What’s the Flavor of Your Blog?
Have you ever been to a Happy Joe’s Pizza? I LOVED going there when I was a kid. Besides their great pizza, they were also known for their extensive sundae dessert menu. The big daddy of them all of was 5-Spoon Sundae (I think my parents only let us order it on our birthday) and it came in a goblet the size of my head. If my memory serves me right, they let us order it with scoops from each kind of ice cream. If it wasn’t for the massive brain freeze, it would be the perfect dessert.
Except when the ice cream melted and the flavors began mixing together. Mint chocolate chip mixed with rainbow sherbet? I don’t think so.
I’ve been feeling that way with my blog lately. I like having a variety of topics (keeps me from getting bored) but there are times when it doesn’t seem to be working. Do people get confused when they come here?
Are they thinking:
- Is this gal really a writer or pretending to be one on this blog?
- Is she the real “Scary Mommy”?
- Her book reviews are crap.
- Zzzzzzz…
These aren’t silly thoughts because they’re the same ones I’m thinking. I get frustrated because I want to write about a variety of topics but is my blog the place for it? My blog numbers aren’t growing and if anything, I feel like I’m going backwards. I take full blame. The blog advice I’ve read over and over is that you need to comment on other blogs to get them to come back to yours. Well, I do that but I find I keep commenting on the same blogs then those same people comment on mine. It sort of feels like we just keep handing the same borrowed five bucks back and forth. If I want new readers I need to go out there and find new ones but dang! I can barely find time to write this blog post, clean my house, work on my novel, research my next freelance article, and make it to the gym! Oh yeah, and take care of my three kids.
Even my Twittering has cut way back because I haven’t the time to keep up. Some of you may have noticed I have been “blasting” your Twitter/Facebook feeds but know that it is because I have finally sat down to try to catch up. I’m like a Stealth Bomber these days. You don’t see me coming, then I pepper you with a few Twitter bombs, then I’m out..
The other reason why I’m not more specialized is that I don’t really feel all that special. And don’t mean that in a self-depricating way, I’m just saying that I really don’t have a special talent. I am not a foodie. I am not a fitness trainer. I am the opposite of Martha Stewart. I am not a published author. I am not a tall, red-headed homeschooling mama who makes every meal from scratch or takes a gazillion pictures of her kids/dogs.
Successful bloggers out there and they have niches: healthy eating, parenting, organization, pop culture, crude humor, book reviews, etc. I think I’ve touched upon all of those areas at one point or another here but I don’t specialize. Is being a mom that writes my flavor? If so, it sounds pretty blah.
Are my variety of flavors (topics) what’s hurting me? I need a blogologist. I need them to tell me to how to get this thing moving in the right direction. Would they tell me to keep serving the 5-Spoon Sundae or stick to just one flavor? This whole “building your platform” business always makes me feel like I’m doing it wrong. Is there a right and wrong way to blog? I’m going to get out there and do some research (which I’ll share in another blog post!), but until then, I would love your opinions.
Pretend you’re my newly hired blogologist, tell me what I need to fix. Tell me what content you think works here and what needs to go.
Also:
- What are your favorite blogs to read? (Plus-I need some new ones to visit so I can stop harassing my favorite bloggers.)
- What is it about them that keeps you coming back for more?
- What “flavor” is your own blog? Or do you have many?
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I'm a midwest gal living vicariously through books, writing, her crazy family, and a few great friends. My blog covers all of the above as I attempt to figure out what the hell I'm doing at any given moment. Follow me:
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If you serve the 5-spoon sundae, then so do I! I tend to mix it up — although everything I write about touches on my life as a writer, either explicitly or implicitly. I actually love blogs that are like that (like yours). It’s so interesting to see a slice of someone else’s life, a sampling of what they are doing. But my favorite blogs are the ones that are very interactive. I don’t like the huge enormous super-popular blogs that are pretty impersonal. I like to comment on (and read) blogs that allow me to have a relationship with the blog writer — and when it comes down to it, that’s what I like to offer to my readers too. But, then, I’m not a blogologist, I just play one on your site
LOL! Yay! Now tell me how to find more people just like you. You are such a great blog friend to so many! You need to be cloned. xo
Hi Hallie! First time visitor to your blog (found you via Twitter). This is a common problem that I struggled with a lot over the years. I finally decided to find the one thing I could do that others were always in awe of. For me, it was writing full time while working 50+ hours a week and attending graduate-level classes. For you, maybe it’s finding time to write when everything is spit up on, dirty, and strewn about. Or maybe it’s organizing activities for kids so you can get writing done?
I’m not a parent, but I’d read either of those. Mostly because I could take those lessons and apply them to my working writer lifestyle.
If you don’t want “Mom” to be your platform, what about a blog series around researching for historical novels? I know I always struggle in finding the details.
