I’d like to start this post off with the story of how I got into becoming a theatre blogger. I originally did lifestyle blogging as a side hustle during the first COVID-19 lockdown. At first it was fun, but as time passed I realised I wasn’t getting the results I wanted, barely getting views or traffic and zero money despite desperately promoting my work on social media. After a while I realised the problem: I wasn’t enjoying what I wrote.
I was also visiting the theatre more often following the lockdowns to the point what was once making up for lost time became a part of my weekly routine. As I was following more theatre creators I realised I also wanted to express my love for the art beyond my social media, so last year I made a big decision: Open a whole new book and create a theatre blog.
As a stagey content creator, I want to inspire and encourage other voices to express their passion for the arts. If you’re curious about starting your own theatre blog and have no idea where to begin, you can follow my tips below.
Find your niche
Yay! You’ve decided to create your theatre blog! Now here comes the hard question: What’s your niche? There are so many topics to discuss in theatre and it’s tempting to write about all of them, but the best thing you can do is choose one special topic and from there create subcategories. For my theatre blog I review West End, regional and touring shows along with opinion pieces and the occasional gift guide. Other topics you could write a theatre blog about include:
- Costume/production design
- Performance tips
- A theatre’s history
- A specific type of theatre i.e. opera, dance, ballet
- Create and sell theatre art
- A specific show and its history
- A theatre’s architecture
Top Tip: List all of your theatre interests and pick the top three you want to write about. This will help you find focus and avoid your blog being overcrowded. Trust me, I know from experience.
Buy a domain name and hosting plan
I used Blogger for years while I was did my three frankly cringe blogs as a hobby (including a theatre blog), but once I decided to take my craft as a theatre blogger seriously, I knew I needed to make proper investments. The first and most important step I will tell you is buy a domain name and hosting plan. You’re probably wondering, “Why do that when Blogger and WordPress have free plans?” but being self-hosted gives you complete ownership and control of your website.
I use Lyrical Host for my hosting and domain, a boutique site which offers so many amazing perks that go beyond owning your website name including:
- Flexible pricing plans with no hidden costs or price hikes
- Advice for all blogging levels whether you’re a beginner or seasoned blogger
- Access to exclusive resources including imagery, checklists, social media templates, workbooks and planners
- Exclusive monthly content including stock photos
- Amazing and supportive customer service
- Free security checks, 24-hour malware scans, back-up and website migration
- A tree planted each year of your website’s anniversary
Another area you may want to consider investing in is the look of your theatre blog. WordPress does offer free themes, but if you want your theatre blog to stand out I suggest buying your own template. You can find plenty of affordable options over on Etsy which you can fully customise to fit your niche.
Start writing posts and seeing shows!
While you may want to jump into asking PR about press events, what you really need to do first is immersing yourself in the theatre and start writing posts. As you watch shows and jot everything down, use this time to find your voice as a theatre blogger and gain a community by promoting your work on social media including Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. For those worried about gaining views, consider the following:
Timing – For example, you will often see major reviews appearing the day (or sometimes a few days) after press night. This is the time people will want to know if it’s worth seeing a show and is especially important if you’re seeing a show which has a limited run or is in a specific touring venue.
SEO and Keyword research – If you want to get your theatre blog noticed, check what kind of topics your audience is researching and how competitive they are. I do keyword research on Google Ads then use the Rank Math SEO plugin on WordPress to ensure my theatre posts have good SEO.
Top tip: Look for low competition terms with high search volume. This should help your blog posts be more specific and as it’s low competition, you have a bigger chance or more people coming to your site. Want to know how I’ve done this in this post? Simply adding “theatre” to the title.
Network with PR
Now here comes the daunting part for many which I’ll admit gets me nervous now: networking. If you’re serious about getting your name out as a theatre blogger, you need to put the effort in by contacting PR agencies. It shows them that you’re interested and more importantly, not just in it for the perks that come with going to press nights or events (which I will warn you now are not always guaranteed). Your job as a theatre blogger is to promote and review their work, and they need to trust you will do exactly that.
If you’re unsure about what to write in your emails, here’s what I generally write:
- An overview of who I am i.e. where I’m based
- The theatre topics I specialise in
- Links to my website and social channels
Don’t worry if you receive no reply or get rejected. Like the queen Ariana DeBose said, turn rejection into a good thing and put your drive into doing what you actually want. You will get there one baby step at a time, and that you even had the confidence to send that first email is a massive achievement.
Have fun!
I know the above will be hard work, but the most important thing is have fun while doing it. After all, you wouldn’t be creating a theatre blog if you weren’t already passionate about the arts. I do this to express my love for theatre and be a part of an incredible community that has welcomed me with open arms. I say from the bottom of my heart you’ve helped make this happen and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities that have come my way including writing reviews for BroadwayWorld, something I never imagined would happen. I hope you all manage to get what you want out of creating your theatre blogs and I wish you all the best.
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