If you’re thinking about starting a blog but wonder if it’s worth it in 2019, you’re not alone. I know this because it’s something I get asked about frequently by people who are more likely to believe I’m a drug dealer than they are to believe that blogging helps me make money online.
Does this mean you can just start a blog about whatever you feel like talking about and rake in the cash? No, not at all. There are lots of ways you can potentially make money with a blog, but whether you plan on blogging as a hobby or to eventually make money, the process will be much easier (and thus more enjoyable) if you focus on a niche.
(This post contains some affiliate links, so if you click something and make a purchase I might get a few pennies thrown my way. A girl’s gotta eat).
Why Create a Niche Blog?
In 2017, I started a blog about cannabis. After becoming a medical marijuana patient I spent a lot of time reading about the plant and the growing industry behind it, which inspired me to pivot my writing career toward working with small cannabis businesses. While looking for work I found that the market for cannabis blogs was quite saturated, especially the “23-year-old stoner dude who wears rasta colors and writes clickbait memes for content” market. I kept stumbling on new cannabis blogs and thinking “I could totally make that site not look like it was made by Tommy Chong in 1998” and “wait, they’re claiming CBD cures depression? That’s dubious.” Finally, it hit me that I needed to start the blog I wanted to read.
Jane Dope is my platform to talk about cannabis in my own voice for interested readers and potential clients. It gives me the credibility to say “you need weed content? You need me.” The blog posts work like a built-in portfolio, giving people an idea of what they’ll get from me before they inquire about working together. The simple fact that I put in the effort to start a website solely about cannabis – with an emphasis on the culture as it pertains to women – shows that I take the topic seriously and will likely deliver better content than a copywriter willing to write about “anything and everything”. (AKA me in 2010. Don’t be me in 2010).
If you were to ask me if you should start a blog, I would tell you that you should do it if you feel compelled to write about a certain topic and share your knowledge with the world. I wouldn’t even tell you that you have to be an expert – all you need is to know more than someone else, and as you grow and learn, your net will widen and you can serve more people with your knowledge. Don’t worry about saturation in the market if it’s something you feel compelled to do. Focus on the details that matter most for you and you’ll attract the kind of people who want to hear from someone with exactly your perspective and experience.
How to Find Your Niche
Narrowing down your niche doesn’t mean you only write about one topic over and over. Like I said, your own personal experience and passion for the subject gives you a perspective that no one else has; if you lean into that, it will help you come up with topic ideas and angles that are unique to you and valuable to others. As your audience grows and you start to engage with them, you can use their questions and feedback as inspiration for more content.
If you’re struggling to come up with your niche, ask yourself these next couple questions and see what pops in your head.
What comes easily to you?
Everyone has an interest or skill that comes more easily to them than others. Yes, that pertains to you as well, even if you think you’re basic (maybe) and have no marketable skills (wrong).
In seventh grade, my best friend spent the night at my house and was so horrified by the state of my closet that she dedicated the evening to cleaning and organizing it. Pretty sure it was the best slumber party of her life. This is the kind of person you want giving you organizing advice. (Sorry, Marie Kondo – I love you but you’ve made me feel guilty about folding my socks over, which I no longer do, but I also don’t fold them as you recommend so I have a drawer full of loose socks and can never find a match and I don’t know if this has sparked more or less joy in my life but at least my socks are happy).
Writing is a lot ‘easier’ for me than it is for some people, so business owners who hate figuring out the copy for their website would rather spend the money on me than waste time (and ultimately more money) trying to do it themselves.
The curse of knowledge is real – so many of us have tasks that come naturally to us that others struggle with, yet we assume that if it’s easy for us, it must be easy for others. That could not be further from the truth. It’s important to keep this in check when narrowing down your niche and remember that many people who want to try something are starting from a different point than you.
What do others tell you that you’re good at? What do they come to you for help with most often?
Another side of the coin is to consider what others come to you for help or advice with the most. In the example of my closet-cleaning friend, she is clearly someone who would rock an organizing business or blog. If people frequently come to you for help on a certain topic, it’s a good sign that there is space for you in that field.
Example: Let’s say you’re passionate about party planning and weddings. You’re the one your friends and family go to for help coordinating a beautiful wedding, shower, or birthday party. You decide to start a blog about throwing effortlessly elegant parties on a budget, and after a few months, your DIY decor tutorials are killing it on Pinterest. You’ve got thousands of people visiting your blog each month.
That’s thousands of people who could also be visiting your Etsy shop where you sell completed versions of the items in your tutorials (for those don’t want to make it themselves). That’s thousands of people who could be clicking affiliate links to purchase the items used to make your decorations. That’s thousands of people who might hire you for a Skype consultation where you help them come up with a plan for their party. In other words, there are so many ways you can help these people and make money with it.
Benefits of a Niche Blog
The more specific you get about what you do and what you know, the more you will stand out within any market, no matter how saturated. And on the internet, everything is saturated. Anyone can start a blog for $10 and say anything they want, so niching down helps you stand out from your competition and grow your legitimacy.
Another beautiful thing about starting a blog is that you don’t need anyone’s permission to do it. You don’t have to wait until you’re qualified, you don’t have to wait until someone has hired you, you can just do it armed with the knowledge you have and a desire to share it with others. As you grow and create more content, you will earn the trust of your readers and establish your authority on the subject. This is the position to be in if you want to monetize the blog through affiliate marketing, or if you want to sell products or services related to your niche (like the party planner example above). Blogs are an excellent way to get your feet wet and see how people respond to your ideas.
And yet another benefit: if you decide you hate your blog (or even your niche) one day and cannot imagine going another day doing what you’re doing, you can always scrap it and start over. It’s a lot easier to get started and try something when you know you can burn it down at any time.
Popular Niche Blog Topics
This is not a list of suggestions, but an example of the many niches out there and how they can be narrowed down to focus on a more specific need.
Personal Finance
Getting out of debt
Saving up for retirement/travel/financial freedom
Tips for raising a family on one income
Frugal living advice
Coupons and sales
Handmade & Crafts
DIY tutorials for your medium (sewing, embroidery, knitting, oil painting, jewelry making, etc)
Tips and resources for newbies
Project updates and photos of your
Interviews with other crafters
Parenting
Funny and relatable parenting stories and advice
Recipes your kids love
Homeschooling tips
Raising a child with a disability
Health
Workout routines
Fitness inspiration
Healthy recipes
Blogging is great for dietitians/nutritionists/personal trainers who want to share their knowledge in a different medium
Home Decor
Organizing tips
Cleaning tips and recipes for natural products
Picking out furniture
Understanding and coordinating color schemes
Virtual design and consulting services
Progress photos of your home projects
Food
Recipes, obviously
Baking, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, whole 30 recipes if you follow a certain plan
Grocery shopping on a budget
Meal plans for busy families
Recipes for people with allergies or dietary restrictions
Kitchen experiments
Cooking gadget reviews
Ready to start your niche website? Check out my post on 8 small business platforms to help get your blog up and running in minutes.
Slowly starting a website now been a smoker for twenty years and gonna choose it as my niche would maybe love your support when I’m fully up and running