Will It Stop? NO! We continue with Blogging Basics by talking about…Niche vs. Authority. Dave’s at the mic again.
Niche Blog? Authority Blog? Both? Neither?
The question of niche blogging versus authority blogging faces many new bloggers.
On one hand you might want to simply get something going that will make you some money, the sooner the better. On the other hand you might want to do something bigger that will last, make an impact, and not allow you to “outgrow” your project.
Creating an authority blog is a long-term project. It is about presenting yourself as an expert in your field. It takes time and effort to establish, but the rewards are great. To create an authority blog you will need to create loads of content over time, and some of it will have to be outstanding.
You will have to consistently provide good quality content, and connect with other bloggers for additional exposure. Getting your blog ranked well in Google and other search engines will take time and effort, since you will be up against some stiff competition from established marketers.
If you should decide on the “blogging for money” niche for instance, you will be up against people like Darren Rowse from “Problogger“, and Yaro Starak from “Entrepeneur’s Journey”. While it is not impossible to break into the market, it does present a challenge, especially for someone with no prior branding campaign.
On the positive side, however, authority blogging allows you to choose your field of blogging according to your own passions, or at least according to your own interests.
This means that at least it is unlikely that you will tire any time soon of writing about topics related to your blog!
On the flip side, creating a niche blog is easier. Unfortunately, it is also somewhat limited. There is only so much that you can write on any given topic, after which it can become difficult to come up with new ideas for content.
To make it worse, you might even tire of writing about the subject along the way, making it a drag to carry on in the first place.
But a benefit is that it is easier to rank well in Google for a niche blog. Since it is written for a very specific type of target customer, the blog can be created around the needs and search engine searches of these potential customers.
Additionally, due to the lesser amount of work involved, it is possible to maintain a couple of these niche blogs, and have more than one stream of income. Whenever you tire of any given topic, you are also free to sell or “flip” your blog, and start something new.
If you built an authority blog, on the other hand, it would be harder to let go of something that you put so much work into, and it would also be harder to sell something with which you deliberately have branded yourself.
At the end of the day, though, it all boils down to your own expectations and preferences. If you get bored easily, you might want to consider creating niche blogs. There are many marketers who specialize in creating profitable niche blogs, and that is their sole business model. They create a string of small, profitable blogs and outsource the maintenance of them, and they are happy with that.
Which direction appeals to you the most?
BTW, don’t hesitate to check out what’s going on at 12 Minute Marketing. We’re in full launch mode. Love to have you join in!
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