scenario in one post. You’ll have to use your imagination and stretch your mind to pull the overarching idea and apply it to your particular situation.
So what exactly should you blog about?
I don’t know… make yourself a dang quesadillah!
Sorry, I couldn’t resist! :) But let’s continue this discussion, what tips would you give someone who is trying to figure out what they need to be blogging about?
About Kiesha Easley
Nice post! Like the way of blogging!! go on..
Sagar Sharma recently posted..Google unifying & rolling updates on its privacy policies and ToS
Great post. You have to blog about those things you mostly like and passion about. I am new to blogging and this post is perfect for me because it helps a lot.
Miles Chiang recently posted..Repo Cars
Twitter: seommotips
says:
Dang quesadallah!
Love your wrting Kiesha, how wonderfully structured and engaging even if it was written on a single thread.
Adsense and a few other opportunities are dragging newbies into this blogging world – all they know is that they want to earn money through blogging and the question you mentioned is quite common. I have met some friend who says he does not know how to write posts but he needs a blog. I told him to publish multiple choice questions of the subjects he is studying. There is a blog now mcqquestions.com
Looks funny but I hope he will learn something over time and will really start blogging.
Your post reminded me of that my good friend. Thanks for this nice post.
Suresh Khanal recently posted..All you need is ONE Reason
I get it. I’ll just make a dang quesa-dillah! But really, your post is spot on. When I started my blog I seemed to have never-ending ideas what to write. Now that I’m in it, all the ideas are disappearing one by one. I guess you know what I’m going to do next. :D
Anne Sales | Coupon Codes recently posted..GoDaddy Coupon Code
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Lol Anne!
Sometimes just adding a hint of your personal experience to any topic can spice it up. Whenever I’m at a loss for what to write about, I try to tie it to something I’ve seen on TV, a movie (like this post), a book, a song, or even a life lesson. The possibilities really are endless. People like to read about what works for you, so if you can include that, you’ll always have something to write about.
I think – as an alternative – you can have one single blog but several sections in it: for business, for your favorite hobbies, for fun, etc.
personally, I don’t like ‘one-way’ blogs. Of course, they are very informative and great for getting the information, but it’s much pleasant for me to read blogs of real people who think not only about work but fun as well.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Anna,
Having multiple sections is a great idea – thanks for sharing that.
Hi Kiesha
I chose a topic I was interested in so when I research it keeps my interest. And I believe it shows in our writing if we are writing for our readers cos they will soon see if it is a topic we know about or not.
Enjoy your writing and you definitely know what you are blogging about. Thanks for another enjoyable post Kiesha. Appreciated.
Patricia Perth Australia
Patricia recently posted..Comments Do Not Equal Sales!
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Patricia,
It’s awesome to hear that you’re enjoying what you blog about – it’s necessary to have that kind of interest to keep you going. I’m glad you enjoy my posts – I enjoy writing them, that’s for sure – some times I think I enjoy it a little too much :)
Twitter: BrankicaU
says:
Ok, I got the point, make a quesadillah, lol. Do I even have to say this was great :)
How you connect things like this, I still have no idea but you make everything sound really easy.
But even asking those questions, you answered it. Not to mention the list towards the end. That is the main thing – if you can’t talk about it until you go crazy, don’t even start.
I think that once you get into all this, it gets easier to get ideas. I guess practice makes perfect :)
Brankica recently posted..50 Traffic Sources You Should Milk Like Crazy
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
LOL Brankica!
Every time I read and hear that line it still cracks me up!
But you’re right practice does indeed, make perfect. It’s just one of those things that has to be done – not talked about; not analyzed to death – but done in order for it get better and become something great.
Thanks for the tip. I sometimes think that I don’t focus on any particular topic. I think I need to focus, as you have advised.
Saqib recently posted..Technical Specifications of iPad 2 – The New Tablet in Market
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Saqib,
Focusing on one topic can help you dive deeper into the topic and carve out a neat little niche for yourself – but you don’t want to focus in so tightly that you have no room for creativity or branching out. It’s definitely a fine art.
Finding something worth blogging about can be a difficult process.
I like it that you mention about being passionate. That’s an important element of any online presence.
Enjoy what you do and you’ll go far.
James recently posted..What Everybody Ought To Know About Blogging
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi James,
Yes, if I didn’t enjoy what I write, I wouldn’t be able to do it.
Kiesha, aloha. Your passion for your topic comes through loud and clear. When people say they want to blog to make money, I suspect they are thinking they will put up a blog, splatter affiliate links all over it and then sit back while they wait for money to be deposited in to their accounts.
If people realize their blogs will grow and evolve over time, it may be easier for them to get started. They will realize they don’t have to “get it right” when they first start. Their blog can expand, change direction a bit or they can realize that topic is not for them long term, drop it & start another blog.
One thing is clear, you don’t have to make yourself a dang quesadillah! Aloha. Janet
Janet Callaway recently posted..7 Habits of Highly Effective Network Marketing Professionals by Janet Callaway The Natural Networker
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Janet!
LOL! It’s crazy – you still managed to catch me off guard with that one and I still laughed out loud as if I haven’t heard it a thousand times. :D
You’re right about letting a blog evolve naturally, I think that’s really the only way to discover and carve out your true niche. Some things are only discover along the journey – not at the beginning of it.
Terrific post, Kiesha. I believe I’m in the second group of bloggers you were talking about. I have my niche. I just have to figure out the best way to present it in my posts. It’s a tricky one so I have to be careful about how I approach it and still sound like me.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Glynis,
Yes, you definitely have an interesting niche. But just keep at it, it will begin to develop and reveal itself even more.
A first time blogger I would suggest to write about his hobby ((s)he probably knows something about that subject). That way (s)he can get the feel of blogging and maybe start another blog when (s)he finds it necessary.
Johan – Chesstiger recently posted..Need your help!
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Johan,
Yes, writing about a hobby is not only a great way to get a good start, but you’ll still have fun completing projects and sharing it will your readers. It’s also a great way to showcase your crafts and talents.
Twitter: problogsuccess
says:
Nice punch Kiesha. I know how hard it is to answer when people ask this question to me. I have encountered it many times.
I’d stick with providing value; the niche can be anything where the blogger’s passion lies. But as you say, the blog should not boast about the blogger’s talents; rather it should tell people what they will get from it and there should be simply value in it.
Jane.
Jane | Find All Answers recently posted..4 Tactics to Make Up After an Argument
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Jane,
Providing value is definitely a good way to go when it comes to blogging. And you’re so right – while people want to hear about your successes, they are really more interested in what you did and how they can replicate your success. They don’t just want to sit around while you toot your own horn for fun. :)
My advice is to write something you are good at: cooking, computers, SEO. In this way, ideas will come and you can be regarded as an expert in the field.
As I see it one can be very good at one thing, and seldom at more.
Twitter: weblogbetter
says:
Hi Mia,
That’s definitely some good advice. Writing about what you know and love is always the best advice.