We all know certain niches are more popular on the internet than others. That certain niches are more likely to take off quicker than others. But should your blog and your blogging journey be entirely dictated by a set niche? Let’s take a look!
What is a blog niche?
Basically it’s your blogs specialist subject! Back when I started in 2011 you only really had three blogging niches, beauty, fashion and lifestyle. That’s why I’ve always labelled my blog, and still do, as a lifestyle blog.
You’ll find that those three categories are still very popular in the blogging world but rather than rolling with the broader sense of each term, lots of blogs have now taken on specialist subjects under that wider umbrella of either lifestyle, beauty or fashion. For example you might have a beauty blogger that specialises in budget friendly skincare or one that likes to write about Korean skincare and makeup. Both popular topics in the beauty world but niched down to cover a specialist subject.
Even lifestyle blogs that were once the blogs that tackled anything and everything have started being more selective with their content. I used to cover anything that interested me but it got to the point where it was too much. There were too many subjects I wanted to cover. That’s why I started my wedding blog, so I could remove that niche entirely from this blog and make it its own thing.
I still cover a lot of different topics and as long as it interest me I’ll stick to that but my main topics I enjoy the most are money saving, blogging and well-being so that’s what you’ll find the most of on here. I also love writing seasonal content in autumn and winter so when the colder months creep in you’ll find lots of those posts too, sometimes combined with my top three topics.
Do you need to have a niche in blogging?
Honestly I think this is an entirely personal choice. At the end of the day it’s your blog and your rules. You might find yourself blogging about lots of different things and after a while discovering those topics you’re really passionate about. The ones that really excite you. That’s when you’ll know what to really focus your content on. It’s perfectly OK to start out like that and find those topics you truly love later on. It’s also perfectly OK to start out like that and carry on like that though.
For me I didn’t start focusing on the topics I truly loved until I’d been blogging for years. I’d always loved writing money saving content so that was an obvious topic for me from quite early on when I decided to niche down, blogging and well-being content came a little later on it the process. There’s still periods of time on my blog though we’re you’ll find a big mix of different content because as much as I truly love writing about those three topics I do still like to mix it up too.
But don’t you need a niche to be successful in blogging?
That questions can be answered by asking yourself another question.
How do you define your blogging success?
A successful blog can be one that makes money, one that gets thousands of page views each month, one that brings joy to the writer or one that helps just a handful of other people out.
People are too quick to define a blogs success against how much money it makes and how many page views it gets. But they are not the only markers of a successful blog. If you’re blog helps just one other person out, it’s a success. If your blog keeps you going through tough times, it’s a success. If your blog brings you joy then it’s definitely a success.
There is no one marker for success. For example my most viewed post this year is all about 15 inspirational quotes. That’s because it went viral on Pinterest earlier in the year and I still get lots of views from Pinterest to that post. Search engine wise my Eat Out to help out in Barnsley post did amazing in August. But I didn’t even put that post on Pinterest, it just got a lot of organic views. The type of content I tend to get paid for is actually home and interiors based content and the content I’m most excited for right now is my autumn and Christmas content. Can you see how many successes come from just one blog?!
In conclusion I’d say that having a niche or how much you focus down on specialist subjects is entirely your choice. Having a fixed niche does not necessarily mean your blog won’t be successful especially seen as that’s a term that’s pretty fluid too.
As long as you’re happy with your blog and your content that’s all that really matters at the end of the day. Page views are great, making money doing something you love is really great. But don’t fall into the trap of trying to focus on topics you don’t enjoy just because you think they’ll be the ones that bring you the views and the money. Your lack of passion will be noticeable. And that doesn’t make for a successful blog.
What are your thoughts on having a niche in blogging? Tell me in the comments!
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I remember that time when it was just those three niches too and everything was crammed into them. I don’t class myself as having a niche anymore, I just right about my interests and experiences which will evolve over time.
That’s great! That way your blog can truly grow with you.
Interesting – I have a lifestyle blog but I’ve been feeling like I cover too many topics recently. I’m struggling where to niche down though, but I do think it would be more beneficial in the long run. Thank you for these tips!
You’re welcome. Having the option to write about so many things can become a little overwhelming!
