I am writing this blog post for myself more than anything else because I could really use this reminder right now, I figure it’s a good reminder for all the bloggers out there too; so I’m posting this article on the blog rather than keeping it as a private journal entry. Obviously, much was altered from the original journal entry, but the theme remains the same: focus on strengths, not interests for blogging success.
While mapping out my strategy for future blogs to launch, I momentarily lost sight of my vision and pictured how fun! it would be to launch a tropical blogging lifestyle website, where basically I go to the beach, theme parks, and live the tropical life (I live in Tampa, so I wouldn’t be completely delusional in thinking I could pull it off); yet when I asked myself how that type of blog aligns with my goals…my mind couldn’t come up with a good answer.
Because if I moved forward on the tropical blog, it means I wouldn’t launch the blog I need to launch, which is a “boring” blog using knowledge gained from ~15 years working in child welfare social work. I calculate the boring blog not only has high-chances of financial success, but will also be an important resource for helping people who need answers to hard questions that aren’t easily found (or found at all) in Google search results or in answers generated by LLM bots. A classic win-win situation. Why haven’t I launched the blog yet then? Because rather than focusing on my strengths, I keep getting distracted by my interests.
Strength Builds Blogs; Interests Build Hobbies That Aren’t Helpful And Don’t Pay Bills
As a parent, I wisely focus on building on my children’s strengths while minimizing their weaknesses. To be massively successful in life you only need to be really good at just 1 or 2 things and avoid doing really stupid things (drunk driving, drugs, pregnant with somebody who is a loser). If you can do that, probabilities are high for a good life.
Pretty smart advice, eh? Focus on strengths. WHY DON’T I DO THE SAME THING FOR MYSELF?!! I think most of us are like that: helping others while never helping ourselves. I think the best advice I’ve heard in a long time is treat yourself like you are somebody else that you are responsible for helping. Anyway, applying this good advice to blogging you would advice yourself to blog about something that is your strength instead of an interest, wouldn’t you? Of course you would. Stepping back and looking at myself I realize it’s a cold hard fact that I need to launch the boring blog that plays to my strength. You probably do too.
Everybody knows readers and Google love blogs that are written by an AUTHORITY. Each of us have at least one subject that we are authorities on, unfortunately, that subject is our boring day jobs. Well, that’s the niche, man. That’s the niche. The fun blog is gonna have to wait for retirement.
Hobby blogging isn’t gonna get you far because you’re gonna run out of things to write about after the initial burst of excitement. That’s part of the reason ~80% of blogs fail within the first 18 months. The hobby blog isn’t gonna take you to where you need to go and you know it.
Strengths Are Focus; Interests Are ADD
Strength helps us focus on what we need to do. At work, whether you feel like it or not, you grind through what needs to get done. It probably doesn’t even feel that difficult because you are an expert at the job. Doesn’t feel like a big deal. That’s why if you start a blog on your strength it won’t feel that hard after you hammer out the blogging fundamentals, which should only take a month or so.
Interests, however, may be fascinating to research for blog posts…but those blog posts will be slow in coming. Maybe a solid blog post a week you’ll be able to get out. Or 2 or 3 mediocre posts. You’ll be bouncing all around, unfocused, learning more about the niche. Now, that may be fun! You might be having a ball! But you will not be reaching your goals. If the blog feels like a hobby, it’s a hobby. If the blog feels like work, it’s a business that’s gonna get you paid.
Hobby Blogs Are For Retirement
You can make the choice to start a blog that is going to win so you can secure your family’s future or you can make a blog that will be fun. If you’re lucky you can do both at the same time, but if you can’t: choose the boring blog that will win. You can have fun when you take your family on a month long vacation to Hawaii.
When you sell your boring blog down the road for a million bucks you can retire, and then you can start your fun hobby blog. Never forget your vision for why you are blogging. Never forget the outcome that you are trying to get.
What Are You Really Good At?
You already know what you are really good at. You know what your strength is. If I worked at Subway I’d be launching a blog about making sandwiches. If I worked as a secretary at a dentist office I’d be blogging about office management. If I worked as a garbage man I’d be blogging about the waste management business. Lean into your strength and win!
Next steps:
- Figure out what your strength is.
- Figure out the angle you should use to blog about it, this might not be as obvious as you think. Think about several different ways you could blog about it. Part of the reason it took me so long to get going on social work was I didn’t like any of the angles I had, then it hit me like a lightning bolt in how to pull it off. Sometimes it takes a minute.
- Go to Bluehost and obtain cheap hosting. I am a Bluehost Partner and have access to better deals for my audience. That means when you use this affiliate link you get special (cheaper) rate on your hosting plan. It comes with a free domain too. When you use the link there will be three options for hosting, just choose the cheapest option. It’s all you need.
In strength, my friends! Let’s win!