Looking for topic matter

1. 91

   GwennyOhposted 10 years ago

   I have been diligently writing away on niche stuff and today realized that the market for much of what I write is way to small.  I need to diversify in a big way. 
   
   Please give me some ideas on how to find topics that people want to read about.

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   1. 97

      susi10posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Well, there used to be a Weekly Topic Inspiration every week where you are given a topic to write about that is search friendly and that there isn't information about it on the Web. That is a great way to get inspiration but the only problem is, it has disappeared lately.

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      1. 86

         Simone Smithposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Christy still posts promising new Topics in the Forum each week when she announces the Rising Star candidates.
         
         Here are the latest ones: http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/113023

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         1. 91

            GwennyOhposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you Simone and susi10; I appreciate the heads up!

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         2. 97

            susi10posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Hi Simone,
            Where is Weekly Topic Inspiration, though? Is it still there?

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2. 82

   psycheskinnerposted 10 years ago

   I think it is always best to start being thinking of all the topics you love and/or are knowledgeable about.  Make a big list and cross off anything that is too specialized and niche.

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   1. 91

      GwennyOhposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      That's where I am at now.  Unfortunately everything I know about or love to write about is either too niche or too 'been there'.  Too been there covers the 30 years I spent hairstyling, lol.

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      1. 82

         psycheskinnerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I think there are ways two rework any topic you really know about to get traffic.  The web is full of false experts making banal posts, so real experts always have an edge.

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         1. 91

            GwennyOhposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            You have a point there, I will keep that in mind.  And too, my ex was a chef, I was just remembering back to so much he taught me about cooking back then, yes, thank you very much psych!

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      2. 86

         Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Hairstyling is a very popular topic.  True, there's a lot of sites out there covering it already - but if you make it clear you have the qualifications and experience to offer good advice, you might be surprised how well you can do.

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         1. 91

            GwennyOhposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks Marisa, I think I will add some degree of hair stuff.  Maybe.  I was  a color specialist, I can tell people some things they can do to fix botched home coloring jobs. 
            
            Lol, it's kind of funny, I am just as qualified to tell pros how to fix colors they encounter that are botched, but I feel that's way too small of a niche. 
            
            Most pros in need of help will call the major pro coloring companies hotlines.  So to get an audience I would have to go public.  I will have to carefully consider if I want to do that.

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   2. 0

      Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      What? I thought we were *sposed to aim for niche?

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      1. 91

         GwennyOhposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         In a sense, yes.  But I am now very leery on niche.  As I have been here a while (but not long).  And talking to a number of people, I am quickly discovering that the general overall topic of interest I began to write about here is much too small of a niche.  Maybe.
         
         I can't say I am totally convinced of that as I haven't been here long enough.  And too, what doesn't work for one may work wonders for the next. 
         
         But truly I have encountered a number of people that had to give up writing on Tarot and other metaphysical topics - they say not enough traffic.  That is where my interest lies though - it's exciting for me to write about. 
         
         Lately I have started to become hesitant, wondering if I too will be wasting time to continue writing on metaphysical topics...

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3. 84

   karthikkashposted 10 years ago

   You can actually write on a variety of topics. Actually, you can write on any of your favourite topics. Though my niche is in occult, research and mysteries, I pretty much write on anything that comes to mind. Keep your mind open and see what interesting thing you can come across.

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4. 91

   GwennyOhposted 10 years ago

   Can anyone tell me if recipe hubs do alright traffic wise here?  I am more interested in recipes than hair after three decades of it, day in, day out - heck I used to do weddings all summer... yeah, been there done that.  A few hair articles maybe, but recipes, will it work?  Will they draw enough traffic?  Or is it best to put some articles in between?

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5. STAFF

   Paul Edmondsonposted 10 years ago

   How to do various hair styles do very well. Especially with great photos and videos. Recipes need to go largely what is already available to find an audience.

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   1. 91

      GwennyOhposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I know.  That's the stuff I want to avoid though.  First of all it's a lot of work with the fussy photography which I am not into.  My health is not what it once was either.   
      
      To top it off, I feel it's a sacred art to do that stuff properly.  It wont feel right to do it for free when I charged big bucks to do that stuff when working.  No, not interested in showing hairdos at all.  Thanks for the suggestion.
      
      I guess I must start another thread for the other question about recipes.

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      1. 91

         GwennyOhposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Sorry if that came across as huffy; i didn't mean to be.  I suppose it still bugs me a bit that I had to retire early, lol.  I used to love doing hair.  I'm settled down again now...

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         1. 86

            Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            It sounds like you need to sit down and think about this seriously.
            
            You say you used to charge big bucks for your hair care advice.  Do you still have that option in the real world?  If so, then stop mucking about online and go out and find the business!    If not, then you could have the start of a lucrative business if you start a hair care blog of your own.   
            
            I suggest a blog rather than writing Hubs, because on your own site you can present yourself as an expert adviser (whereas people are more likely to think you're an amateur if you don't have your own site).  That means you'd have the opportunity to offer consultancy for a fee, as well as earning some revenue from advertising.

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            1. 91

               GwennyOhposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Communicating online gets confusing at times.  I have already stated (somewhere) that hairstyling is no longer an option due to my health issues. 
               