I hope this helps you, and I hope you find your way. Blogging about everything in life can be a “niche” for some people, but it really doesn’t work for everyone.
Totally appreciate the feedback, Dahnya! And thank you for taking the time to stop by. I guess it is trying to find the right combination of what motivates me to write and what connects me with my readers. I have a feeling that finding out what that is might look like my college Calculus homework! I do need to incorporate more historical stuff since I enjoy reading/writing it. You would think I would already have done more of that. Good idea!
Wow, Hallie. Very honest post. I have lots to say in no organized fashion whatsoever.
I have a lot of similar feelings actually. My blog is also non-niche. I feel lucky to have smart, dedicated readers (like you), but I also feel that same passing the $5 back and forth thing. That said, that piece IS a huge part of blogging, or at least a huge part of having a readership. So then there’s the issue of finding new readers, but then creating a lot more reading for ourselves as well. I don’t have the answer to that one!
I DO love seeing familiar faces in many of our blogs. Feels like one big, supportive, and insightful writing group.
Okay, let’s discuss the niche thing . . . I sort of feel like that’s old advice. As blogs develop, I’ve seen most broaden as you can only say so much about one topic. (Unless it’s a food blog, of course!) Your blog isn’t random . . . it centers first of all on YOU, which it should. And you circle back to similar themes all the time like reading, writing, researching, and parenting (but like me not the main focus).
Now getting more specific, as a reader I personally enjoy these kinds of honest “struggling” posts more than book reviews and interviews. As a newer person in the writing world, I personally find it next to impossible to write honest reviews. We have that sensitivity of not wanting to hurt a writer’s feelings or, frankly, burning a bridge. Since I know that about myself, I tend not to really read that many book reviews by other writers like me. It’s like I know I’m probably not getting the entire truth. I hope you’re not insulted by that, and perhaps it’s not true for you. I’m just saying it’s true FOR ME and it’s why when I discuss a book, it’s usually not a review and more of a story about ME in relation to the book. But maybe I’m more self-centered than most.
As for author interviews . . . I feel similar to how I do about reviews.
So what I’m circling back to here, is that I’d love to see more posts about you personally. How you’re building your freelance career would make for great posts! One piece of blogging advice I don’t follow well AT ALL and want to do better is the idea that a post, and frankly an entire blog, does best when someone has a take away for their own lives. Think of all the people out there (I’m one of them) who would like to get some paying freelance work. I know you’re still at the beginning in a way, but you’re five steps ahead of many others. Be our guide. Maybe a once a month post on that particular topic?
Can you find a way to highlight authors and books without doing straight-up reviews, just to mix things up?
Finally, I’ve told you this before . . . the whole clean eating thing is a gold mine of posts wating to be written by YOU. That’s another “service” type of post that your readers (and new readers) would flock to. Tell us is in small “how to” ways your story on changing your eating and exercise habits and how those changes have enriched your life. How did you do it? How do you CONTINUE to do it? What do you eat? I know you’ve done posts on this, but get specific. Talk just about breakfast for one post. Another posts weeks later about snacks. Make it a series. I’m telling you, people will read them.
Those are some ideas!
As for Twitter, hootsuite is great for scheduling tweets. Then when you have time to deal with Twitter, instead of tweeting all at once, you can schedule some of those out. I haven’t noticed a barrage of tweets though. And you know I’m uber-sensitive to that!!
I’ve been off Twitter a lot more too because of those barre classes. Only so much time!
P.S. Hope you don’t mind I put all of this in the comments instead of an email. I just figured this way people can agree or disagree with me.
THIS is why I love you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. An honest friend is a true friend. I hear you and I’m taking your advice, sister. You are my Obi Won Kenobi. xo to the vey.
P.S. Who knew I was a blogologist after all?
Hallie,
Great post & comments. I can relate to that first question of doubt
I also agree with Nina — on many of her points. We all love that tidbit of personal story from the author of a blog. That’s what makes writing – & reading – so exciting: the opportunities for connections that we impart. And, I’m also not great at leaving comments, especially during certain times. Like summer, when kid activities take up 85% of my day. I’ve resigned to ignoring blog numbers for now, since what time I do have I really want to devote more toward writing.
Maintaining a blog is work, but we should still have fun. I say, write what you enjoy writing. It all translates into how you view the world. That alone makes you unique and interesting and will keep readers coming back.
Thanks for the feedback, Christi. The only downfall of summer is the writing distraction. Blogging IS meant to be a fun and I just need to keep that in mind. I just need to make sure what I enjoy writing about is what others enjoy reading. “Keep it real” seems to be the main theme in the feedback I’ve gotten.
Hope you are having a fun summer with the kiddos, Christi! xo
Oh, look at those lovely typos in my comment
Never type on an iPad late at night. Lordy.
Fixed them-all good!