blisstastic

Are you lovin’ these bliss*tastic posts? Well, I am! Enter Andrea from Mommy Snacks. Read what she has to say about niche blogging…

I met Amanda last year on our trip as #magicalmoms to Walt Disney World. I can honestly say I feel blessed to have met her and get to know her. We have since been fortunate enough to hang again on other occasions. She is the exact same person in person as you read on her site.  Her voice shines as bright as she is!

When she asked me to share something blog-related, of course I agreed.  I am passionate about all that is involved with the learning and growing of this community.  So much so that I have worked with some fantastic bloggers to create Savvy Blogging – a site focused on helping those who want to help make their blog a successful business!

As I began to write this, I looked at the definition above.  Whenever I receive questions or challenges on topics, I try to go back to the foundation. Knowing I’m reading from the *same book* helps me to be as objective as possible.

Did you notice that the definition, according to Merriam Webster, doesn’t say anything about rules, niches, monetizing or professionalism (I wish that was inherent for bloggers, but sadly it is not).  It certainly doesn’t say “some categories of blogs are more a blog than others.”  Wouldn’t that be silly!  Yet, I have heard people state that about authors in a certain blog niche.

A blog niche, or specialty, focuses on content and marketing to the target demographic.  You heard Christine share how she wanted to provide content for those living in Boston, saw a *hole* and with that passion created Boston Mamas.  JoLynne shared how she felt she was a memoirist and identified with a new niche.  She is equally successful in sharing everyday life on a personal level with her community.

I write, generally, in the money-saving/frugal niche. Let me back up. I started a blog to share a passion of saving money. It was only later that I understood I was in a niche, or specialty per *blogging* terms.  According to a demographic survey I conducted last year, my readers read primarily to find ways to save money.  So I check *that* box.

When you look at the three of us, are any one of us better than the other? I would say yes, they are super smart and I could learn a ton from them. In general, as we share and what we do according to that definition of a blog, no we’re not.  Do we adopt specific strategies to reach our target demographic, connect and achieve our goals? I would say absolutely.  Others may argue there is no strategy to it at all. That idea may be completely accurate for your blog.  That’s the beauty of blogging – there are no rules to blog!

The one aspect I see many blogs offer, regardless of niche, is personality!  I 100% believe that you can provide great information but if you fail to include your personality you will become boring.  Not that I follow every definition, but it does state that a blog is an *online personal journal….. the contents of such site.*

A large difference between what I do and what my readers will find in a forum or message board is that *personal journal* component.  They can find the same deals, and will find them more timely honestly. In that same reader survey I mentioned above, my readers stated they liked the personal posts, such as my faith and weight-loss journey, as well.  You don’t always find this level of personal sharing in a forum.  I believe it is also rare to see on many large niche sites.

Now, would my community continue to exist if Mommy Snacks.net became more personal and less focused on saving money? Yes, I did share in detail how a niche is important even if I break the rule myself   I am guessing if I wrote less content about saving money, my traffic would go down a great deal. However, I have a mind beyond deals and don’t want to start a new blog to share them.

Here is an example of a recent topic when I went outside my niche.  I have readers who want Buca di Beppo coupons.  However, I just shared how we won’t take our kids to visit Buca di Beppo anymore.  I received more comments in my personal post – moreso than when I have simply posted about a coupon for the restaurant.  What does that say?

At the end of the day, I go back to that definition.  I go back to my passion to help people *save on what you want so you can spend on what you need.*  I also strive to *keep it real* with my readers and show them who I am. I’m not perfect and I have opinions. I use my blog to share those because, well, it’s my blog.  Niche or not, I’m not changing.  I kinda like it the way it is!

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What an encouragement for whatever type of blog you have! Now, if you are looking for a good deal, want to get your couponing on or just become bffs with Andrea, please subscribe to Mommy Snacks. And follow her on twitter. She is a GEM. If you ever get a chance to see her in real life–hug her neck because she will be an instant friend.

Stay tuned for Bliss*Tastic Week 4 with a special post from Amy at The Finer Things in Life!

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