Blogging Tips

Should You Stay Within Your Niche as a Blogger?

by Olivia

Should you stay in your niche as a blogger? This is a question I have often asked myself, but more so now I have other bloggers ask me. Niche is a hot topic it seems like currently in the blogging world. Is it okay to step out of your blogging niche? Should I just stick to the topics I blog about? These are the questions I see all over the blogging space.

Blogging is full of many queries and questions and I feel like there is always something new to learn. I also feel like I am constantly changing and advancing my strategy, which is a lesson on how fast new things appear and how fast things become irrelevant. I thought today for open discussion Saturday I’d share my thoughts, and share the results I have had from moving out of my niche into what I do currently.

Remember this is open discussion Saturday, so as always I want to hear your thoughts and your own experiences of this too. So once you have read the post, leave a comment!

ITS TOTALLY UP TO YOU

First and foremost, its 100% your choice what your niche is and whether you want to stay in your niche bubble or not. You have full creative freedom of your blog, if you want to change it up and try something new then you can do it. I think alot of the time it’s fear that stops alot of us. And we think nobody will read it, or nobody will comment or share it. But you don’t know until you try.

I know it’s easy to worry about changing your content or taking that risk. We are automatically programmed to think that things will go wrong, but what about if things go well? What if changing your niche or trying to at least is what you site needed?

CHANGING MY NICHE HELPED ME

As many of you already know my blogging story, I wont go into too much detail. But when I first started my blog in 2015 I was solely a beauty blog. I shared makeup looks, tips, hair products and makeup reviews. My engagement was low (compared to what it is now). I blogged for a year and a half and then took a 4 year break. I came back in July of 2020 and completely re-branded my blog into what it is today. I started sharing more content for a wider demographic.

For me it was important that my content was inclusive. Of course I see no issue in having a particular niche or a particular group you want to aim for, but I think its really restricting. When I just had a beauty focused blog my engagement was low and my readers were mainly female at the time. Opening up and broadening my content has really helped me to make sure my content is for everyone. And of course, when you cater for the masses it really helps to bring more people to your site.

What do you think? Do you change your niche frequently? Or do you stay within your niche?

Your niche is just that, your niche. As I said, it’s up to you whether you stay within the walls that you have created. But I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic!

Olivia x
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150 thoughts on “Should You Stay Within Your Niche as a Blogger?”

  1. Hi Olivia, you might want to read the blog I posted earlier today (assuming you haven’t already). For me, ‘blogging’ is probably not what it is to most other users. Weirdly, it’s more for me to have a discipline to write and in some small way get some feedback. I’m not your ‘hardy’, “get as many followers” as possible blogger. I would imagine I would be looked upon by true bloggers in the same way as a published author may regard a self-published author? My niche therefore is, this is a vehicle to share my rambling, varied non-niche thoughts. However, my real dream would be to have genuine conversation (email?) with real people that have conscious thoughts. I live on top of a mountain in Spain and have very little creative, intellectual debate with the rabbits and birds, haha. So, if you wish to veer away from the niche and want to enter into debate or get feedback, my latest post makes a suggestion. Have a great weekend.
    http://theblogwithnoname721174150.wordpress.com
    casastrachan@ live.co.uk

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    1. What I love about blogging is that we all have different focuses and goals but yet we support each other no matter what it is. I really love that you write just to write, I do too. I guess the engagement is just something that comes with it!

      One of the things I really enjoy about blogging are those genuine connections that I have created in this community. Its really exciting and fun to meet like minded, genuine people!

      Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us Graham!

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  2. I started off as a confessional-diary kinda blog, then branched off into a confessional diary that’s also about writing, lol. I enjoy being a no-niche writer, as long as it doesn’t involve business or finance or the stock market and stuff, but who knows? I’m open to everything. But I suspect I’ll branch off into scriptwriting or even gasp romance before that happens.

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    1. I think its great that your blog has developed and changed, I think thats the same story for alot of us. Also not putting yourself into a niche is a great idea. A no-niche kinda blog!

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  5. I just started blogging in July and haven’t quite committed to a niche yet. So far I’ve been simply writing about my life, and then afterwards trying to categorize what those topics are. I’m hoping that eventually maybe 1 or 2 of those topics will stand out as a niche for me, but it hasn’t happened yet. I hope you have a great day!

