Niche blogging is basically only blogging about a specific topic. The scope can be quite broad such as “life skills” or very narrow, like “-insert celebrity’s dog-”. It can be seasonal like “Paris fashion week” or year-round like “US Election and the economy”. Niche blogging supposedly helps the writer develop authority on his/her subject and ensures that the readers don’t have to dig through a pile of posts before finding something useful - because almost everything is on topic. However, as awesome as blogs like Zenhabits and Problogger are, and as juicy as blogs like Perezhilton has become, there are several reasons why niche blogging may not be for me (and you).
Topic restriction and lack of flexibility. After you pick a niche, your posts must nearly always be on-topic. If you are someone who like creativity and flexibility, this limit may even contribute to your blogger’s block.
Amount of topics available. The two biggest niches out there today blogs-about-blogging and make-money-online-blogs. Yawn. It’s getting old folks. I know for most topics nowadays, you can get ten posts right off the bat. But in a few months? Will you still have a steady source of ideas?
Demographic target and size. Most of the lovely people I have on my blogroll (updated, check it out!) have been on there for almost a year. A good number are students like me and we’ve been commenting on each other’s blogs for as long as Ubiquitous existed. If your website shifts from a personal blog to a niche blog, rest be assured that your reader demographic will change. From teen-bopperitis to obiesity to blogs-about-blogging, the audience varies drastically.
Competition. A healthy competition is a good thing, but is the business so cut-throat that a horde of people will shut you down as soon as you open your mouth? I stand by my belief that the make-money-blogging sites are a lost cause with some hefty giants in the field like JohnChow who’s “been there, done that”.
Personal pleasure. Your blog pretty much defines you. A niche blogger needs passion, dedication, and determination. I’m not sure I’d still love blogging if it becomes a part-time job.
Questions niche bloggers have to ask themselves
- What is my target audience/potential audience?
- What do I bring to the field that’s unique and attention-worthy?
- Will I be able to maintain consistency in post quality?
- Am I passionate about this topic?
Most people who make it big have a niche. As Amanda pointed out below, niche blogging in a loose sense can also be lifestyle blogs about a career (eg. lawyer blogs, mommy blogs) or person (eg. you). So is niche blogging really for you? Or are you just more of a personal life recorder like myself? You decide. Keep in mind though, never stop blogging!
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I'm Crystal, a Canadian who thinks she can take on the world simply by getting up each morning. They call me the caffeinated IBer wandering on the Internet. 
Niche blogging is definitely not for me. Blogging about one topic can get redundant and ultimately boring. I’m not going to make it big in the blog-mosphere, but I enjoy it nonetheless. Power to the real bloggers (not the teenyboppers!).
IT’s true niche blogging doesn’t suit everyone, but if you have a focus in your life then it’s actually very easy to blog about that and that alone. If flexibility is what you feel limits you, hten you’re always able to start up a second blog, or guest post, or write elsewhere too.
As far as I see it, I’m a niche blogger. I blog about Amanda, her life, likes, petty dislikes.
I don’t see anyone else doing that…so I’m a niche blogger! 
Due to my attention span (or lack of one!) it would be impossible for me to become a niche blogger. So, I just blog about… whatever! Admittedly, mostly about my life, which some people dislike, but I suppose my readers are okay with it!! My blogging audience has been weird though. I started blogging in 1999. A few people who read my blog are people I’ve known since 2002! Some are friends from high school! When I was in Katimavik, it was mainly friends, and the odd other blogger who’d I’d kept up with. Now, it’s all these groups and more, mixed together! It makes it interesting for sure, and challenges me to come up with interesting topics that all these diverse people will hopefully enjoy!
Heh. I like Amanda’s response. I can’t imagine writing about one topic with the sole purpose of getting an audience and some advertising revenue. Really, I want to be free to explore whatever topics come to mind - technology, the arts, my work, life, personal development. No matter how into a topic I am, I rarely return to niche blogs as after awhile most of the content sounds the same (one writer, one topic) - but personal blogs or ones that are varied in content? Far more interesting to me.
