I’ve been consulting on blogging with a few people recently, and a key question that come up is: what topic or topics should I focus on?

Before answering this question, let’s consider a few things:

• Your topic is probably already being covered by someone else. Just like most common domain names such as diapers.com are already occupied, your topic most likely is too.
• It takes commitment. Building and maintaining a blog takes commitment. If you are not passionate about what you are writing about, you won’t last.
• Know what you don’t know. You have to make choices. And, it starts with knowing what you are really good at. If you start a blog believing that you can make a difference, you will. That is an advantage you will have over others because most don’t think of it this way.

Now, back to the question at hand. To test yourself, ask yourself these questions:

1. What are you really passionate about?
2. Can you make a difference?

Answer these questions, and you have made your choice of topic. Now, you have to think about the how.

Here are a few strategies:

• Don’t stick to the common. I write a blog about strategy and innovation, and I deliberately don’t write about what other bloggers are writing about. Other bloggers propose approaches to de-risk strategy and innovation. I, on the other hand, focus on building habits and skills because I understand that chance and luck play a huge part in the process of innovation. Risk will always be there, but you can control how prepared you when presented with an opportunity to strike.
  Point: have a point of view and focus on that.
• Make the common uncommon. Another angle, is to put another spin on the topic. Consider, for example, Gemma Godfrey, Head of Investment Strategy at Brooks Macdonald. She has a background in quantum physics, and uses that background to look at financial markets. This background provides her a unique way of looking at the complexities of financial markets.
  Point: Look at your topic from another point of view, and communicate that.

There are many more strategies that I can share with you. These are just jump-starters.

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