I started my blog in the beginning of 2009 and the topic of fashion came naturally to me: I loved fashion, I knew a lot about it and I never ran out of writing inspiration. My blogging adventure actually started because my brother insisted that I start blogging and sharing my tips and tricks because I was so consumed with this topic.
As the time went by my blog became a big part of me and my everyday life, but at the same time I started developing other interests – in particular a love for food and photography.
Every time I would take a nice photo or bake a new cake, I wished I was able to write about it on my blog. But a blog by the name of FashionStyleAdvice.com had no room for macaroons or city guides. It was very clear: the blog was about fashion and style advice! After nearly four years of writing pages and pages about fashion and only fashion, TastyPrettyThings.com came to life! I took the big step at the end of 2012 and here are some of the things I learned throughout the process of pivoting my blog’s direction.
Taking the big step:
If you’re thinking about changing your blog topic completely or adding a new topic to your existing one, there are some important points to consider.
- Are you passionate about the topic you want to add?
Be sure that this new topic you’re adding is your passion and not something that you currently find interesting and fascinating – you want to be able to deliver on this new promise for a long time and not confuse your readers by changing it again after a short while. You also want to blog about your true passion and not about something you think people want to read about – only that way will you come off genuine and interesting.
- Are your new topics a natural fit?
Just because you’re interested in two completely different topics, it doesn’t mean that they’re a natural fit for others. That said, there are countless ways to make topics fit nicely together, but keep in mind the fact that you want to be original but still approachable to many.
- Does your domain name fit the blog topics?
Maybe your blog name is as neutral as can be, but maybe it’s very specific like mine used to be. It took me quite some time to come up with a new name that I felt embodied the topics of my ‘new’ blog. I also went away from a very SEO friendly domain name to something that was more creative and cute.
The pros and cons:
Today, I feel a lot more inspired and motivated to blog. Even though fashion is a very broad topic and there are endless areas within it to cover {latest trends, celebrity style, personal style etc.} there are days when you feel uninspired. With a more personal approach, the blog becomes an extension of your everyday life.
At the same time there are some technical issues that will no doubt stand in your way, if you for instance change your blog name and URL. Your Google rank will most likely be affected, Facebook won’t let you change your Page name {only the URL}, and not all of your old followers will be pleased with the change.
Making it personal:
After I started blogging about topics that are far more personal, adding personal style pictures, showing glimpses of my apartment and telling some more personal stories, my blog has blossomed. Even though it was successful before when it was more about general fashion and less about me, I now feel more attached to it – after all it has my face on the front page.
If you feel like you want to have more creative space within your blog and the only way to get it is to add new topics – I say go for it. Think long and hard about the different ideas you have and choose only what comes naturally to you. If the readers can feel the person behind the blog shine through and feel the engagement, you’re well on your way!
By Milana Saric, Tasty Pretty Things
I love blogs that are personal and where I can read on more than one topic. It’s hard to incorporate two different ideas into one blog, but it can work. I also love it when fashion and food combine.
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