Go crazy with your crayons! I won't tell!
Thanks to the SITS girls & Momcomm, I have gone back to school and am learning a ton!! It’s a two week class called “Think Like a Marketer.” At first I was reluctant to add anything more to my hectic life (especially since I’m still not 100% following my latest Crohn’s/UC flare-up) so I signed up really fast before I had time to think about what I was doing. I am soooo glad I let my first gut reaction take over. In just a short 36 hrs., I’ve learned a lot about my blog as well as myself.
I was drawn to the post on SITS because one of the topics discussed in the class would be niche blogging. For sometime now I’ve been struggling to find my niche. I thought that this class would help me accomplish this task. See, in many ways I’ve always been one to color outside of the lines. I now have affirmation that what I’ve been feeling is not wrong. Just as what all of the experts on blogging suggest isn’t always true. Of course, there are many, many successful niche bloggers. Coupon clipping bloggers, baking bloggers, marketing bloggers, scrap booking bloggers, photography bloggers, crafting bloggers, farming bloggers…I could go on and on.
The problem for me is that I could fit into any one of these categories and eventually I would have been very unhappy having classified myself into writing about only one topic. Even though I’ve found myself through an extra-credit reading assignment (ok, maybe I wasn’t coloring outside the lines on this one) it was well worth it.
The assignment was to read a post from the blog Tree, root, and twig, entitled ‘How to blog without a niche.’ (I’ve include a direct link to the homepage because I think it’s a fantastic site…the niche post can be found in the middle of her home page on the left-hand side.) I was intrigued by the title of the post because again, for several reasons, I’ve been under the presumption that I HAD to have a niche. As I read, I’m certain my face was glowing with a smile ear to ear. Certain I tell you! A small part of me felt like screaming to the world, “I told you so!!” Well, I guess it would be more like “I thought you so!!,” since I haven’t really shared my thoughts and opinion on the matter. It would be so taboo to do so. Right? Wrong. I’m glad Stacey made somewhat of a stand on the topic. I do wish I would have had the confidence to stop listening and start voicing my own opinion.
So what did I learn from her post? Simple. I am my own niche. That’s right. Everything about me…I can be a coupon clipping blogger, baking blogger, marketing blogger, scrap booking blogger, photography blogger, crafting blogger, farming blogger…gardening blogger, parenting blogger, food allergy blogger, Crohn’s/UC blogger, and on…
The most important thing I want to express to any other bloggers who don’t feel that they can find a niche or shouldn’t have to find a niche is to COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES! It is ok. Just as it is OK to have a niche. So many of my very favorite bloggers are hugely successful and super resources such My3boybarians.com (photography), Tatum Tales (scrap booking), The Spotted Cow Review (farming), The Survival Mama (excellent resource for preparing your family for disasters), and The Lettered Cottage (interior designing on a dime), to name a few.
Just be yourself. You know yourself better than anyone else. Write about what you want to write about and what makes sense to you.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, where’s my bright, turquoise crayon…BOYS!?!!!???!!!
One non-niche blogger I’d really recommend taking a look at is Rachel Wilkerson, at The Life & Lessons of Rachel Wilkerson.
Although she does loosely categorise herself as a health blogger, she also writes about other things, including what’s going on in her life, and recent events. As you can see, she groups her main topics into categories which are listed at the top, and she’ll also group posts into topics – for instance, one project she’s currently working on is moving in with her partner, and she’s started those posts with ‘Living in Sin’.
I think it’s helpful; I like her lifestyle posts, but I’m less interested in her recipe posts, as they’re simply not applicable to me in most cases. It’s a handy way to appeal to people who read your blog for one specific aspect, as well as those who simply like your voice.:)
Thank you ‘K’! I do really like her blog! Very helpful, inspiring and you are right, she has innovative way to display info/categories. So glad you passed this along! Another great niche blog I forgot to mention is from Holly Worton..she is also from the UK. She focuses on Holistic Wellness (which I into right now) and life coaching. She blogs at http://www.hollyworton.com. She participates/hosts in some fascinating programs in London…I wish we had similar offerings around here. Thks again!
I like it!!!!
You are your own niche – my favorite line.
Thank you!!
Love this post!! I’ve just begun checking out SITS and blogging advice and come across this Niche topic everywhere. I can’t really fit myself in anywhere in particular, and while I’d LOVE to have a ton of followers, I also don’t want to restrict my posts to any one topic in particular. So nice to see a different point of view
Glad you liked the post! SITS is the bomb! Becoming a member will be one of the best choices in your blogging career. I look forward to checking out your blog! Thanks for stopping by!
fellow SITS girl here. I learn so much from the site and the forum about blogging and social media. I feel like there’s SO much more to learn!
Pretty blog.
Congrats on being featured last night! That is awesome! I’ve also learned so much from SITS and you are certainly correct, there is SO much to learn. Thanks for stopping by!
Ha, thanks for the mention! Made me smile — and it surprised me, because though I show a lot of crafty things on my blog, I never would consider myself in the craft/scrapbook “niche” — I felt like most people would lump me into “just a mommy” blog. What’s funny is that when I first began blogging (3 years ago), I just started a blog to keep in touch with family + friends… I had NO idea how huge the world of blogging was — that people made money, that there were whole “communities” of bloggers with things called “niches.” : ) Anyway, it’s fun & I love your idea of finding freedom in what “type” of blog you create… because, ultimately, it is YOUR space, and though you may want readers/followers/community, I think you should ultimately write for “you.” (In as much of a non-self-centered way as possible! But seriously… would an author writing a book write passionately or successfully, if he were writing something he didn’t love?)
You are very welcome! You are very talented and as I’ve said before motivate me to capture all of those small moments we can easily miss when life is going 90 miles an hour. Thanks for all you do!
Love your blog! came over from the SITS comment hour. I have learned a TON about blogging and social media from SITS as well.
Thank you so much! Finding SITS is one of the best things I’ve done during my blogging career. Glad you stopped by!
Hi there! What a nice blog design. Love the clean, understated header area. I’m belatedly stopping by from #commenthour. I’ll admit it – I fell asleep during it last night! I am EST so kinda late for me. Anyway, glad to here that people think it’s “OK” to not have a blog niche. My blog is just general parenting/life too.
Thanks for stopping by! I’m sorry I’m belated in responding to your post. It got lost in the cracks!
Okay, I’m so glad you posted this link in the #commenthour chat! I was the one that said I just had to read this!
When I started my business blog, I no doubt had a niche. I’m a web designer so narrowing down a niche for that site was no problem at all.,
However, last year I started a lifestyle blogazine wherein topics would run the gamut. At conferences I went to, speakers kept pushing niche sites, have only one idea, etc. and I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do. So I kept putting off starting my site for a very long time.
Well, I finally launched it and am having so much fun not having to write in only one area!
So I thank you for this post as I share your thoughts. Maybe I’m not crazy after all (well, maybe I am but that’s a different story LOL)
~Kesha
@uncommonchick
I’m glad it helped you and you are enjoying writing about multiple topic areas! If you are crazy, so am I!
Sometimes you just have to go with your gut. Thanks for stopping by and it was nice chatting with you on #commenthour last night.
I like this post. i can so relate. I am not a niche blog, unless Joy blogs is a niche. I like that nothing is off limits. I can write about any thing I want and still stay within my broad topic of JOY.