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    2. I think that professional blogging is very serious job and one has to work hard and give tremendenous efforts to grow blog.It like “Look before you leap and think before you speak”. One should completely stick its ” Niche” or your primary theme because your followers consider you subject expert and changing “Niche” will confuse them or put them into dilemma.

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      1. I wouldn’t stop reading someones content because they changed their niche and it doesn’t confuse me either when people do it. I think people have valid reasons behind changing niches. Rather the writer be passionate about their work than sticking to a niche they don’t enjoy anymore!

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    3. This is what I am treating my blog right now too. I started to blog in February, and I haven’t posted much lately, but I am gonna write about all the subjects I like until I find one subject that stands out the most on my blog

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  6. I started blogging this year and I don’t see it as changing but seeing it as evolving from a larva and looking forward to seeing what clour butterfly will emergy from this.
    This is a journey to me and I am enjoying it but learning as I go along. Moving the pieces of the puzzle to fit where they belong.
    Love your post and your niche. Thank you.

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    1. Yes I love that. We are always evolving as writers and as people aren’t we! Its all about learning too, alot of the stuff I have learnt about blogging I have found through trial and error!

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    1. So glad this was a timely post for you Sharimam! Its whatever you feel comfortable doing. We often put ourselves in these restricting boxes when we really don’t need to!

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      1. Opera in Germany – meant as a resource for young singers as there is very little information to be found online about it! I moved to Germany a few years ago and had to figure it out as I went along.

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  9. Well for me I had to change my niche along the line from a health blog too a beauty fashion and lifestyle blog because my engagements was so low and it was so frustrating. At a time I felt people didn’t care about my blog. I was so hard on myself but right now I’m regretting changing my niche

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    1. Remember you have creative freedom to do what you want with your blog. If you want to change your niche you can. You can do it as many times as you want. Eventually you’ll come to a point where you will just fall into one and it will happen naturally!

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  10. I think i’m at a bit of an advantage with this one as my tag line is ‘writing about whatever takes my fancy’! So i’ve got of got around not having a niche. I think it’s good to mix it up and allow yourself to be creative, not restricting to one subject. But then there are some great bloggers who only blog about one thing!

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  11. I’ve somewhat changed my niche over the 6 months I’ve been live. You’re right about being inclusive if you want to really grow~ but I do appreciate the few niche specific blogs here ant there. I wouldn’t just follow mom bloggers for example, but if I’m looking for mom advice I wouldn’t take it from a non niched blog… does that make sense?

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  12. I actually had this conversation with my best friend recently! I was feeling like my blog was all over the place as far as categories and it was actually counterproductive for me lol. Narrowing down to just a few categories has actually helped me become more consistent. But I also don’t want to limit myself, so if I feel like going in a completely different direction for a post or two, I will! 😅

    Loved your post!

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  13. I just started writing my blog a little over a month ago. I eventually want to become a decluttering consultant but I want to wait until my kids are older (I’m currently a stay at home mom) so the main reason I started my blog was to stay current and to dip my toes back into professional interactions. I don’t see myself leaving my niche unless my goals change for some reason.

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    1. A lot of the time people fall into niches on accident or it just happens naturally! I’m sure that’ll be the case after you have blogged for a while☺️

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  14. From the word go, my blog has been a no niche blog and I remember desperately trying to settle for one.
    I’m glad I didn’t because I don’t think I would manage sticking to a particular niche 😂
    Good post!

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  15. I think one should really go with what they feel the need to do.

    Having a niche is great and all.
    But if you feel the need to speak on something that doesn’t fall within said niche.
    That is okay.

    It really doesn’t change anything. What matters is that you put your thought out there.

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  16. I think my niche is very versatile and I can talk about anything from mental health to exercise and recipes. Because of that, I don’t really feel like I’m stuck only writing about certain things. I can see how other people may feel stuck, especially if they’ve started a food blog or beauty blog.

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    1. Thats how I feel too! I’m glad that my topics are quite vast and I don’t feel like I cant write about a certain topic. But thats because I was that beauty blogger and I changed my niche and so now I feel as thought I’m able to write freely!

