The Importance of Knowing your Niche
I like to think I know a lot about different subjects, but there are very few subjects in which I’d consider myself an expert. Still, when I hunt for blogging jobs there are always some I’m tempted to apply for even though my knowledge is rather limited. I did this early in my web writing career, and here’s why it’s a bad idea:
- When you blog, you have to blog every day. Some networks or clients require you to blog several times a day. Do you really know enough about your topic to write 6 to 30 post each week without rehashing old ideas?
- Visitors to your blog might be experts. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, it can get ugly.
- Other bloggers won’t be so impressed. You want your fellow bloggers to link to you and recommend your posts, not expose you as a fraud.
- You burn out quicker.
- You’ll soon grow tired of your niche. As a blogger for hire, the last thing you want is to be seen as someone who frequently takes on gigs only to discard them a couple of months later.
The bottom line is this: If you don’t know your stuff, it will become apparent. The best probloggers have the best traffic because their readers trust them. Pick a niche you know, and create a bond with your readers.
Image: stock.xchnge
This is a great post. It’s true – about getting tempted to take on stuff you only have a minor interest in, but the cons outweigh the pros big time.