The debate has raged for untold years, and it will no doubt rage long after we’re gone.
But it’s still worth a few minutes of soul-searching to decide what you’re going to do.
As a blogger, you’ve no doubt heard the advice to “pick a niche” after deciding what “your passion” is. And don’t get me wrong, this is good advice.
If you follow it, you have a fair to good chance of grabbing some eyeballs and making some money, building a list, getting some conversation going… whatever it is you’re in the blogosphere to accomplish.
But, there’s something you need to remember:
It takes time.
A lot of time, as a matter of fact.
Most bloggers don’t really start hitting their stride until they’ve been at it close to a year! Even the most adept take a few months to get rolling, and that’s with frequent posts, commenting on other related blogs, guest posting repeatedly…
Basically giving it their absolute all for a significant amount of time.
This isn’t meant as discouragement, it’s just the facts.
So the question you need to ask yourself is this:
Am I capable of giving this niche topic my ALL for that amount of time?
Are you sufficiently committed to the topic to do that? Are you interested enough in it? Knowledgeable enough?
Or are you going to burn out?
Unfortunately, blogger burnout is all too common. You may have already been a victim yourself, or maybe you started following a blog only to find it fade away into oblivion.
It sucks. But it’s preventable.
Maybe you’re a Uber-generalist.
Since I decided to start a blog as a means of strutting my stuff as a freelance writer, building a digital asset I could use as a growing online portfolio, and potentially grabbing the attention of future paying clients, I knew it had to do a good job of explaining what I do and how I do it.
And what I do doesn’t fit neatly in one little niche because my freelance writing business has intentionally been built around a Uber-generalist philosophy.
This was a really good thing because I realized when I started blogging that I’d never succeed picking one niche and trying to write only about it for the length of time and with the level of intensity necessary to make it work.
Frankly, I’d get bored. That happens easily.
And, I knew that I didn’t have any interest in trying to simultaneously run and promote six different blogs either!
So I decided to do the unconventional thing and built my blog around six different topics that all reflect different (but related) aspects of my business and my expertise.
See how it goes…
One of the great things about blogging is the fact that you can experiment and quickly see how what you do effects the success of your blog.
If you’re feeling stifled by the conventional advice to “pick a niche”, or if you find, like I did, that you have too many “passions” to narrow it down, try generalizing for a while.
At the worst, you experiment a bit and you find it’s not for you.
But at the best, you find your blog really starts to thrive because it’s finally in line with who you really are!
So what’s worked for you? Specializing, or keeping it more general? Let me know in the comments!
Twitter: BlazingMinds
says:
I’ve always blogged about anything and everything that I find interesting, at the end of the day my blog is enjoyed by it’s readers and why change something that is working, maybe I’m in the “mixed bag” niche
Karen´s recent blog post ..Book Review- The Golden Prince By Rebecca Dean
Karen,
Thanks for being commenter #1!
Absolutely. I took a look at Blazing Minds, and you make it really clear from your About page through the list of recent posts, etc. that your blog is diverse. And yet, you’ve got engagement on nearly every post and regular readers that keep coming back. Congratulations! You’ve succeeded as a generalist, which is an inspiration to me!
Thanks again!
Twitter: cindybidar
says:
I agree it can take a very long time to build a readership on a niche blog, but the implication then becomes that it won’t take as long if you stick to a more free-flowing approach, and I don’t think that’s true. In fact, I think the opposite might be the case – that it will take even longer to build a successful general blog.
Interesting that you choose to be a generalist as a freelancer. I started off that way, but I quickly discovered there are some things I just don’t like to write about. Easier to specialize, then I can go after only the work I want, and leave the rest to someone else.
Cindy Bidar´s recent blog post ..How to Write Articles that Don’t Suck
Cindy,
Interesting take on the topic. I’d be very interested to see some long-term studies on which style of blog leads to faster engagement on average. Unfortunately, if all bloggers are as constantly busy as I am, no one’s going to have the time to compile the study!
As a freelancer, I have to admit, I may very well be able to build a business faster and maybe even make more money as a specialist, but I’ve chosen the generalist route strictly because I realize that personally I could never succeed if I start getting bored. Not that I’m above taking on a boring job for a buck, but if I knew I’d ONLY be writing long-form sales letters for self-help books for the rest of my days, just because I happen to be “the specialist” on that form, I’d likely eat one of them before long.
Thanks again!
