If you’re new to the blogging world and have been doing a little research, you may have heard the word niche before. I have had several clients ask, what the heck is a niche and do I really need one. Since I have explained this several times, I thought this would be a great blog to write about and help everyone that may be confused about this entire “niche” ordeal.

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WHAT IS A NICHE

A niche is a a speciality industry or particular type of blog that holds the interest of a certain group of individuals. If you didn’t have a niche, then you may discuss things like travel, cooking, interior decorating, and painting.

That really doesn’t make it easy for your audience to remember you due to your multiple topics. However if you, for example, are into hiking, you may search for blogs or information on different hiking techniques, equipment, or places to purchase hiking gear. You may be able to find everything that you’re looking for in one blog’s site if that site has a hiking niche.

The same thing applies to you reading this blog. My niche is for bloggers, entrepreneurs, creatives, and all those in between that want to be successful with their start-ups and monetize their blogs. This is exactly why blogging niche’s are popular. Everything someone is looking for is in one area.

DO I REALLY NEED ONE

Of course you do, my friend. There are a few reasons you want to find your niche including:

1. Identifying yourself as an expert in the area

Peg Fitzpatrick found her niche with social media and even went as far as co-authoring a book titled the Art of Social Media. By doing this, she had coined herself an expert in social media.

2. Grow your following quicker

As the examples show you above, finding your niche makes it easy for your target market to find and follow you which grows your following way faster than without it. Kimra Luna does an excellent job with defining her niche of webinars and making her following grow exponentially.

3. Easier to transfer followers to customers

Charlene Johnson has a great blog about fitness which makes it easier for her to transition her readers into customers with her knowledge of fitness and earn money.

When you are discussing topics that your audience is interest in, then it’s super easy to offer them products or services that you know they will love instead of guessing if they would like it. Make sense right?!

In my opinion, your niche is really what you make of it. It’s truly your own thing so it’s not about fitting into a box but more so about find your own box and making it your own.

Just like in business, there may be thousands of people doing what you do but none will ever do it like you. This is the same principle. Take these steps in determining what your niche will be.

TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW

The easiest way to identify your niche is by writing on a topic you already know. Write about your passion or something that you have major experience in. Ask yourself:

What can I talk about for hours on end?
What something you can create multiple ideas about?
What do people come to you for advice about?
What are some books of interest that I would love to read?

After answering these questions, do you see a pattern or theme from your answers. Is there a certain thread that continuously was repeated? This is much like find your passion.

When you are passionate about something, you are less likely to run out of idea and more likely to create great discussion and give good information about the topic. Talking about what you know instead of what you think people want to know, will be way easier to turn your passion into a profit to earn money.

FIND THE HOLES

When I started my business, research what people were doing and found that a lot of blogs told you want to do but not exactly how to do. Most people, like me, need more direction than just talking about what is needed and that’s what I prided myself on offering.

I also am able to intertwine my behavior knowledge from my master’s degree to help my clients actually see results than leaving them to do it alone. I would recommend you do the same thing.

The number one advice to starting a business is finding the holes in your industry of interest and the same holds true for your blog. Think about what is missing in your industry and fill the void.

If you’re not sure what is actually missing then do some research. Locate 10-15 blogs that are in your industry or area of interest and find the holes. Ask yourself, what will people want or need that these blogs or business aren’t offering. To boost it up even more, tie in your previous knowledge to show that you can offer more than your potential competitor.

Related: 5 reasons to start now

MAKE YOURSELF AN EXPERT

Though you know about this topic there are still things you can continue to learn to increase your knowledge. Read books, join discussion groups, take courses or whatever you need to do to learn more.

The world is continuously changing therefore you always want to stay update on what’s news. You also want to be able to answer as many questions as your potential customers may have about your niche.

IDEAS FOR NICHES

There are multiple niches that are out there and this list can help you identify some that may spark your interest or give you ideas of combining two to make a unique niche. Review some ideas to help get your rolling in the right direction.

Blogging for Dummies
Fashion for Women
Earn Money Online
Traveling on a Budget
Monetize Your Blog
Budgets for College Students
Blogging Jobs
First Time Homeowners
Decorating on a Dime
How to Make A Blog

DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON BLOG NICHES? HAVE YOU IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THE STRATEGIES LISTED ABOVE? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

Picture it (in Sophia voice)…you just found out that your favorite show is now on Netflix and you can beige watch it all day.

You just stocked up on popcorn and wine (thanks to Olivia Pope) and you can spend the day to Netflix and chill.

But you just remembered you have a list of things that need to be done that you haven’t started. Your schedule is pretty clear so you have the option to make it happen or mellow out.

