The true crime has exploded in recent years, appearing seemingly everywhere: network television, streaming services, books, podcasts, and blogs.
But that doesn’t mean there’s not room for more. With such a deep topic and broad-reaching audience, there are more opportunities to write about this intriguing topic than ever before.
True crime audiences often don’t want to stop with just one watching of a documentary or reading one blog. They often seek more information online, such as first-hand accounts, details of a particular case, or to learn about related cases.
As a true crime blog writer, you can connect with an audience always searching for the next mystery to capture their attention. Blog posts are considered relevant and authoritative subject matter when carefully researched.
Your research, writing, and passion for true crime can compel readers to follow your work and might even be the basis for writing your own book someday.
Blogs continue to serve as a popular resource for writers and fans. Blogs are easier to read and scan and typically more engaging than other content.
For the author, a blog can be a hub linking related social media accounts and websites. If you’re trying to increase your social media presence, attract website visitors, or grow your personal brand as a crime writer, blogs can be a great way to build relationships with fellow crime sleuths.
What Does It Mean to Create a True Crime Blog?
Creating a blog about true crime is about finding your voice. Blogging is your opportunity to share your passion for true crime, so don’t be afraid to get personal. With a lot of dedication and a little luck, you can even make a living writing about true crime.
A true crime blog can help your readers:
- Better understand the criminal justice system
- Learn about historic unsolved crimes
- Learn more about recent and ongoing crimes
- Find resources to learn more about true crime
If you want to write a true crime blog, you will need to determine your focus. How narrow or broad will your blog be? What niche do you write about? How can you customize your niche?
Finding the right niche for you is important because it will set the tone for your audience and hint at what they can expect from you in the future. Everyone is writing about true crime, so what makes your approach different?
What Is a Broad or General True Crime Blog?
A general true crime blog features articles on a variety of topics and seeks to attract a broader and more diverse audience.
As true crime is already a niche, it may be appropriate for you to maintain a broad focus. This approach allows you to touch on many topics and appeal to a much wider audience with different backgrounds and interests.
Examples of using a broad focus might include blogs that:
- Provide updates to ongoing criminal investigations
- Help readers learn about the criminal justice system
- Break down past and unsolved crimes
- Showcase international crimes
Creating a general true crime blog may seem easier at first glance, but the opposite can be true. Your readers will expect you to speak with authority on a diverse range of topics, so it will be essential for you to have a solid general understanding of the genre.
In addition, you might experience heavy competition from more prominent writers and agencies.
Exploring a unique angle regarding a familiar topic will help distinguish your blog from your competitors.
What is a Niche True Crime Blog?
Choosing a niche means narrowing your focus to a single aspect of criminal investigation and going deeper on that topic. The trick is to find an area that is broad enough to provide enough material for you to cover and is also interesting enough to capture a reader’s attention and prompt them to read more.
One example of a narrow niche topic is focusing on a single person’s criminal activities. For example, writing about the notorious Chicago mobster Al Capone would eventually exhaust your creativity and your audience’s attention span.
But writing about the history of organized crime in Chicago would be specific enough to be a well-defined niche and provide a wealth of material that could be expanded upon later.
The point is to choose a niche that is just broad enough to give you an abundance of material and allows you to expand further.
No matter if you choose a wide blog or a niche one, connecting crimes with the emotions behind them will make your stories be felt rather than just heard. Tapping into your reader’s feelings is a powerful way to get their attention by engaging their imagination.
Every true crime blogger wants to tell a story that evokes emotions, both positive and negative, and that can be done with almost any topic you choose. If you’re still searching for inspiration of what types of stories to tell, consider one of these options:
True Crime Blog Idea #1 – A True Crime Blog Focusing on United States Politicians
Political crimes could include examples of crimes committed with political connections, including assassinations, crimes committed by politicians, and crimes committed for a political cause. For example, you might choose to focus on politicians who committed crimes and got away with them.
True Crime Blog Idea #2 – A True Crime Blog Focusing on Documentary Reviews
Your blog doesn’t have to focus on the crimes themselves. You can blog about the media that has sprung up in the true crime genre by reviewing popular books or television series or rating documentaries in lists such as The Top 5 True Crime Shows of 2022.
True Crime Blog Idea #3 – A True Crime Blog Focused on a Specific Geographic Area
Tapping into local material can be a powerful tool. Headlines like Murders in Maine’s History could attract people who feel connected to the region but might not associate it with something as disturbing as murder.
True Crime Blog Idea #4 – A True Crime Blog Focused on International Crimes
International crimes can have a universal appeal and allow readers to learn how the criminal justice system works in a foreign country. Imagine a blog title like Serial Killers of New Zealand.
This could lead to new material for your readers already familiar with local and national true crime stories, allowing them to explore their favorite subject in an unfamiliar setting.
True Crime Blog Idea #5 – A True Crime Blog Focused on Unsolved Crimes
Unsolved crimes captivate our attention because the criminal is still at large. A subject like “killers that were never caught” might be appealing because it can trigger a fearful or exciting emotional response.
Discovering new ideas and inspiration for your true crime blog is about defining your niche, connecting to your reader’s emotions, and finding a unique voice.
Do you have a true crime blog? What are some of your favorite things to write about? We would love to hear them. Please tell us some of your favorites in the comments section below.
— Sean