Niche sites for the sake of being, Niche?

The following is my opinion only and in every way, represents the views of the writer.

I have come across talk about being Niche, mainly for the reason that all the common subjects are already being Blogged to death, so in order to be different you need, ought, should, have to think about a topic that is different enough to not be one of the millions already blogging about whatever ‘it’ is.


This is problematic but I can see the ‘logic’ kinda.

Niche subjects, by their very nature are not so common as, well, un-Niche subjects. The reason, one of a few, is that it’s Niche because less people are talking about it. Which means that their is probably a reason why it’s Niche in the first place. Which presumably means that a real Niche subject will be somewhat hard to get off the ground, to promote (unless you already have a number of successful blogs, but if you don’t) to also keep going.

Niche subjects generally mean a lack of readily available resources to tap into, unless ofcourse you have years of personal experience to share and divulge. What I am hearing and subsequently talking about, is that many new bloggers are trying to re-invent the wheel, almost create a new Niche subject just for the sake of being different. That is the message that many Blogs send out. And many new wannabe bloggers take it literally.

Assuming you find a loyal following, you are then tasked with the job of delivering fresh new content. And if we are to follow the general Blogging way of thinking, you need to have a regular supply of fresh material to keep us all interested.

So how long are we looking at for the survival of a real Niche site. A site that is so unique and Niche that only a select number of people actually have any considerable knowledge of it. How long can one keep up the flow of fresh virgin information before you realise the niche subject burns out of wax way too soon.

It’s all very well, the Pro Bloggers stating that to be Niche will be the success of you. I beg to differ, it may make for a fresh new blogging subject in the short term, but how long do you think you can really keep it up for before you struggle for new content. And the problem is, any subject has this issue.

You only need look at the 100’s of Blogs on SEO, Monetising, How to Blog, Social Networking Blogs… for the most part the messages are the same, often repeated, reworked and re-posted. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as I mention in my other post, having this valuable information available in so many places means that more people are likely to benefit from it and not miss out. But there is also a downside to this.

It is clear that many ‘top’ blogs are running out of steam, repeating past posts, or even moving onto other subject areas. If this is happening to the very bloggers who are advising you to find a niche site, do you really think this has been thought through enough?

Or are we in the age where future proofing is just an unrealistic goal, that if we can get through the next 6 months, that’s a success. We’ll tackle what happens at 6 months, at 6 months.

So Niche is not the answer, it’s an alternative, but don’t get caught up in the general hype that finding a Niche subject will mean a long lasting blog career. It’s more likely to be a short lived career, which could be just the ticket. Depends which way you look at it and what you want out from it.

Making a successful short term Niche blog could be the start of your bogging career, alternatively, it could just end up in blog burnout. Disheartened and unmotivated.

At the end of the day, you will have your own reasons for Blogging, your own motivation to talk about something in particular. Just don’t take to heart the message that is so prominent, find a Niche subject.

Don’t be afraid to Blog about Blogging, or a subject that appears to be Blogged to death, even though there are countless 100’s of the sites out their. If you can deliver content in a unique way to you, that you can find your own voice… you have just as much as a chance of making it than the more established Blogs.

Finding your voice is more important than being Niche for the sake of being Niche. You can Blog about Blogging in your own voice and be a success. And what a success is is down to your own definition. No one else can tell you if you are a success or not. Maybe getting 1 comment a week and having a Feedburner count of 10 is a success, then so be it. Good for you.