If you’ve researched ways on “how to make your blog successful”, you’ve heard how important it is to choose a “target audience”.
Pick ONE niche and write a ton of articles relating to it.
Then build your audience, display a couple ads, and eventually create an E-book.
Is this bad advice?
No, this method works very well.
…if you have the patience and commitment to build an audience, which most people don’t.
Just look at popular blogs like The Millionaire Fastlane.
The author (MJ DeMarco) built his audience and then sold his book.
The result? – He did VERY well in sales.
…and he continues to do so.
Just look at the reviews for his book on Amazon.
The book is filled with valuable advice.
He shares tips that open your eyes to the reality of why you should be an “entrepreneur” opposed to working a job you hate.
What’s the difference between his blog and mine?
His blog is dedicated to providing tips, advice, and even has forums where readers can interact about “entrepreneurship”.
I think his blog is great and I really admire the level of success he’s created for himself.
However, I’ve chosen a different route because I have a different goal.
If you notice to the right, I have four different categories (Achievement/Motivation, Business/Marketing, Dating, and Diet/Personal care).
It’s safe to say that I did NOT create a “niche” blog.
…And I never will.
Will this hurt my success?
NO.
Only I will help or hurt my success.
There are millions of motivational blogs.
There are millions of business blogs.
There are millions of…You get the point.
But my goal isn’t to offer my readers help and advice in ONE area.
I want my readers to come to my blog and have many questions, concerns, or problems solved.
I want my readers to say:
“Wow, I stumbled upon this blog and was able to get a lot of great information”.
Not come to my blog and say:
“Cool, I found what I was looking for”.
Then leave and probably never come back.
Are you following me?
I want them to continuously come back and see what new information I have to offer.
I understand the financial side of having a “niche blog”.
I get it, I really do.
Right now, I have enough content where I can make all four categories into niche blogs, display a bunch of ads, and earn more money than I do now.
Trust me, I know how to do it.
I know how to get traffic, I know how to network, and I know what and what not to do.
Why don’t I do it?
Because that’s not the goal.
I rather build an empire that offers PLENTY of help to both my current and future readers.
Creating a niche blog and rehearsing the same bullshit that doesn’t offer people anything new is not what I’m about.
This doesn’t mean there are niche blogs that don’t offer new insights and advice.
…Again, just look at how well MJ DeMarco is doing.
But I’ve came across MANY blogs that don’t go anywhere and ultimately fail.
Why?
Because they keep posting generic content that’s common sense and JAM-PACK their blog with ads, annoying pop-ups, and practically beg you to subscribe to their newsletter so they can harass you with emails and make sales.
Listen to me…
If people like your content, they will subscribe.
If people want to buy your product, they will.
But in today’s day and age, where people’s attention spans are lower than ever…
Where people have less patience than ever…
Annoying them with pop-ups, emails, or anything of that nature is a guaranteed way to get them to leave and never come back.
Focus on making your blog unique in your own way.
Make your content as entertaining and informative as possible.
Read it out loud before publishing it.
Does it motivate, inform, or solve a problem?
No? – then don’t you dare hit the “publish button”.
Creating quality content is a lot easier than you may think.
Let me ask you something…
Have you ever asked someone how to do something?
Have you ever had a problem and asked someone for advice?
My guess is – yes.
Well, guess what?
Someone out there has/will have the same question and YOU can answer it for them on your blog.
Last week, I published an article called How to Clean Foggy Headlights.
The week before, I published an article on How I Look and Feel Great Daily.
And the week before that, I published an article on Things Learned My First Six Months Blogging.
Do these three articles sound anything alike?
No.
Will all three articles ultimately help people?
Yes.
In each article, I give advice or share stories of things that HELPED me and that’ll help those who read it.
That my friend is the goal of Inertia Will Hurt Ya.
I WANT TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
Some people may say:
“Well, you only want to help people but you have affiliate links in some of your articles”.
Yeah?…And?
If I share a book or product which helped me and will also help you, what’s wrong with placing an affiliate link?
I’m providing a link so you can buy the book or product if YOU CHOOSE TO.
After all, you’re not paying any less or more for the book by following the affiliate link.
