Finding Niche Blog Ideas
How to discover and brainstorm new ideas for niche blogs
If you are looking for a new topic to blog about, it can be far easier than you think. And a lot of fun along the way.
You can start by attending more random events. Some might be art shows, concerts, festivals, etc. Ask the people how they found out about the event (this will give you an idea about the subcultures). Also ask about things that are specific to them (where did you get that bike, where do you buy your [article of clothes], what do you think about [name of band], etc).
Then ask what forums and blogs they visit. Keep notes and research what they mention. If you hear a lot of the same type of content being consumed but not in a convenient location, then you have a pretty good lead on what to blog about.
Don't make the rookie mistake of attempting to get too much validation before you build anything.
Just set up multiple blogs with different styles, content focus, etc so that you can see what people react to better. Do not worry about creating or buying the perfect theme or addressing anything aesthetic. Your focus should be content first.
You are better served by just building it and testing as you go. You can set up blogs very fast with services like Tumblr.
Remember to fill up the content just to test the blog. In the beginning mediocre content is a better start than a late start because it helps you build habits. If a new marketing is emerging, you are better off being a pioneer because you can establish the early audience. You can always edit or delete posts later. Few if anyone sees your first few posts anyways. Hold off on promoting the blog too much before you have a steady habit of producing content that you are comfortable with.
Most blogs are ghost towns in the beginning anyways.
People will need to hear about you several times before they visit. And they need to see multiple quality posts before they decide to follow. Only then will they trust you enough to recommend your content.
Unless you are blogging as a diary, you are blogging for others and will want to evolve with your audience. So remember to plant questions in your posts. Respond in a timely manner and thank people for visiting.
Some of my recent experiments include:
SKUander [site is no longer up]
The purpose of that blog was to discuss materialism and how we can better live our lives by ridding ourselves of financial slavery.
HipsterUX [site is no longer up]
Discussions challenging that status quo of User Experience design.
I also share tips on improving UI design.
Intellectually Eclectic — intellectuallyeclectic.tumblr.com
This is where I collect various quotes that I like, discuss books that I bought or skimmed through, share poems from friends, or anything else that inspires my learning. The name of the blog came from the fact that I like to take inspiration from various sources because wisdom is everywhere.
If you have worked on a niche blog site, I would love to hear what you worked on and what lessons you can pass on.
