There are two common mistakes that bloggers often make.
1.) Not figuring out a blog niche,
or…
2.) Figuring out the wrong blog niche.
It’s OK, when this happens, we are all at different stages in life and our personalities, interests and hobbies will change a lot over the years, furthermore, new technology and crazes will make us reassess whether we want to pay closer attention to our current interests or go down a brand new track.
However, when you have be blogging for a while, you will know whether you are doing it right by the amount of connections and money you are making and whether you are generating any leads. If you are not doing any of these then you might want to consider whether it’s time to change your blog niche.
Remember you are never too far down the road to turn back and take a different route. However, you might want to make sure with every fibre in your body that this time you get it as perfect as possible. Too much chopping and changing can leave you looking like you have no clue or strategy and if you ever want to become the ‘go to expert’ in your chosen blog niche you need to be sticking with it for a long time.
blog niche
Do you have a blog brand? What is your USP?….Many bloggers have a personal domain. I did, in the form of bethhewittonline.com I blogged about everything, I had people on my list who were interested in everything…can you see how that might be a problem? Only when I rebranded and started over, could I build a targeted list of bloggers.
So here are the giveaway clues as to whether it’s a good time to reinvent your blog niche and brand.
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- You don’t know what your niche is? – It might surprise you but this is really common, so don’t be alarmed if you are still trying to figure it out. Many bloggers just start blogging without stopping to think. The good news is I when you sign up to my newsletter you will get some guides to help make the process easier.
- You have a niche, but you are not passionate about it. This happens all the time too, we start out on one journey only to find we are not interested in it anymore. The biggest takeaway I want to leave you with however; is that it is really important to be passionate. Passion is half the battle when you are trying to create success. So make sure you have it.
- You haven’t made any money online – This isn’t everything, it can take time to make money online. But when you have truly figured out your niche and have products and solutions that you can offer your targeted list and market, you will be surprised how much easier it is to make money. So if you aren’t making anything you might want to rethink that niche.
- You aren’t generating leads – If you aren’t generating leads this could be more to do with you not generating traffic than not having a good enough niche, but let’s pretend you have a nice steady flow of traffic and you are creating quality content. If you are not generating leads now, it is because, you don’t have a quality offer, your visitors and followers are confused by what you do or you aren’t making it easy for people to opt on your list.
- Your Social profiles are a mishmash – You need an ANCHOR that is something that grounds and links all your social profiles together, sometimes this is a logo, sometimes it is a tagline, a picture, a gravatar, but something that builds your brand presence on multiple sites tying everything together. Have you got this?
- People ask you about X when you haven’t been interested in that for at least 2 years or more. – You definitely need a new brand when people ask you for help and advice on creating videos when your niche is cats and tomorrow they ask you about gardening….EEK!
[/black_arrow_list]You might also like this video by saleforce talking about the 5 C’s of creating a blog brand. If you need to speed up the time it takes to watch videos and really leverage your time, I recommend using Enounce MySpeed.
Out of all of this, I want to say that starting over with your brand doesn’t have to be heartache. It can seem like a big task but actually you will have learnt so much over the years that it won’t take you half as long to pull it all together. It is also an opportunity to get it right. Set up all your new personal profiles at the same time and watch them grow organically as you grow your blogs brand. I did it and it was the best thing I ever did. You can do it too.
Have you ever had to make a decision to start over with your brand? How did you decide and what steps did you take to make the change?
What’s your best way to find inspiration for your next blog post? Have you got any good ways to get your brain cells buzzing? Please comment and share this post if you have found it useful.
To Your Simple Blogging Success,
P.S Learn how I finally cracked the code to making a full-time income online >>>>Here<<<<
P.P.S When you subscribe to the Simple Blogging Network Newsletter you get:
- A FREE 5 Steps to Simple Blogging Success E-book
- 2 workbooks to help you figure out your niche
- A 30 Blog Post Ideas Blueprint for any Niche!