As a starting blogger myself, I found this incredibly helpful. Thank you thank you thank you for taking the time to write this!!! I think I am going to go for a more general approach now
haydenwest´s recent blog post ..Changing Your Thought Process
Hayden,
Thank you for reading and responding, and I’m so glad it was helpful! I took a look at your “baby” blog and I really appreciate your down-to-earth and fresh voice. It’s very real, which is going to do wonders for engaging new and ongoing readership. I subscribed because I’m interested to see how your general approach goes.
Thanks again!
While I do have many other interests, I keep my blog “Art of RetroCollage” focused on art and collage, with philosophy related to creation and inspiration included. I keep my other interests (jazz, photography, politics, etc.) on my personal page in FaceBook.
retrocollage´s recent blog post ..Max Ernst- Profile in Collage
Thanks very much, retro! Another very valid combination. I’d imagine focusing as you do helps for SEO purposes, and keeps your readership laser-focused on what you do. At the same time, having your FB page available as an outlet for your other major inspirations complements the blog well.
A question, though: do you maintain two Facebook pages, one for personal, and one for your blog? And if so, do you intend for there to be some crossover, or do you prefer that never the twain shall meet?
My blog is very much in the niche category. My wedding photography blog is for my buisness so keeping my personal life separate is very important . Saying that i often think that if i widened my blog that maybe it would get me more traffic and more return visits. I think it needs to be balanced as going totally off topic is just going to confuse people.
Andy´s recent blog post ..Bletchley Park Wedding Fair Jan 2011
Andy,
Thanks very much for the comment! I agree, you’re definitely in a niche topic and you’re right that keeping your personal items out of it is probably the right choice. But I also agree that widening the scope of the blog will probably help you in the traffic area. Some suggestions, for what they’re worth: Brainstorm some categories that revolve around what you do: events, portraits, weddings, etc. Then, brainstorm some ideas that expand those categories: wedding planning, venues, local caterers, wedding fashion… you get the idea. See how far you can get into these various areas while being able still maintain a reasonable tie-in to what you offer or what events you’re involved in. That should create the expansion you’re hoping for.
Thanks again!
Twitter: wordpresswb
says:
My first website has a very broad subject and it took three years to get it to go nuts! That was a lot of hard work (as we all know how many hours we put in)…Anyway my next few website were researched and I predict the same success in half the time!!!!
I am not joking….focusing on a smaller subject rocks!!! But do not be afraid of the big broader niches… If you want it…go for it…
I have noticed people like to go to a website and know what they are going to get….For blogging advice they go to a blogging tips website…for computer tips….well you get the picture!!! Just give them what they want!
Mitz´s recent blog post ..WordPress commentluv plug-in – Use it to your advantage
Twitter: justinplwrites
says:
Mitz,
Thanks very much for the comment! It’s awesome that you’ve had the opportunity to compare both methods and come to an informed decision. And that it sounds like both methods have been successful for you (although the time factor certainly applies!) Bravo on your persistence.
Thanks again!
Twitter: GIJoh_com
says:
I have many interests so I decided to go for the generalized blogging method. However, I also believe in niche specific sites. Maybe if I find what topic I want to focus on, I could concentrate on that certain topic.
Johanna´s recent blog post ..Blogger’s Fatigue – Its Causes and How to Fight Them Part I
Twitter: justinplwrites
says:
Johanna,
I appreciate the comment. I stopped by your blog and I have to honestly tell you I’m very impressed. Although, as you said, your scope is broad (pets, tech, personal development…) you’ve got strong reader engagement and your About Page ties it together in true Uber-generalist fashion!
And, on top of all that, I absolutely love your blog title and the reason behind it. Keep it up!
Thanks again!
Justin – I couldn’t agree more when you mentioned that you can easily burn yourself out by just picking one niche and spending all of your time on it. I like your Uber-generalist philosophy, because I feel that I would get bored as well just writing about one specific niche.
At the end of the day I think it’s all about finding what will work the best for you. Just make sure whatever you do in your day to day operations keeps you interested and enthusiastic for a long time.
John´s recent blog post ..Treat Eczema Naturally
Exactly John: If blogger ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy! I think my boredom comes through loud and clear in my writing, so I have to make a special effort not to allow myself to get bored. I’m glad the philosophy strikes a chord with you!
Thanks again!
Twitter: FirstFound
says:
I find a healthy middle ground works best for finding an audience, and for providing inspiration.
Andy´s recent blog post ..“Cyber Terrorism” Isn’t the Real Threat
Andy,
I don’t doubt the majority of bloggers fall right there into that middle ground. What I usually see, though, is those bloggers writing on focused niche blogs achieve that middle ground by working on more than one at a time, which I would have a tough time fitting in to my schedule. One’s already too much for me!
