There are over 1000 “citizen” beer blogs in North America alone. How are you as a beer blogger going to stand out?
The solution, most likely, is that you will need to come up with a niche. Figure out what most interests you and blog about that: cover only pale ales, only European imports, only brewery marketing, only events, etc.
One easy and effective way to develop a niche is to blog local, which has a number of benefits:
- By blogging local, you can establish relationships with your local breweries, fellow bloggers, beer-savvy restaurants, wholesalers, and even liquor stores that will make your job more fun and provide a stream of content coming to you.
- By blogging local, you can develop an expertise that will be sought after by local beer readers, providing you that niche and that audience most bloggers need to motivate them to continue blogging.
At the 2013 Beer Bloggers Conference, John Holl and Norm Miller will speak on “Standing out in the Crowd by Blogging Local.” As John says,
“The importance of writing local can’t be understated. It’s great to write about beer and your personal experience with it, but what draws in readers is context. We’ll give tips on expanding your beer blogging beyond beer, to give people a better understanding of you, where the beer comes from, and the way it is enjoyed. This is blogging outside the glass.”Don’t miss this chance to hear from two experts!
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John Holl is the author of three beer books and has written for the the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Wine Enthusiast, Beer Connoisseur, All About Beer Magazine, Beverage World, and many other publications. He has judged beer competitions, regularly lectures on craft beer, and has visited more than 900 breweries around the world. John appears often on NBC’s Weekend Today in New York and on iHeartRadio. He blogs on his website Beer Briefing.
Norm Miller has been writing the Beer Nut column for the MetroWest Daily News of Framingham, Mass., and Gatehouse Media for the past eight years. He is also the author of “Beer Lover’s New England,” a guide to New England breweries, brewpubs and beer bars.