Eclectic blogs and focusing on content
Published by on June 17th, 2006
The more successful blogs cover a particular niche. This one, being a personal space rather than a business/niche focused site, could be accurately described as eclectic.
Some come here for podcast-related stuff, others for the (admittedly far too rare) geek stuff, and others just to find out what I’m up to generally. But with these different, focused aspects to the content here, wouldn’t it be great for you, the regular visitor, to filter out all the stuff you are not interested in?
For example, let’s say you come here to keep up with what I’m spouting about podcasting. You could skip over to the right, check some boxes next to the categories you are interested in and when you turn up next time, the main content you will see will only relate to those subjects. The rest will be available of course, behind a click or two, but you can be pretty sure that you are not going to have to scroll or navigate through what to you is irrelevant waffle, to find the waffle that is relevant.
I’ve been conscious about this issue of broad discussion topics here for a while, but still want to retain this as a single personal space rather than splitting it off into several niche blogs. This idea might be a solution.
Technorati Tags: blogs, niche, content
4 Responses to “Eclectic blogs and focusing on content”
Neil, we are not having any problem in attracting businesses with money. However, sell our business expertise, not just the podcasting buzz word. We focus purely on the business benefits and try to avoid the word ‘podcasting’ at all costs.
Also, the outsourcing of podcast production is a very quick road to £20,000 per year max, which is pretty laughable. There is simply not enough perceived value in a podcast episode to allow a decent living to be made. Sure, we do a handful of small podcasts which we find interesting, but only so that we can use them as marketing tools for our consultancy work. And, there is no doubt that that is where the money is.
The issue of press releases is interesting. We just don’t feel the need to shout about what we are doing with each client. Most press releases make those involved sound pompous and just a bit too pleased with themselves. Plus, we just don’t have the time. What matters is that we are known to the right people, and thanks to BNI, we have access to the people with money who want to be ahead of the game.
There are some really big opportunities opening up for those with a detailed knowledge of what is achievable with RSS, but probably not in the way that most people realise. If there are not millionaires made in this industry, I will be very shocked.
Discussion on this topic ended up here
“The more successful blogs cover a particular niche.”
Depends on what you mean by success, and also come to that, niche! My blogger pal Laurie Anderson’s blog is really successful and she is as eclectic as you like, no particular niche evident.. also Transience http://northern-way.blogspot.com - and ruksak.blogspot.com - both hugely gifted writers with just themselves and their words on offer..
http://www.bloglines.com/public/DeekDeekster
Check these out. Lots of them really successful in terms of readership, very few of them “Niche” as such.. ruksak and transience just use words…
there, that’s three comments when i wanted to leave one…
I’ll be more accurate: “The more successful blogs are usually niche.”
“hugely gifted writers”
That’s the key. I’ve improved during my time blogging, but words are not easily expressed from the images in my head and I’ll never reach gifted in the writing sense. Though of course, that’s not the aim, just some expression.
Many of the blogs you point to are certainly not niche, but are they truly eclectic? How many combine what many feel are polar opposites in subject? I think they are more about a creative and skilled expression of the personalities of the authors, and that’s what successful non-niche blogs do best.
Still, my blog space certainly reflects the ever changing connections in my often jumbled ADD head