Thanks so much for stopping by.

Did you say guest post? ]]> http://www.inklit.com/blog/2008/04/07/blogging-tips-many-topics-versus-few-topics/#comment-238 Catherine @ Sharp Words Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:21:55 +0000 http://www.inklit.com/blog/2008/04/07/blogging-tips-many-topics-versus-few-topics/#comment-238 I suppose it boils down to whether you want to be something to everyone, or everything to someone. In other words: you can please all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all (well, most) of the time. I have a 'niche' blog, although calling it a specialised one is stretching a point as I cover just about anything reading- or writing-related that strikes my fancy. I'd rather have a dozen readers who read and comment regularly, than a thousand who subscribe because they might be interested in one post in ten. But then, I'm running my blog for my own amusement, not because I want to be rich or famous. I can see where a blog that covers bits of everything would certainly be easier to market, with more readers and wider advertising. I'd like to think there's room out there for all flavours of blogs; people will find what they like, even if they don't necessarily like what they find. I suppose it boils down to whether you want to be something to everyone, or everything to someone.
In other words: you can please all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all (well, most) of the time.

I have a ‘niche’ blog, although calling it a specialised one is stretching a point as I cover just about anything reading- or writing-related that strikes my fancy. I’d rather have a dozen readers who read and comment regularly, than a thousand who subscribe because they might be interested in one post in ten.

But then, I’m running my blog for my own amusement, not because I want to be rich or famous. I can see where a blog that covers bits of everything would certainly be easier to market, with more readers and wider advertising.

I’d like to think there’s room out there for all flavours of blogs; people will find what they like, even if they don’t necessarily like what they find.

Thanks for the stats comparisons, very useful

Looking at some stats, looks like that will also help me focus on what direction I take.
The discussion is very intereating

Thanks for stopping by my blog. A week into Entrecard and I’m already feeling disenchanted with it. It’s too much work, and it’s too much of people blindly dropping and not really reading your words. What I can’t stand are the multiple droppers - that’s just not right. They don’t care about your blog - they care about their credits.

But really, I don’t know. You bring up the same sort of thing that I’m dealing with. This is a blog about writing, but ends up being about blog promotion and things like Wordpress plugins, so I feel the focus is lost. However, one blog for each interest I have in the world is probably a bit too granular.

I think one approach is to have a core focus and then write about other areas as they relate to that. I agree with you that focus is what people are looking for when they subscribe, however, so the trick is to really not veer too far from whatever one’s established straight and narrow path is.

It’s all doable, I think, but not trivial.

Unfortunately, this is where I am right now. I have one “tech blog”, which naturally encompasses my spin on tech news; my opinion about the latest gadget; tidbits about Linux and, occasionally, Windows; and ideas, observances, and tips on web development (programming). One day I’ll talk about styling forms with CSS, the next it’ll be how to install KDE4 on Kubuntu.

I think I’d be better off specializing, spinning off my X main topics into blogs of their own. However, it seems like that’d be either a lot more work, to keep X blogs updated as regularly — or even half as regularly — as my single blog, or a lot less content per blog, with the same amount of content spread across X blogs/domains.

And, if I do split out, what of my current content? Should my entire site be split out accordingly, or should there simply be an announcement on the current site, with subsequent content placed in the appropriate blog?

Any advice?

Then there are three other blogs on real estate social networks, one of which gets a post now and then when I feel like promoting something else.

My real estate Internet marketing blog used to be the recipient of all the good “How to Promote Your Blog” sort of stuff that currently ends up here, but in the past few weeks I’ve discovered the beauty of the guest author series. Also hosted on that domain is the blog who almost became the Borg Collective Blog, until as you just saw I abandoned that idea and registered a cute new puppy domain name this morning.

It’s not just a job. It’s an obsessive compulsive disorder an adventure!

Now, do that with four or five blogs and you can be diverse. Just keep them close to the same niche, and you can turn it into a blog network.

I started out with a blog on History, a Dungeons and Dragons blog, a political blog, and a novel-writing blog. Because I didn’t have nearly enough to do, I started the Writing Journey. It’s been the most successful by far, and the rest sort of sit there glaring at me like that old dog who used to be a cute puppy but now just pisses on the carpet every damn day.

Once TWJ is cooking (another 6 months, if I had to wager) I’ll pick back up the novel-writing blog. That one shouldn’t take as long to build, because I can leverage TWJ at that point.

The D&D blog will always be for fun, and just a way to meet other gamers. The history blog has potential, but I’d guess it’s at least a year before I can do anything substantial with it.

Those numbers are, as always, pulled directly from my behind.