By skyforbes 
I’m not even sure where I read this, but while going down a rabbit hole of mass blog consumption today, I came across this line:
…a blog that matters.
Huh, a blog that matters.
I paused.
Well, I want to create a blog that matters, was my first thought. (and yes, it sounded just as whinny in my head as it does written down LOL)
For those of you who have been following along on this little journey of mine for awhile, you’ll know that I’ve constantly struggled over defining Hustle and Hearts.
I’ve talked a lot about defining my blog on my own terms. To hell with niches has always been my general attitude.
But here’s the deal: I think there’s one thing that I’ve forgotten about. And that, my friends, is about creating a blog that matters.
Because really, does it matter if you can gain 1000 Instagram followers in 28 days?
Does it matter if you have pretty drugstore makeup?
Does it matter if you read a budget friendly gift guide?
Yeah, there might be value in those posts, because I deliver what I promise, but do they actually impact someone’s life?
Depending on who you ask, maybe not.
I think the more I’ve been working on my ebook, and the more I’ve been evaluating my own career, the more I’ve realized that I have more to give than makeup tips and fashion advice.
I’ve built a lifestyle for myself that revolves around freedom, opportunity, and creativity. And if that’s not something worth sharing, well, I’m not sure what is.
And hey, by no means am I belittling beauty and fashion. I seriously never could because they’re my fav topics.
But I’ve started to question whether I personally can create valuable enough content on those specific topics to the point where they actually matter for people.
The point of this post is to show you guys that sometimes the universe might be trying to tell you something when it comes to your blog. As much as I’ve resisted it, and as much as I keep maintaining my blog can be about whatever the hell I want it to be, the more I’ve started to realize it can’t.
Or more accurately: it shouldn’t.
It needs to be about bringing content to you guys that I think actually matters to you, and that I know I can deliver on.
Dreams, productivity, business, blogging, writing. Yes, yes, and yes! Those are all things I know. And they’re things I know well, and most importantly, things I know first hand.
Write what you know. Isn’t that what they say?
And so, I’m listening to the universe, I’m not resisting, and for now we’re going to be focusing a lot more on freelance writing, female entrepreneurship, and all that jazz.
But of course I can’t leave you without some valuable takeaways for your own blog, so here ‘ya go…
Five quick questions you can ask yourself to decide whether you’re creating a blog that matters:
1) What posts get the most shares and comments?
These are the posts that matter to your audience. Focus on them, and write more content like them. Simple.
2) What posts do people spend the most time on?
Check your Google Analytics. The posts that people spend multiple minutes on are the posts that people are actually taking the time to read. Pageviews are great, but what people actually do once their on your site is more important.
3) Am I passionate about my blog topics?
Even if people are absolutely loving a topic, it doesn’t mean you should be writing about it. You have to have a passion for it too. For me, I could never write exclusively about freelance writing. I love what I do, but I’m not passionate enough about it that I’d be able to talk about it all day. What I could talk about all day? Online entrepreneurship! I want more women to realize they are totally capable of building a lifestyle on their own terms. The passion from both yourself and your readers needs to be there to have a successful blog.
4) What perspective do I have that’s unique?
We all know the blogging world is saturated. There’s millions of blogs on fashion. Millions of blogs on mom life. Millions of blogs on blogging. Millions of blogs on travel. Most people will respond to this by saying, but there’s only one of you. I’ve heard that before, but what I haven’t actually considered is thinking about what specifically it is about me that gives me an edge. Is my perspective on makeup unique? Nope. Is my opinion on fashion special? Defs not. The thing about me that is unique and separates me is my career. I’ve never had any sort of full time office job. I graduated school and decided I was going to make the entrepreneur thing happen. I don’t say that to brag (at all), but I know it’s unique. Really focus on what actually makes you unique, and you might just find it changes your blog.
[bctt tweet=”Focus on what makes you unique, and it could change your blog” username=”HustlenHearts”].
5) Could I create something beyond this blog?
Not every blog has to create a product/service beyond their blog. Some people are amazing at selling their lifestyle, but for those of you who either aren’t succeeding with that or don’t want that, consider products/services. If you really are offering something that matters to your audience, eventually you should be able to create something valuable enough that people would be willing to pay for it. If you can think of something that maybe you could eventually sell, it probably means you have a blog concept that matters.
Those are just some questions that I’ve recently been asking myself when trying to decide whether my blog actually matters. By no means am I making the switch to thinking niches are necessary for a blog, but at the same time my eyes have been opened to the idea that they might not be such a bad thing.
Just like you guys, I’m still trying to figure it all out, but I hope something in here might have struck a chord with you.
Let me know in the comments if you have any specific questions regarding freelance writing or online entrepreneurship. I would absolutely love to answer them!
And if you’re interested in building your own business online, full time or as a side hustle, you can sign up below to the waiting list for my soon-to-be-released ebook on how to become a freelance writer.
** Disclaimer: I know different things matter to different people. By no means am I trying to tell anyone that only certain topics matter, or that you have to have a certain type of blog to be relevant. I’m simply trying to give you an alternative way to thinking about your blog