Those who do not run a blog may not know, or even think, about what I’m writing about today. But those who do run a blog will understand. Beginning a blog you are told to choose a niche so that people will know what to expect from your content. And when I say niche, I do not mean travel, or lifestyle.
I mean something such as “Vegan in Vancouver“. When you read that tagline you immediately know that whatever you read will have something to do with being vegan in Vancouver. Or “Solo Female Travel Columbia” so you know that whatever you read will be focused on solo female travel in, you guessed it, Columbia.
Every blogging course I have done, or any interviews with bloggers I have read have all stressed the importance of picking a niche and sticking to it.
And I agree that having such a niche blog is wonderful for readers to know what they’re getting into and know what to expect.
However, I don’t agree that having a niche blog is the only option.
My favorite topics to blog about are travel related. I love giving you all suggestions on what to do when you travel to “XYZ”, or Where To Eat In Vancouver – Mount Pleasant. Or something fun lately have been posts such as Things I Still Need To Do In Australia, and Things I Still Need To Do In New Zealand. They have been fun to write and made me excited just thinking of all the travel I still need to do. While these posts all have something to do with travel, they are not specific to one area in the world, or one thing to do. It is still a broad travel topic. Not exactly niche, but fun to write.
Writing
So often I find that I won’t blog, even though I really want to, because whatever the topic I want to blog about isn’t travel related.
I used to love writing recipes that I was enjoying making. I stopped doing that though because of all the advice I was given telling me that that does not work for a travel focused blog. And that is sort of sad, that I stopped doing something I enjoyed so much just because others have told me I shouldn’t do that to rate on Google well.
This post has been a bit more of a ramble than I anticipated and I’m not sure I properly got the point across, but I guess what I wanted to say is this – I do not think that a blog must be a niche blog to be successful.
Bloggers
My favorite blogger is one who I have been following for about 7 years now. Simply Taralynn. She started her blog on Tumblr, sharing what she was eating each day for her weight loss. Now she has a whole lifestyle blog with no specific niche, and instead writes about everything from recipes, travel, DIY, weekly recaps, hiking, and more. And I LOVE checking out her blog each week to see what’s new on there, not because I want a niche specific blog post. I enjoy seeing her personality shine through.
Another favorite blogger is Hannah Gale. She also writes about so many different topics that each blog post is something new and fun. Recipes, life as a new mother, travel, fashion hauls, and wishlist’s.
Conclusion
So while I understand the need most people have for a niche blog, I hope it’s okay if I write more than just travel related content. I hope it’s okay if I write mostly travel related content, but throw in the occasional recipe, or fun date night, or write about a great few days I had.
I know that’s something I would look forward to reading.
What about you.
Do you think a blog must be a niche blog?
Do you enjoy a range of topics, or specific ones?
12 Responses
I think it’s definitely okay to write about more than one subject! I like to stick to a certain theme on mine, but if I have an idea for a post that I’m super excited to write about then I won’t let a niche stop me! I think it’s totally up to the blogger what content they want on their blog, and there are blogs out there that just stick to one niche and they’re amazing, but there are also other bloggers out there that don’t stick to a niche and they are also amazing!
Chloe xx
http://www.chloechats.com
Thank you for your advice Chloe! I think I’ll start writing more when I feel inspired, and not just focus so much on one subject.
I honestly write about my life, like it’s a journey, some health, some beauty, some travel and so forth, and it makes me happy x
I love reading your blog and seeing what you’ve been up to and how you’re feeling!
I don’t think it’s necessary to have a niche, especially when you’re still new to blogging. I always encourage newbies to write about what they’re passionate about and then review all of their work a few months down the line, as their niche would reveal itself naturally to them.
That’s such a great idea! And the perfect way to figure out what you enjoy writing about most.
This is a wonderful post. I personally don’t think your blog needs a niche. I think it’s too restrictive in what you want to write, and what your readers want to read. Yes, you can have a primary niche, but you can also have sub-niches. For example, my blog is Mental health, with sub-niches of wellness, healthy living and general lifestyle. I even do book reviews when the fancy takes me.
– Nyxie
Thank you! I love your idea of sub-niches. I feel like my main niche would be travel, with sub-niches of recipes, and general lifestyle.
I think it massively depends on your reasons for blogging and if you’re growing a brand or a business out of it. I don’t think a solid niche is important (like something really specific such as cruelty free make up) however you do need something to make you stand out and essentially you need to make yourself your own niche. So readers recongise your voice and style 🙂
Jenny
http://www.jennyinneverland.com
Great tips Jenny! My favorite blogs always have a strong personality behind them.
I love general lifestyle blogs as I feel like they are a true insight into a bloggers’ life. Specific blogs are super helpful when you’re looking for something specific though, like if you’re looking for where to eat in a certain place, or reviews of a hotel! xx
Definitely! I think my favorite blogs are always general lifestyle blogs.