Write What You Love

What is your blog about? Cooking? Parenting? Crafting? Government? Boogers? Whatever it is, make sure it's "you." Maintaining a blog is a lot of work, and if you don't love boogers enough to write about them several days a week -- until the end of time (or you quit) -- don't start. If you don't have the passion for your topic, you don't have much to offer your readers... and, they will soon be gone.

I personally LOVE coming up with ideas and giving advice. I always have. It may sound weird to some, but that is "me." When I get a phone call from a friend in need of ideas or advice, I get a rush. Really. That's how much I like it. People ask me all the time if I ever worry that I'll run out of things to write about, or ideas to share on the blog, and I can easily say "no." I feel confident that I can spew out ideas for the rest of forever, assuming I'm never bound by duck tape and gagged with a smelly sock. That may be a big assumption. Clearly, a blog about ideas would suit me well. And it has.

So, think about where your passion lies, and blog about it. One word of caution I have is to not get caught up in the linky party or giveaway trap in an effort to gain readers. I've seen several great blogs quickly go downhill because they became obsessed with hosting giveaways and linky parties. Their content suffers and I don't know about everyone else, but I take off in a flash. See ya. It's fun to host giveaways every once in a while. It's fun to host linky parties every once in a while. But unless you are a blog dedicated to those things, that is NOT why the majority of your readers are coming to you. They are coming for your content; to revel in your passion. Don't leave them hanging. What you want is readers who LOVE reading what you write about, not readers who sign up because they have to in order to enter the giveaways. That's not how you build an audience. I do giveaways now and then, as a treat to my readers, to build some excitement, and hey... to get some free stuff for myself. I may do a linky party someday; haven't yet. But, I want to keep it minimal. I know that's not why y'all are here.