Searching for a job can be a frustrating process. Whether you think so or not, you’re an expert at something. The shift from armchair specialist to outspoken expert is really just a mental shift. As long as you educate, inform, or even entertain your audience, your blog is read-worthy. With social media’s acceptance, everyone can have his or her day in the public spotlight.
Finding what you want your blog to be about can be a difficult task; however, if you think about it in terms of your own passions, then it can be quite simple. Think about something you’re good at. When people come to you for advice, what do they generally ask?
Picking a topic you like and that you’re knowledgeable about is important for the continuity of your blog as well. You want to pick a topic that keeps inspiring ideas for articles. If you’re not particularly passionate about the topic, it’ll eventually become impossible to generate new content.
Think about this example of a vice president at a local bank. He created several green banking products that provided discounted loans to businesses that used renewable energy or were involved with sustainability. These products were widely adopted by the bank and absorbed into their other products. So the unfortunate reward for his success was that his job became obsolete.
Through his experience building green banking products, he recognized that he developed some skills that other banks could benefit from. He turned his personal blog, which he posted to infrequently about random and often personal topics, into a blog that shared his professional knowledge. Soon, other banks got wind of him and hired him as a consultant.
The more specifically you can define your area of expertise, the better. General topics don’t tend to develop strong audiences. Try to narrow down your topic to the point where it becomes different from what everyone else is covering. Often, you can simply put a new spin on an old idea or have a unique perspective when collecting artifacts.
By bringing more of your own voice and your own story to your writing, the more unique your blog will be. What you choose to blog about and how you represent it comes back to your personal brand because your name becomes associated with the topic.
If you’re having trouble identifying what you should blog about, ask yourself these questions:
What’s a topic I can talk about for hours without ever getting bored?
What’s something I do that makes me lose track of time when I do it?
What subject do I tend to have strong opinions about (apart from politics or religion)?
What have I done for years, and maybe not realize, that I have amassed more experience in than most people?
Do I have a new interpretation of a concept or a new method of doing something that may benefit others? If so, what is that?
When others come to me for advice, what do they ask? In other words, what can I write about that will resonate with others?
Are there objects I like to collect and react to, such as funny ads, new products, or something else that relates to my career?
If you’re getting stuck on ideas to build your expertise around, you may want to look at what other bloggers are writing about. Based on your survey of what blogs are already out there (and their quality), you’ll be better able to identify your niche. The following list may help narrow your topics down:
Business etiquette
Business operations, theories, and practices
Consumer package goods packaging ideas
Creative design collections
Financial news and analysis
Green banking
Holistic medicine and healthy living
Leadership ideas and advice
Personal productivity and time management
Product reviews
Project-management techniques
Public policy and social issues
Technology reviews and predictions
Writing tips and grammar