March 18, 2013 at 10:59 pm
What a Great Message Beth! This is something I am very passionate about indeed. You are right when you say it is easier the second time around 🙂 As you already have pretty much mastered everything one time already. The first step is to build that strong foundation as you said yourself.
Starting with your profile letting others know what you have been through and how you can now help them. It does take courage to step up and admit these things but once you start there is no looking back.. Thanks for sharing. Chery 🙂
March 19, 2013 at 9:35 am
hi Beth
I tried lots of things over the past years, getting into online marketing, blogging and health related niches, creating and selling blogs, and things like that…
One thing is for sure: even if you’re passionate about a topic or industry, if you’re the type of creative and energetic person as I am, then you may get into a boring mood over time…that’s why it is key to have multiple projects and niches to work on.
Hope it helps!
March 19, 2013 at 8:19 pm
Hi Allan,
Thanks for stopping by. If you have multiple niches make sure you don’t spread yourself too thinly and if you are creative you can always think of something to spice your niche up. Looking forward to reading you blog.
Beth 🙂
March 20, 2013 at 8:50 pm
Great insight Beth. I’ve been blogging for 3 years now, and my blog started out to be something very different. About 6 months into it I found that – without realizing it – I’d begun shifting it in a different directly. It took me awhile to refocus, but that was a valuable learning experience.
March 23, 2013 at 8:42 am
Hey Chery,
Absolutely, it is sooo much easier the second time round. Best thing I ever did. Thanks for your comment,
Beth
March 23, 2013 at 2:05 pm
Beth,
It is so important to be clear about your niche – and – it is important to share your blogs and your offers with your niche – not with everybody you know who is not interested. A big lesson learned.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
March 24, 2013 at 4:39 am
You’ve put your finger on a really big stumbling block for many bloggers, and I don’t mean just newbies.
I think one of the problems with people changing direction is that they find themselves in that dark place called “their comfort zone” and they just don’t want to leave it. The comfort zone, in this case, is where bloggers stay because they have friends and contacts, and because they’ve worked out a little routine that fits in nicely with their schedule.
Nevermind that they’re not building a decent list or making any money after a year of grinding it out. They like where they are and they stay, and complain that it’s “impossible” to build a list or make money blogging.
Well, Beth, you’ve given some good incentive and direction to getting off the wrong track and onto the right one. Hope a lot of folks hear the message and Take Action on it.
March 24, 2013 at 9:12 pm
Hi Beth,
It’s been a long time! Wow, you really have changed everything! I remember when your blog was completely different. Regardless, I always felt your blog content was ALWAYS high quality and very interesting.
You mentioned 6 really important points about “fixing” your blog niche:
You don’t know what your niche is?
You have a niche, but you are not passionate about it.
You haven’t made any money online
You aren’t generating leads
Your Social profiles are a mishmash
People ask you about X when you haven’t been interested in that for at least 2 years or more.
This is are a great “checklist” to follow for any blogger who may have drifted from their original intent, or have plans to change direction. All of them are important, but I think passion is the most important. Great post and excellent video. Thanks Beth!
Raena Lynn
March 27, 2013 at 10:38 am
Hi Beth
I really enjoyed this video and blog because it clarified so many situations.
Blogging is the hub of network marketing and together with the right strategies as presented here one should develop a good business.
Thanks Beth – I have signed up to receive your regular newsletter.
Regards John
April 1, 2013 at 11:45 pm
Hi John,
Glad that you found the video interesting, I try to find some interesting ones that make the good points. Great to have you subscribe to my newsletter.
I hope you enjoy it.
Beth 🙂
April 1, 2013 at 11:46 pm
Hey Raena,
Sorry for the delay, it’s been one of those 2 weeks lol! Thank you for your kind words. Yes I have changed things around a lot. Nothing better than a change and a new focus to get your motivated. Hope to see you back here again soon.
Beth 🙂