Finding Your Nitch

by Kristena Mears

Photo by Kamakshi subramani on Unsplash

Have you found your perfect niche for your blog? Let me say right off the bat that this was the hardest area for me when I first began mine.
Oh… did I say that about the last subject?
You’re right… it’s all hard.

By the way, this is the third part of this series of Blogging for Writers. This focuses on a few key areas that I have found as trouble spots for new or struggling writers who blog. I would suggest going back to the first blog and read them through from the beginning. I have named them all the same (Blogging as a Writer part 1,2,3 and so on for easy search on the site)

Why Is Finding A Niche So Important?

Is it important to have a niche? The answer to this question depends on you and why you what a blog.
Are you just wanting a place to write your thoughts, more like a public journal for your friends and family, or is this meant to be a place to reach others, build a base for your writing, and promote your business?

If the reason to have a blog is to promote your ideas and build a base, then yes, it is important to find a niche. There needs to be a place others can come to see who you are and what you’re interested in. You need to give them a reason to want your book. You’re promoting yourself as much as you’re promoting your ideas and passion. Your audience needs a reason to come back. Make them desire what you’re offer.

What Are You Passionate About?

Your niche is all about you. What are you passionate about? What is your life theme and/or goal? This is where you’ll find your niche.
I am passionate about writing.
I am passionate about others.
I am passionate about getting published and encouraging others to read my work. Therefore, I am passionate about Indie publishing.
I am passionate about Christ.
I am passionate about the grace and love of Christ and how he works in our lives. His unending love and how He never gives up on us.

Do I want to incorporate all theses into my blog? Maybe, but not all of them need to be part of my niche.
When I first started my blog, I didn’t have a singular focus. I would blog on anything that caught my interest that day or week. If it was a holiday, I would blog about its origins. If there was an eclipse, I would blog on that.
It wasn’t until last year that I finally started focusing on encouraging Indie Authors. I still might mention a holiday or special event, but now I do it in the framework of writing. Those other subjects are interesting and there is a place for them if that’s what your niche is. Just keep focused on your goal.

Finding Your Niche Takes Time.

It took me a little over three years to find my niche. It can take time and can be a struggle. Don’t let that discourage you. The struggle along the way will only strengthen your writing. Enjoy the process. You just might find, as I did, that your blog will go a completely different direction that you thought it would go when you started. Let that happen. You are going to grow in your writing and you will find your blog will grow with you.

Tips To Help Find Your Niche

I can’t tell you exactly how to find the perfect niche for you, but I can point you in the right direction.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself in your discover journey.

• What motivates me?
• What is the binding theme in books or movie you read and watch? This can be hard to identify at first. Takes some time. Do they all have a “second chance” theme? Is it mercy or forgiveness that motivates you? Maybe it’s courage in hard times or overcoming difficult obstacles.
• What direction are you going?
• Who are you wanting to help and/or bring along with you on your journey?

Last tip, don’t make your focus too wide OR too narrow.

You don’t want your niche so narrow that you’re talking about the same thing week after week. This will cause readers to get bored and look elsewhere. You also don’t want your topic so broad that your readers don’t know what your blog will be about.
I’m not talking about variety. It’s important to cover different aspects of your topic so others will gain knowledge and improve themselves. But you don’t want to jump from subject to subject. If your blog is about knitting, don’t suddenly give advice on mountain climbing unless your knitting group is meeting that week on top of a mountain.

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