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  18. I wouldn’t say I have a niche, or if I do it’s ‘whatever I want to write about’🤷🏻‍♀️ I find certain blog posts get loads of views, whilst others don’t, and that’s okay. I love that your blog is so broad and tend to be attracted to other blogs like it, so I think the niche of having no niche is great, thanks for sharing🥰

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  19. I’ve tried to narrow down my niches recently and it has worked in terms of getting regular visitors! I could still probably narrow it down further but I think my target audiences are all pretty similar at the moment.

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  20. I started out writing primarily about eco-friendly and sustainable living. After a few months, I realized there are so many other things I could write about. These days, about half my content relates to sustainability. As for the rest, I write about whatever inspires me. And some of those different posts are my most popular ones.

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    1. It happens alot with people! They start blogging and then realise they want to talk about anything and everything! I like to think that other bloggers bring it out of them!

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  23. I can totally relate to your thoughts Olivia. Most people don’t agree to change their blog niche and are afraid to lose their followers. In my opinion, so as the content of your blog is genuine and insightful you will not lose a single audience regardless of multiple niches! Thank you for sharing ❤️❤️

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  24. Personally, I haven’t really blogged for long enough to really have a niche. However what I really like about blogging is not having a niche and just sinking into my chair and going crazy into a Microsoft word document.

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  25. I think if there is something you particularly want to talk about outside of your niche, this is absolutely fine. Readers don’t have to read every blog you put out and if a new topic doesn’t interest them, then they can by pass it and wait for your next ‘on topic’ blog. Meantime, some new people may be drawn to your blog ⚘

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  28. “up a mountain in Spain” Wow, awesome! I remember reading Driving Over Lemons many years ago. Sure sparks the imagination.

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  29. I’ve been asking that question to myself for a really long time. I just expanded my blog’s categories to include art and something similar to Lifestyle 😂. I agree with what you’ve mentioned here especially about reaching a wider audience. Incredible post as always!!

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  30. Hey Olivia,
    I just recently started blogging and before doing so, I kept contemplating what I should write about. Anything. Lol I feel like it’s weird putting myself in a box because I like so many different things. Some people are really good at finding what they love and being committed to it, but if you want to do something new, why not? Anyway, I really enjoyed your post.

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    1. I don’t like putting myself in a box too! I always think this. Although it can be scary posting new things as you aren’t sure how people will take it but I think if you’re passionate about it then why not!

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  31. To me niche is as important as it interest your reader, you are writing to solve your reader problem so writing beyond your niche makes your reader happy and more committed to your niche then it is ok to write beyond your niche

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  32. Blogging is fairly diverse I’ve made multiple changes and deleted a few posts once upon a time myself. I think having a niche can be beneficial but depends on the individual. For example with myself i write sharing my journey through adversity currently but also provide some motivational content and other areas. Overall I’d class my platform in the personal and self development category based on my type of content recently. Where you talk about taking a break I think in some moments it can be crucial and has clearly worked for you in terms of growth. Great post Olivia

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    1. Thanks for reading! 🙂

      I agree with what you said here, it really does depend on the person and their own individual content. It benefits some and then doesnt benefit others!

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  33. My main niches are lifestyle and wellness. Definitely a lot broader and more appealing to a variety of different people and ages than a kiddie gaming blog! It’s the best decision you could make to revamp your site and post content that is both valuable and enjoyable to read.

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    1. I agree it is. As others have mentioned you aren’t confining yourself to a “box”. You’re giving yourself free reign to post about whatever it is thats on your heart and mind x

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      2. Yess👏🏼, people often ask me how I got to write about what I do now and its literally just happened naturally. There was no strategy or planning. I just started to write about what I wanted to write about! And I will continue to do that too! x

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      3. Well, it’s definitely working for you. There’s lots of energy and passion in your work and that really shines through. You can tell that you take genuine enjoyment from running your site and adding to people’s lives x

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  34. This is such a tough one for me. I try to stay within my niche but I like to focus on other subjects also. I have many interests but my niche is black and white photography. So I try to add my photography to everything I write. I wouldn’t know how my followers would feel about my bouncing from photography, to sport, to films, to blog help. There is so much more to blogging than the written word. Thank you for posting Olivia

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    1. I think you should do whatever it is you want to! We only put ourselves in boxes, nobody else. Its great to see the diversity in your posts. I’m sure it helps with engagement!