Amanda’s answer rocks
Basically, what I do is similar to Amanda, except it’s all me 
Niche blogging? Boring. My oh-so-dramatic life is obviously way more interesting.
I got in to UC Berkeley too! You should go there, because as of right now, that’s probably where I’ll be this fall ;]
Niche blogging isn’t for me either. But it is hard to get successful (if that is what you want lol) with a personal blog than with a niche blog…
Niche blogging = not me. I don’t really like Niche blogging either.
I like blogging about random stuff. It’s nice to be free :cute:
[...] Read the rest of this great post here [...]
I’m a blog addict and I have niche blogs and a bigger broader blog - not sure I have a niche for my main blog any more - though I originally started as a “fatblogging” niche with lots of health, diet, etc posts - which is a broad topic to cover, but it’s first and foremost my personal blog - so I include family stuff and craft stuff too now and then as things come in my life - I am into too many things to be just in one niche with this blog.
However, I also realize I have a lot of interests so I did create a few small blogs - to cover just one topic. But I don’t have HUGE plans for these - I am doing them because it’s fun and I can showcase posts about that one topic rather then have it lost in a bigger blog.
For example I just started Stir the Cauldron - everything about tarot. I’ve been collecting tarot decks for over 20 years now, and I love them. So even if I just posted about each deck I have that would be a lot. But I plan on adding photos, readings, history, how to, trivia, etc. - and posting 3 to 4 times a week. But I’m doing it because I truly love my tarot collection, but it basically has just been collecting dust most of the time - this blog will give me a creative way to actively enjoy the collection again. And a great excuse to get a few new decks
If other folks enjoy it and visit - great, but that is not the main reason for creating the blog.
There are a few core subjects I like to blog about — me, myself and I. Not really! Well, actually, sort of. However, you have a limited amount of interests so whilst there isn’t a niche you still have a core readership for the different things that you blog about?
See, when I think of niche blogging, I think of that blog having a true purpose (other than for the satisfaction of the blogger) and it being more… commercial. Whereas personal blogging can be about yourself or anything that interests you; no restrictions and no confinements. Far better.
That’s a wonderful article, well explained!
It’s a *5 Thumbs Up!* from Wakish
Keep going!
- Wakish -
While I agree that this whole niche blogging thing isn’t really for me either, I can see why some do it. I have 3 blogs currently, though.. not sure if they are a “niche”. But I do use them each for different things, just no a specified topic like “make money online” or anything like that.
Never stop blogging?
Our niche blog is to tell people to stop blogging.
Do you think it’ll work?
-Stop Blogging
I have to say I like doing some niche blogging. Which is design and technology - I tend to keep with it fairly well and like to apply my personal views as well as ideas. It keeps my brain working to some degree. On the other hand I don’t class my blog as such which allows me to post personal entries and plain none sense which I really love!
And sometimes a shift in reader demographic can be quite nice :biggrin: I’m happy with the quality of reader I get today, compared to the majority I used to get!
I don’t think I could ever niche blog just because I love having the creativity and flexibility of writing about whatever I want without having to adhere to a specific subject. Maybe I might in the future, probably not me thinks. Great post btw :)!
I’m too fickle to be a niche blogger and I hardly ever read blogs (as amazing as some people may think they are) that only deal with one or two main topics.
More importantly, I’m not well-versed enough in one specific area to do so even if I wanted to.
I tried having an RPG blog a few years ago, didn’t work… so yes, I’ll stick with whatever I have now.
wow… *blink blink* I see myself .. *blink blink* more…
first of all thank you for informing me what a niche blogger is … I was thinking of blogging about me as an investment bank intern … but thought, what am I to do with it after the summer.. plus who’s going to read it .. i might just as well write a post on how to get an internship which far more people would be interested in.
i bookmarked zenhabits a while ago, but it’s kind of boring now to read *yawn*.
btw, congrats on your offers!!!!!!! (from reading your last post) I love UC Berkeley but $4000!! kaching!~
Nice a blog :bored:
i planned on niche blogging but it just can’t contain what i really want to blog. it’s like i’m inside a birdcage.
