Why I Don't Think You Have to Have a Niche to Be a Successful Blogger

One question I've received from a couple different readers about blogging is:

"I DON’T FEEL LIKE MY BLOG HAS A NICHE. IS THAT OKAY?"

When I first started my blog, I subscribed to a bunch of blogs that were dedicated to the art and business of blogging. I read a lot of what they had to say, and I incorporated a lot of what they had to say.

I also ignored a fair amount of what they had to say.

All that stuff about having a niche? I think that definitely has its place in blogging, but I think that sometimes it’s overrated.

Because for me, I consider my niche to be “me.” Some days I write about food I make, other days crafts that I've created, other days how I'm living out and digging into my faith. It varies, and I do try to be consistent about that variety (making sure once a week I publish something that’s personal in nature or about my faith, something homemaking related, etc.).

So while there’s variety to the posts, they're still—well—all about me.

But that’s okay. I don't think there's anything wrong with just blogging about your life.

You know why? Because those are my favorite blogs to read, so that’s what kind of blog I write.

I think, all too often when we talk about the need for a niche, we think like if we were writing a non-fiction book or starting a magazine. It has to be about one specific subject and nothing more. So focus on finances or book reviews or cooking and that’s all.

For some people, that has worked beautifully for them and there are a lot of really successful financial and foodie blogs. (It should be noted that those kinds of blogs probably are easier to monetize, so if you're looking to turn your blog into a business, then perhaps focusing your writing on a single topic is something for you.)

What I’m saying though is that it doesn’t have to be that cut and dry. We can expand the idea of the niche and remember that what is so lovely about blogs is that they are inherently more personable and personality-infused than your typical media. There is much more room—and oftentimes more need—for the blogger to be transparent in his or her writing, so that you feel like you’re getting to know the person behind the post as much as you’re getting to know the content of the post itself.

Which is why I love blogs about people and their lives and their struggles and their triumphs and the chance to walk alongside them through it all. Which is what I’ve, consequently, tried to create here at my own blog.

Still, I do think there ought to be some order to the chaos, which is why I make it a point to keep my posts varied and make sure I hit all my bases—homemaking, faith-based, personal, craft or cooking—over the course of a week or two of posts.

So, all that to say. Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with variety and a hodge podge of posts about your life. That can very well be a niche of its own!

This post is part of my Better Blogging series, where I respond to some of the most common questions that I receive about blogging. Feel free to read all of the posts in this series here.

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