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  35. I also ask myself that question. My blog isn’t that precise. It has many topics to talk about but sometimes I want to share something that has nothing to do with the niche of my blog and I feel restricted. For now I want to stay with what my blog is but I will see if I would change it or not. It’s very courageous of you that you did it and I admire that

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    1. I think if you want to write about something thats on your heart and mind then do it. Your blog is just that, your blog. You are allowed to post whatever it is you want to post! 🙂

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  37. Hello, Olivia! I thought of running a book blog, but now I think I should make it a lifestyle blog. My problem is that I don’t have enough experience about anything😢 to restrict myself to blog in a particular niche.

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  38. Niche…well I am not sure what my niche is all I know is my target audience is mostly millennials.
    I write whatever inspires me with no limitation of a niche.
    I would recommend that other bloggers feel free to explore topics beyond their niches. Your never know until you try😉

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    1. I think it all depends on you and your readers. You should find a schedule that works for you. Don’t overload yourself with posting everyday if that doesnt work with your schedule. I post 5/6 times a week but thats because I really enjoy posting that much! Theres no real answer!

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  41. So interesting! I had a book blog for about 18 months, it was going ok in terms of engagement, and I loved doing it… But life got busy and I started to wonder what the point was, since book blogs are really just for fun. But I caught the blogging bug! So here I am, back again with a different blog entirely. And I’ve been wondering whether I can combine the two ideas: books and what I’m doing now. I have noticed that engagement is often better on blogs with a strongly defined purpose… not always, but often… it’s a question I’ve been pondering myself!

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    1. Thats similar what I did myself. I started as a beauty blog and then came back after years off and rebranded into what you see today. It helped so much in terms of gaining followers and increasing engagement. I think you can do whatever it is you want. If you want to combine both, why the heck not!

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  42. I am so glad I found this post and this blog.
    I have been blogging for nearly three years now and have yet to find a niche. I call myself a lifestyle blogger since I write about a diverse range of topics. Its very enjoyable to write about a wide range of things but can you earn money from a niche less blog. I have no product to sell and no services to offer. Is there any way, apart from advertising, that I can make a small amount of money, say , enough to pay my annual WordPress fee.

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    1. I am similar to you. I am a lifestyle blogger but that leaves the topics open for pick. Because lifestyle topics for me are different for lifestyle topics for you. Thats the beauty of it!

      If you have a premium plan you can start making money from ads. But wordads are really terrible. You have to have so many views to even make anything from them. Google Adsense is alot better but requires a business plan which don’t come cheap. Others ways could be getting involved in affiliate marketing. Thats where you get a small percentage of sales from purchases your followers make using your own unique discount code.

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  43. Hi Olivia 👋 I started blogging in 2017 and took 3 years break as well, started being active again… my blog is all about drawings, poetry stuffs. I would wish to expand my area of blogging but I have no idea so far😊 have a great week💜

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  44. Blogging for me is one of the many ways through which I am able to express my continuously functioning and malfunctioning brain waves.
    Like a coin one side is niche and another may not be so.
    Most of the one to one discussions I had with wanna be bloggers had this “niche” mentality.
    Make it as wide as possible is what I would say.

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  45. I love it! Although I think its great to at first stick to a niche so that way you can have something to focus on before expanding. Having a wider niche is also important. Its important to not get too narrow on your niche and have it more broad. 😊 Hope that makes sense. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving by the way. -The Eshlemans

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  46. That’s what I’m going through now I’m rebranding my blog I need something unique and educative something that will be helpful in year’s to come

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  47. Well for me Olivia as a blogger I think it’s okay to change and be creative in your blog. For me example, I have a Fashion Blog where I write and post fresh content on men’s style, as a new upcoming blogger it really depends on you and the message you are Sending to your audience.

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  48. Most times, people would advice you stick to niche just so you create an identity for yourself. Just as Olivia said “it depends on you”. I sometimes switch between health and environment and people find it funny.

    What comes to my mind is what I let out. 🌻

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