Twitter: SheilaAtwood
says:
Justin,
I have seen people who have narrowed their blogs down and switched once they got rolling. They had one idea that blossomed in to a new idea. So your point about getting rolling is so important. Get in and do a lot of posting and you will find yourself shining through. Writers write.
Sheila Atwood´s recent blog post ..Premium WordPress Plugins – Amazon Affiliates Rejoice!
Sheila,
Thanks very much. “Writers write” is so true. If you’re in it for the love of writing, I figure you’re going to love it no matter what you end up writing. And I agree, those who stick with it will hit their stride and (if they’re lucky and fairly good marketers) their readership will likely stick with them as they adapt.
Thanks again!
Twitter: timmyjohnboy
says:
A few things. First of all, I personally try hard not to let other people tell me what I should and should not write about on my own blog. This means that if I have something I want to say, even if it’s off topic, I will write about it. That being said, sticking to a topic or niche has its advantages. One, search engine traffic is a bit easier to attract. Also, when I was running Absence on my site, the ads matched the content a lot better when I stuck to a niche.
So, I stick to a niche while only rarely peering so as not to confuse people or the search engines.
tim´s recent blog post ..How I Fixed A Printer Problem Using PrinterShare And My Android
Tim,
Thanks for the comment. You make a really good point about Adsense. I agree. If your blog has Adsense running, keeping more focused is definitely going to improve the ads’ ability to convert, and that’s a factor I hadn’t even considered when writing the post. Personally, I don’t run Adsense on my blog for just that reason: it’s so varied the ads are wacky. Thanks for pointing it out here for the discussion!
Twitter: AmidPrivilege
says:
I try to approach this with Penelope Trunk’s advice in mind. Pick a topic, but write around the edges of that topic. In other words, hang your other interests on the stuff in your niche. That way my readers get some predictability, and I don’t get bored.
Lisa,
Very nice. Find that common ground, even if you have to lead your readers to see it, then use that to expand the scope of the blog. I checked out Privilege and I have to say, your About Page is just about as perfect an example of this method as I can imagine. I love how you introduce the main theme of the blog in detail, but casually throw in all manner of other items that I’m sure spice up your posts routinely. Very nice object lesson.
Thanks again!
Twitter: DNatrlBeauty
says:
My blog is just new and I found this article quite helpful…I’m taking a “let it build” on its own approach…I do have one “niche” subject that I’ve been told numerously that should’ve been done long ago and seeing as the “reviews” have been positive if not appreciative, I think I shall continue this approach. Thank you for taking the time to share this with us…it is most appreciated!!
Jennifer C.´s recent blog post ..Im In The TOP 10 For The Beautify Your Blog Contest
Jennifer,
I’m really glad the post could be of help. Letting your blog naturally evolve is a really solid plan. I took a glance at it and, although in all honesty I had a difficult time figuring out exactly where you were headed, you obviously have the reader engagement and a solid number of regular readers. Comments galore. So you’re definitely doing what’s right for you and your blog. Keep it up, and good luck!
Thanks again!
I have been plugging away at my blog for 1 1/2 years and I would say that hitting my stride took quite a while. I am generalist, but with a large poetry niche within. I think many of my regular readers come for that, but keep coming back to see what will happen next. Good article Justin
Katherine´s recent blog post ..Showing a Little Leg
Katherine,
I agree. I poked around A New Day, and you’ve got what it takes: your writing is clear and fun whether it’s a poem or a day-in-the-life essay. You’ve got reader engagement and people definitely enjoy seeing what ‘s coming next. A great “poster-child” for the Uber-generalist philosophy. I’d actually be interested in your thoughts on some of my poetry and song lyrics. I post them on my blog every Friday if you care to drop by and let me know what you think!
Thanks again!
Twitter: Gwenelle
says:
I’ve heard the advice to specialize ever since I started my blog in Feb. ’08, and I kinda stressed that I’d never get much traffic if I didn’t focus on a single topic. It’s nice to hear someone advocate for something different than a “niche” approach. I also like what some other commenters have suggested – aiming for the middle ground by choosing a very broad topic that you can take in many directions but still have some sort of continuity.
Kate´s recent blog post ..Made by You Mondays- DIY Bagel Recipe
Twitter: justinplwrites
says:
Kate,
Thanks very much for adding your voice.
Absolutely. You’re not “doing it wrong” if you widen out. As a matter of fact, it may be the best thing for your blog if a more focused niche approach would result in stale and boring content.
Thanks again!
