A friend of mine told me today that my blog is becoming “one dimensional.” He is right. It has. I have been struggling to answer this question: do I blog only about one area or do I blog about what I want to blog at that moment? Do I find a niche and stick with it, or do I express myself on the topics that are important and interesting to me? Even if it means violating the #1 command for bloggers “Thou Shall Stick to Your Niche.”
Do you run your blog as something that is an expression of your total self, or do you compartmentalize yourself into the specific themes that are allowed only on the specific sites you own.
Is it so unorthodox to mix your professional interests with your hobby, your family, your take on politics or faith?
It is a struggle to decide what the best mix is.
It seems you can find bloggers who do not mind mixing it all up into one blog. I believe this is how Darren Rowse started with his first personal blog. After a short couple of years he turned pro-blogger, where blogging is his full time job. Now he runs multiple blogs and websites depending on the subject, ranging from blogging, digital photography to spirituality and church planting.
Another person that I enjoy reading, and should be reading some more, is Guy Kawasaki (his latest post). In his blog he does not shy from talking about anything that is on his mind, including sharing his vacation pictures.
Seth Godin is another top blogger that captures wide readership. He writes excellent content but often he just points to well written posts by others. He runs multiple blogs as well ”All Marketers Are Liars,” and “The Dip Blog.”
Chris Pirillo amazes me in his online ventures. He is so full of energy that for him running several website and blogs is no big deal. His latest is live internet video stream. (Thanks Chris for the cartoons I used in this post.)
Matt Cutts of Google mixes many different topics in his blog, including his cat.
I think after my friend’s “one dimensional blog” comment I am seriously considering starting multiple blogs, where I can focus on particular themes.
I am looking for feedback on this subject. If you have a definite opinion please share it with us using comments below. If you know of any good resources on the subject feel free to include links in the comments.
In addition to the list of blogs on my sidebar there are many other bloggers that are worth mentioning. I will not be able to mention them all here, but here are some that I have been reading and enjoying: Steve Rubel, Gizmodo, and Lifehacker.
Top mosaic image complements of http://mosaic.maccentral.com/mosaic2/.