You pay the same price, I help the author or online store make a sale, and I get a commission for my efforts.
Sounds like everyone wins.
Don’t be scared or concerned about including affiliate links in your articles.
As long as you actually use what you promote and write authentic reviews, you’ll have no problems.
Like one of my favorite mentors (Brian Tracy) says: “People like to Buy”.
People just don’t liked being scammed.
My guess is that if I tell you about a book, you read it and get A LOT from it, you’ll be more than grateful I shared it with you.
Right?
But write a fake review, make a sale, and ultimately lose readers because what I promote offers no value?
No thanks.
I’ve read blogs where they mention a book or product and don’t provide a link.
So now I have to leave their blog and go and search for the product myself.
Am I saving money because they didn’t provide an affiliate link?
NO.
Again, I’m still paying the SAME price.
Some blogs do provide a link but mention – “Not an affiliate link”.
I understand where you’re coming from and why you’re doing what you’re doing.
I know you fear your audience thinking you’re only trying to make money off them.
Well guess what?
Your audience will ONLY think this way if you make them think this way.
If you offer no value in your articles and never make effort to genuinely help people, then yeah, sounds like you’re only trying to make money and could care less about your audience.
However, if I can go into your blog and learn something for FREE, which I apply and get results from, then I know I can trust you.
Does this make sense?
Again, at the end of the day, no one is forced to buy anything you share with them.
Personally, I have no issues clicking links and buying things promoted by other bloggers.
I still do it till this day.
But I know who I can trust because they’ve earned it.
Don’t undervalue yourself and your efforts, placing affiliate links won’t hurt your success.
Placing a bunch of ads and promoting things you’ve never used, will.
“SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP OTHERS. UNSUCCESSFUL PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS ASKING, ‘WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?'”
– Brian Tracy
Focus on helping people!
Whether you solve one or ten problems for someone, keep creating quality content.
Some readers will come to my blog and read two articles because that’s all they need.
Others will come and read 15 articles.
Inertia Will Hurt Ya is and will always be a diverse blog.
Some people will agree with the unique style I’ve chosen and some won’t.
That’s none of my business.
My business is to continue doing what I’m doing and helping as many people as possible.
…not worry what others think or say about me.
So far, what I’m doing is working seeing I’ve had great success in my first seven months.
When I first started my “diverse blog”, it wasn’t doing well.
I’ve mentioned before how I would average about ONE reader daily.
But that didn’t stop or make me want to change my mind about being “diverse”.
I stuck with my goals and kept going until I reached a little success.
And when I reached a little success, I went and made sure I worked harder to get a little more.
You need to do what feels right to YOU.
Don’t copy anyone else’s blog just because they are successful.
You can make your blog great anyway you choose.
Whether it’s a niche blog or a diverse blog like mine, if it helps people, it will succeed.
End of story.
What’s your goal?
Is it just to earn money?
Ha! Good luck!
Is it to actually help people while monetizing your blog in an ethical way?
Now you’re speaking my language.
Most people want the shortcut to success; I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there isn’t any.
Many people want to scam others for a quick buck; that quick buck is going to cost you A LOT, my friend.
And many people don’t want to put in the time, energy, and make the sacrifices necessary to create a successful blog.
Don’t be any of these people.
Every month my level of success increases because I do things the right way.
Most importantly, I do what I want and what feels right, not what others “recommend”.
Be authentic. Help people. Succeed.
We’ll talk again soon,
-Alex
Andrew Miles says
I like where you’re going with this a lot Alex, and I really feel like your voice and your blog is becoming more unique by the month. It’s because your personality is shining through, regardless of the topic you cover. I learn something when I come to your blog, which I can’t say for everyone else. And I will definitely take away some ideas from this post.
Alex (Administrator) says
Andrew,
Thanks for the feedback, I’m glad you’re getting something from every article! As mentioned in the article, that’s my ultimate goal each time I hit “publish” button, to provide my readers with either new knowledge or motivation.