Niche bloggin isn’t for me either, I would find it boring and I like being free to write whatever I want rather than being restricted
I can’t niche blog for my life because…well, my life has a lot of things going on besides on specific topic (that was a bad pun).
I sometimes like reading niche blogs on stuff I’m interested in. I think niche blogs are best if it’s also a group blog–therefore, not only one person will have to write about the same subject every day. People get turns.
Hummee. *points to name* *points to About page in blog*
:tongue:
Am I passionate about bitching about IB? Yes. xD
Back when Xanga was cool to me, I had the teenbopperitis thing going on. My posts tended to border on what, in retrospect, seems to be emo-angsty.
I’ve always been a pretty private person and tend to obsess over very specific topics, which is maybe why niche blogging might be better for me in some ways than personal blogging.
The IB blogging thing is beginning to kill me. There are only so many topics to choose from seeing as IB is the most repetitive and monotonous institution I’ve ever come across with (clashed with?). There are times when I’d rather just post about, oh, I don’t know…puppies or something. Or some other random topic.
I abandoned my personal blog 2 years ago, but I think it’ll emerge from obscurity soon enough.
I am having a hard time writing about cool and useful sites and tips all the time. I find myself making a post about movies, games and some other cool stuff found in the internet. It true what you said that niche blogging takes a lot of hard work and dedication and I can’t seem to find myself writing about just one niche. If I am going to be called a niche blogger, I guess that my niche would be about sharing the good stuff online.
I have a couple of niche blogs, and one general blog. My main niche blog, Tip Tail, is about my dogs and dog training. I am passionate about it, and love the dogs and blogging about them. My audience is not very big, but I don’t mind, because it’s my passion!
Heys, keep up th great work on this website.
Richard from http://www.hedgeagainstspeculation.com
I am in agreement here, blogging about a variety of topics is necessary for me to stay interested. The question is whether I can make money doing it. I think perhaps I can.
It wouldn’t be anything for me either. I just want to blog about things happening in my life or random thoughts.
I also have a humor blog, it’s fairly limited to funny stuff, pics etc, but I maintain it coz its fun..
Agreed! Sometimes, niche blogging can be really boring and would make you hit the writer’s block more often. It’s also a very competitive environment to gain readership. Niche bloggers do in fact invest a lot in their blogs. But, there’s nothing wrong with being non-niche as long as you’re not too serious about getting to the depth of things. In fact, I love reading non-niche blogs as opposed to the niche blogs. Sometimes they feel so human.
Cheers!
I’m a niche-blogger and don’t intend to change. I blog about my life on my personal blog, for my future self! Unless people are trying to seriously make money off their blogs, I really don’t think they should worry so much.
I’ve learned that picking a specific niche in the right field is the most effective way to monetize your blog, because it guarantees a targeted audience and makes it so much easier to find sponsors. If you write about fly fishing for example, advertisers who offer fishing equipment or travel packages to fishing spots would fit your blog perfectly. Writing without a specific niche in mind makes it far more difficult to monetize.
With that in mind though, I’ve discovered the PERFECT niche for my blog: Me.
I like Amanda’s answer.
If I had a specific area of interest or expertise, I suppose I *could* do the whole niche blogging thing. For now, though, my niche is “me me me!” and I like it that way because I can be spontaneous and random.
Agree completely and that’s why I blog at my real name (.com). It’s me expressing my opinion on various topics and sharing knowledge I’ve built up over the years. Sure, there’s a trend to my topics but certainly not limited to one niche.
Having said that, I’m working on releasing a few niche blogs in the coming months…best of both worlds!
I could never niche blog! I’m all over the place - I will blog about almost anything. I do think that it can have its purpose, though, especially if it’s a subdomain on your main site or whatever.
Hmmmmmm……
Niche blogger here, although I’m just starting a new blog that will hopefully resolve that. lol
Btw, very nice blog. Don’t really know why it came up in my entirely unrelated google search but I consider my finding of your blog a positive development! Anywayz…. count me among your readers. Period.
Curious though, I’ve only been looking through the comments for a while but er….. I’ve only seen one, single, lonesome comment from a (ahem) male….