Developing a personal brand and boosting your company’s presence in your industry can be effectively achieved through blogging, ideally simultaneously. Your ultimate aim is to become a leading authority in your niche’s relevant topics. Initially, focusing on and dominating a specific niche is crucial.

However, a time will come when you’ve exhausted your niche, reaching a point where you no longer need to introduce yourself, as eloquently stated by the great anonymous.

What happens when the “law of diminishing blogging returns” takes effect? Reaching this stage might require exploring topics outside your core niche. Writing off-topic posts offers various advantages. Let’s delve into the rationale and tips for starting.

1) Expanding Your Reach

I was once an unknown, writing for an obscure internet marketing company. However, a strategic content promotion approach changed everything. I transitioned from writing solely on the nexus-security blog to contributing to prominent industry publications like Search Engine Land, Moz, Search Engine Watch, and Search Engine Journal on topics like PPC, display advertising, social media marketing, SEO, and advertising.

Initially, achieving tens of thousands of views on a blog post felt like a “unicorn,” while a couple hundred thousand views were extraordinary. This success was remarkable, but I soon realized I was hitting a plateau by focusing solely on advertising and marketing. So, a couple of years ago, I ventured off-topic, writing for Inc.com primarily about startups and entrepreneurship – a subject I’m deeply passionate about.

Suddenly, the unicorns became even more magical. A successful blog post could garner a million views, while an exceptional one might exceed 10 million views.

And these posts weren’t limited to marketing; they covered topics like boosting your intelligence and making a first impression. In essence, the volume compensates for any loss in topical relevance.

2) Influencing Future Customers

Content creation requires considering two types of individuals: those aware of their need for your product/solution and those who aren’t. Off-topic writing effectively targets the latter group, influencing their perception of your brand. This motivated me to write about entrepreneurship. While entrepreneurs might not actively seek AdWords articles, small business owners are interested in marketing.

Addressing broader themes allows you to connect with individuals before they even require your company’s services. By establishing a connection through shared interests, you enhance the likelihood of them becoming customers when the need arises.

3) Boosting Social Media Engagement

Writing for a large publication like Inc.com, with millions of fans on Facebook and Twitter, can significantly increase your follower count. Simply write engaging content.

My follower count grew with every organic share of my content by Inc.com. When I began writing for them a couple of years ago, I had fewer than 100,000 Twitter followers. Now, I have over 300,000. Medium is another excellent platform for attracting new readers with off-topic posts and potentially getting noticed by publications with a wider reach.

For instance, I published a post on Medium about multitasking

Its success led to syndication on major publications and a tweet from Arianna Huffington herself. Having a larger follower base provides a broader promotional channel for your on-topic content, so why not give it a shot?

4) Expressing Your Authentic Self

Going off-topic allows you to reveal more about yourself. In today’s competitive landscape, generic posts are insufficient. Your content’s tone and style are crucial. I, for one, have a fondness for unicorns and memes, which has become part of my trademark.

While I prioritize useful posts with data and actionable advice, I also strive for memorability through humor and visuals. Remember, a touch of personality goes a long way in making you more engaging.

5) Maintaining Your Sanity

After years of writing, generating fresh and captivating content on the same topics becomes increasingly challenging. Take me, for example. Focusing solely on AdWords features and tips for years would drive me crazy.

Diversify! For your own well-being.

Getting Started with Off-Topic Content

We’ve discussed the “why.” Now, let’s explore the “how.”

• Research: Before expanding, consider how your intended off-topic posts will benefit your career. Determine your target audience and their potential impact.

• Differentiation: Identify your unique selling point. How will you stand out? Define your goals and devise a strategy for achieving them.

Once you’ve completed the initial research and planning, determine your publishing platform. Begin by searching for popular sites featuring content aligned with your desired topics. Analyze their style and successful content types. To expedite this process, utilize BuzzSumo. BuzzSumo enables you to examine top-performing posts on any domain, providing insights into effective strategies.

Reviewing a publication’s guest blogging guidelines is also beneficial, as they often reveal their preferred content. (Check out this post provides details on the content submission process for 11 renowned sites, from The New York Times to Business Insider.)

When pitching, present multiple original ideas with unique angles. Alternatively, expand on their existing articles: “I enjoyed your article on [topic] and wondered if you’d be interested in an exclusive piece on [topic].” Identify content gaps and offer to fill them. Demonstrating thorough research increases your chances of editor acceptance.

If generating unique, off-topic ideas proves challenging, try these tips:

• Twitter as a Testing Ground: To gauge a topic’s potential, tweet about it. High engagement indicates audience interest. Conversely, low engagement suggests revisiting the topic later.

• BuzzSumo for Topic Discovery: As mentioned earlier, BuzzSumo helps identify trending topics within any industry and popular posts on specific websites. Yes, it requires it’s paid, but it’s a worthwhile investment for serious content strategists.

A Note of Caution

A word of caution regarding off-topic posts: moderation is key. Losing focus is detrimental. Adhering to the 80-20 rule is recommended, where 80% of your content covers your primary revenue-generating topics and the remaining 20% explores new niches.

Stay focused, and best of luck as you broaden your influence in new domains.

For further insights on why diversifying your content beyond your specific niche is crucial, I suggest Rand Fishkin’s Whiteboard Friday:

This post originally appeared on the HubSpot Blog and is republished with permission.