What Business Bloggers Can Learn from Hobby Bloggers

This is a guest post by Linda Dessau of ContentMasteryGuide.com

While business bloggers have the ultimate goal of attracting prospective clients, hobby bloggers have a whole other set of motives. Here are just three of them, along with some ways you can apply them to your business blog:

Free Your Passion

Hobby bloggers have the liberty to indulge in deep exploration of their passions, wherever that journey takes them. In an earlier article about what happens when artists call their art a hobby, I noted how that "means freedom from the creative constraints that might be involved once you claim it as a business." 

Business bloggers, take note: It's easy to get caught up in how you're going to "monetize" your blog and transform readers into clients. While it's definitely necessary to be thinking about your ideal clients and what they're looking for, if you stray too far from your own expertise and passion you will just dilute your message.

Ideally, what they're looking for is the same as what you're really good at and love to do. Once you've figured out what that is, Michael J. Katz says that doing anything else is just "a self-perpetuating distraction." So don't get distracted too much by always trying to blog about the "right" things. Invite more passion into your blog and see who is attracted by that.  

Here's an example of a passionate blog: Voted as one of Time Magazine's Best Blogs of 2011, Smitten Kitchen author Deb Perelman must be full of passion. Otherwise there's no way she could pull off these delicious-looking recipes in a galley kitchen and share them on such a stylish and well-organized blog.

Keep it real

Hobby bloggers are notorious for revealing the good, bad and ugly of their real-life adventures. Whether the result is poignant, painful, hilarious or even mundane, it gives the reader an opportunity to feel a little more connected to the human race.

Business bloggers, take note: Will you lose your credibility as an expert if you share your personal experience? Not at all. Just remember to strive for a balance between experience and expertise.

If you only share experience, your readers may feel more connected with you on a personal level, but may not think of you when it comes to paying for solutions. If you only share expertise, your readers may respect and revere you, but lose touch if they start to feel lectured to. 

Delight in the day

When you feel free to follow your passions under no pretense of being someone you're not, it opens you up to more fascination and curiosity. Jeff Korhan wrote about how knowing that you're going to be sharing about your life on social media, including your blog, tends you make you want to live a better and more interesting life.

Business bloggers, take note: Put on your blogging goggles and look for interesting connections you can make between your daily adventures and the solutions your prospective clients are looking for.

Turn those connections into stories that illustrate a helpful lesson for your readers. Just make sure your stories tie into your business message and stay consistent with your brand. 

Here's a hobby blogger example of both keeping it real and delighting in the everyday: Enjoy this story about deodorant on the award-winning blog Pistols & Popcorn by Jodi Nelson Call from Brooklyn, New York. Jodi was a 2011 finalist for the best parenting blog at the 2011 bloggies.

Linda Dessau is the author of Write Your Way to More Clients Online and the founder of Content Mastery Guide. Visit her site today for more do-it-yourself blogging tips and hands-free blogging services.

How would you describe your blog - hobby blog or business blog? Let us know in the comments and share the URL so we can check out your style!

Comments

[DeAnna Troupe]

That was a great example! I totally get it. I'm working on balancing personal and professional. Great post.

[Linda Dessau]

Thanks, DeAnna - I'm so glad it was helpful.

[Julie]

Great food for thought. I've always thought of my life as boring and not really worthy of writing about, but this past month has been full of surprises and I guess I need to learn how to incorporate that into my blog.

Your example of the deodorant was a good example for me - it got me thinking about my own life. THANKS!

[Madonna]

I liked this post, probably because I agree with it. I know I am not maximising my SEO because of my titles, but although the blog is for business, it is my passion and the titles are meaningful to me.

Getting the balance right is the most important thing.

[Linda Dessau]

Thanks, Julie. I bet you'll find more to write about than you think you will. Keep us posted!

[AML]

I like your thought Linda and it reminds me of my previous mistakes on treating professional and personal ways while doing my blogs. I have learned it already and will manage to get it balance although sometimes I really can't take some part of it.

[Mahfud]

hmmm.. I just learn about blogging...