Too Niche Or Not Too Niche? The Hazards Of Starting A Special Interest Blog
Starting a blog in a world where there are already thousands of them in existence is a tough market to crack. If your blog isn’t designed to generate a revenue stream, then why would you give it so much of your time and energy? The problem with having a lot of competition out there is that your blog might not get enough traffic or interest. It needs this to attract advertisers or affiliates. If you have a niche or special interest, though, then you might be clearing the way for your niche audience to come through. Here are some of the hazards of starting a special interest blog and what to do.
How to start
Every blog starts with a good web server. If you’re just starting out, then you need to make sure that you don’t appear to be amateur, or worse still, unsafe. Search for top web hosting services that are reputable and offer you the security certificates search engines are looking for. As a blogger, you will probably use a standard, free-of-charge WordPress template. Make sure your choice of host provides support for this.
WordPress is about as easy as it can be to use. Simply choose a template that you like the look of and start customizing it to your preferences. You should design a header or logo. This will effectively become your brand. It should be recognizable and go a long way to defining who you are and what you’re writing about. Once you’ve got the designs going, it’s time to start writing – a lot!
The content
Blogs need a lot of content. If you’re a prolific writer, stagger the publication of your articles to one every couple of days. This will ensure fresh content is added regularly. Link to reputable third-party sites, use good photos and write useful and interesting “click-tastic” content. The dangers of niche or special-interest blogs are that your subject matter is simply uninteresting to the vast majority of people. How can you avoid this hazard?
Are you writing on very narrow topics? Subjects like aristocratic women in medieval France or the sightings of bats in Constantinople are unlikely to drive a lot of visitors to you. You can broaden the appeal with themes. What else goes on in Istanbul? How has medieval France influenced twenty-first-century architecture around the world?
Now you’re introducing a few more ideas to your blog, it’s easier to make them topical. What’s the latest news in that area? What current pop stars share aspects of the lifestyle of those women in medieval France. Keep expanding – you’ll never run out of content ideas, and you’re always making references back to your specialist subject.
How you get returning audience
In fact, you must keep true to your subject matter. Other fans of these topics will be your returning audience. You can reach them through forums, other newsletters or blogs, fan sites, and social media. Be sure to contribute to their conversations regularly. However, don’t fall into the trap of self-promotion with every comment. You’ll get booted from the group! Be helpful, and others will ask questions of you that offer up those more promotional opportunities.
It’s not easy to build up large numbers of visitors to a blog site. Going niche rather than lifestyle can help you to develop a loyal audience. Just don’t go too niche!