Blogging Tips for Gamers #2

blogging tips for gamers

Time for another one of Keen’s Blogging Tips for Gamers!

Tip #2: Don’t Be a One-Game Blog

The biggest reason why so many gaming blogs flounder is because they fail to select the right topic.  I hope you’re already asking, “How do I select the right topic?”  Let’s look at our blog as an example.  Almost seven years ago we decided we wanted to write our honest opinions about the games we play, and provide running commentary on everything related to the industry.  If you recall from last week’s tip, that’s our purpose.  Does it make sense then for us to make a blog centered entirely around one game? Of course not.  From the beginning we designed our blog to be timeless.  As long as there are video games, there will be Keen and Graev’s Gaming Blog.

Back when Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning hype was all the rage, dozens of blogs sprang up with authors wanting to ride the wave.  A lot of those blogs had great content, with eager and dedicated bloggers who had a genuine purpose.  However, they made their entire blogs about one game.  Everything they wrote was dedicated to Warhammer, the name of their blog was somehow related to Warhammer, and when Warhammer inevitably stopped being popular those blogs suddenly became — you guessed it, unpopular.  Most of those blogs shut down, some of their writers went on to write for Massively, and a few re-branded themselves.

Don’t be a blog about one game.  There’s nothing wrong with shifting the focus for a few months to a new game that just launched.  After all, you should always blog about what YOU want, and if that’s one game at a time then go for it.  But you’ll be so happy when you’re able to keep your blog but seamlessly change topics on the fly.

If you’re struggling for a direction to take the topic of your blog, here are some ideas:

  • Reviews – You can focus entirely on reviewing games
  • Screenshot diaries – Whatever game you’re playing, give people lots of screenshots and talk about your adventures
  • Armchair Designer – Talk about how you’d like to see games made
  • Critic – Point out what game designers are doing wrong
  • All of the above in one

There are so many options, and I encourage you to pick one that you’re passionate about.  If you want your blog to last, you can’t burn out, and your topic can’t be here today and gone tomorrow.

Check out all of Keen’s Blogging Tips for Gamers.
  • I don’t know. I kinda have to disagree with this one. When I write my blog, I target a specific audience. I guess that’s where you ultimately decide what your topic will be. I don’t want every type of gamer visiting my blog. And if that particular game falters, then my blog will end. When my blog ends, I pick up a new game and start a new blog. That’s just me I guess. I write about my experience of the game and share it with others.

  • @Pikeboss: I appreciate your comment. Ultimately, what you’re doing is not wrong. My recommendations are meant to be a guide for creating a long-lasting blog. If you go in knowing full well that your blog is temporary, then more power to you.

  • I think my topic is going to be a humor-based gaming blog. I think most of it will be discussing my adventures about games and why I like some more than others. However, this could go downhill fast if I run out of games to talk about… I’m sure there will always be games for me to play though. As I’ve said before, my backlog of steam games is ENORMOUS.
    My blog is meant to be irreverent and random. I have a catchphrase. My name has the words “random” and “guy” in it. I’m sure I can make something work.
    As long as I don’t degenerate into gaming memes, dirty jokes, and poor grammar on purpose, I’m sure that’s going to be a much better purpose… every day could be something totally different, Something you wouldn’t expect. All of these will have my heart poured into it, so they should be pretty unique if I do say so myself. What do you think?