Description: Focusing on one topic in a defined niche is an art and an exciting blogging model. We’ve gathered leaders from various niches to share their successful experiences to help you define your focus, monetize or increase readership for a niche topic, or have a niche section within your personal blog.
Question: The perception is that if you have a niche, the money will show up. Is that the case?
Sommer: Yes, you can make money if you want to. If she had to do it all over again, she would have been more strategic about her branding.
Rachel: She has been the spokesperson for several companies but she’s not supporting her family with her earnings. If you want to make a lot of money, be extremely strategic about setting up your blog.
When you have a specific category that you are writing about, it can be a lot easier for PR people to reach out to you. Partnerships are a lot easier to make.
Question: Are other niche blogs competition?
Sommer: Absolutely not. When you make friends with other niche bloggers, you can help each other out. If you are reading other blogs that are in your niche, you can draw inspiration from them and it can help you. You don’t know who your competitors know
Audrey: There is power in numbers. We get too wrapped up in numbers. When you can come together with other bloggers and create a plan and then approach a company, you can make a stronger case.
Rachel: There is power in your community. Find your niche community and get together with other bloggers to drive traffic to each other. It will ultimately come back to you. Help others and support them. Other bloggers are not your enemies.
Jennifer: Losing the competitive edge in the blogs can send everyone to the next level. We all look at each other in that competitive mode. There is that niche for everyone out there.
Question: Sometimes your community views you differently than you would want them to. How do you address it and define your niche?
Jennifer: You may not always know how you really want to be branded at the end of the day. You have to focus on what you need to be known for and you can do that in your About page. Be specific with your readers.
Rachel: Your tagline is powerful. Your tagline can tell everything about you in a moment. Make sure your tagline defines your blog and your brand. You can rebrand yourself at any time, but know why you’re doing it.
Question: Do you think rebranding yourself will make you lose readership?
Rachel: Don’t write for other people, write what you are passionate about. Readers are going to come and go no matter what. You need your blog to be you. When they meet you, it should be reflected in your writing.
Audrey: You want people to keep coming back because you have content that they want to read. You have people tuning in to see what’s happening and the people who go away are the ones you don’t want anyway.
Question: You can be seen as an authority on a niche. Do you think you’re an authority in your niche?
Sommer: You have to be careful in that some niches are extremely specific. Make sure what you are posting is accurate so you can keep and attain authority in your niche. When you’re an authority it can be scary depending on your niche. Connect your readers to other authority resources in your niche to back up your statements or when you don’t know the answer.
Jennifer: Your authority is made up of your voice. It depends on what kind of voice you want to share.
Audrey: Don’t be afraid to give your opinions even if it contradicts what other “experts” are saying. Be clear that it is your opinion when you’re writing on your topic.
Nester: When you write something you’re passionate about, that comes out in your writing and your authority can be driven by that. Your passion can contribute to your authority.
Sommer: Always learn along the way. Admit your mistakes.
Jennifer: Is community part of your goals? If you come across as a complete authority, it can prohibit people from wanting to comment. Admitting your mistakes can make you more human and encourage community.
Question: How do you vary it up so your niche isn’t boring?
Audrey: Create an editorial calendar so you can cover as many aspects as possible. Also consider who you are writing for and ensure your content is addressing as many different groups as possible.
Rachel: I write when I have something to write about. Don’t force it. If I don’t want to write it, you won’t want to read it.
Nester: Is it a blessing or a curse? Watch other niche bloggers and how they create content. Use their concepts and see how you can apply it to your blog. Look at it as an opportunity to get creative.
Jennifer: It’s a lot of work to be a niche blogger. There are pros and cons with it.
Question: When you are being viewed as niche expert, how do you deal with some of the issues that come along with it like liabilities?
Sommer: Get an LLC and a lawyer and insurance. Make sure you’re covered. Double check what you wrote and edit and revise it.
Jennifer: Any time you are getting advice, you have to be very cautious. Err on the side of caution. Don’t give advice when you’re not sure to protect yourself.
Question: How do you overcome outside perceptions of what your niche is and when you get dismissed by companies?
Audrey: Publish your demographics, but they should do their research.
Question: What are the options when you don’t want to blog about your niche?
Sommer: Guest post on other blogs. Post on forum or Ning sites like MomBloggersClub.
Rachel: Reach out and ask if you can post on other people. We love that.
Jennifer: Brand yourself any way you want and you can do things in platforms like WordPress where you can have “other things that I love” and display your versatility.
Nester: It depends on what you’re doing with your blog. It’s your blog but figure out if that’s what you really want to do.
Question: What advice do you have for people who want to define their niche?
Nester: Ask yourself -
- What posts make you nervous when you hit publish?
- What are your favorite posts that you have published?
- Do you still love what you write about?
- What posts have gotten the most comments?
Jennifer: Think long term, be strategic. Do you see yourself doing this in two, three years?
Sommer: Look at what you talk about when you’re not writing.
Final Comments
Nester: We are the luckiest bloggers because we can write about what we love to write about all the time. There are people who love to write and therefore blog and write, but there are those who blog about what they love. We need to talk about what we’re passionate about.
Jennifer: I love to encourage people to live life to the fullest and when the blogging door opened up, it was perfect to reach more women.
Sommer: This is all about your passion. Regardless of what you blog about, it really boils down to it being about what you like and when you grow out of it, you can change it at any time. Evaluate why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Rachel: I love food. No doubt about it. I’m so passionate about this and I write what I love. The day it becomes work is the day I’m done. Write because you want to share with others and because you love it and it will show.
Audrey: Ask yourself “what do you want people to walk away with from your blog?” Being in a niche and deciding on my voice allows it to delve deeper for me; we want to touch people, communicate and engage and when you find a combination of that, it’s not “work.” It’s the beauty of doing something you want to do everyday and you love it.
