\"\"

The SITS Girls

The Secret to Success is Support

Content is King: How to Determine What To Blog About

·

This post may contain affiliate links which may give us a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

We’ve been focusing on writing fundamentals. Things like good grammar, proof reading, and spell checking that you need pay attention to when writing blog posts. All of that is important, but before you can get started or use any of your writing tools, you need to know what to blog about. It’s the most important question in blogging. Today we are going to help you answer that question.

What To Blog About

We all have favorite bloggers. Those who grab us, reel us in, and keep us coming back for more. We’ve probably even read blog posts that so well written and relatable that we wish we had written them ourselves.

Ultimately, blogging is not about the blogs you are reading. It is about the one you are writing. It’s about you…what you need to do to write a post that grabs your readers and reels them in and keeps them coming back for more.

But how do you DO that?

The answer is simple.

You give them something they can’t get anywhere else; you give them…you.

Your blog is a compilation of everything you are: your experiences, hopes, dreams, thoughts, values. All of this is wrapped into a neat little package every time you hit publish.

How To Figure Out What To Blog About

In order to figure out what to blog about and find your writing voice, here are a few tips…

Writing Tip #1: Make Your Blog a Reflection of You

When you sit down to write a post, it should be about a topic that is interesting and important to you. Regardless of whether you blog about photography, coupons, fitness, or simply your everyday life, your content needs to stay true to who you are. Avoid focusing on topics simply because they are popular or will help you get search engine traffic. Writing without passion leads to no voice.

One of my favorite bloggers received the best compliment from her sister. After watching a video about her experience with a rescue dog program, her sister e-mailed a quick “loved the video” message and then said, “I felt like I was in the car with you and you were talking right to me!”

This is how you want to be perceived. As yourself. Whether you have two loyal readers or 200,000, you will feel content knowing that you write honestly and from your heart.

Writing Tip #2: Nurture Your Writing Voice

Details are interesting in writing…look for them. Did you eat pizza last night or did you eat three-day-old pizza that tasted like cheese covered cardboard? Was traffic horrible or did you sit in your car long enough to knit a Chihuahua a new wardrobe?

And the details don’t have to be funny. There can be beautiful, instead. Did you see some pretty flowers or were you filled with nostalgia when you found yourself in a field of lilies, your mother’s favorite flower?

Open up. Think about what you’re writing about…does it have a smell, a feeling, a memory attached to it? Words on a page are just words on a page unless you can find a way to breathe life into them. Allow people to relate. Make yourself vulnerable. All of this makes for good reading.

Writing Tip #3: Don’t Get Discouraged

Ultimately, write for yourself! Be sure that your blog is a reflection of who you are and something you can feel proud to put your name on. At the very least, you will have memories forever documented on your computer that you might have otherwise forgotten.

Writing activities to give you ideas on what to blog about today.

Writing Activities To Help You Determine What To Blog About

Reading about how to find your writing voice is important, but what you really need to get started is to write. Here are several optional activities you can work on to help you find your writing voice.

Writing Activity 1:

Write a letter to a friend as if she is sitting beside you. Don’t think about grammar or spelling or punctuation. Just write as if you are having a conversation.

Once done, take a look at what you’ve written. How is it different from your blog posts?

Was this type of writing particularly challenging?

Writing Activity 2:

Brainstorm a list of blogging topics. It could be anything…goals for the new year, what you love about winter, childhood fears that you’ve taken into your adult life, 50 things on your bucket list, etc.

Write a post on this topic in 10 minutes by setting a timer. Again, don’t worry about editing, just write. You may be surprised to find a writing voice that you didn’t know you had!

Writing Activity 3:

Push yourself in a new direction by writing a post about a topic that you would normally consider “taboo.” Maybe it is edgier, more controversial, or more personal than what you usually focus on for your blog.

Write the words that you’ve had bottled up inside and then encourage others to read the post. Discuss what worked about the post, what didn’t, and whether you might incorporate this voice into your blog going forward.

Good luck! Some of these exercises can easily be turned into a post you can publish. Some of them won’t, but they are still valuable exercises. The most important thing a blogger can do is write.

About Francesca

Francesca has an extensive background in content marketing, public relations, and social outreach. She oversees all Operations at Sway Group, including our robust metrics capabilities. Prior to joining the online world, Francesca oversaw viticulture and oenology at various wineries in both California and Italy, and managed regulatory affairs and facility approvals at the biotech company, Genentech. Francesca has been featured on CBS Sacramento and Food Blogger Pro’s podcast. She has also hosted an AMA webinar and spoken at Social Media World.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  6. Karen Peterson says

    I’m always working on improving my skills. My blog writing is night and day compared to when I first got started, but it’s so much fun to try something new.

  7. Sandra Foyt says

    The timing of this post couldn’t have been better because I’d been thinking that I needed to do something to reconnect with my sisters. Activity #1 inspired me to start “Hey Sis Sundays,” a weekly blog hop of letters to our sisters.