-Alex
Jacob S. says
Another great one, Alex. I always felt that if you could help people, then that was the way to go. You don’t have to find a niche, but rather just help people. The fact still remains that you’re writing content for people, not machines. With that being said, make your content great and entertaining like you said. Otherwise if you rehash the same thing, it’s bound to get you nowhere. People don’t like reading the same junk over and over.
I think this article is excellent though. You really touched on a lot of real world situations happening in the blogging world.
Alex (Administrator) says
Excellent comment, Jacob. You’re right, people don’t like reading the same thing over and over. It’s hard enough to catch someone’s attention, and if you do catch it, you better deliver something great on the regular to keep it. I like what you said:“The fact still remains that you’re writing content for people, not machines”. That’s something every blogger should tell themselves before starting their next article.
-Alex
Jacob S. says
You offer great advice in your responses, Alex. You’re right, it’s ideal to keep the reader engaged. Part of that is writing real content as well as continuous posts. At least once a week. If you don’t have regular content, people won’t stick around. It’s a simple concept yet takes much more effort to actually do. I like seeing posts like this!
Alex (Administrator) says
Thanks again, Jacob. You can expect more great content in the future!
-Alex
The Rational Rebel says
Your blog is definitely unique. I actually like the fact that the content is diverse. But at the same time, your 4 categories you’re writing in – they’re interconnected in a way.
As a side note – I don’t get why there are some people that have issues with affiliate links. No one is forcing them to buy anything, no one is tricking them into anything. It’s just sales. In fact, everything is sales.
Great article, great blog, great attitude!
-Tara
http://therationalrebel.com
Chris says
Good advice Alex. You need to develop into your own style as you go. I think its OK to start off nearly copying someone else because everyone needs a starting point. There’s many roads to a successful blog I think, but they all involve the same core principals you explained here.
Alex (Administrator) says
Thank you for the kind words at the end, Tara. I agree with you on “everything is sales”. Like I mentioned, nothing wrong with affiliate links. On the other hand, scamming people won’t lead you anywhere good. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
-Alex
Alex (Administrator) says
Your “own style” develops and changes A LOT as you go. You learn more, you grow as a person, and you have new life experiences to write about. If by “copying” you mean: writing about similar topics as other blogs but telling YOUR OWN story when you write them, then that’s ok…especially if you’re just starting out. If that wasn’t acceptable, it would mean that there would only be one article floating around the internet on blogging, muscle building, etc. Right?
-Alex
Chris says
Great article Alex, you make some great points. I found your site through B&D a few months ago and enjoy reading your content.
Keep up the good work!
Alex (Administrator) says
Glad to hear that, Chris. I just clicked on your name to check out your website; it seems like your on to something good there. I like that you’re on a mission to help others with motivational and educational content like myself. I’m going to give you the same advice you gave me, keep up the good work!
-Alex
Riz says
Hate to say it man but I have been here for 30 seconds and to me I can’t help but think that this is yet another B&D copycat.
The use of a lion all over the place is the number 1 sign, but also your article subject matter and titles are all too similar, I see it over and over again on so many blogs.
Not trying to be a dick at all. Just giving some honest feedback.
Alex (Administrator) says
Most bloggers would delete a comment like this, but that’s not my style…
The ONLY way for me to be considered a “copycat” is if I didn’t tell my OWN stories. If no two people can write about the same subject, then there would be WAY less blogs around than there are today. Right?
What if only ONE website was allowed to write about bodybuilding? “Well bodybuilding.com already has an article on building bigger biceps so I can’t write about it“. There are literally MILLIONS of articles about building bigger biceps floating around the internet! Do you see where I’m going with this?
Regarding the lion, I needed a logo that demonstrated “aggression” while “taking action”. That’s how I came up with the lion working on a laptop. There are thousands of blogs, maybe millions, who use lion pictures, and some have been around for WAY longer than any one you might feel I’m copying. My blog’s goal is to motivate and educate people by sharing my OWN stories and life experiences. If you go into two different “personal development” websites, I’m sure they’ll have similar titles and subject matter.
I admire you for being honest about how you feel, Riz. Don’t worry, I spend WAY too many hours working on this blog to take anything personal. I welcome ALL type of feedback because it may ultimately help me or my readers. If you go through my articles, you’ll notice that all my content is 100% authentic (no copy & paste). I hope you get value from other articles you read on here. Thanks again for the feedback and opinions.
