Discussions

Are all the best blogs just about blogging?

Posted by iratedog • 10/05/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: blog, blogging

I've been researching through blogs that seem to be the most popular and I've noticed something. It seems that all the most popular ones - the ones that make a significant amount of money - are ABOUT blogging!

I blog, but I don't want to blog about blogging, that's just pointless. Can you tell me, if it possible to have a popular, strong income blog that ISN'T about blogging, or internet marketing, or money making, or social networking.

Is it possible to have a blog that is just as popular as these but focuses on, say, political events? Green technology? Religion? Arts and Crafts? Pretty much ANYTHING apart from blogging?

It seems the only way to make any decent money in this business is to write a blog about blogging and/or something similar. Am I right? Or wrong?

User Comments

10/05/09

Autoalert

Yes I agree with your statement. I am actually blogs about the automobile industry. It has been months now but traffic is still very slow and the number of followers are pale in comparison to theirs. I suppose you have to stand out in the very field you are blogging about may it be religious, news, technology, gossips etc. In my case my site has to ideally offer the latest news to the readers in order to really catch up with the rest. Readers expects you to be on top of your game and if they can sense your incompetence or lack of 'oomph' factor in your materials they will not come back to your site Just my 2 cents opinion.

[reply]
10/05/09

Hels

The blogs I have seen cited the most are those with a clear theme and a vigorous attitude. My mature-aged students (over 25 years) tell me they read blogs that focus on politics, architecture, photography, travel, art, literature and music, but only if the writing is tight.

I cannot imagine "blogs about blogging, or internet marketing, or money making, or social networking" being of interest to a wide readership of highly literate adults.

[reply]
10/05/09

Zpoet

comment removed by the community.

[reply]
10/05/09

Zpoet

Goodness, I certainly hope not! LOL!!! I've noticed that most blogs seem to be commercial ventures, which I have no interest in. I have a literary blog...and on-line memoir of sorts...each vignette being like a short story. I've read here and other places literary blogs are not that popular; but I am plugging away...and I'm brand new at it...have written 9 so far. So I don't know if you're right or wrong...all I know is that the advice I read everywhere is blog often, and make the blogs you do post are of great quality. And slowly over time, you will have more readers and followers. I wish you the best of luck!

[reply]
10/05/09

ThriftShopRomantic

I think there's a difference between "best" and "most popular." When you blog about blogging, you have a natural built in audience-- no matter what your blog type, it helps to understand blogging better.

But is the advice of quality? And can you compare a popular blogging blog to that of someone like Zpoet who is looking to write more literary, creative content?

Or another blogger who shares cooking or politics or any other interest?

[reply]
10/10/09

AtlanticEquity

comment removed by the community.

[reply]
10/10/09

Stillthinking

I actually think the vast majority of blogs about blogging are total wastes of space and not worth the bandwidth they occupy.

[reply]
10/10/09

libdrone

shrugs. any good niche is going to be competitive with lots of other entrants. imho, it's about finding a niche that is right for you. unless you are passionate about it, choosing a niche like blogging just because it's supposedly so popular, is a sure fire way to be part of the 95% of new blogs that will not still be publishing a year later.

[reply]
10/10/09

runningshoes

Literary blogs dont earn the least. That award goes to personal blogs. Even though there are quite a bit of personal blogs out there they arnt very popular and its mostly just the friends of the blogger who are followers. But the good thing is that most of these bloggers arnt worried about the income. Mostly its just a way to share their story with the world.

Also it enrages me that so many blog directories/forums have no 'personal' category. They have everything from 'arts' to 'sex' but no 'personal'! Technorati-one of the biggest directories on the web doesnt have one!

Ok i went waay off topic. To answer your question yes. Blogs about blogging do well. Mostly its because there are so many bloggers out there who want to make their blog better and will read almost anything to do the same. It doesnt work that way to an auto blog or even a literary blog.

[reply]
10/10/09

offendedblogger

No, the best blogs are definitely not about blogging. IMO they are about anything BUT blogging, preferably with some humor thrown in.

[reply]
10/11/09

drjay1966

No.
The bloggers who are best at inflating their stats tend to be those who blog about blogging.

[reply]
10/11/09

davedol

I’d guess blogging about blogs is all about marketing and earning a buck. It is not content, but advertising. The soul of blogging is content. Maybe bloggers lack the confidence of their original content, and feel the need to embrace marketing. I’d think it does not matter. There is so much original fascinating content on blogs we can’t have time enough to read it all. Marketing tips are useful, but they are beside the point.

[reply]