Thanks for sharing this 🙂 I agree that blogging success really depends on how you value your hard work and on the value of the content your create. As long as you’re enjoying it, so be it!
Definitely! Enjoyment is the key to the whole process.
Great post! I’ve been keeping a lifesfe blog for so long that I wonder if I should focus on just one or two topics but honestly, I like it how it is now – sharing anything and everything I feel like sharing. It brings me joy and so even though it’a not as popular as other blogs out there, I consider it as a success. I also consider it as a success when people I know tell me they enjoy reading my blog.
Yes, having people say they enjoy reading your blog is such a great feeling and should definitely be considered a success.
Nice one. I’m going to think of what success means to me in terms of my blog.
Thanks! I’m glad it’s made you reflect on your blog!
For me, having a niche has worked in my favour and really kept everything more focused.
But I’ve seen that some bloggers, mainly the ones that have been around for a while, cover so many topics successfully.
That’s great that it’s worked out for you. It’s all about personal preference!
This is a great post. One of my observations of the blogging community is how people are quick to judge themselves by others’ success. When I set goals, it’s always about content and not about page views. My biggest compliment is when someone tells me “I always learn something when I read your posts”.
I started out writing about eco-friendly living. While that’s still the main focus of my blog, I have branched out into work and money content as the mood strikes me. Those are some of my most popular posts. Does this mean I abandon eco-friendly living and go all-in on work and money content? No…because I have a passion for green living and that’s the stuff I enjoy writing the most.
I’m definitely going to be following your lead with your goals. I definitely became too focused on the numbers at one point so setting goals around content sounds like a great alternative.
Great post, we decided to just blog and see how it progresses – however many views we get we have fun making the content 😊
As long as you’re having fun it’s definitely worth carrying on with!
I believe having a niche is helpful to encourage loyal followers. However, I agree it is good to mix it up sometimes. I love how you pointed out there’s many ways to be a successful blogger. Great article, thank you.
Thank you! Oh yeah, having a niche can definitely build you a loyal following quicker but mixing it up helps to stop you from getting bored too!
Good timing with this post for me. I was just wondering if my blog is way too broad. Honestly, I think it will feel less so as more articles are posted. I am going to go with your advice on considering what makes me happy too.
Thanks! Definitely be led by what makes you happy, it’s your blog after all!
Great post! So many bloggers at the top say you must have a niche, but I like the freedom of not having a specific niche.
My most popular and most read blog posts vary so much that it would be hard to say what my niche should be.
I want my blog to be able to help people, be a fun place to be and continue to be an outlet for my varied life choices x
Thanks! Yes definitely I think as long as you’re enjoying your content and your readers are engaging then it’s perfectly O.K. to write about lots of things!
I couldn’t agree more. I think we should be driven by passion and a genuine interest in offering something, The money may be slow to come in at the start but the consistency will finally pay off. You cant feign interest and the quickest way to give up is to write about things you are not interested in.
Definitely and I think people need to remember it’s totally O.K. if you don’t even want to make money from your blog too!
So very true. Genuine interest keeps you committed for the long haul.
It definitely does!
I totally agree with you. While I blog to make myself happy and share my opinions, popular posts and all the talk online made me think that my success is equal to money and views. I don’t even want to make my blog a source of income! I spent the last few months trying to undo that thought process in my head and get back to genuinely enjoy blogging.
We have to define our version of “success” first and then think about niche.
I think it’s great that you’re just blogging for a hobby! I hope you’ve managed to undo that thought process and get back to enjoying blogging.
I couldn’t agree more with what you’ve said. I’m still at a stage where I am figuring out what content I enjoy producing and so I don’t have a niche, but I’ve never been prouder of my blog. Successful is definitely not just defined by pageviews or money!
Grace xx
gracexkate.com
That’s really great to hear! I’m so glad you’re proud of your content, you definitely should be!
I’ve found restricting my content to particular topics helps with my regular readers – when I used to write about a lot more I’d notice some people were only interested in fitness content.
Focusing on a few niches is also helpful for keeping writing focused though I do like going off topic now and again.
The main focus for me if my work is making someone life better then that’s good for me!
I get what you mean. Having a lot of topics can be tricky. I’m glad you’ve found something that works for you though.