Twitter: Apposl
says:
I need to get better at staying motivated and not burning out. I’m unfortunately more of a ‘get it started, fun for a few months, oooh this seems like a fun project to do let’s go do this one now’ kind’ve guy. I started a couple niche websites on topics I AM interested in, that actually do surprisingly well traffic-wise (UAVpilot.org and RecentUFOsighting.com mainly), but keeping up with the constant updates and daily news these niches have is a headache. Especially for a single Dad to a 3yo, full-time college student.
I should focus on what I have – I just received my first $200 Adsense check last week – but already I’m fantasizing about ‘my next big idea’ and mulling over various domains to purchase and appropriate WordPress themes to best present my content.
I think I am going to explore a way to automate part of the process. I want original content, but a program (WP Robot? Autoblog Samurai?) that will at least look for new content daily, and post drafts of that for me to re-write and post would make the whole thing MUCH easier to keep up with. As it is, looking for new stories/updates in those niches across various blogs is just too time-consuming for me.
My next big idea – haha – is more of a generalist blog, and I think I’ll enjoy that a bit more as it’ll allow me to vary my focus and take a breather from the ‘same old, same old’ routine every day of a niche blog.
Geez, spent 15 minutes writing this, could have spent 15 minutes updating one of those niche blogs.
All the best,
Thomas
Twitter: justinplwrites
says:
Thomas,
Not to dissuade you from updating those niche sites, but thanks for taking the time to leave a thoughtful comment, I appreciate it! Let me ask, have you ever considered selling blogs? It sounds like you get a rush out of the startup of a cool blog, then your energy fizzles a bit as it gets going. Maybe you’re in prime position to start a blog, bring it to the point of solid growth, then sell it for a profit to someone who wants to take it from there. If you want some inspiration, check out Blog Tyrant’s article: http://www.blogtyrant.com/how-i-sold-a-blog-for-20000-in-8-months/
Thanks again!
Twitter: KelsonV
says:
I’ve got two blogs that I write: one is a general blog that’s been around since 2002, and the other is focused on a comic book character (though I do write about other comics, and occasionally other topics entirely). That one launched in 2008, so both have been around for quite a while. The focused blog gets, on average, 2 1/2 times as much traffic as the general blog and a *lot* more comments.
Admittedly, I update that one more regularly than the general one, but the difference is substantial.
Kelson´s recent blog post ..On Science
Kelson,
Thanks very much for your input. There’s no arguing with the stats, and the difference you’re describing makes sense. The only thing that stands out as odd is how much longer the general blog has been in existence. I would imagine just the number of years would help level the playing field a bit.
Thanks again!
Twitter: yodisphere
says:
I think I’ll go for the general stuff in the meantime. I’m a newbie and I want to explore a little bit of what I really like. I want to get the hang of it first, then as I go along, I know I’ll discover the niche I’m really comfortable with.
yodz´s recent blog post ..Dual-core Android 23 Gingerbread Samsung Galaxy S Successor Confirmed for February 2011 » And the death of my best-buddy Sam
Twitter: justinplwrites
says:
Yodz,
Thanks for the comment. There’s nothing wrong at all with getting your feet wet. Taking the general approach until you know what you want to do is the safe bet, and when you’ve been in it a while, you may just choose to stick with a generalist approach going forward too!
Thanks again!
Great post Justin! I have a lot of interests so I have few generalized blogs
But now I’m looking for specializing myself in niche websites. I have many ideas so i’m currently doing a list with my biggest interests and I will choose one pretty soon to concentrate on it 
gta5´s recent blog post ..GTA 5 Super Mario Bros
i think its great to be a specialist if the field you choose is easy to excel in. for example – if someone picks something that everyone else is doing – such as optimizing seo – then you might have a hard time getting to the top by being a specialist. Now if you pick something specific that does not have much competition then you probably will reach the top and can be uber specific
I personally write about CO domains and ways to make money with collectibles – so im testing out the waters with 2 items.
zoopco´s recent blog post ..FREE 125×125 Ads & Backlinks At Zoop 100th Post
Twitter: LuckyandVin
says:
I too thought I would pick out my ‘passion’ and carve out a niche for myself in the blogging field. In fact I thought it was the only way to go.. But soon enough I realized that it so totally doesn’t work for me! Not only do my interests bound between different aspects of life, but as you said it is verrry easy to get bored with just one subject! :/
So I guess I’m an uber generalist;-) hahahaha! I didn’t have a word till now. Thanks to you, I have one for the type of writing I do
Lucky´s recent blog post ..That perfect dress for your perfect day