Editor’s note: This post was written by Chris Lee, a full time blogger teaching all the secrets to success over at aBlogOnBlogging.com.
Throughout my career as a blogger, I’ve started many blogs in many different niches.
I’ve lost count after my 6th or 7th blog but if I have to guess, I’d say I’ve started around blogs in 10 different niches or so.
I just couldn’t understand why I get so bored with my niche after a few weeks of blogging on the subject.
But finally, after leaving a long trail of abandoned blogs on the world wide web, I’ve finally learned how to pick niches that really work – and that’s what I’ve got for you today.
I’m sharing with you my 5 tips on picking a niche that will make you successful. Hopefully, knowing what to do (and what not to do) will save you a ton of time and effort on niches that you’re destined to fail in.
Have A Genuine Interest In Your Niche
Always go for a niche that you’re genuinely interested in.
A niche that you’re knowledgeable about.
You don’t have to be an expert. You just have to know a little bit more than an average person. Further research and experience will make you an expert and an authority in due time.
Something you’re learning right now.
Another option that is often overlooked is to start a blog documenting a niche that you’re learning about right now.
Let’s take yoga for example.
If you’re just getting into this practice, you can build a blog about this and write from a beginner’s point of view and “document” your progress.
Never, ever pick a niche only because you think it’s popular or profitable.
Go For Targeted Over Broad
The biggest mistake I used to do was picking a niche that was too broad. In other words, my niche was a “topic”. Let me explain…
A niche and a topic may sound similar but they’re not quite the same thing.
“healthy food” is a topic.
“healthy food to gain muscle” is a niche.
“healthy food to gain muscle for men” is a targeted niche.
Remember this: a niche is really a group of people looking for something online – does it make sense?
Also, the more targeted your niche is, the easier it is for you to build authority; thus gaining more trust, visitors and ultimately: profit.
Pick A Topic That Can Be Updated Often
The point of a blog is that it needs to be updated regularly, otherwise it’s just a static website.
One other mistake I see often is that people run out of things to write about in a niche rather quickly.
This is where being knowledgeable about a niche comes in handy.
If you pick a niche where you’re not that knowledgable about, you’re going to run out of ideas on what to write about and most often quit right after.
Remember a blog is not something for a little while, think of it as a long term plan.
Be Able To Tie A Product In
If you’re into starting a blog business, then you also need to make sure that you can tie a product to your blog so you can make an income off that.
Before you decide on your niche, do some research online for some products you can promote on your blog once you start getting a healthy number of visitors.
Calculate how much money can be earned off each sale and see if it’ll be worth your effort.
Closing Advice
I want to leave you with a little piece of advice that has really helped me in my blogging endeavours.
“Prior planning prevents poor performance.” (or what I like to call; the 5 Ps)
I hope these few tips will help you pick a niche that could lead you to successful blog down the road.
Remember that with just a little hard work, everything is possible. If you need any further help with picking out a niche or blogging in general, just give us a shout.
