How To Choose And Thrive In Your Blog Niche

What is a blog or business niche? Why do you need one? How can you thrive in one?

I’ve been blogging now for some time and I’ve come some way on this journey of blogging.

Once in a while, I write such posts as this one to share my learnings so far.

I also write about blogging because there is a link between the skills you need to run a successful business or side hustle.

Blogging is all about writing intentionally. It’s a fun way to explore your creativity and share ideas.

The benefits of blogging are huge, although I have to stress that it comes with some time commitment.

The majority of noise you hear from people who say blogging is tough comes because of a different reason for why they blog.

If you want to do something that will offer you a true reward over time and the opportunity to have impact and influence, then this is something to think about.

Some of the other benefits I’ve gained from writing include:

• Endurance – I have a greater appreciation for starting and finishing things.
• Communication – I listen alot better. Then, I write alot better. I take a much closer look at nature and observe my environment more closely.
• Ideas – By observing alot more of my environment and listening to people, I come up with better quality ideas.
• Process – I’m always experimenting on how to get more productive and efficient. This has massively improved my life all around. E.g. My day job, other projects, my home life etc.
• Goals – Hitting goals has become a routine for me now. I set them, follow my process and hit them. Done.
• Learning – Creating content requires research and thought. This is by far one of my biggest outcomes so far.
• Impact – Every word I write is having some positive impact. People are connecting and I’m building better relationships.
• Asset – I’m building an asset with present and future value. Something that even my children will use one day. Essentially a repository of ideas.

The list continues and includes making extra money to keep this platform sustainable.

For all these reasons I encourage you to create content using your existing knowledge or expertise or interests.

One way to do this is via starting your own blog. Other ways include starting a podcast, writing a book, making music etc.

Why You Need A Blog Niche

Many people talk about niches, but not many tell you why you need one.

At best, you hear “the riches are in the niches”. But that's it. 

Here is why you need a niche –

You see, it's likely that whatever you write about or explore as an opportunity will fall into 3 broad Markets –

1. Health
2. Wealth
3. Relationships

Inside these broad markets are some Sub-markets.

E.g. Within Wealth, you can have the sub-markets of Finance, Investing, Property etc.

Or within Health, you can have Diet, Nutrition etc.

Within these Sub-markets, you can begin to go a level deeper into Niches.

Using the wealth example, a niche could be bitcoin trading or even debt management.

For the health example, a niche could be ‘weight loss aimed at postgrad students’

To recap:

Market > Submarket > Niche

Wealth > Finance > Debt Management

Health > Nutrition > Weight loss aimed at postgrad students.

Relationships > Dating > Divorce therapy

For The Humble Penny, my market is ‘Wealth’. Submarket is ‘Personal Finance’ and Niches are ‘Financial Independence’, ‘Making Money’ etc.

Note that my approach is broad and still requires me to niche down further as I do sometimes.

This is somewhat unusual as I want the diversity of content. 

My recommendation is to focus on one specific niche and dominate in it. Success (however you define it) will come quicker this way.

So the question is, if you're starting your blog, what's your market?

Then you have to ask yourself – What submarket do I want to serve?

And what niche would I thrive in?

To get this right, I recommend a structured exercise that will get you to the answer.

I’ve included a downloadable FREE Blog Planner on Day 2 of the Free course below:

Why Does All This Matter?

It's all about where you might be able to have success at what you're doing. Niches exist not to appeal to everyone.

So the idea here is that you’re looking for a specific type of person or group of people.

In the must read book Blue Ocean Strategy, the writers introduce us to the idea of Blue and Red oceans.

They are called red oceans because they are full of sharks feeding on the same fish pool.

Markets and Submarkets as above are Red oceans i.e. filled with people and competition.

Niches, on the other hand, are mostly blue oceans. Especially if they are niches that you have created.

You can ofcourse find a niche that someone is making successful at present and go into it provided it’s not too bloody yet.

The best move you can make though is to look at a submarket and create a new blue ocean (niche) from it.

Again, moving away from the theory and into the practical element, I’d recommend you join the course above to learn more about creating a profitable blog niche.

How To Thrive In Your Niche

Thriving in your niche means that you’re not just delivering a positive outcome to your audience, but you’re growing in the process.

Below are some ways you can do to thrive in your niche:

1. Stay Consistent

One of the reasons why most people don’t achieve success in things they commit to is because they give up too easily.

In her bestselling book GRIT, Angela Duckworth’s research points to the exact reason why people are successful.

Her years of research found that people aren’t innately more talented than others.

[redbar]Instead, they never give up! They keep learning their craft and getting better. Such people have grit.[/redbar]

Consistency through effort plays a part in how you have grit. Here is a formula for it:

Talent X Effort = Skill. Skill X Effort = Achievement

My top tips for staying consistent are:

1) Pick a place to write always – E.g. I write in my study.

2) Have a specific time to write – E.g. I write at 8 pm and/or at5 am. Or on my train journeys.  

3) Pick a word count. E.g. Aim to achieve maybe 200 – 500 words a day.

4) Prioritise frequency over quantity.

2. Listen For Problems

When you start off blogging, it is normal to write what you feel and think you should write about. 

However, as time passes, you start to hear what your audience is saying. By hearing and seeing, a consistent pattern of problems will emerge.

Your goal as time passes should be that you start solving these problems.

As such, your content will change over time and so will your role in relation to your audience.

If you combine quality content with solving specific problems for your audience, then you’re creating a new opportunity for them.

For example, I’ve noticed on my blog that many people want to make money, become debt free and achieve Financial Independence.

By writing about it and coming up with a specific solution that acts as a vehicle for change for them, I’m creating a new opportunity.

This new opportunity (a roadmap) is necessary for each person seeking this path to believe.

The new opportunity is necessary because people are seeking an escape. A way out.

Teaching people how to start an impactful blog is one way I am doing this. Creating a niche course on Financial Independence is another.

If you’re interested in this, join the waiting list below:

3. Stay Authentic

Many people I teach how to start their own blogs usually worry that they have nothing to offer.

Some wonder why anyone would listen to them and what they would write about.

My response is always the same:

You have a unique voice, a unique story and a unique perspective on all things.

Just think about those three things combined together. This means what you have to offer cannot conceivably be offered by anyone else.

Focusing on the story piece for a minute. I have a primary belief that our disadvantages are our advantages.

You’ll have bits of your life story that you think reflect you in a positive light and naturally, you’d want to share those.

However, it’s the bit of your life that show your weaknesses that people will connect with. People want to know that you’re flawed and not perfect.

Remember, no one was interested in Superman until they knew he had a Kryptonite (a weakness).

Also, remember that everything you need to do the next thing in your life is already in your hands today.

You already have the raw materials – Use them.

Related Resources:

• TUTORIAL: How To Start A Blog – Step by Step guide
• BEST Resources – My Specific Blogging Tools etc
• Book To Read: Three Feet From Gold – Explore Your Passions + Talents
• 12 Life & Business Lessons From My Blogging Adventure So Far

Do you blog or considered starting one? What have you struggled with so far?

Do please share this post if you found it useful, and remember, in all things be thankful and Seek Joy.