Need to carve out a niche

Starting a new blog can feel overwhelming once you realize how many established bloggers already exist in nearly every major subject area. Despite this strong competition, you can make a dent in your industry by creating a specific niche for your blog’s subject matter. For example, if you sell greeting cards, a unique take within the greeting card industry could be to document the real lives of the greeting card writers on your blog. You could write about the real events that happened in their lives to inspire the messages that they write, or you could describe the process they use to come out with new greetings.  When you write original content, you create a unique angle with your blog, increasing your chance of standing out from your competitors even if your blog is new.
To find out what kind of niche you should carve out, start by familiarizing yourself with what other established bloggers in your industry are writing about. Using blog search engines like Technorati and normal search engines like Google, search on keyword phrases relating to your industry to find the blogs that you’ll be competing against. Once you’re familiar with what’s already being written, you’ll be better equipped to brainstorm ideas for new content on your blog that will be original.
Carving out a niche applies not just to what you write about but to how you write your blog posts as well. Some bloggers may draw cartoons or pictures each day instead of writing text, while others may choose a specific style of writing. Whatever format you choose for your blog, if you let your unique voice show through in your blog, you’re more likely to cut through the noise of other bloggers competing for the same readership. Carving a niche also means that you narrow your focus, which is a good route to establishing yourself as an expert in a particular area. Only blogs associated with the most well established brands can post very general news and still be successful; in general, if you’re a moderately to little-known brand worldwide, sticking to a specific focus will help you establish better traction in the blogosphere. This, in turn, leads to a steady and loyal reader base.