Choosing a Niche for Your Blog
January 19th, 2007 | Categories: blogs, launch, marketing, strategyIf you are thinking of starting a blog, you need to strategize. One of the first things you need to think about is your blog’s niche. This may also be the most important. You want to choose an area that you’re passionate about. This is vital as you will burn out very quickly if the topic is dry and boring. The content should excite you and spark your enthusiasm. In addition, you must possess a high level of knowledge in the given area. Writing above and beyond the education level of the average enthusiast in your realm is where you can add value with your blog.
So what constitutes a niche on the Internet? It’s definitely not the same as offline. In a given city, perhaps 300 people are hardcore poodle enthusiasts. On the Internet however, you may come across several hundred thousand.
In other words, you may think that a business blog is a niche topic. But that is far from the case. You need to drill down at least another level or two. Under the business heading, you may choose marketing. Below that, you may choose Internet marketing. Delving even further, search engine optimization (SEO) may be an appropriate blog niche.
You can either choose a niche with:
- Large target market
- High competition
OR
- Smaller target market
- Lower competition
The latter choice is definitely the way to go. Though it may seem like posts will be hard to think up, once you get going they will start rolling. Furthermore, your reader base and users will likely be more loyal. Commenting and user participation is also more likely. Finally, if you choose to run ads, you can achieve a much higher CPM than a more generic blog.
And once you do choose a niche and begin to post, stick to your niche. Stay focused. Do not stray. Otherwise, your readers will become irritated and may ‘boycott’ your blog.
Just some food for thought for those thinking of starting a blog…
January 19th, 2007 at 7:48 am
This is something that I think about quite a bit, and I’m sure many bloggers do just the same. It’s part of the balance between what you’re passionate about and what will draw and then keep a sizeable readership.
Some friends of mine blog about a hodgepodge of topics (you ever notice how many blog tag lines end with some variation of “in general”?) and argue that they write about what they want to write about, and too bad for those who don’t like it.
So I think the “need to strategize” comes into play when you’re contemplating finding and keeping what we might call a sizeable readership.
January 19th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Eric,
Agreed. A generic blog won’t maintain readership as people never know what to expect when they visit. One article may spark interest, while another feels like a waste of time. People like consistency and security. Moreover, people find comfort knowing that they can return to a blog and find an article about ’such and such’ a topic that will provide some level of value to them.
Cheers,
Aidan
January 19th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Choosing a Niche for Your Blog
If you are thinking of starting a blog, you need to strategize. One of the first things you need to think about is your blog’s niche.
January 20th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Aiden, while we agree with one another I do think about the possibility of “room” for general interest web publications. Slate, Salon, and Blogcritics (where I’m exec producer) are examples of successful, general interest publications. But, if you’re an average Joe looking to find an audience — without money to market or the skills/capacity to build a broad base of content/writers/readers — it’s likely the best route to go niche and knock out “the basics”: strong and consistent writing, network and link and grassroots market your bottom off, etc.
January 24th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
Nice Post.
That was well said. Always appreciate your indepth views. Keep up the great work!
John
January 28th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
Hi,
I found your blog via google by accident and have to admit that youve a really interesting blog
Just saved your feed in my reader, have a nice day