I’m sure it’s safe to say that we all, yep Im guilty too, have made the choice to mellow out. Not just on this one particular day but many days.

Especially, if you have a full-time day job and come home to a side hustle. Your life may already be chaotic and adding on another task would be entirely too much. Your productivity might not be as at level that it should be.

Not sure if you're really a procrastinator? See if you relate to any of the following:

SIGNS THAT YOU ARE A PROCRASTINATOR

Filling your day with low priority tasks from your To Do List.
Reading e-mails several times without starting work on them or deciding what you’re going to do with them.
Sitting down to start a high-priority task, and almost immediately going off to make a cup of coffee or check your phone.
Leaving an item on your To Do list for a long time, even though you know it's important.
Regularly saying "Yes" to unimportant tasks that others ask you to do, and filling your time with these instead of getting on with the important tasks already on your list.
Waiting for the “right mood” or the “right time” to tackle the important task at hand.

If you said "yes that's me" then you may have some procrastination tendencies. It nothing to worry about because it can be fixed in no time.

First, let's figure our why your procrastinating.

CAUSES OF PROCRASTINATION

Procrastination can stem from a variety of reasons but there are usually three procrastination triggers.

This task it too large and you don’t know where to start
Fear that you won’t do a good job
Fear of what comes next.

Once you figure out which one is the reason for your procrastination, you will be better able to address it.

Here are some productivity tips to help you stop procrastinating, be more productive, and get it together.

HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE

Write it down

I know, I know it's so cliche, but it’s so true, yo! Writing down what you need to do will help you stay focused on the big goal. Plus it will help you stay organized which is the key to all success.

It took me awhile to grasp on to this because I was the queen of remembering. I just kept a little notepad in my head that helped me remember everything that I needed to do. I’m not ashamed to say that it was the biggest lie I ever told myself. Out of sight, out of mind, right?! If I didn’t see it, it didn’t exist. Which is why I HAD to implement #2.

Make it visible

In my opinion, this is the single most overlooked productivity tool that anyone can use and don’t. I believe that people don’t value what a visual cue can help them accomplish.

A recent study by Harvard Kennedy School, recommends an approach called reminders by association. Reminders by association is said to help you remember things on your to-do list for example seeing Fed-Ex on the frig will remind you to mail that package. Find ways to use visual cues throughout your home and office to help you stay focus on your goals.

Give it a deadline

I talk about the steps to do all this in my book, and this is one of the topics I discuss. Isn’t it ironic that we are willing to go out our way for other people but not for ourselves?

For example, if you’re manager gives you a deadline to complete a task, you will do everything in your powers to meet or beat that deadline. Or if a friend or family member ask you to do something for them by a certain time (return a movie, exchange a gift, make cookies for a party), you make sure that you do just that.

However, you give yourself a task and some how never get it done. Are you telling yourself, you aren’t as important as everyone else? Of course, not. You are your #1 priority so treat yourself as such. Give you task a deadline and stick to it, my friend!

Eat the frog

Not literally, eat the frog but metaphorically, eat the frog. Eating the frog is a term coined by Brian Tracy in his book 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating. This metaphor refers to simply doing the things that you don’t want to do but need to do first to get it out the way which are the "frogs".

They're ugly and probably taste bad but once you eat it, it's over. By eating the frog first, you allow yourself to do the other pleasurable things for the remainder of the day.

Research has shown that your brain is more productive in the morning, empowering you with strength to just get it done, instead of waiting until mid-day when you tend to slow down. Set a schedule to get things done in the morning and reward yourself with doing other things you enjoy doing in the afternoon.

EXAMPLES OF THINGS YOU CAN GET DONE IN THE MORNING:

Meetings, Important Calls, Writing Your Blog, Scheduling Services or Accounting for your business.

Make yourself accountable

I also discuss this in my book about making yourself accountable. Yes, you might tell yourself that you have to complete a task by a certain time but if you don’t do it, it’s no big deal amiright?!

Well that’s why you have to make yourself accountable by telling someone else what you have planned to do. That tends to light a fire under you to get going if someone else knows what you’re suppose to be doing and actually ask you did you complete it.

Don’t have anyone that will hold you accountable or rather not tell anyone what you’re working on. No prob! Join the Facebook tribe of Entrepreneur Masterminds and get held accountable for what you need to do. Each week as a tribe, we will list what we are working on and hold each other accountable.

Now that you know what you need to do to stop procrastinating and be more productive, get to it.

Have any suggestions to add to the list? Are you already doing the things listed in this post? If so, are they helping you or did you find something else that works better?

Let me know in the comments below.

WHAT IS A NICHE AND DO I REALLY NEED ONE