Why You Don’t Need A Niche To Blog About
This is a five minute writing exercise, that is it. Five minutes to write off the cuff and share unedited thoughts/ideas about blogging.
Margie’s post about not having a thing is responsible for sending me off on this riff, but that is ok because this is useful and important.
There are a lot of people who tell you that you should focus on a niche and make yourself an expert on topic XYZ. Â It is good advice and in many cases accurate- but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Write With Passion and Purpose
Good things happen to those who write with passion and purpose about the things that interest them. I am biased because this is my approach to blogging but it works. It works because eight years of blogging has proven to me that it works.
It works because I have a steady and involved readership that continues to grow. Could I grow faster by posting solely about one particular topic? Possibly. I could focus my writing on social media/doing business online. Or I could just as easily focus on being a dad blogger and write about all of those things.
Both are things that I know quite a bit about and it wouldn’t be hard to fill these pages with content, except for one thing. I have more interests than just those items. Perhaps if this were solely a business blog I would have more reason to provide a narrow focus but it is not and I don’t have to.
So I write about all of the things that fuel my fire and I do my best not to let that whisper inside my head prevent me from putting pen to paper and finger to keyboard. When you write with passion and purpose good things happen. Build your community around you and show them your inner fire- it works.
Lee September 2, 2012 at 1:31 am
Hi as far as I can see as a newbie to blogging I have already found out that you have to be interested in what you are writing about or motivation soon becomes a problem or should I say the lack of it. Once that sets in things will soon go down hill.
Thanks lee
TheJackB April 12, 2012 at 3:41 pm
@_FinalCutStudio That inner fire makes a real difference.
_FinalCutStudio April 12, 2012 at 5:47 pm
@TheJackB I’ve considered that for some time. Really appreciated your article! Cheers!
SuperHerosWife April 4, 2012 at 4:22 pm
@Biebert @thejackb That’s why I havnt blogged. I thought all of the “cool kids” we’re laughing at me, when I wasn’t looking. Now I’m excited
Biebert April 4, 2012 at 10:47 pm
@SuperHerosWife @thejackb I just write whatever I want. Seems to be ok. Your stuff is good Christy. Don’t stop writing…
SuperHerosWife April 4, 2012 at 4:21 pm
@Biebert @thejackb I thought “One Specialty” was the “Rule” for a “Real” blogger?!? Wow! If you’ve seen mine~> this post is what it is ;~*)
Kristen April 4, 2012 at 10:42 am
You said it! I think passion trumps all. If you’ve got a passion for vegan cooking and that niche works for you, then more power to you. If you’ve got a passion for writing about many interests and avocations – if you’re, pun intended, a Jack of all trades – then go for it. There is no one way to do any of this.
Jack April 4, 2012 at 5:26 pm
There definitely isn’t one way to do this and anyone who says otherwise is clearly, wrong, misguided, foolish, naive, inexperienced and in need of a severe thrashing. 😉
I love words, Have fun with it all- no reason to do it otherwise.
keya April 4, 2012 at 10:19 am
I’m with you on this one. My approach is basically to have an overall topic (motherhood) but there is a LOT that goes in that category. I blog as a creative outlet mainly so I really just write what I feel like writing that day. Glad I’m not the only one.
Jack April 4, 2012 at 5:20 pm
Hi Keya,
Motherhood provides a broad scope to cover- it is rife with possibilities. I know because fatherhood does the same. I think it is great that you write about what you feel like writing about.
Joe April 4, 2012 at 8:45 am
I have a niche but I’m not afraid to step outside of it. Writing about varied topics keeps things fresh and interesting…for the writer!
Writing with passion is the key and to do that you have to know and love your subject. But it shouldn’t have to be one category only.
Jack April 4, 2012 at 5:18 pm
Hi Joe,
Interest for the writer is important. If you aren’t getting paid to write than you need to work extra hard to find something that does more than occasionally prick your fancy.
That passion we bring to the posts makes a significant difference- critical I think.
Bill Dorman April 4, 2012 at 7:48 am
I hear ya; I’m afraid if I picked a ‘niche’ it would interest me for awhile but then I would feel obligated to it. I love my job (sales) and I actually love insurance (more for the people than anything else) but if that is all I wrote about………yuck……….I would rather gargle bees………..plus, I am so knowledgeable in so many areas; you can’t shackle that……:)
Jack April 4, 2012 at 5:17 pm
If you vlogged every time you gargled bees you would develop a big audience- heck I think you might even make it onto Letterman. 😉
Lori Gosselin April 4, 2012 at 6:56 am
Hi Jack! I love this” it is not and I don’t have to.” It’s the way I feel about my blog. Right now I’m not focusing on monetizing, but only on community-building and that’s liberating and fun because it’s what interests me most!
If you had to choose a niche, what would it be?
Lori
Jack April 4, 2012 at 5:16 pm
Hi Lori,
If I had to choose a niche I would probably write about writing, but I don’t know for certain. I would really have to think a bit about it.
How is that for hedging. 😉
Bell April 4, 2012 at 6:29 am
“Write about all the things that fuel my fire” — you said it, Jack. THAT is the secret to a successful blog, no matter what you write about.
People gravitate to passion as much as they do to specialty topics.
Jack April 4, 2012 at 5:09 pm
Hi John,
I never wonder or worry about you understanding the need for purpose and passion in writing. It makes the difference.
Judy Davis April 4, 2012 at 5:46 am
Jack – Love this post! I think that you are right about the passion part….when people read blogs they want a story, they want quality info and to connect to a blogger that is real, passionate and speaks to their interests….and sometimes that’s a lot of different topics! Keep up the great work
Judy
Jack April 4, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Hi Judy,
It is all energy or so I think. People feel it and respond to it. We can’t be all things to all people, nor should we be.
If we are going to put time into write it just makes sense to me to write about the things that interest me most.
Hope to see you here again soon.
Hajra April 4, 2012 at 5:17 am
Hey Jack,
Every time I am here; I feel I should be writing more; I write more for work and not enough for myself. I need to push the limits.
Jack April 4, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Hajra,
We limit ourselves to whatever we think we can do. Take the cuffs off of yourself and just write.
Betsy Cross ( April 4, 2012 at 4:47 am
Hey, Jack,
I have a niche blog. But I love it! Yeah, I have a lot more to me than family history, but I get in trouble when I write about something else! By trouble I mean I don’t process constructive criticism and/or contention or misunderstandings well. You do it well. I watch and marvel at the bloggers who speak their mind about whatever and just let the comment section be what it is!
Jack April 4, 2012 at 5:05 pm
Hi Betsy,
You haven’t ween me write anything controversial. One of these days I’ll post something that inflames the readers and the fun will start.
But, I do have a relatively thick skin.
Anyway, you can do this too. I am really serious when I say that practice helps. A story has a beginning, middle and end- so do blog posts.
All you need to do is practice telling your story that way and in time you’ll find it so easy you start adding little details.