Blogging isn’t something you’ll just become a professional in over night. It takes time, and yes, plenty of struggle. For lot of bloggers, the struggle can start from day one, especially finding your own blog voice.
However, it’s nothing to get scared of. Blogging isn’t perfect, and even the most professional bloggers out there today, probably didn’t have the same site focus, or even the same site name they started with long ago. In fact, I started on a different name, and I even blogged about my personal life. For those times, that was quite okay. I met people, even some that stick around today, and I’ve been privileged to even see other bloggers change over time.
What you have to do is decided on what you want to write about, and create a site focus. You need to establish that you are building either a personal site, or one that is more business focused. From there, you can decide what topics you’ll tackle too.
It’s okay to not be laser focused at first because you’re feeling your way around, and trying to get into your blogging stride. This is usually the time you discover how often you want to blog, if you want to monetize your blog, and who may be your ideal target audience.
You ARE going to flub it from time to time, but don’t worry about it. You can even choose to re-focus your website and choose a totally different niche to blog about. The biggest point is that you choose one, and then decide if that is what you can blog about. Think of the following questions:
- Are you passionate about your niche that you can spin more information without it feeling like a chore?
- Are you willing to take criticism and learn to improve your own knowledge of your niche?
Once you’ve chosen your niche, even if you’re not sure that is the one you want to end up in for the long run, stick to it for a time. You can learn a lot about yourself and develop your blog voice, so that when you decide to change up things, you’re better prepared and a more experienced blogger.
Now, before I end this article with the previous point, I did want to mention that because websites have changed over time, have a variety topic site or random blog, may not be ideal, unless you can truly manage it. I’ve had the variety site, and I can say that unless you’ve got a crowd of readers that can handle the change from one topic to another one, you may be creating a bit of whiplash.
In the case you want to do a random blog, you may want to put together more of an e-zine, and be clear about the topics so people can choose the areas of interest they actually want to read about.
With this said, please make sure to think of the questions asked earlier in this article when choosing what niche to blog for. Even if you’re not new to blogging, these questions can help you determine what you really want to blog about.
Nile,
From what I can tell from what you do, I don’t know how you find the time to come up with this stuff and then write so consistently about it.
I have been experimenting with different focuses on my blog and am not sure I have nailed down my niche yet, but am getting there.
Hello Nile, It seems like have have been in this blogging stride for a long time now my friend, yeh kind of like you said I still feel like I am always in a learning mode.
Is it ever going to feel any different?
I don’t know. I feel as though I am focused and know my niche, but then I want to change it up. I guess this is why you say to not to worry about it HUH?
Your post today really got my mind a thinking.. Thanks for sharing.. Chery :))
Hi Nile.. I guess this was the post that I needed today. I had a long talk with my coach on Monday, and I’m changing it up again. Same business, just a little different organization. I’m glad that you said that it can be an evolutionary process.
This will (hopefully) be the last change, and I’m ready to go full steam ahead in 2015. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
All the best,
Leslie
Nile,
You are explaining something important here that is not often talked about. Some marketers tell us to choose a niche and focus on that niche, even a micro niche. But what happens when we are interested in more than one topic. I agree that it is not wise to create one site in which you jump around from topic to topic. Instead, it is probably better to create a different site for each topic – or – create a Facebook or other social media page or group for the other topics.
I started with an html site, SexualReawakening.com for the purpose of attracting sex therapy clients. But then I realized that even though I deal with sexual issues, my approach is always about healing the relationships through love. Then Therapy Sites invited me to create a template web site which I called DrEricaWellness.com to invite clients for general counseling, not just sex therapy. But I wanted a web site I could control, so next I created a quiz at CreateHealingAndLoveNow.com. But then everyone was starting to blog and I added CreateHealingAndLoveNow.com/blog. I wrote all about creating love. But since I am a baby boomer, I realized that as baby boomers start to retire there is a huge market there. So I created another web site, HealthyBabyBoomersNetwork.com. But my passion is not about aging. It is more about health, healing and creating love. Then I had a new mentor who encouraged me to create an authority site for my speaking, using my own name. So this is my DrEricaGoodstone.com site for Relationship Healing, providing information for meeting planners as well as clients. Then I realized that I have studied so much about marketing, and most therapists are not comfortable with marketing, and that’s when my next web site developed – MarketingOurPractices.com. I do have a few other web sites, but those are specifically for products I am selling.