               I am actually not interested  in doing a hair care blog either.  I was thinking that perhaps and only maybe I would consider bolstering content by adding a small amount of hair articles.  But I can't show the pretty hairdos everyone wants to see because health prevents such. 
               
               Since this thread began I also realized that the primary line of hairstyling I specialized in - color technician; well the advice I could offer on how to repair botched home colour attempts - well I guess after mulling it over, I don't want to.  I came to the conclusion that it's like a dentist telling people how to pull teeth. 
               
               Color tech is the hardest specialty to break into, I like to keep it as sacred.  That's the same way I feel about my secondary speciality - wedding hairdos.
               
               Now the consultancy thing... now we're talking.  I felt a chill run up and down my spine as if it was my wise inner spirit tuning in.  That, is something I can and will seriously consider.  Hmmmm... 
               
               If I chose to go ahead with it I'd direct it at advising professionals.  It'd be more appropriate to how I feel about doing so, and also would be more lucrative.

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               1. 91

                  GwennyOhposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Excuse poor grammar, too tired to proof read at the moment.  Getting the first coffee under my belt now!

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               2. 86

                  Marisa Wrightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  It sounds like you've just found your niche!   
                  
                  If cost is an issue for you, bear in mind that you can create a blog on Blogger.com and "attach" a domain name (so instead of having a name like "hairadviser.blogspot.com" you can have a name like "hairadviser.com").   A domain name will cost you less than $10 and is a good investment, because it will make you look more professional - and that's important if you want to deal with other professionals.

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      2. 61

         Angie Martinposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Hi GwennyOh,
         
         If you want to do any hub with hairstyles and don't want to mess with photography or are concerned with cost, then you should network with photographers. There are a lot of photographers out there that will photograph your clients for free for your use in a blog. In return, they use the photos in their portfolio. My mom and I are both professional photographers and my mom has really capitalized on this type of quid pro quo work. She works with various hairstylists and does free photography for their portfolio and she uses the photos in hers. In addition, she gives business cards to all of the clients and gets a lot of call backs for family photos. In turn, she refers her clients that need hair services (like for weddings) to the hairstylists she works with. If you can network with some up-and-coming photographers, they will be more than glad to do the photography for free for you and send you the images for your use. It sounds like you know a lot about hair and color and have a lot of wisdom to share with the world!

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         1. 91

            GwennyOhposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks, but I did say (somewhere) that my health no longer allows me to do hairstyling actively.  If I could, I still believe I wouldn't, honestly.  Giving it away doesn't appeal to me.
            
            But the thing about photographers, now that would be useful info if I found something that requires one.  But first I'd have to move to the city, hours away from one here, lol. 
            
            Thanks for the opinion though.
            
            Hairstyling photography is different than other genres, it's hard to find someone that does hairdos justice, I remember that from my competition days.

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            1. 61

               Angie Martinposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               I had read about your health issues, and I am sincerely sorry about that. I'm temporarily disabled right now and have been for about six months, so I understand where you are coming from. If for some reason you do need a photographer for hair in the future, wedding photographers are the best for that. They are so used to having to preserve beauty in a photograph that they really can do wonders with hair photography. But if you need a photographer for anything, the cheapest way to go is network with photographers that need to build their portfolio. You may even have a budding in your small town, you just never know

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6. 92

   Elderberry Artsposted 10 years ago

   I try to write on a variety of subjects but always find I write better and enjoy it more when the subject is something I have personal interest or experience in.

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   1. 0

      Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Mine just keep getting advertising disabled. I guess I should give up writing and go post pics on pinterest.

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7. 0

   delleaposted 10 years ago

   Many people suggest writing hubs on current news stories and topics of that nature, but I don't recommend that. It's very hard to do, but the best way to to get steady long-term traffic is to write "Evergreen" hubs (search for Evergreen in the HP FAQ's). I think I am slowly getting there with my own hubs, but I haven't really perfected the Evergreen approach in the niche topics that I have the most expertise in.

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8. 68

   faythefposted 10 years ago

   GwennyOh..
   I too am a retired hairdresser, and have no desire at all write about hair....and really the products we used in a salon are not available to most people who want to do their own hair at home..these product you need a license to buy...(hair color for instance)..we used quality products and had great results..we can't recommend anything less to a reader...how do you teach a reader how to cut their own hair ( asymetrical) without cutting their ear off..Or do their own up do. How do teach a bread and butter client to set their own hair and do the comb out......I just can not do that...!Sorry  didn't mean to rant

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9. 68

   faythefposted 10 years ago

   The  thing is when you retire ..you no longer have clients...maybe you can go into the Salon where you worked and photograph.. your co~workers clients..LOL......they may like that....

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   1. 91

      GwennyOhposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yes well the more hair talk that comes up, the more I feel I am so totally done with it.  To travel hours to take photos of someone doing something really doesn't yank my crank.
      
      And the thing about people at home not accessing professional products, that's a given.  But there are products available to them that if used correctly can fix the mess they made to an acceptable degree.  But even with that, I still don't want to help them figure out how to do so, lol.
      
      I am glad this came up, I don't know how the topic got onto hair, maybe  just because it's something I have a lot of knowledge of.  Please, no one else talk to me about hair, it's starting to get to me on some level.  No one's fault, I am not implying that.  If anyone's fault, it's mine.  I started it.

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