It’s amazing to me when I realize that I’ve been blogging for six years! And, I show no signs of slowing down. Put simply, I love blogging, the community, the stories of transformation, and all of the resources shared. In 2012 I started blogging about personal finance. My money was a mess and I had found solace in reading other pf blogger’s blogs. Then I discovered that a conference called FinCon was being held in Denver. And, ALL OF MY FAVORITE bloggers were there (geeky fangirl moment). So, I decided to go. And, it was the only time that this extrovert held back. For 3 or 4 days (hard to remember because it has been awhile) I just soaked it all in and I loved every moment of it. And, even though I primarily blogged about personal finance, I realized that you don’t have to niche down like everyone tells you.
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Embrace Creating Content Verticals
Within your blog. What on earth am I talking about? Here’s the thing that I’ve learned over the years (and has been confirmed by people who look closely at statistics:
80% of the people who come to your blog…probably won’t return
It’s nothing personal. Basically, if they found you and you helped the reader answer a question-they are happy! They may share your post, tell people about you, or forget about you-and, that’s ok. Because of this statistical reality you could (and should) write about lifestyle topics that relate to your overall blog topic. Below are examples of some of the content verticals that I share on this blog (all cycling back to your money-personal finance).
- Earning more-I love sharing all the ways there are to make more money. Typically, I like to share all of the side-hustles that I’ve worked, or that friends of mine have worked. With the goal of helping the reader with any and every issue that they may need to anticipate if they opt to earn more using any of my suggestions.
- Blogging as a Business-This is a newer vertical that I’m focusing on this year. Once you’ve blogged for 6 years you have a ton of wisdom regarding all things blogging. And, with that in mind, I’ve decided to share that wisdom with my readers.
- All things Food-I LOVE food. And, for some weird reason, I’ve never written about it even though changing my grocery habits helped me save THOUSANDs! And, I still grocery shop at Whole Foods.
- Lifestyle Topics-That I like to call “woo-woo” and these posts are ALWAYS shared on Mondays. These posts are for the 20% of my readers who could care less about how-to’s and prefer to connect to my personal story. I really love writing these posts and made a point of letting these regular readers know that Mondays was “their” day.
You Don’t Have to Niche Down
But, there are a couple of things that bloggers who take this approach may want to keep in mind. You may still need to house your blog under a specific niche such as:
- Lifestyle-These blogs tend to be more personal, walking through people’s daily lives.
- Personal Finance
- Travel
- Food
- Photography
- Cultural Topics
Then, you would write content verticals that circle back to that niche. It should make sense to both your one-off visitors and your blogging fans.
More Ways to Make Money
This approach enables bloggers to explore more ways to monetize their blogging projects. I have two very different blogs and those blogs have different verticals within them. I love this because I am able to strategize different ways to earn more money.
Want to Start a Blog?
I love blogging! It has been an incredible experience, transformed my life, and connected me with a ton of amazing people. Blogging is a pretty cheap activity and I recommend hosting your blog with Siteground. Many bloggers have begun leaving HostGator and BlueHost and moving to Siteground. Myself included! Read why I’m leaving HostGator and BlueHost (I have 2 blogs one on each hosting platform) and moving to Siteground. If you’re a new blogger Siteground will cost around $3.95 a month (depending on the size of your audience). They have great customer service and tutorials on how to host your new WordPress blog on Siteground.
Elite Blog Academy
Looking to take your blogging game up a level? Check out Elite Blog Academy. I had the good fortune of taking this awesome class a few years ago. Not only did I learn that blogging could actually be a business that makes you money-I learned the technique behind blogging as a business.
I also met a number of incredible bloggers who have retired their husbands after growing their blogging businesses. And, EBA was a cornerstone to their success (plus hard work and great writing!) You don’t have to niche down, but you do have to focus and implement. Check out the following free guide to get a “taste” of the type of content that EBA shares with its students.
Click the following link to get the free guide “The Secret Blueprint for Blogging Success”
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really really intyeresting thanks for sharing!