Hands down the most popular blog questions we get is, “what should I write about?” The answer, of course, depends on your blog theme and category, but generally speaking, topics that connect to the Maine experience perform well and draw a wide readership. This week on Maine on the Blogs we thought we would share with you topics that tend to trend.
Of all the categories of blogs, the two most read sections are Homestead and Outdoors. The Homestead section covers topics that explore living close to the earth in Maine. What does that mean? Well, we have 20 examples below that might help shed some light on that question:
| Canning | Compost | Knitting, sewing, weaving, fiber arts and practices | Organic pest control | Foraging (chaga, mushroom, fiddleheads, etc.) |
| Recipes | Backyard beekeeping | Tick control and tick bite tips | Gardening – general, urban, container | Raising farm animals (goats, cows, sheep, etc.) |
| Farming – general tips | Backyard chickens | Upcycling | Homemade cleaning supplies | Making beer, wine, spirits |
| Cheesemaking, drying meats, preserving herbs | All natural beauty and health tips | Natural parenting (cloth diapers, Waldorf crafts, attachment, range free, etc) | Pet Care | Farmers markets, CSA’s, co-ops etc. |
The Outdoors section covers – you guessed it – the outdoors. Our audience loves the great Maine outdoors and it shows with their continued interest in reading about everything from safety to policy to good old fashioned hunting stories. If you would like to try writing an Outdoors post then look to these evergreen topics:
| Tick control | Fishing | Ice fishing | Camping | Hunting |
| Hiking | Boating | Canoeing | Animal tracking | Snowmobiles |
| Snowshoeing | How to deal with pest animals | Stories about kids’ first hunting experiences | Hunting safety | Gear |
| Exploring Maine | Outdoor safety – general tips | ATV’s | Exploring Maine – Acadia, Baxter, Allagash, etc. | Trails + water – general information |
Not all blog posts will fit neatly into a Homestead or Outdoors section, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have some advice for writing styles that can still strike a resounding chord with our readership. Below are five strategies for how to structure a blog post that readers tend to like.
Listicles
Blog posts that feature top 10 style lists of interesting groupings always draw a crowd. Here is one example by BDN blogger, Maine-ly Lobster showcasing the best lobster shacks in Maine:
Nine of the best Maine lobster shacks open this May
Open letters
A perennial favorite among bloggers, especially parenting bloggers, is the open letter format in which the writer pens a letter to a specific person or group and publishes it publicly. The goal is to start or continue a discussion on a specific issue. Here is a great example of an open letter that attracted a huge readership by BDN blogger, More Bang(or) For Your Buck:
An open letter to the cashier who needed to mind his own business
DIY
Mainers love a good DIY post, and why not? We are a resilient and resourceful bunch. DIY, or do it yourself, posts are generally project based instructions. The best kind of DIY post includes pictures taken throughout the process of making or building your project. Here is a great example of a DIY post from BDN blogger, Fresh Eggs Daily:
5 Economical DIY seed starter cups
Recipes
Even our nonfood bloggers love to post recipes from time to time. The best performing recipe posts include a short narrative to introduce the recipe, clear instructions on ingredients and directions, and excellent images of the final dish. Here is an example of a great recipe post from BDN blogger, Maine Course:
Smashed avocado toast with tomato and egg
There are many ways to write a successful blog post that will attract a wide audience. The most important factor is that you have fun and let your passion for your chosen topic be revealed to readers. We’ll see you next week!
If you have a blog idea then please don’t be shy! We want to hear about it. You can contact us on our pitch page here. If you don’t know how to pitch then don’t worry, we have you covered with this blog post that gives you some great tips. And if you have any questions feel free to swing by our Facebook page, Twitter page, or leave us a question or comment below.
