Choose a Blogging Niche You Can Expand On for Life

This guest post is by Ronique Gibson of Freshome.

After one year, I have written 773 blog posts about one topic: your home. After 240 posts for Freshome, 430 posts for Stagetecture, and 103 posts for various ghost writing and personal blog clients, the numbers don’t seem real to me, but I feel I have at least 250,000 good posts still left in me!

I am daily asked how I come up with new content and topics, and my response is always the same, “When you are passionate about a certain area of your life, you can write about it for the rest of your life.”

The real question isn’t “what niche should I write about?” It is, “what moves you to write for an audience that may or may not be there, forever?” Here are my tips to help you be happy with writing for yourself, and choosing a blogging niche that you can expand on for life.

Write for yourself

When choosing a blogging niche, choose a subject that you don’t need an audience to listen to. Instead, write for yourself. While this may sound crazy, many bloggers fall into the trap of worrying about what readers will think, how they will respond, and how they will seek a high approval rating to validate their writing.

The reality is, yes we all want to have a faithful audience who praises us, but if you can write for yourself and be happy with your content, this is the key to sustainability in your blogging niche. Let’s face it—blogging is tough work and those that have kept it up will tell you that not hearing feedback, and not receiving comments can be devastating.

My remedy to this is to create my own self-validation: write for yourself, critique yourself, and give yourself proper respect when you create a masterpiece! The more you enjoy your own writing, the better, and the more your blogging audience will appreciate you for your unique self.

Choose an expandable niche

What seems on the surface to be the hardest challenge, may actually be one of the easiest to solve. And that challenge is: How can you find a blogging niche?

I’ll tell you why this is an easy problem to solve: because you already know the answer. Now, if someone asked you that question right now, you may not be able to spit out an answer. Instead, look through the magazines on your coffee table, the television shows you watch in your free time, and the influential figures in your life. I bet this will help you figure out where your passions lie.

Finding an expandable blogging niche is about choosing a niche that you already know about, or are dying to find out more about. You don’t have to be an expert; you just have to want to immerse yourself into it enough to want to share your knowledge with others. Once you find it, you will know it, and you won’t be able to stop writing
about it!

Fundamentals for choosing a blogging niche

As you choose your blogging niche, consider these fundamental elements.

Is your blogging niche broad or narrow?

Your goal should be to choose as broad a niche as possible, to provide full range to your mind, abilities, and to your audience. Let’s look at some examples.

If you enjoy writing about dogs, are you only going to write about how much you love them and the different activities dogs enjoy? That would be a narrow niche. Can you expand that niche to include: dog species, how to train your dog, planning your dog’s home space, dog diets, websites for dog fanatics, preparing your family for care of a dog, owning puppies, aging dogs, and more?

You’ll need to be able to expand upon your topic in multiple directions for lifelong blogging interest and success.

Could you talk about your niche morning, noon, and night?

While this sounds excessive, speaking and writing about dogs will need to become second nature for you, if that’s the niche you choose. This is why you need to have a passion about your blogging niche. If you find you aren’t passionate about it, consider finding another, undiscovered niche that other bloggers aren’t writing about.

For example if you’re a dog trainer, think of all of the knowledge you can share with fellow dog owners! This could be a great niche for you.

Don’t be afraid to tweak your niche along the way

Believe it or not, you don’t have to know your blog niche on Day 1 of your blog. In fact, it takes many bloggers years to discover what they truly love. Step out on faith, and just start. You will learn as you go what excites you—and what topics you can’t stand to write one more post about! This is all part of the blogger’s life. Accept the challenge, “go big or go home.”

I’m sure you’ve heard the old cliché, “Find your inner voice to guide you.” That’s my advice to you when you’re choosing a blogging niche. Write as though no one will ever read your blog, and as though everyone will read your blog. Therefore, be happy with yourself before you try to please the masses. Once you can do this, finding a niche will come to you easily.

Lastly, enjoy yourself. Don’t start blogging as only a means to an end: sales, increasing a following, or for marketing purposes. Enjoy writing your blog and have fun with it, every time. Then the late nights, and 773,000 posts later, you will still be able to write for a lifetime and love it!

Ronique Gibson is an Associate Architect and a LEED Accredited Professional, who has been in the design industry for over 13 years. Her writing at Freshome and Stagetecture encompasses her love for architecture, interior design, and family solutions to help make your home the best place it can be.