Wizzley

Choose a Topic Wisely

by tpaajanen

A successful freelance website can really depend on having a good topic. I have a few things to think about when trying to decide on a subject for your next writing project.

When you are doing any content writing for yourself, one of your first steps is choosing a topic. Unlike other types of media, knowing how to choose a topic for online writing is a little different. Here are a few things you need to think about before you take the plunge. This can apply to single articles, but I am thinking more along the lines of new websites.

Firstly, choose something you are personally interested in. Granted, you can manage to care about any topic if it earns you money but a genuine interest in something will make the entire project much more enjoyable for you. It also shows in your writing, which helps keep your readers captivated by your every word.

When you are interested, you'll be more likely to keep the content flowing regularly which is a successful aspect of any web project. It doesn't have to be the passion of your life, but have an interest to some degree.

Next, you should try to choose something you already have some knowledge about. Research only goes so far, and your text will read poorly if you are always regurgitating facts without the right context. A solid understanding of your topic will mean you sound like an expert, and that's what people want to read.

 

Once you've gotten this far, it can get difficult. You have to find a topic that can earn you some money. This isn't 100% necessary if you are taking on a labor of love. Let's face it though, we're basically doing this to make money, aren't we? So you don't want to launch a huge new project only to find it doesn't make you a dime.

 

There are many reasons why a site will or won't make money. For the moment, let's just look at the topic itself. Are you going to have a huge level of competition for this subject? Are there 50,000 other websites that are taking on the same topic in the same way already? Sure you can win out and get some good search engine rankings, but it will be a total struggle the entire time. Popular topics will have lots of competition, so try to avoid anything that is over-done already. Unless you are going to give it a different slant or perspective to set you apart. Traffic equals income, so it matters.

The other part of the income equation is whether you can monetize the topic. This is a really big topic all on its own, so I'll try to just summarize. If you're going the usual route of Google Adwords or an affiliate program, you will need to have some sort of product type associated with your topic. People who place ads are looking to sell something, and you won't get anything for your site if your topic doesn't relate to anything sellable. You need to be developing an audience that someone wants to sell to. If that doesn't happen, your only hope would be to sell ebooks or charge for memberships to your site (which can work too).

 

The point is to choose a topic that has earning potential, based on whether or not anyone will have a product (or service) to sell to your growing audience.

 

Next time you are going to put a website together, consider these aspects of the topic before you get going. It can mean the difference between a success and a failure in your future.

Updated: 05/30/2013, tpaajanen
 
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kimbesa on 05/30/2013

You're right! Choosing a topic is very important, and how you will approach it. And it can sometimes be tough to get outside the box, but worth the mental stretch!

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