-Alex
Tyson Wolf says
Hey Alex,
Great article man. I’ve been playing around with different ways of making money online for a while now. One of these outlets is my personal blog, and for a time I was really hung up on what the perfect niche would be. Eventually I came to the conclusion that if you ever want to be a writer with a personality, you can’t just shove yourself in a niche.
I like to travel, I like money, I like sex, I like my academic areas of study, and I like plenty of other things that are not related to one another. By shoving yourself in a niche it may be easier to advertise a concise “mission” of your blog, but I know I can speak for myself and I’m sure the same goes for you when I say that we are far too interesting to limit our content to one subject.
People will follow you for your voice, regardless of the topic, if you know how to write and deliver valuable information. No need to limit yourself with a small handful of topics. As long as you don’t go apeshit writing the “13 Ways to Tell if Your Dog is Cheating on You”-esque Buzzfeed articles that devalue your voice.
Good shit so far
-Tyson
Alex (Administrator) says
Excellent comment, Tyson. I couldn’t agree more with what you said on “People will follow your voice, regardless of the topic, if you know how to write and deliver valuable information”.
What new bloggers fail to realize is that no matter who they are or what they say, SOMEONE WILL LIKE IT AND RELATE TO IT. The most important thing is to always be authentic and speak from your heart. Many new bloggers don’t say what they really want to say out of fear that others won’t like it.
News Flash: no matter who you are or what you write, you’ll always have people who don’t like you. However, those people aren’t your concern. Your concern are people who DO like what you have to say. “If everyone likes you, you’re doing something wrong”. That’s one of my favorite quotes.
You said you like to travel, like money, like sex, and like your academic areas of study. I don’t need to tell you that there are millions of men out there who love those topics just as much as you do. As long as you tell your story, they’ll love to read it and little by little, you’ll build your audience. It takes time and patience, but if you’re consistent, one by one, they’ll arrive.
I like your attitude, Tyson. You were very transparent in your comment and weren’t scared to say who you really are and what you like/want. This is the exact attitude necessary for a successful blog. Keep working at it my friend, you’re on the right path.
-Alex
Fajar says
Yap, I guess POP UP annoying. if they’re like we Blog Content, just one things ” SUBSCRIBE “. I’ve read many Blog using pop up plugin, I hate this. Thanks for share (nice y)
Alex (Administrator) says
No problem, Fajar. Glad you liked the article. You will never see me usimg pop ups of any kind.
-Alex
Greg says
The riches are in the niches.
google will not rank your website if it is too broad.
Victor pride did his in 2011 when it was much easier.
You won’t get referals from other sites than if you were an authority.
People lose credibilty writing about multiple things, you cannot be a specialist in fitness,dating, finace etc.
I am not saying you don’t or can’t make money but Victor pride did a diservice to his followers with the blog artist
as everyone who followers him is creating the same thing whether they know it or not and that is Bold and determined 2.0.
Alex (Administrator) says
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Greg. However, I have MANY articles ranked on the first page of Google (all in different categories) so I am not sure what you mean by Google not ranking me. Here are a few Article 1, Article 2, Article 3. Google the title and you’ll see them pop up on the first page results.
I am not here to follow any rules. I simply write what I want when I want. It appears to be working magnificently well. Everyone has different methods for monetizing their blog. Some people focus on one niche, others focus on many niches. One thing is for sure, when it really comes down to it, there are NO rules. Someone can say something doesn’t work today and be proven wrong tomorrow. I see it happen all the time.
Greg says
I just checked, thats pretty dam good!
I used to have a blog in fitness niche and it was to competitive to rank.
But I will stick to my micro niches for the next year and maybe when I got some steady income coming
in I will write a blog on my passions.
I just find it easier to make money with small niches then big blogs -Different strokes for different folks!
cheers!
Alex (Administrator) says
I have a couple niche sites myself. Check out my article 3 Secret Steps I Follow to Make Money With Niche Websites. Email me or comment on here if you ever need any advice with niche sites. Good luck!
-Alex