Every day on the Internet, bloggers are faced with the task of creating something new. Writing a good blog post is not easy – especially if you write in a crowded niche.
Crowded niches are no easy task to conquer. There are many blogs out there writing about the same thing as you, using similar keywords and maybe even tapping into some of the same audience. In fact, it can be downright confusing and overwhelming to figure out how you can stand out.
Bloggers are always looking for inspirational ideas on how to make their blogs more engaging, creative, and unique. Regardless of whether you are a new blogger or an established one, keep reading for 10 tips on how to blog in a crowded niche.
What is a crowded blog niche?
A crowded blog niche is a blog niche where there is lots of competition. In addition, a crowded blog niche means that there are already a lot of bloggers writing on the same topic.
As you might have guessed, it’s hard to build your blog if everyone is already writing about whatever it is you want to talk about.
Despite this, readers will always exist in crowded niches since people who are interested in your subject will always look for content on it. This article gives you 10 tips for blogging in a crowded niche.
1. Find a thin slice of the niche
A successful niche blog serves a very specific group of people. The biggest mistake I see beginning bloggers make is trying to cater to everyone. If you try to be all things to all people, you’ll be no one to anyone. Instead, find a thin slice of the market and target it with laser-like precision.
Yes, choosing what specific niche to blog in is one of the toughest tasks. The first step in finding a thin slice of a niche is to examine several niches and see what small or overlooked part of it you can fill.
Do some research first and then create great content that solves your reader’s pain points without being overly promotional. Bloggers naturally gravitate to the “thinnest” part of a niche that they can find and write about.
The idea is that people who are interested in this narrow subject are more likely to stick around and read your stuff.
2. Find your voice
Everyone has things they are passionate about, so find yours. Your experiences and hobbies are an endless wealth of blog material. What’s more, you can always expand on the same idea with different angles to make it interesting for yourself and your readers.
It is important to find your blogging voice, no doubt. Yet, the best advice I’ve heard about voice is this: Don’t get stuck on finding your voice! Your voice is your personality. If you can be funny when you tell stories to friends, try to infuse that into your blog.
If you’re cautious and deliberate and like getting the facts straight before you talk, write that way for the Web. Create a style that’s consistent throughout all of your blog posts, whether it’s funny or thoughtful or quoting statistics.
Try to build a relationship with your readers so they come to know you and are eager to read what you have to say about new topics. Leave them with something to think about.
3. Use trending topics to increase your reach
In a crowded market, reaching your target audience can be tough. Trending topics are a good way to increase the reach of your content. By including trending topics in your title, your article will be more likely to be shared by others interested in the same subject.
Try to fit trending topics into your titles as naturally as possible. Another benefit of trending topics is that even if you develop your unique idea, there is most likely a trending topic that describes it.
For example, if a big sporting event or election is occurring, make sure you have an article (or video) about it published before the event/election occurs.
As people are searching for information about the topic, they’ll be able to find your post. This helps them get the information they need and also gives you valuable views for which you might pay good money!
4. Choose a blogging platform for your niche
After you decide on the specifics of your blog, you must decide on the platform you will use. This allows you to get your blog off the ground and start attracting organic traffic.
When the time comes to choose a blogging platform, make sure that your choice is flexible enough for you to make much use of it. Virtually every niche has its blogging platform.
If you are into photography, WordPress blogs are very flexible and easy to use. If you are into videos, then Blogger is great because it is video-friendly. So what makes a good blogging platform?
You should choose a blogging platform that has rich social media integration, active community, open-source, easy to use, extensible, and fast. Besides, it must be able to leverage your creativity and utilize your knowledge while also being loyal to and serving its users.
5. Think outside the box
The whole point of blogging is to establish yourself as a thought leader, a person or resource that others can’t live without. If you blog the way everyone else blogs in your niche, more than 50 percent of the people reading your content will be newcomers.
Think about your blogging niche. It’s likely to be packed with other blogs fighting for rankings and readers. Are there any aspects which you can spin so you’re not just doing the same thing as your competition?
You need to think outside the box and do something so unique that no one can ignore you. Be different, be unique. Create something people have never heard of and they will want to read more about it.
6. Write content that stands out from the crowd
If you’re going to blog in a crowded niche, then you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd. The best way to stand out from the crowd is to create content that’s valuable, relevant, and makes people take notice.
The problem is that most bloggers don’t know how to write content like this. Although writing is an essential skill of a blogger, not everyone can become a good writer. Most bloggers are not good at writing. It takes time and hard work to develop content that stands out from the crowd.
Come up with your methods for standing out. Add a video to your posts, use images or charts when appropriate, and always include links to other great content on your blog.
7. Commit to posting regularly
So you’ve sat down and figured out what you’re going to blog about, but do you commit to keeping blogging? Let’s face it – this isn’t an easy business as you’ve heard from all the bloggers who gave up after just a few months.
It takes many hours of work each day to maintain a successful blog. If you’re expecting to become an overnight success by putting in 4 hours per week, that’s probably not going to happen.
A successful blogging schedule is not about how busy you are, or how popular your blog is. It’s not even how creative you are. The most important metric is this: How often do you post new material on your blog?
This can be a problem for some bloggers because life and work sometimes get in the way, but try to commit to posting at least once a week, preferably twice. This is something that both you and your audience need to get used to if they want fresh content.
8. Work on search engine optimization
Keep in mind that blogging isn’t just about writing content. It’s also about optimizing your blog posts to rank on search engines like Google and Bing.