The internet continues to evolve and therefore we have to allow our web sites and our niche focus to also evolve.
Thanks for a wonderful article and giving me a chance to actually observe and write about my own blog evolution.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
Nile,
I just completed a comment that disappeared so I am writing it again. If you end up with 2 comments, just delete one.
This post really struck home for me. The internet continues to evolve and any of us who have been online for awhile have also evolved. I started with a web site – before most people even knew about the internet, called SexualReawakening. The purpose was to attract clients for sex therapy. But my practice was broader than that so when Therapy Sites invited me to create a template site with them, i created DrEricaWellness.com, to attract therapy clients with other issues. Then. as a baby boomer, I realized that this huge group was a great market to focus on. So I created HealthyBabyBoomersNetwork, a site to talk about health and healing and issues about aging. But my passion is more about creating loving relationships. So when I took a mentoring course, i created a site called CreateHealingAndLoveNow for my quiz and then, when blogging started to take off, I added the /blog for my blog site. Then I had a new mentor who suggested I create an authority site for getting speaking engagements, so I used my own name, Dr. Erica Goodstone, Relationship Healer. And then I realized that I have studied so much about marketing and other therapists do not know know much about this area, so that led to the creation of MarketingOurPractices. The evolution continues…. Now there is much more focus on social media sites as well as blogs. So newcomer just has to get started and trust that he or she will evolve.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
Reading through your post and the comments makes me think of my own story, of course. I started out in 2006 and went through multiple variations of my business over time as I learned, became clearer and also got more clarity of my purpose, which I think is foundational. What I wish is that I had used my name right from the start because I wouldn’t have had to redo everything when I made the last change and I would have been able to keep all those years of ranking and what-not.
Hi Nile, this is an important topic, I think there’s way too many people decide to Blog, but don’t think enough about their niche. Ten years ago, it didn’t matter so much about defining a niche, but now, because there are soooo many blogs, it IS important. For someone just starting to blog, if they find their own specialized area, it’s going to be a lot easier to attract an audience.
Hey Nile, so true. You gotta choose your niche first and be specific. You can’t blog to everyone…
Great post Nile….!!!
How do you come up with such topics??? These are very useful topics for all newbie bloggers…
After reading this post i remembered my situation few years back where i was just confused and wondering what to do ? where to start , which topic to select and which one should not….
But some how i managed to select my niche which was depends on my interest my sources and my expertises.
It is very important to choose niche depends on your knowledge. you just can not select random topic.
Thanks for this beautiful post.
Excellent Post Nile!
Your post has given me a lot to think about. I only started blogging 3 months ago and I am going through the different variations of what my blog should be about.
I haven’t nailed it down yet. I am still working on it
Cheers
Vivette
If you are thinking to start a new blog the first thing comes in mind what should the niche. I am pretty much impressed with your detailed post. Now i have got an idea to choose niche if I start a new blog. Thanks for this nice post.
Very informative post! When starting out on the blogging journey one is not so sure if what they choose to write about will work or not, but with the questions you provided it helps to shape what one wants. I like the fact that there are no steadfast rules , one can begin and get enlightened on the way.
Hi Nile,
I really like and appreciate your approach as new bloggers are always feeling intense pressure and wondering if they are “doing it right.”
One of the things I learned a long time ago is that those who blog for business don’t really have a good feel or sense of their own business.
Many businesses know their products and services and they are really good at what they do. However, many of them are not trained at all in the area of business and marketing and as a result they tend to fall back into a mass marketing mindset because it’s what they know and understand.
But blogging isn’t about “me”, it’s about “you.” So, if we can help them see and learn what business they are “really” in from the public’s point of view they can be wildly successful.
In order to do that though they will have to discover the tangible values their customers recieve from doing business with them and what the specific problems for each customer are per tangible value.
