Every few months or so something happens and just seems to take over every media outlet and social feed. Betty White’s unfortunate passing springs to mind. Inevitably, smaller publishers like bloggers start to jump in on it, too.
If you’ve ever thought about trying to relate your content to a trending topic or event, but thought that your niche just doesn’t work that way, think again.
What’s the point?
The benefit to tying your content to what’s already being talked about is that you get to ride the wave of public interest. People are interested in this topic and it may introduce new people to your blog
You also can use related hashtags and find that people are more apt to share your posts with others. Stories tied to popular events tend to be shared more because people see others in their networks sharing and follow suit.
My niche just doesn’t connect…
Running and the Queen of England.
Those are 2 topics you’d probably imagine couldn’t possibly be connected, right? But really, those 2 completely unrelated topics are what inspired this post.
A few weeks ago, while on a trip to visit my sister a few hours away, my husband started reading a blog post on one of his go-to running blogs. I was driving, so he thought he’d “entertain” me.
I’ll be totally honest; I don’t care about running. But this caught my attention anyway, and I knew I had to share why.
The post was about what world record running times were when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned.
Ummm… what?
Exactly.
The post shared what times were for popular running events in 1952, and then went on to analyze the changes the sport has gone through in the 70 years since.
There was even a loose tie-in to the Olympics, because the summer games were held in 1952, and the post was published just before the 2022 winter games.
If this blog can make a connection between running and the Queen’s 70th jubilee, there’s no limit to how you can connect trending topics to your blog.
With that, let’s talk about how you can tap into trending topic traffic.
Look for obvious connections
Before you go looking for roundabout ways to connect your blog to something on the news or trending on social media, look for natural connections. Even though it inspired this post, there’s no prize for most unexpected unrelated-but-related blog post.
If your blog is education based, there’s plenty of news you can tap into that you can riff on naturally.
If you write about travel, did Kim Kardashian’s vacation just make news?
If you’re a food blogger, maybe the new season of Top Chef is starting.
Think about what people who are interested in your niche might be following, and see how you can fill in some blanks.
How does x impact y?
Another type of association you can make between your blog and trending topics is through impact. In other words, how does something happening in the news affect your audience?
Kind of like that old school Weekend Update on SNL with Al Franken, when he would give some news and say, “I bet you’re wondering how this affects me, Al Franken.”
Maybe you help busy parents, and meal planning is one of your content pillars. You can talk about the impact of food shortages and supply chain issues on meal prepping.
Photography blogs can talk about the effect the movements to include more diversity in art are having on your own creative process.
Oh how times have changed
Like the post about running that tied into the Queen’s jubilee, these posts can highlight how things have changed over time.
This works best with things like with anniversaries, birthdays, reunions, or long-running events.
For example, I recently read that the characters on Golden Girls and And Just Like That, the Sex and the City reboot, were the same age! (It took a minute for that to sink in.)
However, there are lots of directions a blogger could go with this:
A fashion blogger could talk about the difference in expected wardrobes for 50-somethings from the 80s to today. Interior design could do the same.
A financial blogger could discuss how retirement and retirement planning has changed.
Someone who writes about politics could write about the political environment for women in the 80s vs now.
The downside
While using current trends can be a great way to get more people to your blog in the short term, it’s not a long-term strategy (unless you’re writing a current events blog).
Once the buzz of a topic is over, all the attention goes with it, and all the work you put into your post is no longer serving you. This is especially true if you don’t jump a trend right away and catch it on its way out.
You also run the risk of turning people off because they’re sick to death of hearing about Kate and Meghan or this year’s Superbowl ads.
So while there are some benefits, you don’t need to turn your blog into a current events blog, or even attempt to connect to trending topics. And if you’re going to, remember to strike a balance between seasonal (time-bound) content and evergreen. You can check out this post on what the difference is, and how to balance them.
But perhaps next time you find yourself struggling for what to write about, try searching the headlines to see what’s going on out in the big wide world.
Of course, if you’re struggling to come up with ideas for your blog, you can enroll in my now-free 5-Day Content Challenge! In it I’ll show you how to come up with 6 months worth of blog topics in just 20 minutes a day! Click here to join.
Whether you’re considering blogging as a side hustle or just aren’t sure how to get started, this free training is for you!
Let's connect!
- Follow us on Facebook
- Join the Facebook Group
- Follow us on Instragram, use #sidehustleteachers
- Check us out on Pinterest