How to Decide on a Blog Topic

Being a freelance copywriter, it was always pretty obvious what I was going to base my blog on! As I'm sure you can appreciate, by writing articles that relate to my industry, such as sales letters, search engine optimisation, social media, eBook writing and website copywriting, I'd be able to attract readers who might be interested in my services, and therefore gain potential customers.

Likewise, if you were a nutritionist, for example, and were looking to obtain clients, you could set up a blog all about the subject and write blog posts on different aspects of nutrition. If readers liked what you had to say, they may well contact you for a one-to-one consultation.

But what if you were thinking about starting up a blog, but didn't have a website or even a product in mind…

What exactly would you blog about?

Well, in this instance, my first piece of advice is always the same: blog about something that you're PASSIONATE about, and have KNOWLEDGE of.

Let me delve a little deeper into those two pre-requisites…

1. Have a passion for the blog topic

The simple truth is that if you're not passionate about your subject matter, you won't continue posting or writing articles, and if this happens, then there's no reason for people to visit your blog. NO visitors means NO potential customers, and NO customers means NO money!

Ultimately, if you're not really interested in the subject of your blog, then there's little point starting one.

I've found that the best way for someone to decide what to base their blog on is to ask themselves the following question: "Would I do this for nothing?" If the answer is yes, then you've found your blog topic.

2. Have knowledge of the blog topic

The second most important factor to consider when choosing your blog topic is knowledge. If you have first-hand experience of the niche you're selecting, you'll automatically be able to blog from a position of authority.

Furthermore, if you truly are an expert in the field, you will most likely be able to offer your readers the kind of unique content that they would not be able to get anywhere else. And once people start to realise this, you'll find that the number of visitors to your blog will soar.

Of course, if you already have a website and you're currently selling a product, then it makes sense to produce your blog along these lines, but if not, then basing your blog on your experience and passions is a very good starting point.

For example, let's say that you've always enjoyed playing video games and this has been your main interest since you were a child. Because you have the experience, the knowledge and the passion for this hobby, this topic would be an obvious starting point.

Once you've started to develop the blog, added plenty of relevant content and attracted enough regular visitors, then you can start to implement ways in which to monetize your blog and turn it into a revenue stream.

Another point I'd like to mention is that when selecting a blog topic, you must conduct the usual market research, just as you would do for a static website.

After all, you don't really want to pour all of your effort and time into a topic without a hungry market, and with no real potential for profit.

So when you come around to selecting a subject for your blog, I'd recommend that you have a look around online for related blogs, look for niche areas within that subject that aren't being catered for, and conduct some keyword research using Google's Keyword Tool.

A fantastic resource to help you with this is www.blogsearch.google.com, where you can search for related blogs in your niche.

Finding a niche that's right for YOU is the very first step you should take when choosing a blog topic. Ultimately, if you're passionate about the topic, possess knowledge of the subject, and there's enough interest in it, you'll stand a far greater chance of turning your blog into a profitable enterprise.