Need some help picking the perfect blog topic? Well look no further! This article will cover how to pick the perfect blog topic, including advice for choosing a domain or blog name.
What is a blog?
Before I get into picking the perfect blog topic, let’s first go over the definition of a blog. Basically, a blog is a website or web page that provides information and / or tips about a topic or topics. Most blogs are written in a casual, conversational manner and are not meant to be as formal as a magazine or journal article.
Common blog myths
I need to be a great writer to blog
Since most blog posts are written in an informal, conversational style, you do NOT need to be a great writer to blog. If you pick a topic that you’re passionate about, your energy and enthusiasm will shine through and your posts will sound interesting.
I need to be an expert in my topic
While it’s probably a good idea to have some first-hand knowledge about your blog topic, you definitely do not need to be an expert. After you create your blog, you will quickly find that, regardless of your level of knowledge about your blog topic, there is always more to learn and new subjects to write about. So research will be your best friend!
Blogging takes a ton of time
You first need to ask yourself why you want to blog. Do you simply want to create a hobby or family blog where you can document and share family pictures and stories? If so you can put as much or as little time into your blog as you want.
Are you hoping to monetize your blog? If you ultimately want to earn money from your blog, you will need to spend time building it and writing high quality posts. But again, you can put in as much or as little time as you want. If you want to make a solid part or full-time income from your blog, you will have to put in more time.
There are already SO many similar blogs out there!
While it’s true that there are tons of blogs already in existence on many subjects, there is always room for more great blogs! If you’re finding lots of blogs about the topic you are also considering, that’s actually a really good sign. That means it’s a popular topic and there’s lots of interest and potential.
Pick the perfect blog topic
Okay, now that we’ve gotten those pesky misconceptions out of the way, let’s talk about finding you that perfect blog topic. Here are some things to consider when choosing the perfect blog topic:
What are your interests?
What do you love to do in your free time? If you had unlimited time to do any sort of project, what would it be?
What are your strengths?
Which subjects or topics have you had experience with in school, work, or in your leisure time?
What are your life experiences?
If you are wanting to start a mom blog, you are probably considering including something about being a mom. But what about narrowing it down a little and focusing on one or two aspects of being a mom that you really love? For example, maybe you love to prepare easy, healthy meals for your kids and you want to help other mamas do the same. Or maybe you’re a mom and you’re also a fitness expert. What about a blog focused on fun, healthy activities for moms and kids?
Picking a domain name
Now that you’re deciding or you have decided on a topic, it’s time to think about your domain name, which is your website address (i.e. www.thecareercounter.com).
You could literally spend days deciding on a domain name. It’s an important decision, but you also don’t want to get stuck in the process.
What helped me when I was choosing my domain name was to keep it fairly broad. Initially, I wanted to blog about careers because I’m a career coach. But after I started writing general career posts I decided I really wanted to focus on helping moms with their careers.
My blog name was almost too broad, so I decided to add the tagline “Career Advice for Motivated Moms” under “The Career Counter.”
Here’s another example of how to keep your name broad: let’s say you want to start a blog focused on providing sleep tips for kids, but in the future you might want to also blog about travel with kids too. Instead of naming your blog “sweatdreams101” you could go broader with something like “happykidlife.”
If the domain name you want is already taken, you can try to use some variation in your words, or add an article somewhere. For example, if “janejones.com” is taken you could use “jane-jones.com.” However, if there is already a domain name out there that is really similar to the one you want, you don’t want to confuse your readers. It might be worth it to just pick another name.
Hopefully this post has helped you with picking your perfect blog name.
