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    31DBBB Day 4: Analyze a Top Blog in Your Niche

    Paul SteinbrueckBy Updated:163 Comments3 Mins Read

    This is Day 4 of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog, a group project 60+ of us bloggers are doing together in an effort to help each other become better bloggers. You can read an overview here.

    Today’s assignment is to spend some time on a successful blog in your niche.  That sounds easy enough.  But I think this is a lesson and assignment many bloggers are going to have a difficult time with for several reasons.

    1) Some bloggers don’t know their niche. For some the issue is similar to Day 1 where you’re still trying to figure out what you’re blog is about and find focus.  Others of you are probably bristling at the idea that your blog could be in a nitch because you don’t like to be labeled.

    1.5 (Added 5 PM) Some bloggers don’t know what blogs are in their niche. If you don’t read other blogs that touch on the same topics you do, you may not know what blogs to analyze.  A couple of places you can search for blogs by topic are Technorati.com and PostRank.com.

    2) This sounds like copying. When some of you read the assignment, “Analyze a top blog in your niche” you heard “Watch what the popular people are doing and copy it.”  This assignment is not about mindlessly copying anyone or losing your identity.  While part of the assignment is to learn things you can incorporate into your own blogging.  It’s just as important to identify how you’re blog is unique and how you’re going to differentiate yourself from other the blogs in your niche.

    3) Golden nuggets are easy to miss. Chances are you’ve been to the top blogs in your niche.  You know what they look like.  You know what they write about.  It’s going to be real easy to skim over this assignment and not find anything meaningful.  When panning for gold, first you’ve got to dig, and second you’ve got to look real carefully to avoid missing the valuable nuggets.

    Today’s lesson identifies some good elements to observe on other blogs – topics covered, posting frequency, which topics/posts are most popular, things you like & dislike about the design, etc.  Here are some additional suggestions…

    • What modules does the blog have in the sidebar(s)?
    • Specifically, what features does it have to facilitate sharing and social networking?
    • Read the comments.  When people say they like a particular post, what specifically do they like about it?

    Discussion

    1. What is your niche?
    2. What site(s) did you analyze?
    3. What did you notice about them that you  may want to incorporate into your blog?
    4. How is your blog unique?  How are you going to differentiate it from the rest of the pack?

    Don’t forget, if you’ve posted a new post to your blog today, you’re welcome to include a link to it in your comments.

    The Extra Mile

    A few other things you can do to take your blog, other bloggers, and this project even further today…

    • Reply & give other bloggers feedback on their analysis.
    • When other bloggers include a link to a new article they’ve posted today, click, read, and comment on it.
    • Check previous posts in the series for new comments.
    • Tweet, share, & bookmark this post.  (You could win a $25 gift card!)

    Share and Enjoy !

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    Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization. An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org. Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

    View 163 Comments

    163 Comments

    4. crispone on

      Before I say anything about my blog, I just want to say that as I read the blogs of other people participating in 31DBBB, I'm surprised at the number of really good writers there are out there. I'm walking with giants, and it's challenging, humbling, and encouraging to find myself here with all of you.

      Also, the sense of community that is developing here is great (though I was unable to participate a whole lot over the last two days).

      I need to do some digging to find blogs that talk about prayer. There are lots of blogs out there talking about the Christian life in a broad sense, but I haven't ever come across any that focus specifically on prayer.

      I'll look around today, but does anyone know of a prayer blog off the top of your head?

    5. justapen on

      I'm having serious problems with this one. I've been able to find a couple of blogs that I really like and can look at and learn from, but nothing that really fits my niche of a "new or young Christian audience" http://michaelhyatt.com – I thought this had a great layout, one of the first blogs I started reading. http://ymiblogging.org – this is one that had a similar target audience but a completely different approach (for the youth BY the youth kind of thing). Nice look awesome multimedia, but I'm not really into that.

      The layout of both was great and the content was solid (if somewhat one track at ymi). But beyond that I don't feel like I really took anything away from this one. Anyone have any suggestions for other blogs to look at?

    6. justapen on

      I'm having serious problems with this one. I've been able to find a couple of blogs that I really like and can look at and learn from, but nothing that really fits my niche of a "new or young Christian audience" http://michaelhyatt.com – I thought this had a great layout, one of the first blogs I started reading. http://ymiblogging.org – this is one that had a similar target audience but a completely different approach (for the youth BY the youth kind of thing). Nice look awesome multimedia, but I'm not really into that.

      The layout of both was great and the content was solid (if somewhat one track at ymi). But beyond that I don't feel like I really took anything away from this one. Anyone have any suggestions for other blogs to look at?

      • Stuart on

        What about youth pastors? I know perhaps they don't apply to your criteria but they are addressing a youth audience.

        But how young is young? For example,http://winteryknight.wordpress.com is in his early thirties, but does that fall outside your target? I consider myself young or was that just wistfully stuck at age 13? Hmmm 😉

        Or how about:http://lmae123.wordpress.com/ or on a more professional footing try:http://ymiblogging.org/ or have a look through a list like this:http://www.x-raytechnicianschools.org/radiologic-… and determine which of the authors are young or as a final suggestion – how about asking here:http://www.christianyouthforum.com/Home.html

        • justapen on

          I think that's probably another part of the problem. As a youth pastor I assume my audience are teens but what I write could easily be for a Christian of any age. I think perhaps Paul got it right by saying it's more Christian inspiration and doesn't necessarily target specific concerns of a teen audience.

      • PaulSteinbrueck on

        When you describe your niche as "new or young Christians" I'm not quite sure what you mean. Are you talking about talking about teens and young adults who are Christians? Or people who have recently become Christians regardless of their age? I read your "about" page and came away thinking maybe it's about Christian inspiration, but I'm not sure.

      • Simpson on

        I just started a blog called Jesus' Apostles. It has not got hardcore Christian messages like normal blogs, it more vibrant, youthful and has many different media forms, from posts, videos, music videos, and pictures. Check it out at: http://www.jesusapostles.blogspot.com … i would dig for some feedback if you care to note some issues:)

      • Stuart on

        I'm enjoying teh different approaches fellow 31DBBB's have taken so far. And yours was yet another one of them – left a comment on teh blog too.

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