StickyMangoRice

A big transition is afoot. This blog is changing from a travel blog to an illustrated travel blog. It will be a slow transition, because illustrating is a slow process. Goodbye photos, hello coloured pencils. But beneath the surface, there is a lot to consider.

Here are some simple steps to think about when changing your blog’s focus.

1. Identify the problem

I love to blog about travel. I have discovered that creative writing is a real joy, and I want to continue to do so. But my blog has problems. Here are some potential issues (either for me, or for your blog):

• It doesn’t stand out. I’m lost in a sea of thousands and thousands of similar travel blogs.
• My blog is too personal, and doesn’t appeal to readers who don’t know me.
• I need a niche. I love to draw, and I want to combine drawing with travel to create something unique from 99% of the competition out there.
• I’ve lost interest in the same old blog ideas (or perhaps, the topic as a whole).
• My blog is not relevant in this field any more. It doesn’t give factual information, or the information is outdated.

2. Find your new niche

This should be an easy step. If you’ve decided to change the focus of your blog, you probably already have your new focus in mind.

If you’re going to blog about something, you’re going to have to be excited to talk about it, again and again. You’ll need a certain degree of authority on the subject, and you’ll need to be sure that a market exists for it. Importantly, make sure that your new topic won’t bore you after a short time.

As the blogging world saturates more and more, finding a perfect niche to corner untapped parts of the market is more important than ever.

3. Decide the degree of change

Will this be a major or a minor change?

For my blog, this will be a gradual shift, and a minor change. Because the blog is shifting from a general topic into one in the same vein, but with a more focussed niche, I am keeping all my old posts, the same name and branding, and starting with the new format from now onwards. I even have the chance to replace old photos with sketches over time.

A major change from two polar opposite topics (a travel blog turning into a science blog) will invariably require a major change of audience. Old followers may stick around when the rebrand happens, but don’t be surprised if many of them leave, and your following needs to be rebuilt.

However, if you’ve got enough experience in blogging so far, knowing the ropes will allow you to start climbing back up in your new endeavour.

4. Go for it!

Rebranding will take a lot of time. If your blog’s name changes, so too must all your links, social media accounts, and so on. The bigger the change, the more work will be involved in changing your blog’s focus.

So far, my new look blog has been a success, and garners interest from people in the travel community, and crosses over into the urban sketching world as well.

I’d like to hear about your experiences. Have you changed your blog, whether minor or drastically? Comment below with your experiences!