After you’ve composed the excellent titles and landing pages, realize that you aren’t done with SEO quite yet. Now you must write the content of your page so it’s helpful for search engines.
Your readers trust that you’re going to provide them with fresh and useful information. Make sure it is easy for them to find your blog and that it loads quickly when they get there.
To improve blog traffic and conversion rates, it is important to take time to plan your content marketing strategy, structure individual blog posts correctly, and ensure you use the right keywords in your writing.
This helps readers find your content online and drives traffic and potential customers back to your business.
9. Study the popular blogs and use tools to improve your blog
When you start a blog, it’s easy to get caught up in the fact that you have one. You might not want to do as much extensive blogging at first, because time is short and there is always something else to do. That’s where it can be helpful to study the big blogs in your niche.
To succeed in any niche, you have to prepare yourself for the battle ahead. Whether you have been blogging for years or are a new blogger, there is always something new that you can learn.
The best way to do this is to study the successful blogs in your niche and then use unique tools to make your blog better.
10. Don’t expect to be successful overnight
Do you think you can blog once and become instantly successful? Everyone wants that, but that’s not how life works. Success takes hard work and time. So don’t expect to be a popular blogger after your first few months. It can take up to five years of active blogging to get where you want to be.
Just like a startup business, you have to work on it every day. The good news is that, unlike a startup business, you can blog when you have the time. As long as you invest the time consistently, your blog will grow and become more successful over time.
FAQs
What blogging platform do you recommend?
I recommend WordPress for most people. I have used it for years and it is easy to set up and has many free templates which make it easy to get started.
There are a lot of plug-ins available for WordPress that can help you with your analytics, traffic generation, and efficiency when posting new content to your blog.
However, it is important that you choose one that works right for you, so feel free to take your time testing them out. I created a section on the blog that can help with almost any WordPress-related problem since WordPress is my preferred blogging platform.
Do I need an optimized landing page and what is that all about?
Yes. A landing page is the first page that visitors come to when they click on a link. On a blog, it’s the first page that visitors see when they follow your blog link.
It’s important to use an optimized landing page that will look distinctly different than the rest of your posts. In addition, each piece of content you write should be optimized to gain maximum exposure in Google search results.
Furthermore, if you are going to spend money on ads, you want to make sure the traffic goes to an optimized landing page and not some obscure or random page on your website
Should I write about my own experiences?
You don’t have to, but it’s good to blog about your personal experiences. Narrow the topic to an area that you know something about.
In most instances, you should write about your own experiences because this proves to readers that you are an expert in a particular niche.
However, don’t only write about yourself or your own experiences. Add other elements to the piece such as statistics and/or quotes from outside sources. Think of writing about yourself as one element in a broader article covering the same topic.
How can I make my articles more interesting?
There is a fine balance between an informative article that provides your readers with information and interesting content that holds their attention. One of the best ways you can write an interesting article is by asking yourself questions.
This forces you to look at things from a different point of view and helps to show your knowledge of the subject matter. You can also add “Did you know” sections in your articles which allow you to add fun or fascinating facts about the subject matter.
It is also a good idea to study other successful blogs within your niche if you want to get inspiration for your blog.
What are the most profitable blog niches?
There are dozens of blog niche options. In my opinion, the most profitable blog niches to write a blog about include Self-improvement, Lists, and Home/Family improvement. More technical blogs like photography are fun to read and also popular or profitable.
What formats work best for blogs?
The format can be simple text, photos, videos, and infographics. Your blog or your main website should have easy navigation via the menu bar or the footer links. Ensure you have a sitemap to help search engines such as Google find your content.
However, depending on the blogger’s preferred writing style and the type of information he or she is delivering, there are a few formats that work best for blogs.
Learn more: How to format blog posts that Google will love.
Why are blog niches important?
A blog niche separates people who are interested in blogging about a particular topic from those who are not. The most successful blogs tend to be about some particular topic and attract people who are interested in that topic. A blog niche helps to build an audience.
Furthermore, blog niches are important because they play a major role in a blog’s success and help you increase your traffic. Some niches attract more visitors than others, some niches will make you more money than others and some niches will make you more influential than others.
How long does it take to make money?
There is no single answer to this question, simply because it is subjective. For example, how much money do you want to make? What are your goals? Do you just want to make a living from blogging or do you see blogging as a stepping stone for additional projects?
No one can say exactly how long it will take, because everyone’s situation is different. But, if you read the blogs of successful bloggers, I’m sure you’ll see it takes a while.
Why become a blogger?
Becoming a blogger is not an easy task to accomplish. It will be an extreme challenge. There are several reasons why people want to become a blogger.
Some want long-term rewards while others want short-term rewards. Everyone has different motives for becoming a blogger but one significant reason is consistently making money online while working at home.
Final thoughts
A blog is a great way to share your expertise with others. But, no matter what you do, there will be those who are blogging about the same thing you are. Besides, there is a lot of competition in the blogging niche. One of the best ways to get easy traffic is to stand out from the crowd.
How do you stand out? Here are 10 tips for how to blog in a crowded niche and still be successful. One effective way is to do something different than your competition.
The whole point of this article was to give you a few ideas about how to blog in a crowded niche, but that is not all. Learn how to get high-quality backlinks to your blog to increase traffic.
In addition, check my post on the best 10 ways to monetize your blog asides from Google Adsense. Finally, check my post on bloggers’ guide to spice up content with sensory words.
Thanks for reading. Kindly share with your friends.