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| The tree on the green that blew down in Scotland’s Son of Bawbag storm |
The road to online success is niche, everyone says so. In fact, I’ve said so myself, in a book, so it must be true.
Niche means a single subject in which I become an expert and people will visit for that information alone. Hmmm. Yes. It’s a bit like when people say: “What’s your journalistic specialism?”
I don’t have one of them either. Instead I have a low boredom threshold. I don’t want to be a specialist in one subject because I’d only get tired of it and start messing about. After 44 years I may have acquired some self-knowledge.
Maybe I could have several niches – multi-niches? I could ponder about books, parenting, food, autism, writing, ghost blogging, journalism or my new fixation fun with frugal – each on it’s own mini blog. And I could link them up. I know this is what I’m supposed to do, what the theory suggests. But…
And ennui isn’t the only enemy. The way I see it, many niches might be a bit like keeping all your possessions in different handbags. The sequinned one for lipsticks; the rucksack for Thermos flasks and maps; the tatty leather one for specs and car keys; snakeskin for receipts; bold canvas for children’s toys and pens. How the hell are you supposed to remember what you put where and why?
So, in a way, this blog is like a capacious old bag, full of just about everything I – or anyone else – might possibly want, if I could only find it in the empty sweetie wrappers and escaped tampons at the bottom.
What do you reckon? Should I leave the comfort of the misshapen old faithful omniblog and launch a couple of specialist blogs, or is it fine just as it is in a big messy jumble?
PS The photo has nothing whatsoever to do with the post, but that kind of proves the point.
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Congrats on your new book Ellen!
Nadine
x
Thanks Nadine x
I think brand equals bland. Interesting blogs reflect interesting complex people and their interests. Niche to me feels like being boxed in.
Thanks Mamabook, I think it would be a bit suffocating. The beauty of a blog is it lets you suit yourself.
I'm a messy jumble sort of guy myself. I like the freedom of just publishing what I want. I can see the attraction of the discipline of sticking to a particular specialism but that'd be too much like hard work.
Once my blog stops being fun I'll stop doing it. If fun is your motivation Ellen I'd stick with the jumble too. It doesn't stop you from being creative – quite the opposite I'd say.
Thanks Jo. I might resurrect that yet.
Thanks Rab – up the jumble then, as it were,
Oh and I meant to say I've added your blog to my blogroll.
I'm so pleased you've “given me permission” not to be niche! I gave up on my blog last year because I was concerned that I had to concentrate on a specific subject (there was also a time thing, though, so I didn't give myself time to continue with it).
However, I resurrected it on January 1 and thought, “blow it; I'll write about what I want.”
I wasn't sure if that was the right way to go, but what the heck, that's what I'm doing!
Mine started off niche – travel – but as I'm mostly not travelling it has become jumblesque too. I'm happy with this because I realise it's engagement with others which is important to me and that's easier with a mish-mash of topics to chat about.
Jayne, I think it depends what you're trying to achieve – if you want commercial success then specialism is best, but for all the other blog benefits it has to be the 'blow it' method. if it's no fun, what's the point?
Trish, It does give more scope I think. There is an argument that says readers get cheesed off with irrelevent posts, but I think they just click past like they would in a newspaper.
Rab, Thanks. I will return the complement.
I know what you mean,thing is when I started my blog I wanted to write about my ruuning so I started a running blog,then I wanted to write about fashion,then baking then photos before I knew it I had about 6 blogs with one post on each a week and that didn't work for me,so now I have just one blog that has everything in it and this works for me 🙂 well done on the book 🙂
Claire, Thanks. I feel the same – several blogs would be several weedy, weekly blogs rather than one chunky one.
Deb, It's difficult isn't it? Your blog is about so much more than having an AS in the house. I love your 50 questions.
I'm a fan of omniblogs – a little bit of everything. If I don't like stuff I mark as read and move on
What I find very dull are blogs which are all reviews or without opinions or decent writing – and yours isn't one of those