How to Blog in a Small Niche

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When I started blogging, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  I had developed 11 WordPress websites before my blog, so off I went, ready to write and connect with other chef wives and girlfriends!

I got the website up and running and started writing.  But you know the saying, “If you build it, they will come”?  That doesn’t really apply to blogging.

Every blog post that’s ever been written about promoting your blog talks about connecting with other bloggers in your niche.  You’re told to comment on their blogs, email them, follow them on social media and get to know them.  Blogging is about building relationships!

But what if there are only a few other bloggers in your niche?

How to Blog in a small niche
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Welcome to my life as a blogger.

Some say that what I’m trying to do is “blogging suicide” – writing to an audience without having a way to connect with a lot of others doing the same.  According to this article, I probably should have picked something else to blog about.

That might be true.

However, I get emails ALL THE TIME from women thanking me for writing.  They say they felt so alone and are so happy to have found someone who can relate to their crazy life.  (And I’m sure the others that blog to my same audience receive the same types of messages.)

You see, I blog about being married to a chef and raising a family with a chef.  There are three large blogs dedicated to this subject, and then a handful of others who write on the topic occasionally.

So how do I connect with other chef wives?

How many restaurants are there in the world?

How many of those chefs and line cooks for those restaurants are married to or dating someone?  A LOT!!

My blog has been read in 131 countries.  I love that!  My target audience is all around the world!!  The potential audience is HUGE!  I just have to find them.

Other than leaving comments occasionally on blogs I follow with an occasional “married to a chef” phrase in my comment, I feel like my quest to find find readers is really a shot in the dark.

Is there a chance another chef wife will happen to see my comment on a blog post about fun summer activities to do with my kids?  Sure.  But it’s not very likely.  

Do I post links to my blog on Facebook for my friends to see?  Occasionally, but they are not my target audience.  

Do I go into my husband’s restaurant and start talking to the other chefs and line cooks asking if they will tell their wives and girlfriends about my blog.  (NOOOOOOO!!)

So how in the world do you go about letting others know about your blog if you can’t find them?

While my blog is still small compared to many, it is growing!  And slowly but surely, I’m finding my audience and connecting with them.

While I know most of you reading this are not my target audience, I also know there is a chance you know someone who is.  So can I ask you a favor?

If you know someone who is married to or dating someone in the restaurant industry (a chef, server, line cook, manager, bartender, etc.) will you share my blog via email with them?  I appreciate your help in getting the word out.

I decided to make a list of what I’ve done so far just in case there is anyone else out there struggling with finding their audience like I am.  Some things have worked better than others, but I might as well share what I’ve learned so someone else can benefit from it.  Plus, a lot of the tips are great ideas even if you have a lot of others blogging in your niche.

(And while this is a different subject than I normally write about, I know many of my readers have blogs of their own.  I hope you find this helpful in some way!)

Here’s a bit of what I have planned for this series.  While none of these are new things to write about, I’m going to address them from the perspective of having a very small niche.  (Make sure to check back every Wednesday for the next few weeks so you don’t miss a post!)

How to Blog in a small niche

How to Blog - blog set-up and organization

How to Blog - Blog Promotion

How to Blog in a small niche - pinterest

how to not let facebook consume your life as a blogger

 

In the meantime, here are some other great resources I think you’ll find helpful:

  1. The first is The Knowtbook by Amy Lynn Andrews.  From day one, she has been my #1 go to resource on all things blogging.  She is a wealth of information.  She has a great website and Useletter, but her new Knowtbook goes above and beyond that.  It’s her working notebook that you can have access to.  I LOVE that she is constantly updating it for me (well, for anyone that buys it.)   It’s her notebook that she uses for all of her notes and she’s sharing it with us!!  Best idea ever!  You can find out more details over on her website.  I highly recommend this Knowtbook if you are a blogger!  It’s money well spent.
  2. The Blogging Bunch – Sarah has been so helpful to me this year as I have been fine tuning my blog.  She has some great ideas and resources on her website and a wonderful Facebook group where you can ask questions of other bloggers!
  3. Brilliant Business Moms – A great resource if you are looking to make your blog a business.  They have some AMAZING podcasts that I have found super helpful and also have a great Facebook group.
  4. Blog Chikca Blog – Jill is my go-to gal for all things Pinterest.  More about her and my love of Pinterest in this post.
  5. How to Blog for Profit without Selling Your Soul – What a great book this is (and I’m not a reader.  So for me to recommend a book it has to be REALLY good.)  I learned a ton from it as I began to promote my blog!

So what about you?  Are you blogging in a small niche?  Do you struggle to find where your potential readers are hanging out online?  Leave me a note in the comments below!

From one chef wife (or blogger) to another,

Jennifer

 

 

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4 Comments

  1. Florence

    I’m not your ideal reader, however I’m glad you spoke on small niche markets. That made me feel less alone in my quest as well. I’m not married to a chef but I do have a male coworker who is a sous chef, and he’s a cutie. Does that count?

    Reply
    • Jennifer

      Haha Florence!! That cracks me up! Sure, why not! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Robin

    I’m in a small-ish niche, STEM education for kids. There are lots of educational mommy blogs that cover STEM related material, but not many that focus on STEM specifically. Sometimes I wonder if I’m being too narrow and if it’s causing me to miss out on potential readers, but I also think that keeping your niche smaller can make you stand out in the crowd of other blogs. I feel like people will see you as an expert in your area and remember who you are if you’re different. The tricky part is coming up with content that will attract the largest amount of people while staying true to your core audience. My core audience is parents with kids interested in STEM, but I also hope to reach teachers, other bloggers, parents of kids with disabilities that can benefit from my posts, nerd/geek parents, parents looking for school project ideas, and anyone else who might find my posts helpful and amusing.

    Reply
    • Jennifer

      I do think the key is to stay true to your vision. I think if we start continually posting about random things on our blog, we’ll lose our audience (even if it’s small). Blogging is about connecting with people, not about numbers. (But sometimes we need to be reminded about that.) 🙂 Thanks Robin!

      Reply

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