So, you want to start a blog. You’re on Pinterest looking at 30 different infographics about how to go about launching your new brainchild, and I bet you at least 25 of them tell you the same thing: pick a niche. Picking a niche, a highly specific topic geared toward a specific group of people, to write about can be an amazing thing for your blog. It can help you market to the right people, help you stay on topic, and give your blog a clear direction. HOWEVER, there are also some detriments to picking a niche right away. That isn’t to say that you can’t pick one down the road, but the following five things are important to think about when you’re just starting out.
Your life does not have a niche.
Okay, maybe you’re REALLY into cooking, or you spend all of your time researching new fashion trends, or parenting takes up 90% of your energy (and that’s the way you want it!) That’s great! I’m so happy that you found something so fulfilling! But at the end of the day, you are more than just a foodie, or a fashionista, or a mom. And in the beginning of your blogging journey, I think your blog should reflect (and celebrate) that! Chances are you aren’t going to monetize your blog right away anyway, so take some time to chronicle the different parts of your life.
People fall in love with personalities.
Look at reality TV! Look at Youtube stars! More people fall in love with the personality of the internet figures they watch than their specific domain. That’s why we can watch Tammy Hembrow grocery shop for 17 minutes and not get bored. In fact, many Youtubers and bloggers that start their internet lives by making one specific type of content end up vlogging and turning their blogs into “lifestyle” blogs. Watching and reading about what other people are doing and loving and struggling with in their every day lives helps us know that we aren’t alone. So let people see YOU through your blog!
Lifestyle blogs are awesome.
They provide inspiration and comfort. They help us celebrate the style phases of our lives and find a community of like-minded people who enjoy similar things. Lifestyle blogs matter so much, and we need to keep them alive.
You may think you’re going to enjoy writing about one topic, and then find out that you actually prefer writing about another.
What you like writing about might surprise you, and before you promote and attempt to monetize your blog, you should find out what that is. Try out a few different topics and see what you enjoy!
You’ll have more content to write about!
Chances are you’re starting this blog because you’re passionate about something. Be it gardening, or beauty, or music, you don’t want the obligation of stretching your thoughts on the subject too thin too fast in an attempt to write more posts take that joy away from you. And variety is the spice of life anyway!
Keep in mind, this is just one approach to finding your authorial voice and starting your blog. Different paths are going to work for different people. But I firmly believe that giving yourself room to play and explore in these beginning stages is going to make your blog better down the road, because it’s going to make your blog more a more authentic representation of you. And that’s why people will subscribe and stay.