Part Two: Blogging Tips
Click if you missed Part One: How to write a successful blog.
The second part in the blogging series pertains to a blog’s specific message or theme. When people ask me for tips on writing a successful blog, this is one of the things I stress: Make sure you have a clear understanding of your own blog!
Can you guess what my blog is about?
Did you say something along the lines of healthy dessert recipes?
Recipes such as my Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes.
What is your blog about?
1. There are thousands (millions?) of blogs out there. What makes your blog unique? What would make readers want to come back? If readers are unclear about your blog’s purpose, they won’t know whether or not they’ll enjoy future posts and thus might not feel compelled to return.
2. If your blog’s purpose is to hold yourself accountable for what you ate or to help organize your thoughts, and you therefore don’t care if no one else ever reads, it’s perfectly fine to post without rhyme or reason. However, even if you don’t want more readers, knowing your blog’s purpose can help you to understand what types of posts you love writing the most.
For example: In my own journey to find my blogging voice, I experimented with the style of “this is what I ate” posts. But I wasn’t having fun with it. When I took a good look at the posts I most enjoyed writing (the posts I couldn’t wait to publish), they were all dessert posts! So I decided, “If this is what I really love, why am I not only writing these posts? Why waste my time creating posts on subjects for which I have no passion when I could be publishing my favorite posts every single day?”
How to figure out your blog’s theme:
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What makes your blog unique?
- Fill in the blank: My blog is about __________.
- What are the reasons you blog? Why does your blog exist?
- What can people expect to find when they read your blog?
For example, when readers click on my blog, they can expect to find a good-for-you dessert recipe that tastes downright naughty.
Like Healthy Milkshakes.
Lately it seems I could write an entirely new blog based solely upon the theme of bean-dessert recipes.
Such as the Chocolate Chip Blondies.
What is your blog about?
Or, if you had a blog, what would it be about? Recipes? Fitness? Family? A “what I ate” diary? A combination of some of these? What are your favorite subjects to post about?
Once again, if you missed it, here’s part one: Tips for Food Bloggers
I’m just getting started and finding my “blog voice”, so this post was perfect inspiration for me! Basically, my aim is to document my journey to a happy and natural life, with an emphasis on healthy eating, exercise, and trying new things. But it’s hard to make sure that it’s not all over the place and that viewers will be compelled to follow!
My blog is a place to find healthy, natural, whole food recipes for the whole family. Sprinkled in with the recipes are my thoughts on feeding children, parenting in general, and topical health/nutrition issues.
I think it’s the first time I’ve actually put that into words. Thanks, Katie! 🙂
Great post Katie!!
I started my blog so I could see (hopefully :P) some progress in my eating habits. Having an ED in the past, I have had (and still are) so many rules around food- and they all such the energy out of me! I want to be free. I found so much inspiration in other blogs, so I wanted to start my own. Writing my feelings down often helps me think clearer.
Have a good day sweety :**
Great post, Katie! You have awesome tips!
If I had a blog, I probably would blog about science and medicine! Strange? I don’t know… I wish I could blog about recipes… Creating is always fun, but I seem to be doing that all the time anyway. I’m too impatient to take pictures and write recipes down! I get really caught up and interested in discussions and debates about science, though. 😛
So thoughtful of you to share blogging tips with others! They may seem like obvious tips, but I think a lot of people actually forget to think about all of the things you mention. Actually, even amateur writers do – as in, authors and essayists. Descriptiveness and the like is nice, sure, but there’s a rule in writing stories that I find actually applies almost everywhere in the world of writing: every sentence should propel the story forward – or one sentence in every four, if you’re stretching it.
Have a great Tuesday. 🙂
Well said! I have to remind myself of this ALL the time! I tend to ramble ;).
great tips lady! i know I will always find healthy creative desserts on here. A life saver of recipes!
Thanks for the great tips Katie! As I new blogger, I love reading tips from bloggers I really admire! I think your blog is absolutely fantastic and is devoted to a great topic! Not to mention how tasty all your recipes are…
My blog is really about living a healthy lifestyle. I talk about food (both healthy and decadent) and about my life. I place an emphasis on health but I think that life is meant to be enjoyed which is why my tagline is “living a healthy life with a little sparkle.” I love life and want my readers to come to my blog to read about health and wellness but in a happy, balanced way!
Such a cute tagline! I’m glad I found your blog today :).
Aw thanks! I’m glad you stopped by! 🙂
Reading this kinda makes me wish I had a blog!
That’s great advice. I recently struggled with that, but then I figured that my blog is about my life going through school, recovery, and whatever else happens to come my way.