Once you see that lined up on paper we can identify who they solve the problems for “specifically” and how their products or service are a part of a solution.
The key to gaining this knowledge is found in developing clarity and focus around their business.
This process offers structure and value for the readers while it gives the business blogger the advantage of developing their voice faster while still resonating with their audiences.
It’s so much fun to see the lights go on Nile!!!!
Well, you got my wheels spinning now which means I have a few fun things to think about.
Thanks for the enlightening article and I hope you have a wonderful week ahead!
~ Don Purdum
Nile, I have seen how you put to practice what you are sharing with us. Most people keep switching and fall short of sharing information that helps it’s readers.
I feel the same. I only write about what I am experienced and passionate about. I chose to only write articles that are based on solving solutions. Helping my readers see me as not perfect yet persistent in supporting people. Those willing to put in the work themselves.
My feeling is the same. Write about what you find interesting in your life. Use your own experiences in a short story form. Write as you speak and that will allow us readers to view through you eyes. We will have our own perception on your subject. Which, is just what we need, interaction.
Thanks Nile, this clears up allow for those who are thinking about getting it together. Not over thinking things. Just share and express your perception. People will respond with respect and share their own.
Great share!
People prefer niches that they know about. For me, I always try to write something that i want to Regarless of what my niche is or what topic am i covering on my blog. For me Just anything turns out to be a goldmine 😀 How lucky of me 🙂
So I started out writing about a variety of topics under the personal development umbrella… then I realized that I need to be more specific and hyper-focused on a specific topic. Being too broad was a disservice and I wasn’t attracting the right readers to my blog. I must say that the two questions you pose for writing for different blog niches are super important, as creating good content is going to help you reach more people in the end.
Hi Nile,
Now this is one important topic. When I first started out I was all over the place and it took me a while to carve out my niche. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through that! We do need to figure out just exactly what our niche is going to be before we blog.
I was very broad in the past….4 or 5 years ago, and then “came into my own” realizing what readers wanted. This only held business part of my blog back. I had to learn the hard way and this is why I need to spread this post around so people can understand to pick their niche before wasting time.
-Donna
Unfortunately, this is one reason I haven’t posted the link to my writing blog yet, or even worked on it much lately. Just exactly what is my niche??? I have to determine that. It’s to be a writing blog, but that is a huge topic, and so far it’s not much more than a collection of stories, etc. that I have written over the years. I need to narrow down the vast range that a “writing blog” allows for, and then it will be useful.
How do I want to present myself to the world as a writer? What kind of books will I be publishing? (Even here, my aspirations are too varied.) Clair de Boer focuses on writing for personal healing which may also help others. Shirley Jump writes romance with tons of recipes. Michael Hyatt focuses on platform building and getting published. I am still a homeschooling mom, but with only one teen still at home. I am a mother of a large family, but most have left the nest.
So yeah… an important question, which needs serious grappling with, and needs an answer in the next short while.
Hey Nile,
Those are probably two of the toughest things we go through in the blogosphere. Figuring out what we’Re passionate about and developing tough skin for criticism!
when I started blogging I wanted to blog about many things. Why? Although I was in networking marketing there was this thing called Internet noise. And from that I wanted to be the jack of all trades which ended up with me being the master of none.
This is why it’s important to figure out what you are really passionate about. It does makes blogging a lot easier. But also it will come with critcism. With this I was opened to learn new things and at the same time I learned out to deal and respond to different criticsms.
Thanks for sharing Nile thsee important tips! You have a good one!
Hello Nile.
I had a blog sometime back that definitely fell into a niche, because I had a niche business. That made it really easy to write for! And those who followed it probably knew what to expect from upcoming posts.
My current blog is a little broader, but still falls within a specific topic. However, at times, I do wonder if it may bee too broad for some. So, I really do like your idea of an e-zine. I don’t yet have ezine format, but I handle the different topics by offering categories and subcategories on my blog.
