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
Ha! This is too funny. I was just sitting here trying to figure out exactly what to write about tonight. My blog is a little all over the place (but so is my life). It’s a little fitness and exercise, recipe creations, healthy ideas for toddlers, weight issues talk, etc. I’m still a little new to the blogging world, so I’m sure I’ll figure out a system that works. It’s hard for me to focuse on one thing and it really shows in my blog. Oops!
Maybe I should add that my main purpose of my blog was to document my journey to balance everything in life. My friend told me today that she loves reading it because it makes her feel like she’s not the only crazy one who thinks about all this stuff. Hmmm…. I wonder if that was a compliment???? ha ha ha! Love your blog. Keep posting! I need to order some coconut butter and stevia drops so I can try some of your recipes!!!! 🙂 PS- I don’t know if you remember my comment on your post about not wearing make-up about my eyes getting a rash from using old eye shadow. Just wanted to update you (because I’m sure you’ve been thinking about it- jk) that my rash finally went away and my eyelids are no longer peeling (and the eye shadow is now in the trash). Ha ha ha! Now I just have huge bags under my eyes from lack of sleep.
LOVE YOUR BLOG!!!!!
Oh I do remember your comment! LOL I even remember my reply to it. I was comforted to know that I’m not the only one who uses old makeup… and then I was also thinking maybe I should throw mine away! 😉
(P.S. I hear you on the bags… there’s a bird outside my window this spring that is making sleep impossible! Ugh.)
Ha ha! Too funny. We had a mockingbird once outside our bedroom window. They are no joke. Hope you get some good sleep soon!
My blog is primarily about belly dance and performing, secondly about food, and thirdly as a sounding board for the random thoughts in my head! 🙂
My blog is about wholesome treats, nomen est omen 🙂 They are 99% vegetarian, sometimes vegan, always tasty. I don’t publish dishes which look good but didn’t impress me with the taste. Also I don’t post eats which look bad but taste fine – I’d rather wait to get another, better picture and then publish it. I rarely write about running but this is going to be a topic to add in July 🙂
Bean recipes are so great! I love making dishes with white beans, soy beans and garbanzo beans – I hide them in dishes instead of wheat or grains. I profit fibre and protein and the taste is great too.
I don’t have a blog but could certainly see myself doing one in the future. If I had a blog now it would probably focus on all different types of food from healthy salads to dessert since I enjoy it all 🙂 I made you Tiramisu Fudge Babies for my mom yesterday and they came out delish. I realized after I started making them that I’d run out of almond extract so I subbed hazelnut extract. Hmm, maybe they were more like Ferrero Rocher Babies…haven’t had one of those in years. Also am following your instructions to cook a Kabucha squash since last time I made one it came out really dry. Pretty sure I overcooked it, oops! I plan to make Kabucha soup with it as soon as my Vitamix arrives. It is on the truck just waiting to be delivered to me, woohoo!!
It’s probably not your fault! Some kabochas are just super-dry! It’s annoying, actually… you never know when you buy it if it’ll be good or not. I’ve had really awful ones and really terrific ones. A good rule of thumb is to get one that feels heavy for its size, but you can still end up with a not-so-good tasting squash. But its worth it, because they are SO good when you get a good one!
And Ferrero Rocher babies sound incredible!
hey katie! i just started a blog and i was wondering….how do you make a link back to another website? like say i post one of your delicious recipes and want to write “thanks to chocolate cover katie!” so that people can click on it and take them to your website?
Hi Karina,
It looks like you have a wordpress blog… so when you’re writing a post, there’ll be a little icon at the top of the page that looks like a chain link (next to another one that looks like a broken chain link). Highlight the words you want to link, then click on the chain icon, and just paste whatever url you want into that icon. 🙂
I like to think my blog is mainly about body image with a little lifecasting thrown in. I really like having an outlet for the part of my mind that notices things and wants to help people that are struggling with body image.
Love this Katie! Thank you!
My blog is about my life as a TEEN who is passionate about health! I am definitely a minority in my community with respect to healthy living so I love sharing my passion with the blog world.
Hi Katie, thank you so much for your amazing blogging tips. I have a question that you may be able to address in a future post. How do you publicize your blog, as in finding readers?
