It’s been a long day and you just got home from work. Whether you like it or not, that “everyday” blog you constantly work on each day is starting to get a little boring and tedious, so what should you do?
Spruce it up a little, of course! If you’re an avid writer and reader like me, then reading is more than just a pastime — it’s a stimulating activity that keeps your brain ticking along. Your brain probably isn’t only active, it is constantly in search of an elixir or road to that holy grail.
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Blogging or writing for your website and social media posts are the same. It is a key to unlocking the door to a new, crazy world full of imagination and wonder. Your blogging also needs to reflect something you love and are truly passionate about. If that’s true, your online content will easily flow and that passion will come through when you’re writing.
Do Your Research!
To get started, especially on a niche topic, pick a subject that interests you and find out what’s already been written about it and what is available on forums such as Reddit and Quora. You can get a really good idea about what people are discussing on the subject matter you are interested in writing about. Set up free Google Alerts, and every time your chosen subject is mentioned on the world wide web, Google will send an email with the related post or news article. This is the best way to create posts that are current, relevant and that can also provide your readers with the latest information.
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Once you are set on a topic, consider working around a theme. For example, if you are writing about finance and budgeting when it comes to family meals, you may want to stick with how to budget for everyday things with today’s high inflation; how to meal prep; what food items do not break the bank; and then how to plan for the week and the month. The following month, it could be something specific about how you cook your dad a fantastic meal for Father’s Day, inexpensive sides that go with the main meal, and then budget-friendly meals, snacks and appetizers for the summer.
Writing is Personal!
Writing a blog or a post on your social media page is really about your thoughts and what makes you tick, gets you up in the mornings, gets you excited and gets you going! It introduces your reader to an entirely different way of viewing the world around you. Your writing is personal, allows you to share your knowledge and experiences, but also can be somewhat distant, because your reader gets a glimpse of you — but only a very small glimpse.
Whether you are writing about food, travel, a car, a brand, your family, a hobby, or just your daily observations in the world, there’s humor, laughter, curiosity and a depth that should come across when you write. Your writing allows your personality to come through, and when the real and exposed details of those mundane topics are explored, that’s when your writing can become bigger than you and a lot more interesting.
Draw Connections and Make your Audience Think
What is hip and what is not, is totally subjective. I used to write an entertainment blog, but when the topic turned to style and dress, it was clearly not for me! I liked to write about my observations and discuss them, have an argument, a discussion, and a way to also be able to see things from another’s perspective. A way to offer a personal perspective that is interesting and inquisitive at the same time. You have only seconds to make that first impression, especially in your writing, so before you think something is not worth writing about, go ahead and simply give it a try!
After all, one of the great things about keeping a blog, journaling or writing about your opinions, views and business on a social media platform is that it may hit a completely different nerve for other people. It can get to them without you even knowing that it did. Just like an episode of Seinfeld – an iconic show about nothing – it envelops the viewer and comes together in the end. That is what made that show a classic.
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When Apple co-founder Steve Jobs gave a magnificent speech to graduates many years ago, he said life tends to have a way for all of us to “connect the dots.” Your blog writing is the same, giving your readers a chance to connect. No one else can do that for them. We have all walked in our own way, style and shoes. Go ahead and provide a style and flare that is unique to you and you’ll definitely pick up fans along the way. Don’t be afraid to write about what makes you tick, and define a subject that is somewhat different with your own unique style and flare, especially if you have an idea that’s different.
Your readers should be ready to connect the dots and read further, so don’t give away the farm. Encourage them to work things out and provide ways to explore and discover additional information for themselves. Some bloggers and writers are more successful than others because when they are truly passionate about a topic, product or service, it is evident in their work, whether by videos, audio recordings or simply through writing. Describe it well, document it well, photograph it well and, in return, the reader will be engaged and grateful you provided thoughtful and engaging content to help them along the way.
If you are still searching for that trending, hip topic or interest to write about, do yourself a favor and stop looking. Your best topic is probably already in your head – right there in front of you, where you least likely expect it to be. It’s an interest you have always had, a passion or a hobby in which you are skilled – it’s something that really drives you.
Therefore, if there is anything hip about writing for your social media page or site, just understand that not everyone will like your style or what you write. However, as long as it fits you, your style, and there’s a handful of readers out there that pat you on the back or give you feedback worth sharing, then it will be worth it. Many of today’s most successful social media stars and bloggers started writing posts without ever thinking their content would go viral and grow so much that it would become their main income source. They started because it was a topic they loved, understood or wanted to know more about.
So the lesson here is to make sure you enjoy what you are writing about because, in turn, your readers will enjoy it too!
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Roxy Turner is the founder and CEO of MARZ Strategies, a website, social media and advertising consultancy that provides clients personalized training in the Internet advertising world. She founded several blogs with millions of visitors and hundreds of thousands of fans. The services she provides help build brand recognition and increase sales for clients. Often called the “Web Doctor,” she provides insight and analysis for websites, social media sites and how to drive increased traffic via proven digital marketing strategies.
Roxy is an English native that arrived in West Virginia via an exchange program with Marshall University. She is married to Matt and together they live in Teays Valley with their two teenage children. She has significant national and international experience in online advertising and branding, marketing and social media.
Roxy has presented workshops about digital marketing strategies, Facebook ads and search engine optimization techniques to a variety of businesses, organizations and communities in and around West Virginia and nationally. She previously worked as a corporate trainer for Whirlpool Corp., Kellogg’s, FMC, Quest Communications, Hatfield-McCoy Trails, REMAX, and other local, national and international clients. She is a world traveler, having visited more than 50 countries. She also teaches English as a second language for universities in Asia.
As a Subject Matter Expert in Online Marketing for the West Virginia Small Business Development Center, she helps small businesses with online marketing, advertising and planning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.