  10. Jenn Belden says

    I try to write like me….sometimes I need to tone down the truck-driver language (I was just horrified to learn that the headmistress at the kids’ school read my blog. Gulp.) There goes my seat on the PTFA.

    I also love Anne Lamott’s idea of “the shitty first draft”. If something isn’t coming out the way I want it to, I dump it in the draft box and come back later…

    http://www.mommaontherocks.com/1514/no-dunce-cap-tonight-or-shes-not-stupid-shes-got-character/

  18. Leah Rubin says

    Good advice, as always… Now to put it into practice…

    have a great Sunday, for tomorrow it’s back to the grindstone…

  20. LenaLoo says

    I really like these advice posts, just the kind of thing I am looking for!

  21. Melody says

    Thank you SITS! I’m sooooo glad I stumbled upon you so many months ago. I’ve learned so much. I do wish I could implant a chip in my brain for a thought to web application so I could find the time to go to read and share everything I’d like to though!
    Seriously!

  22. Cottage by the Sea says

    I started journaling long before I started blogging. This is sort a continuation of that except I’ve tried to use the writing skills I’ve learned over the years to make it more interesting and come alive. Photos seem to help me stay motivated and of course my dear readers lovely comments. I’m having a great time. Figuring out the technical part has been the toughest thing for me. I’ve sure learned a lot about the workings of a computer though! Happy reading. “Cottage By The Sea”. http://lorimcktia.blogspot.com/2010/07/you-havent-seen-best-of-me-yet.html

  24. Ramblings of a Woman says

    This is going to be good for me. I have been writing a personal blog, and tomorrow I am launching Living the Balanced Life. I need to be careful that my posts don’t sound like magazine articles, even though I am sharing info. My readers liked my style and I need to make sure I transfer that into my informative blog as well!
    Bernice

  26. Nancy says

    Very good information for bloggers, new and experienced. Finding one’s blogging voice can take a while — it took me three years before I felt comfortable with who I was as a blogger and what I wanted to say. Thank you for sharing!

  27. homemom says

    It seems like since I’ve started giveaways and reviews and even posts for cash I’ve lost comment response. I want my blog to be a reflection of me but make me money too. I’d love to find a happy medium and know it can be done.

  28. CarolW says

    My blog is definitely my blog voice…..it never shuts up and chatters all night. That’s one of the reasons I started writing the blog, as trying to hit myself with a hammer wasn’t working!

  31. Amy @ Never-True Tales says

    Great tips. I think too often, bloggers try to imitate each other instead of finding their own voice. What makes one blogger successful won’t necessarily work for another, and vice versa.

  32. Steph says

    “Don’t get discouraged” is an important one for me! I write for myself when I write posts about my family. It’s my journal and my style. I fun way of expression… make it fun!

  34. Angelia Sims Hardy says

    I write honestly about myself and my life. I don’t know how to be anything but who I am. Then again, my blog is just that. Me and my life and life experiences.
    If there is anything I’d do different, it would be to write fiction and get more versed in creative writing. I feel that area is weak. I am so impressed by the writing talent in the blog world, especially in the month of November with Nano going on.

    Happy Sunday SITStas!

  36. Grams says

    Interesting thoughts on finding and developing one’s voice. I’m struggling a little bit with this as I move to doing some occasional product reviews and/or sponsored posts. I’m not sure where I want to go with those.

  39. Megan (Best of Fates) says

    I’m getting the sneaking suspicious that my habit of pretending to be Jessica Rabbit while writing isn’t what you’re advocating.

    But I’m just drawn that way.

  40. dawn says

    Looking forward to these exercises.
    It’s been a busy weekend and escaping into quiet to work on them sounds like a vacation!

  41. Metro DC Mom says

    Very helpful! I’m definitely going to try some of those exercises. I write two different blogs, plus contribute to a third and I sometimes have a hard time keeping a consistent voice.

    My favorite post this week was my post about a day with my older son. A day out with Jones On my running blog, my favorite was a post about a Rainy Run

  43. Sheri Carpenter says

    Good Morning everyone. I am excited to do this but I may not be on task. I have another busy week at work and Dr’s appts. with my daughter again this week. I hope they figure out what is going on with her soon so things can get back to normal around here. I hope you all have an awesome day.

  44. franticmommy says

    Love the Content is King TRibe idea. I am all over it. I like my blog voice. It is TRULY who I am…but I sometimes wonder, is it enough to take me to the next level?

  47. amanda says

    I feel like I have a very developed blog voice. You know, it’s the annoying one that won’t shut up when you stop by my blog:)! Seriously, though when I first started blogging I know I was still searching for it. It took me a few months of consistent writing to develop it and determine it wasn’t going anywhere. Now I feel like people who read pBd would know I wrote it even if I put another name on it and say I didn’t. Great tips though like always!