Thank so much and thank you for being such an inspiration!
Hi Miriam! The #1 thing I recommend to anyone who asks: comment comment comment on other sites! If you don’t comment on others’ sites, no one in the blogworld will know your site exists. True, I don’t really comment much on other sites anymore, but that’s because: 1. I don’t want to be unfair, and with so many people commenting on my site, I could never comment equally on all of theirs. And 2, I just don’t have time. But in the beginning, I commented a lot. Also, having a twitter account is a good idea. I dragged my feet about that for so long. Other than that, I guess I’m not the best person to ask… most of my readers seem to find me, not the other way around, which is good because I am still pretty clueless when it comes to social media! I guess, just write from your heart, and it might take time, but people will start to see your passion! 🙂
Thanks for these tips Katie, my blog is just a baby at the moment so I’m finding my way still.
My blog is about sharing my favourite recipes which I’ve created to fit with my tight budget, healthy lifestyle and coeliac boyfriend. A bit of a mish-mash! 🙂
Thanks for the tips! I just started my own food blog this summer, so it’s definately a learning process! My blog is all about simple photographs, with few words. Let the food speak for itself!
Hi Katie, First af all, I love your blog and all of your recipes! Congratulations. It’s a success!
I need a little help. I’m just starting my food blog and I’d like to know if you have any tips about how to ‘spread the word’ about it. Like i guess ‘pomote it?’ Are there any websites or maybe other blogs where I should paste my page lik or anything? How do I actually get people to see it’s there?
Many thnks in advance.
Kind regards xx
Hi Robbie,
The biggest thing you can do to promote your blog in the beginning is to comment a ton on other blogs! If you don’t comment on other blogs, no one will know yours exists! But if you comment on other blogs, showing geniune interest, you can become part of the community :).
Twitter also helps too!
My blog is about losing weight, exercising and staying motivated. I was a morbidly obese person and I’m very close to getting to my goal weight. My young boys are loving your recipes and I’m enjoying making them for my boys to eat. I’m big into eating healthy AND yummy foods that are easy to make and your recipes have it all. I also love the single serving recipes as if I had a tray of cupcakes on the counter I couldn’t stop at just one. Now I get to have my cake and eat it too 🙂
As a side note I just read your about page and I must say it’s ‘funny’ in a way that everyone focuses on weightloss and you were battling with trying to gain weight. I have never heard of that before or that it was or can be a problem (other than perhaps someone with an ED etc…). I applaud you for sharing that with everyone. While I’m on the other end of the spectrum I can certainly relate to some of the feelings you were having in relation to reactions from people. I’ve found that I’ve gotten to a much healthier weight some people are telling me to not lose any more etc….
We’ll sorry for the long posting 🙂 Keep up this amazing blog!!!! I love the healthy ingredients and not the use of ‘franken foods’.
Aww, thank you so much, Sonya!!
I hate that people feel the need to comment on others’ appearance or eating habits… I think people need to focus on themselves more, and stop worrying about others. We all need to take care of ourselves! 🙂
Hi katie! I love sharing recipes and health tips with others! so that is what my blog is mainly about. I post delicious dessert food recipes, and every once in awhile I’ll post healthy tips & exercises for those wanting to stay on track 🙂 Im passionate about everything healthy. But I have a decent amount of blog views..I just started blogging in november, but how do you reccomend I get actual followers? My blog is with blogspot so I was just wondering if you had advice for me on that:) Thank you for sharing what your passionate for with us!!
I think I want my blog to be mostly about urban gardening, with some casual recipes and occasional insights on my personal health journey.
Hi Katie!
I’ve been slowly blossoming into a foodie over the past few years and I was thinking about starting up a food blog (my friends and parents convinced me). I’m still a little nervous, but reading your blog inspired me and has given me confidence (I read your blog every day!). The biggest problem is that I’m in high school (junior year *sigh*), so I’m afraid that I’m not going to have time to whip up a new recipe,take pictures, edit them, and have a well written article. I would love some tips as I start this insane journey. Thanks 🙂
I think this post is fantastic. My blog is similar to yours, I’m just more a cheese-aholic, than a chocolate 🙂 I love sharing with the world that healthy food can be delicious, and I think you are amazing at it!