This post was written by Jennifer

No Link Love For Blogging Bloggers Today

I was going to link to some good blogging posts today, but decided not to. Deb did on Sunday anyhow, and we read a lot of the same stuff.

I like blogs in the niches I blog best; probably because I (thankfully) get to blog what I enjoy. I love architect bloggers, and also really like blogging and green bloggers. These are the topics I write about most, and likewise the blogs I visit most.

However, breaking out of your niche is cool. I think bloggers should have a good handful of blogs, that don’t relate to their own topic, that they visit on a regular basis. There are payoffs for visiting outside of niche blogs. The biggest is you have no idea what other people read. If folks see you around, making comments, they might click your name and like what they see. Sometimes you get the oddest, most seemingly out of character readers.

Example: For the longest time, at Offbeat Homes, I got a ton of page views from one guy. I went to investigate. Turns out he didn’t even have a blog, he was on one of the social network sites - MySpace or something like it, where we had one friend in common. All this kid (he was young) talked about was beer. How to get it, drink it, and beer based shenanigans; typical kid just found beer behavior. He did however, like my blog. He’d link to it, and this kid had oodles of pals, who also only talked about beer, but they liked beer guy, so they’d click on his links. End result, me with lots of page views (and some odd comments - but I can live with that). You never know who might like you.

Another benefit is it keeps you from wearing out. Maybe five of my blogs are green, or have a heavy eco slant. I love green, really, but sometimes I’m just so tired of thinking about it all the time. Reading outside of my niche probably saves me from complete and total saturation; my brain gets a rest. You can also get some quirky ideas. You’ll find stuff you don’t normally blog about, that you can perhaps slant to your topic. All in all it keeps things fresh.

So today, forget reading all the blogging blogs, forget blogs in your niche, go find something new. If you have no clue where to start, here are five random ‘out of my niche’ blogs I visit.

Now tell me five out of your niche blogs you like. I need some nice new reading.

May 28, 2008 | Filed Under Blog Tips, Blog Traffic, Link Love, Niche Blogging

Comments

12 Responses to “No Link Love For Blogging Bloggers Today”

Lori on May 28th, 2008 11:27 am

Thanks for the ideas. I’m already loving Cranky Fitness, even though it is in my niche.

Here are some I enjoy reading. Some are close to my niche other niche of travel, but provide a different perspective which is refreshing.

The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks - http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/

Don’t Call Me Gringa - http://emilyinchile.blogspot.com/

Just Married Chilean Style - http://www.ohquepasa.blogspot.com/

This one I’m loving right now because I get to travel to Prague this summer.
Czech Please - http://czechoutchannel.blogspot.com/

I hope others will comment. I would love some new reading material!!
Jennifer on May 28th, 2008 6:27 pm

Cranky Fitness rocks. I’ve been reading it since way back, maybe from when it started.

Thanks for the blogs - I’ll check them out. They sound interesting, that’s for sure, and not in my realm.
Peggy on May 29th, 2008 12:54 am

Apostrope Abuse
http://www.apostropheabuse.com/

Peaceable Primate Sanctuary
http://primatesanctuary.blogspot.com/

Kettle & Cup
http://www.kettleandcup.com/
Jennifer — check out Marye’s Ugly Mug coffee review. It’s the coffee I drink.

But speaking of social networking sites, what’s up with Twitter not working so much lately?
Amanda on May 29th, 2008 4:09 am

I totally second the “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks - that always cracks me up!

When I’m hungry I always like to look at A Roaming Aussie Kitchen - http://roamingaussiekitchen.com/ - even though I’m a terrible cook (this is definitely out of my niche). It’s good to dream.

There’s also an ex-pat’s blog called Letters Home - http://lettershometoyou.wordpress.com/ - that I enjoy, and not just for the subtitle - “because my family stopped answering my email”.

Not strictly out of my travel writing niche but still just something I read for pure pleasure, Gaijin Smash - http://www.gaijinsmash.net/ - is so frank and hilarious about life as a foreigner in Japan that it should be compulsory reading for everyone planning to work there.
Some Cool Niche Blogs : Network Blogging Tips on May 29th, 2008 5:06 am

[...] Jennifer talked about how she likes to read blogs not in her niche or about blogging. I like to call them recreational blogs. I read them as recreation rather than [...]
Jennifer on May 29th, 2008 11:09 am

I checked out the “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks and it was very funny. I like stuff like that - found blog posts.

Thanks for the other suggestions ladies.

@Peggy I don’t know about Twitter, I’ve been slack there this week - but when I have been by, it’s been down more than usual. No clue why.
Peggy on May 29th, 2008 8:30 pm

I used to visit Cranky Fitness quite a bit, but those cupcakes tempt me too much!

With Twitter, I think they’re just overloaded. They disabled the see “older posts” function for a few days.
People in the Sun on May 30th, 2008 7:11 am

Thanks, Jennifer. I’ll look at all the other blogs now.
JvA on May 30th, 2008 2:08 pm

Thanks for the link! I got really neighborhood-focused earlier this year but am swinging back to be a little more random, now that all sorts of summertime delights are catching my fancy.

One niche blog I occasionally check (after we were featured in it back in Janaury: http://milkcratedigest.com/2008/01/22/crate-car-repair/) is Milkcrate Digest: http://milkcratedigest.com/.

It’s all about milkcrates and “living the milkcrate lifestyle.” I don’t necessarily love the blog so much, but I just love that it exists.
Jennifer on June 1st, 2008 6:03 am

You’re welcome People. You’re usually one of the first blogs I recommend - outside my niche. You didn’t tell us what blogs you like?

JvA - you’re welcome too. I’ll have to check out the milkcrate blog. Tacky, but it might be Offbeat Homes tacky.
People in the Sun on June 1st, 2008 9:58 pm

Oh yes, sure.

I read a lot of personal blogs, but I have my guilty pleasures.

For Your Entertainment is mostly a collection of internet finds. I know there are many sites like that, but this one is special because there’s real humor behind every post title and because every once in a while he’ll have a post about his volunteer work, transporting dogs. A really cool guy.

And a guiltier pleasure, Gritoland is about the adventures of this… thing. In his words: “King of the Gritos, leather bear 23 cms high.” You can’t go wrong with that.
Some Cool Niche Blogs | Network Blogging Tips on January 30th, 2010 9:32 am

[...] Jennifer talked about how she likes to read blogs not in her niche or about blogging. I like to call them recreational blogs. I read them as recreation rather than [...]