I’ve touched in this before, but so many people make the mistake of choosing the wrong niche that I decided to make a post on this important topic.
If you have not started your blog yet, then this post will be important to you. If you have a blog and you think you may be in the wrong niche, then this post will be important to you too.
I’m going to get right to the point:
That may sound oversimplified, but read on and you will understand what’s behind that statement, and I will help you figure out just what you should be blogging about.
Before I tell you why you should be choosing a niche you enjoy, I want to tell you what NOT to do:
What NOT to do:
- Don’t choose a niche because someone else is successful with it
- Don’t choose a niche because you think it will make you the most amount of money (it won't)
- Don’t choose a niche because you read that it is “up and coming” or “hot”
Just because a niche works for someone else does not mean it will work for you. I’m not saying that you can’t make money in a hot niche… you can… but it’s not worth it.
Why are you interested in blogging in the first place? You are looking for a life, not a job… right?
Your blog niche might just be the most important decision you can make. Your blog is where you build a future, it becomes your livelihood, it becomes your life.
Successful people, online or off, become successful by doing what they love to do. Life is amazing when you wake up and do what you want to do. Your time blogging is only part of that… blogging also affords you the time to enjoy the fruits of your efforts.
“Enjoy your work, enjoy your play… what better way to spend your day” –Scott Gilbert
Don’t make the mistake so many people make. Too many people choose a niche because they think it will make them the most amount of money. But that rarely works.
Avoid The Other Mistake Too
The other mistake is to be blogging just for the money. Don’t get me wrong, making money is important and it’s a great reason to start a blog. It’s just that, if it’s the only reason, you are probably going to struggle.
Think of it this way: If you are just starting out seeking work after finishing school, your future will depend on how you go about looking for a job. Are you looking for a job or a career? That’s the question most of us ask ourselves, but the question we really should be asking is: What do I want to do?
Unfortunately, school does not teach us to seek a career we truly enjoy. At best, guidance counselors help us understand what we may be “successful” at, and we may choose a profession based on that.
Have you noticed that most people spend their entire lives working in a job and even a career they do not enjoy? What kind of life is that?
It’s hard to be successful when your goal is just to make money. It is a given that we expect to make money (and we should) when we choose a job or career. The same holds true with our blog – the online version of our “career”.
The beauty of blogging is that you get to choose whatever makes you happy. Seriously, it’s that simple.
Some people have trouble understanding or believing that. Some people think they have to be an expert to blog about it. That’s a myth!
Here are some myths I’d like to debunk right now:
To have a successful blog…
- You don’t have to have a following
- You don’t have to have a degree
- You don’t have to have experience
- You don’t have to be an expert
I’m not suggesting that experience or expertise wouldn’t help, it would. But it’s far more important to enjoy what you are blogging about.
The titans of industry who grew large offline companies were also doing something they loved. The money was a by-product of their successes.
Do you need more proof?
Most people who try to make money online never make it (just like offline). They are chasing the money instead of their dream. You could follow them, or you could follow me. I’ve made money online and off.
And ironically, when you remove your focus from making money, and turn your attention to providing something of value (doing what you enjoy), the money follows.
How To Choose Your Blog Niche
Only you can choose your niche. It has nothing to do with what anyone else is thinking or doing, or how much money you can make. But I can help guide you.
Ask yourself this question:
If money were of no concern at all and I already have everything I need, including the perfect home, cars, toys, and travel, what would I choose to do with my time?
The answer can help you find your blogging niche. I don’t care how crazy it sounds… think about what you really want to be doing.
For example, let’s say you would choose to spend six months of each year on a far away island weaving straw hats and swimming with dolphins, and the other six months traveling the country by RV. To you it may seem impossible to find a blog niche from that, but I can see several niches which can even be combined.
Or perhaps you may choose to create a philanthropy, or to develop land, or to trek to the North Pole. You see, it does not matter as long as you want to do it.
And by all means, if you do have expertise or experience from a job, you can blog about that as long as you enjoy it.
What if I have no experience at all?
So what?
If you’ve been thinking about learning to play guitar but never found the time or wherewithal to get started, then you can blog about your journey with music – and that includes getting started.
Don’t you think there are other people out there who also think about playing guitar and never took the plunge? They would love to share your journey with you. Perhaps they are tired of all those “experts” online, and they’d feel more comfortable with your trials and tribulations as they go through it with you. They will be able to relate.
Any blog can make money
You can monetize any blog in any niche.
Let’s take the example above…
So you start a blog about learning to play guitar from square one. From zero experience, what you learn and do along the way will allow you to guide other beginners.
Soon you will be suggesting resources such as online lessons, some free, some paid. You’ll be recommending the best type of guitars for beginners and why and how to choose a quality guitar. You’ll review guitar straps, picks, pedals, amps, cables, and all sorts of equipment.
Your audience will love you as they can relate to your experiences. You help them avoid the pitfalls, and show them the shortcuts. And some of those products you recommend will be purchased by your readers. They will thank you for guiding them, and you will have earned commissions for the sale of products at no additional cost to your followers. (I can show you how to do that)
How great is that? You help people make the right choices, they make purchases they need anyway, and you make money. And it’s all because you added value to your audience by helping them. You earned your income.
This form of income is known as affiliate income, and it is just one of several ways you can earn income from your blog. I’m just mentioning it here because I want you to focus on what you love to do so you can choose the right niche for your blog. Don’t worry about the income yet. Just choose something you love and give it a go!
What are your passions?
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