Before reading this article, I’m assuming that you’ve already got a blog?
If you haven’t then you can start your own blog here.
So what should you blog about to make money online? Where does one start?
What to blog about is something that most people struggle with when starting a blog. I know I did when i first started my blog, and maybe you are too, which is why you’re reading this article.
On the surface you might think that it is relatively easy to pick a niche, however, a lot of people find this part of the process the biggest hurdle to get over.
Once they have figured out which direction they want to go in, then everything else tends to fall into place for them, as in what keywords to targets, and what content subjects need to be covered.
The driver of your content and content direction comes directly from how clearly you’ve defined your niche or pocket of people.
So in this article I am going to outline where you should start, endeavoring to give you a framework that you can use to find a niche that is most suited to you.
Contents
What Should I Blog About?
I have coached people who have 10 or more different niches that they could start a blog on. AND…whilst it might seem great that you have choices, you’ll soon realize that too many choices can be just as problematic as have too little choice.
One of the most reoccurring questions I get is …
- Can I blog about my children …
- Can I blog about my family …
- Can I blog about work …
- Can I blog about the girl that just winked at me in the car park …
- Can I blog about the coffee I just bought from Starbucks …
Well maybe not the last two … and the simple answer is yes – to all of the above, if it makes sense.
But, and that’s a big – BUT, you need to make it relevant to your niche. Your entire website needs to aim it’s content at a specific pocket of people.
Meaning you have to identify who your blog is going to appeal to. Once you understand who you are talking to, then you’ll know what to say, and more importantly – how to say it.
You have to be seen as the go-to-guy or gal in your niche. Which means you can talk about the girl who winked at you in the car park, if it helps to position yourself as the go-to-guy for your niche.
Identifying your audience is the key to understanding what to write about.
So here’s how to do it.
Create an Avartar
Nope, NOT like the ‘blue people’ in the movie, but a persona of a person in your audience.
Take out a piece of paper or type it up which ever you prefer, but really find out the ‘wants and needs’ of your target audience.
You have to get really specific. The aim is to build up a character in you minds eye so that you can visualize that person. So when you’re writing content, it’s almost as if you are talking to them.
That person can be real or they can be fiction, it doesn’t matter, just so long as you have a clear image in your head of who your talking too. Give them a name if it helps.
What do they like to eat (does it even matter)?
What do they do in the weekends?
Do they typically have kids?
Are they sports people?
Does gender play a role?
How do they speak?
I know they speak english (well, maybe not – depending on your niche), but I’m talking more along the lines of – do they use specific terminology when they speak.
For example, a Trekky would have an instant rapport and connection with a follow Trekky. Because they would use terminology that only Trekksters would be familiar with.
Do Your Research
If you are unfamiliar with the niche you want to go into, then you will have to do a lot more research. And to do this, one of the easiest ways to get to know the ‘wants and needs’ of your target market is to visit forums and message boards.
Forums help you to create a picture of your target market because this is where they openly discuss all of their problems. The information you get from these kinds of sites will help you to either confirm or reassess your initial assumptions, and help you create a more accurate avatar of your target market.
Once you understand what your target market really needs, then you will have a better idea of what buyer keywords to target.
You can use some of these sites to get more of an insight into your pocket of people:
http://www.boardtracker.com/
http://answers.yahoo.com/
http://blogsearch.google.com/
http://www.samepoint.com/
http://alltop.com/
Fish around on some of these sites and get a feel for what the pain points are. Be the fly on the wall so to speak, and tune into the biggest issues.
Are their any reoccurring issues?
For example: if I were to visit a Dog forum I know that one of the most talked about topics would be dog behavior training. I know this because I have sold dog training guides in the past.
So using this example I would do some keyword research on dog training and I would even research a level down into a particular type of breed.
If You Are Still Stuck
Then let me suggest a good starting place.
The easiest place to start is in an area you have a lot of knowledge, because you will intuitively understand the ‘wants and needs’ of your own market.
So if you’re a school teacher, then create a blog that relates to teachers. Find products that you can sell as an affiliate that is applicable to solving the problems school teachers face. If there isn’t a product that suitably addresses the issue then create it.
If you’re a nurse then create a blog that addresses the issues that nurses face on a daily basis. You could get even more specific with nurses and target a particular type of nurse. Whether they are a GP nurse a Hospital nurse or a Maternity nurse is up to you.
What if you’re a stay at home mom? Perfect, write about being a stay at home mom, and how you are creating a blog to make money from home. I’m sure there are thousands of other moms that will be able to relate.
You know their desires, you know their pain points and you know what they search for in Google.
And in knowing all of that, it allows you to customize your blogging just for them.
And because they feel you understand what they are going through they are more likely to know, like and trust you.
So to recap, do your research into the pocket of people you want to target and create an Avartar that you can use when creating your content.
Identify the buyer keywords and start posting articles and getting them ranked in the search engines.
If you want a step by step process to learning how to create a successful blog, then consider joining this program.
Frank
Latest posts by Frank (see all)
- Let Me Show You How To Start a Blog & Make Money In JUST 5 Days - June 5, 2021
- Super Affiliate Machine: Is it Legit Or A Scam? We Review It - November 4, 2020
- Newbies Business Affiliate Guide - October 17, 2020
