How To Choose A Blog Topic
Do you have a good suggestion as to how to choose a blog topic? I've been wanting to write a blog for WA but have had trouble selecting a topic. Therefore, I will pick on Joes 946 to provide a target.
When Joe was temporarily "expelled" from WA, he was within a hair's breadth of quitting completely. Instead, he emailed me.
"Don't quit," I said. "Hang in there. Let me see what I can find out."
Well, Joe didn't quit. I helped him because a) he's a friend and b) I knew exactly where he was coming from.
Those of us who have weathered some rough currents in WA have one thing in common. It's a belief that quitting is for the weak -- not for us. Not too long ago, I went through a traumatic WA experience that almost caused me to quit. If it weren't for that belief that I was still too strong to do so, I'd have left this platform.
You might learn something from my story. I was immersed in the SAC (Super Affiliate Challenge) and hoped I was moving in the right direction. I asked a higher-up to critique my website.
However, another one of my sterling qualities interfered -- I talk a lot. I ended up confusing this poor person that I'd asked to critique my site. Unknown to me, he misunderstood what I wanted and critiqued the wrong website -- one that's a mere infant, as websites go.
Well, he sent me his critique. He said lots of things, some good and some not-so-good, but the two things he told me that almost caused me to quit floored me completely. He said something like, "I can't figure out who your audience is." and "Are you using Jaaxy? I can't find your keywords."
To think that I'd spent nearly two years of my life learning something, and come to find out, I'd learned it all wrong. I was devastated, to say the least.
But, you know how sometimes a thing that you think is bad turns out to give you exactly what you needed? Such was my case.
It took me a couple of weeks to snap out of my slump completely, as I still didn't realize he'd looked at the wrong site. Ultimately, I gathered myself together and made some major changes.
The first one: I now have only one website. I dropped my SAC site. It's there. That's all.
Being able to focus on one niche allowed me to gather forces instead of scattering them. Though I don't produce as much, I achieve more. I have a niche that I'm fond of -- cats -- and enjoyed being able to focus just on my ideas for it.
You see, cats as a niche is 'way overcrowded, so you have tons of competition. Also, the products related to cats are for the most part very inexpensive. Therefore, commissions can be very low.
But I happen to love cats, and enjoy writing about them. So, I'm sticking. I started a Facebook group called "A Clowder of Cat Ladies," and though I don't share links, the clowder is kept informed of the activity on my website.
I've made helpful improvements to my site, and find I am still motivated and excited by it, so somehow, I will make it work.
Anyone know a good promoter? I'd like to turn my Lucinda the literate cat into a character that gains similar popularity to Grumpy Cat. Then I'd get lots of traffic!
What original ideas have you developed for your website? There are so many possibilities. Just do not allow quitting to be an option.
Recent Comments
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Sounds like the person you asked to review was not supportive. Sorry you had that experience.
FYI, cats are a very popular niche and there's plenty of space there. Products may not be expensive and there are two key points about that - you have to sell a lot to make some good commissions, BUT it's a whole lot easier to get someone to spend $25-$75 than it is to get them to spend thousands on something.
I saw one woman make a post about a cat tree she liked, and included her affiliate links. Not that big of a site, but loyal readers. She sold 18 cat trees at $329 in the next 48 hours. Made a tidy sum for one post that still continues to perform.
Your passion for cats will always outperform their book reports on high commissioned items. Always!
I am glad to hear that you are working well concentrated on your website.
I am applying everything I learned and more than ideas appear, I don't know where. There is a Spanish song that says: You make your way by walking.
Thanks Fran!
Good post. how I choose my blog topic is how I am felling that day and I just put the date I am posting and then how I am feeling or going to do on my website. Quitting should not be an option but sometimes things can push you there and you go else where. Alicia
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Being constructively critical is an Art form that many just don't care about. Sometimes I review a really bad site but never smash the writer rather build on the good bits and offer soft suggestions on the other. I got smashed on a web review by WA and also sulked for a few days but with encouragement came back, never quit get even with them.
I am glad you talked Joe around, we all need a shoulder every now and then and you were there for him.
It is funny how we remain sensitive to our efforts and take them to heart more so than we should. I have seen some good souls driven from WA because they would not change or adapt their ways.All criticism is not bad, it can in fact help if we become objective to the discussion, remember we might not be wrong it could be their interpretation.
The cats. I ran a site on Facebook just to see how many followers I could attract and quickly went over a couple of thousand with daily posts, however I goy busy elsewhere and have let it slide, mut get back and refer some of the members to you.
Peer H
You speak truth.
If you have cat followers, I'd love them -- either as subscribers to my website or as members of my Clowder.