BDN blog topics that tend to trend

BDN blog topics that tend to trend

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.

Sarah Cottrell

About Sarah Cottrell

Maine-based writer Sarah Cottrell is the voice behind Housewife Plus at the Bangor Daily News and is a regular contributor to Disney’s Babble and Momtastic. She is a co-author in six books including I Still Just Want To Pee Alone from the New York Times Bestselling series. Sarah’s work has also been highlighted and featured by SELF Magazine, National Public Radio, Washington Post, and VICE Tonic.