On Blog Focus

On Blog Focus

… Or, rather, lack of focus.

This is a topic I’ve been mulling over for quite some time now; a little something I would very much like to address here on Lace & Lilacs. I suppose the motivation to finally compose this post, after giving the matter a great deal of thought, came from The Nectar Collectivethis piece, specifically.

Now, I don’t disagree with Melyssa. In fact, I believe that article of hers is an absolute gem.

But, why-oh-why can’t a blog exist just for the sake of existing; be pretty for the sake of being pretty?

I, personally, don’t read blogs solely for information. My favorite sites are ones with a little bit of everything in the mix, a lovely, feminine aesthetic, and thoughtful prose. I enjoy logging into Bloglovin’ each morn and seeing something unexpected and new from the various lifestyle writers I follow. The absence of an uber specific focus in these spaces is what appeals to me, and draws me back each day.

Recently Lucy-Claire and I recorded a podcast in which we declared the importance of finding a specific niche for your blog… is it possible to have more than one?

Lace & Lilacs certainly does. This is my special place; a safe haven of sorts. And yes, I would like it to slowly transform into a business. Do I have to sacrifice writing about topics near & dear to my heart in order for it to ever take off?

My main categories at the moment are Travel, Prose & Poem, & Style, but I recognize that I will continue to change, develop, and evolve over the years to come. Will I still be blogging five years from now? Probably. Will I still be blogging about the subjects I am now, at 17? Probably not.

Do we really need to blog for one particular audience? Or should we blog for ourselves, in a way that attracts readers we, as authors, can genuinely connect with?

Will you have less followers this way? Perhaps. Perhaps not, if your voice, content, and perspective are all unique, fresh, pleasant, and welcoming.

Quality > Quantity. Wouldn’t you rather truly be able to relate to a few visitors than have hundreds of readers that utilize your content, but couldn’t care less about the person behind it?

If you are passionate about your blog, people will sense that and make the time to peruse your work. Whether or not you focus on one thing, and one thing only.

I don’t know; maybe I’m wrong. I have no experience to speak of.

This is what I think, anyway. And you?

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16 comments on “On Blog Focus”

  1. “…a specific niche for your blogโ€ฆ is it possible to have more than one?”

    Oh I hope so!

    My blog certainly doesn’t fit into a specific niche. I don’t decorate, craft, paint, sell, or etc. My posts have no continuous thread. And yet, I post nearly daily. ๐Ÿ™‚ I almost “have” to post… To write… To put something of myself, out there.

    Thank you for bringing up this topic. It needs discussion.

    Gentle hugs,
    Tessa

  2. I personally love your blog because of the writing, photos, and randomness! This topic seems to be more like tests. The broader the topic, the less likely you’re going to be able to go into depth about it. My blog is mostly on baking because I love baking and I love taking pictures of them ๐Ÿ˜€ I get to bake more stuff if I just focus on baking :DDD
    I think that this topic is a matter of opinion. It’s absolutely wonderful that on this web we have so many different opinions and mixes of different topics! If everyone focused on one different topic it would get boring, and if everyone never focused at all, it would get messy! It’s just the wonderful thing about blogging I think :DDD

    • Thanks so much for commenting, Anne… I love your blog because it focuses specifically on baking! It’s wonderful to have a mix on the internet; there’s no one specific ‘correct’ way. ๐Ÿ™‚ xoxo

  3. Honestly, I believe passion is the most important aspect of a blog. If you’re posting for the sake of posting, it’s easy to tell. About a year ago I was caught up in the blog-turned-business frenzy, and I was posting for the sake of posting. I stopped blogging because I wasn’t passionate about it anymore. Now I blog about whatever I feel like, and it makes me happy again. ๐Ÿ™‚

    I think it’s been drilled into our heads that if you don’t have a niche, you won’t be successful. I disagree. While I love blogs in niches for the information, I also love connecting with other bloggers. Many niche blogs feel like companies rather than people to me, which I guess is true in a sense. But it’s always nice to connect with the author.

    I believe that as long as a blogger is passionate, their blog can take off regardless of topic.

  4. I had been thinking about the same things a lot. I finaly decided to focus on quality vs quantity. Love your blog!

  5. I’ve been reading this kind of advice for years. Its always been number one on the list of things you have to do if you want success as a blogger : focus! I used to fret about it quite a bit, as I am incapable of focussing – too many things interest me. Then I realised that, at least with the kind of blogging I like to write and read, there was something more important than focus – authenticity.

    I find people commenting a lot these days about how blogging has become commodified, sleek, business-like, instead of a nourishing community of people who are drawn to various blogs because of a kindred spirithood. I think there is room for both. I like reading Lace and Lilacs because I like you. It’s as simple as that.

  6. Quality > Quantity – yes! As you said so well, we evolve. We shift our interests and our passions vary (sometimes as swiftly as the wind ๐Ÿ˜‰ ). The most compelling bloggers put in quality work and remain authentic, which to me is far better than churning out stale posts that lack any sort of spark or creativity.

    • Thanks for commenting with your thoughts, Laura! I completely agree with you… authenticity is so very important, whether or not you have a specific niche. ๐Ÿ™‚ xo

  7. I definitely struggle with finding a focus, and I’ve been giving it a lot more thought because I’ve been trying to make my blog more organized. I’ve also been seeing a lot more of these “find your focus” posts popping up on my Bloglovin’ feed as well, including from The Nectar Collective. I consider my blog style to be a “personal lifestyle blog,” emphasis on personal aspect. I feel like many things fall into this category, because life is… everything, and impossible to box into categories. For now I’m satisfied enough by this answer. Maybe I’m just trying to avoid the hard work of pinpointing my focus, but… My blog is quite small, so I’m going to cherish this time and experiment. Not too many people will be there to witness my blunders haha -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s

    • Oh, I LOVE your blog, Audrey! Focus may be important, but I think variety is, too. Authenticity and passion are key, and I enjoy reading personal blogs with beautiful photos and writing, regardless of whether or not there’s a specific topic. Hopefully I’m not the only one out there that feels this way hahah…

  8. I absolutely love the content of your blog Abby!
    how every time, i come over to have a read of your posts there’s always something different and new and pensive to read! (and amazing job with all the posting!! so up to date! sorry i haven’t commented in a while ๐Ÿ™ i’ve missed so much!)
    i love how theres a new ponder topic, or some new life news or inspiration, it’s great! and it’s what makes your blog so wonderfully different and interesting!
    staying true to who we are when we blog i find is so important. It’s sets each one apart and we get a little different taste of everyone from their posts, and it makes it so cool to see how each different person approaches topics, and even how we all layout our posts – isn’t it great!

    Keep up the amazing work gurl!!
    You’re blog is one of my absolute favourites ๐Ÿ™‚
    can’t wait to see all your beautiful paris pics!!
    xxx

    • Awww, thank you SO much for your sweet comment, Bec! I think you’re right – people should stay true to themselves when blogging. Authentic blogs are the best ones to read!
      And hahah, I’ve been posting TOO much! Now that all the big stuff is out of the way (*cough* visa *cough*) I’ve been bored out of my mind. Thank goodness the final countdown has begun!!!
      I adore your blog, too! Your styling is always GORGEOUS and I adore your photography and travel posts. You do you girrl! <3
      Hope you're having a fabulous week! xoxo