Karen
It took me a long time to really figure out my niche. In fact, I had to go to a blogging conference and talk to others who have read my blog to get a feel on what niche they felt I belonged to. Until then, I had just classified myself as a lifestyle parenting blog. I wish I had this post earlier. 🙂
Hi Nile,
Before couple day, I make a plan for start a new website but I am not decide Which website niche is best for me. but today after read your article. My Problem has been gone. thanks for sharing awesome article…
Very nice post Nile as it will help people in going for the niche suitable for them. Choosing the right niche is very important, as one cannot get success in writing about something one is not interested in. One needs to develop lot of passion for the niche one goes for.
Thanks for sharing your article about How to Choose What Niche to Blog For. I really enjoyed your article. I learned and many great ideas here.
Nile this was a great reminder about figuring out exactly what niche is right for you. In my opinion that is one of the most difficult tings to figure out. I always am wanting to try a different niche out. . .then i think do i launch a new site or change my focus. Pretty difficult to choose.
Hi Nile,
Hope you are well. Such great advice. I have always found having a specific focus and niche really helps with the engagement and list building as well as being able to build that authority voice. I am not on my 3rd blog. I have enjoyed all of my blogs, but just like ourselves we grow and need to change from time to time and I think that’s OK :).
Couldn’t be without my blog though!
Beth
Really a great article….I learned many things by this post and now i know that how to choose a good niche for blog…..thanks a lot for sharing this great article.
Your article is full of brilliant ideas and tips. I really like to read it.
Again, thanks for sharing this.
-Gede
You are truly right, that blogging is not an overnight thing, for start blogging, one needs to do proper research like on what topic he/she would be writing, proper use of keyword, SEO and much more. One need to consider all these things before going for blogging.
Nile,
You are clarifying something critical here that is not regularly discussed. A few advertisers let us know to pick a corner and concentrate on that specialty, even a micro corner. At the same time what happens when we are keen on more than one theme. I concur that it is not shrewd to make one site in which you hop around from subject to point. Rather, it is most likely better to make an alternate site for every point – or – make a Facebook or other social networking page or gathering for alternate subjects.
I began with a html site, SexualReawakening.com with the end goal of drawing in sex treatment customers. Anyway then I understood that despite the fact that I manage sexual issues, my methodology is constantly about recuperating the connections through affection. At that point Therapy Sites welcomed me to make a layout site which I called DrEricaWellness.com to welcome customers for general directing, not simply sex treatment. At the same time I needed a site I could control, so next I made a test at CreateHealingAndLoveNow.com. Be that as it may then everybody was beginning to blog and I included CreateHealingAndLoveNow.com/blog. I composed about making adoration. In any case since I am a gen X-er, I understood that as gen X-ers begin to resign there is an immense market there. So I made an alternate site, HealthyBabyBoomersNetwork.com. Anyway my enthusiasm is not about maturing. It is all the more about wellbeing, mending and making adoration. At that point I had another coach who urged me to make a power site for my talking, utilizing my own particular name. So this is my DrEricaGoodstone.com site for Relationship Healing, giving data to meeting organizers and in addition customers. At that point I understood that I have mulled over such a great amount about promoting, and most advisors are not happy with showcasing, and that is the point at which my next site created – MarketingOurPractices.com. I do have a couple of other sites, however those are particularly for items I am offering.
The web keeps on developing and subsequently we need to permit our sites and our specialty center to additionally advance.
A debt of gratitude is in order regarding a heavenly article and providing for me an opportunity to really watch and expound on my own website advancement.
Warmly,
rahul
Really this is very informative article to read out and learn something
and improve mind set to start a new blog ….
I like the helpful information you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your blog and check back frequently. Best of luck!
Excellent and extremely timely advice Nile!
While I definitely agree that it helps if you’ve already chosen a specific primary focus (niche) for your blogging activities, however, you make an excellent point about what you seriously might consider doing, if it turns out that you decide to switch focus and head in an entirely direction altogether.
Or if you simply find that out that you do in fact have multiple interests.
And how you should go about blogging, so that you don’t lose and or confuse your audience altogether.
Thanks for sharing some excellent and extremely practical advice!
Hey Nile,
First of all I must say you are really expressive in writing.
Your detailed explanation on choosing niche to blog is really elaborative and perfect to understand.
Thanks.
Regards
Imo