A Simple Approach to Finding a Good Blogging Niche, Part II - Brainstorming

In the first article, we talked about the 4 factors that make up a good blogging niche topic.  If you’ve read some of my other postings, you’ll recognize some of these things as the factors that make a great website!  There’s a lot of overlap.  Still, as you’re choosing your niche topic, you’ll want to approach them from a distinctly unique angle, in a process.

• What do I like?

First, we need ideas.  What possible things can you come up with?  Begin by brainstorming possibilities.  Ask yourself some questions, like, “What do I love to do?”, “What am I good at?”, “What things do I know a lot about?”, or “What do I like to do for fun?” Even simply looking back at your life experiences, your jobs, your education can give you ideas.

Write every idea down. Sometimes, when people are brainstorming they’ll say, “There are no bad ideas.” That’s not true. We all know some ideas are bad. It’s just that at this stage, we’re not going to worry about whether or not an idea is good.

Yet.

That will come later. So, don’t tell yourself, “That’s a dumb idea,” or “No one will ever buy that!” Remember that writing an idea down doesn’t commit you to doing it. It can always be crossed off the list. So, there’s no reason to not write it down.

Also, give yourself a few days to let your mind wander and remember things to add to your list. You might not think of it all in one sitting.

• What about content?

Once you have a few ideas in your list, it’s time to develop them. With each niche idea, ask yourself, “What could I say about this topic?”  Begin to brainstorm possible content ideas that could be a part of the niche.

Let’s say you love to go fishing. You might think of these things as possible content pieces:

1. What baits work best to catch what kinds of fish?
2. Where are the best places to fish in your area?
3. How to setup a fishing pole
4. What are the different kinds of lures, and why do they work?

That’s a good start. Again, write everything down, and give yourself some time to think of ideas.  If you find it easy to think of content ideas, then that’s an indicator of how connected you are to that niche. That’s a good sign. If you’re struggling to think of things to say, that could be a red flag.

Do this process with each of the topic possibilities you brainstormed in the first step. Once you have that done, you’re well on your way to finding your perfect blogging niche!


This article is part of a four-part series on researching and choosing your blog niche. The other articles can be found here:

1. Introduction to finding a good blog niche
2. Brainstorming blog niche and content ideas
3. Keyword research
4. Monetization product research

Mark is currently employed as an Internet Business Coach.

Mark also has other sites and blogs, including Mark's Black Pot - Dutch Oven Recipes, MarkHansenMusic.com and his MoBoy blog.