source: D. Sharon Pruitt
There are some great posts in the archives of Life Your Way that don’t get much attention anymore. This week, I’ll be sharing some of my favorites. Whether you’ve been around since the beginning or are a new reader, I think you’ll enjoy them!
Many bloggers over the years have started blogging with the same purpose: to simply share pictures and stories of our children and family for friends and family members. This type of blogging is often referred to as mommy blogging, and it’s really an incredible opportunity for us to show off our families while also forging new online friendships, honing our writing skills and pushing ourselves to become better photographers.
At some point, many bloggers discover the power of their written words and decide to become more focused in their purpose and vision for their blog. Many of us also make this move for the opportunity to earn money from our blogs because memoir blogging is great for building a community, but only a select few earn a decent income from their mommy blogs.
When we’re talking about memoir versus niche blogging, neither one is better or worse than the other. Both have benefits and drawbacks, some of which we’ll look at here:
Memoir Blogging
- Develop friendships, become part of the mommy blogging community
- Show off your kids in pictures and words
- Share whatever is on your mind without worrying about whether it “fits”
- Free product & trip opportunities as you grow
- Often a springboard into other personal & business opportunities
- More competition for subscribers & visitors
Niche Blogging
- Easier to monetize
- Experience fast growth if you’re in a new or developing niche
- Springboard for other business opportunities
- Harder to share what’s on your mind if it’s unrelated to your niche
- More pressure to post regularly and be “professional”
- Involves a different kind of networking to connect with other bloggers in the niche
Moving from Memoir to Niche Blogging
Let me start by saying that if you’re happy with your memoir blog, there is no reason you need to change from a memoirist and begin blogging in a niche!
However, if you currently consider yourself a mommy blogger but would like to move to a niche blog, here are some thoughts to get you started.
Consider starting a new blog. In many cases, it will be easier for you to start a new niche blog rather than transform your current blog into something you didn’t intend it to be in the first place. Chances are that the readers of your personal blog come because they like to see pictures and hear stories about your family, and most bloggers find that they still want a place for their personal thoughts once they create a niche blog.
Narrow your focus. Successful niche blogs often have a very tight focus. In fact, that’s the main reason I expanded Organizing Your Way to the Life Your Way network. I wanted to be able to cover a wider variety of topics that are important to today’s families, and I didn’t want to keep doing that under the Organizing Your Way umbrella.
Think about what topics you’re passionate about and define your unique perspective. Perhaps you want to blog about quick & easy ways to be more green or things you can create from common household items or homeschooling a child with autism. Having a unique voice or perspective is an important part of being succesful in a niche.
Act like a professional. Once you begin a niche blog, act like a successful blogger. Keep your sidebar uncluttered. Spend more time proofreading posts than writing them. Be careful to properly credit anyone you quote or photographers whose Creative Commons photos you use. Post regularly so your readers know what to expect. Carefully choose opportunities that fit your vision.
Remember that it takes time. Although there are arguably more monetization opportunities with a niche blog, it will still take time to earn an income from your blog. Focusing on the money rather than your content is the quickest way to kill your blog before it gets off the ground. Instead, focus on the information you’re providing and connecting with readers for at least the first six months. At that point, if you’re established in the niche, you can begin experimenting with different things, although you always want to keep your content and readership first!
Do you consider yourself a niche blogger or a memoirist?
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Mandi Ehman is the founder and publisher behind Life Your Way and the co-author of All in Good Time, as well as a wife and the homeschooling mom to four beautiful girls. She lives with her family on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia and loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces. |
