3 Ways To Know If You’re In The Wrong Blog Niche
Are you in the wrong blog niche? Here are three ways to know if you need to switch your blog niche in order to really make money, connect with your audience, and find your place in the blogging world. If you’d like to start your own blog, I created this tutorial just for you!
When you’re new to the blogging world, it can be hard to know if you’re in the right place as far as niches go.
Take it from someone who knows!
I have owned over 15 blog/domain names and have participated in several different blogging communities. My blog niche has gone from homestead, to mom blog, to blogging/biz, to fitness, and back around again.
I tell you this to illustrate my own personal experiences and niche confusion as a new blogger.
I would no longer consider myself a new blogger now that I am three years in, but I am finally settling into, “where I should be” in terms of my niche.
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The thing is that when you’re a new blogger, there’s just an overwhelming amount of information out there. It’s easy to get sucked into doing what’s popular and what you think you might enjoy versus what you are actually experienced in or what you truly enjoy.
If you’re chasing just money, this can be especially true.
But if there is ANYTHING I have learned in 3+ years of blogging, it’s that having the wrong blog niche is the best, easiest, and fastest way to fail.
Why?
If you have the wrong blog niche, things will never feel right. They may never be permanent, and since consistency is really important in blogging, this is no good! But how do you know if it’s time to ditch your current blog niche and move onto something that fits best for you?
As a veteran blogger who has *FINALLY* figured it out, let’s talk about knowing when it’s time to move on. (If you find yourself nodding your head or saying an internal, “Yup! That’s me!” then it’s time to move on!)
3 Ways To Know If You’re In The Wrong Blog Niche
1. The Writing Doesn’t Come Easily
If you’re new here, you might be interested in knowing that this has been a fitness blog on and off. You see, I became a certified personal trainer a few months back. For awhile, I was having WEEKS at a time where I didn’t want to write about fitness, didn’t know what to write, or just felt really lost with my blog. I had my blog for a year and just never felt like I was doing exactly the right thing.
I could never just sit down and have a successful writing session. I found it hard to write well when I did try to write. And even more importantly, I felt a bit like a fraud in it all. Now things have changed but if they hadn’t, I wouldn’t have kept going.
The point is that If you can’t easily just have a big brainstorming or writing session, maybe you’re not doing the right thing. It may be time to consider a new blog niche.
2. You’re Chasing Page Views and Money Without Luck
If you’re busy working on increasing your page views and revenue without any luck, it might be that you’re in the wrong blog niche.
Why? Because you may not understand your audience’s needs and interests.
They aren’t interested in what you have to say or sell because you’re misunderstanding their needs or you don’t have a truly clear picture about who they really are and what they value.
Or it could be that your readers aren’t finding you to be an expert or genuine person in regards to your niche of choice. Tough, I know. But readers CAN and WILL pick up on your disinterest or inability to be genuine in your writing.
3. You’re Only Ever Writing for SEO
If you’re only ever writing posts that are meant to bring you page views, you’re doing it wrong. Of course having great SEO and high traffic is important, but not all of your posts should be about that.
Take this post that you are reading right now, for example. I am writing it because it came to me and I think it’s important for bloggers to think about. I think it will help my readers. I didn’t do any keyword research about blog niches and I didn’t really even plan the post. It was just something important to me and I wanted to share my experiences with you.
This is important because if you are only writing with SEO in mind, you run the risk of not ever connecting with your audience. Your audience values you as a person (even if they are coming to you for help or information). What makes you unique is your ability to connect with others. This is how you build loyal followers. For this reason, I think it’s important to just, “write from the heart” from time to time.
If you aren’t able to sit down and write about something that you feel passionate about without all of the hubbub, then maybe it’s time to reconsider your blog niche.
Related Reading: How to Make Money Blogging
So, how do you find the RIGHT blog niche?
Here’s what I like to tell people about finding the right blog niche.
Your ideal niche is a huge reflection of who you are as a human being on a personal level. It is a combination of your life experiences, your education or expertise, and your interests or passions. The sweet spot is where those things overlap with your potential market.
Here is a Venn diagram I made to illustrate that for you.
Choosing your blog niche based on these things is the best way to add value for your readers, connect with them on a human level, and convert (make sales).
What if my potential blog niche is already popular?
It doesn’t matter. Let me repeat myself. IT DOESN’T MATTER. Don’t ever think that there isn’t room for you and your ideas in any blogging niche. Why? It doesn’t matter if there are other blogs covering the same topics as you, because you have a special blend of experience, expertise, and education. In other words, there’s only one YOU.
People aren’t out there reading blogs just for information and product suggestions. They are reading blogs because they want to connect with other people. They want to know that someone out there is going through or has gone through the same things they are.
I rejoined this niche and wrote this blog post because it’s where I feel like I have the most to say and it fits my real life the best. I am a stay-at-home mom and blogger who has struggled to find the right blog niche! I know that there are tons of mom blogs out there, but none of them can bring to the table exactly what I can. 🙂
So don’t let the overall market outlook discourage your from joining the niche that’s right for you.
So, do you think it’s time for you to ditch your current blog niche for another one? Tell me where you are on your journey to finding your place in the blogging world by leaving a comment below!
