Blogging About Blogging: Fair Warning

30 | Posted In Opinion by David

This post is an off-the-cuff, shoot-from-the-hip response to a guest post today by Derek Jensen over on Blogussion. In his words, stop blogging about blogging already.

In short, I agree with his post. But, I thought I would just offer my viewpoint on this – from the perspective of somebody who clearly blogs about blogging.

Stop, Drop And Think First

If you are brand new to blogging, or even if you have had a little success at it, it doesn’t mean you can enter this niche and cash in.

The blogging niche has gotten pretty saturated, and it is even more so now than when I decided to begin this blog. To stand out today, you’ve got to do a couple of things:

  • Have a proven track record of REAL success in a completely different niche that you can then draw from.
  • Offer something really unique and not seen before.

I’ve seen people bust into this niche in the last couple years, but they did so because they offered something really, REALLY unique. Also, they had proven success in another market. In all cases. Even then, they’ve got to work their asses off to get off the ground.

To come into this niche and not be able to point at another, completely different blog and show that it makes a big pile of cash or has a huge pile of daily traffic – it is a waste of time. UNLESS you can find a way to completely overpower that drawback by being so interesting and creative in your approach that you make everybody else look bad.

Too often, “newish” bloggers enter the “make money blogging” niche and are completely boring. They were hoping this niche would propel them to the bigtime, but they can’t point at any other experience. And, let’s face it, how many different ways can you tell somebody to write good stuff, build a list, yada yada? I mean, right? :)

Why Does It Happen?

It is a case of tunnel vision.

Same reason people mistakenly assume the best way to make money online is to talk about making money online. So, they go out there and start offering advice to people on making an income when they themselves can barely afford a six-pack of beer on on their own internet income.

It is tunnel vision. You read certain kinds of blogs because that’s what you’re interested in at that time. And one thinks, “Well, they seem successful in that market, perhaps I can do the same.” It is all you’re exposed to and so you gravitate to it.

Keep this in mind, though…

The niche doesn’t create success. The blogger creates his own success.

The bloggers who’ve succeeded did so with long hours, lots of sweat, lots of creativity, and basically busting ass in every way. Bloggers don’t get to ride their niche selection to the top.

Insider Scoop

As somebody who is in this market and talks to some of the people in it, I can tell you that this niche is getting more saturated every day. Getting attention is getting tougher. Product launches don’t always get the attention they deserve. There are constant launch date conflicts and multiple pulls on the limited attention spans. The audience, quite frankly, gets kinda tired of it.

In other niches, it isn’t always that way. In fact, not in most of them. Every market is different. Every time a product launch occurs in this market, you’re constantly dealing with date conflicts. Just today, in fact, you’ve got Beyond Blogging Project conflicting with Product Launch Formula on launch day. That type of thing happens ALL THE TIME now. And even when things aren’t launching you’ve still got the authority blogs in this niche pulling attention into something.

Another thing: Most people interested in making money as bloggers subscribe to the usual internet marketing guys as well. And those guys are constantly barraging us with stuff to buy. So, once again, if you just look at it from an attention stand point, it is being pulled everywhere constantly.

Coming into this scene as a brand new blogger with no existing footprint online? Ugh. Good luck with that. It can be done, but not by most.

However, you better believe I can do a launch over on PCMech (in the tech niche) and make a lot of money and get a lot of attention. I’ve done it. And it isn’t nearly as much work as doing so in this blogging niche. For one, launch conflicts never happen because pretty much no other tech blogger I know of even knows how to do a product launch. Or promote much of anything, for that matter. They’re very much dependent on banner ads.

Final Word

This post doesn’t have a whole lot of structure to it, but it was something I just decided to write off the cuff.

The theme? If you are relatively new to blogging, don’t go into the blogging niche without some real thought about how you’re going to approach it to stand out. I know it is tempting, but trust me, other niches are easier by far.

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  • Robb Sutton

    Exactly.

    All they end up doing is muddying up the waters and then there is one more “it can’t be done” person out there that really didn’t give it a true chance to begin with.

    I am also getting sick of the misconception that the only way to make money online is to blog about blogging or making money online. The vast majority of my income is through other sites…I just started RobbSutton.com because it was my way of helping other bloggers get in review product for their blogs.

    Anyways…rant complete… ;)

  • Robb Sutton

    “Have a proven track record of REAL success in a completely different niche that you can then draw from.”

    This should be a requirement for entry. I hate the “come with me as I go on my making money online journey” crap.

    No one should start a blog in which they have zero experience. Blog on what you know…if you want success at least.

  • http://www.shawnchristenson.com Shawn Christenson

    #slowclap

    Instead of hiding out and pretending that a post like that won't be heard -you jumped up right away to say “He's right and here's why – and how to combat it”.

    The point about someone coming onto the scene and having success somewhere else is very very true.

  • http://www.mikeslife.org Mike CJ

    There's another launch today? :)

    But seriously, a solid point. I don't think I'd have had any credibility with Mike's Life in the early days without the solid foundation of Lanzarote Information. But it's so true that as soon as you start to apply some real online marketing skills into another niche, the results are spectacular. For example, we opened a membership side to the site, which has gone crazy recently – people in that sector have never come across the idea before and love it.

  • http://davidrisley.com David Risley

    Yeah, that's been my experience, too. Obviously, price points can vary a lot market-to-market. My tech audience doesn't take high price tags, so huge six-figure launches are harder to pull off without large traffic numbers. But, still, building up a launch buzz is OH so much easier with those guys. :-)

  • http://davidrisley.com David Risley

    Those journey sites usually fall flat on their faces anyway. I mean, why would somebody listen to a person with no track record? And even if they do listen, they're not going to buy anything from you because you've completely told them you have no idea what you're doing. :-) A community is useless from a business standpoint if they have nothing to gain from you.

  • http://www.nextlevelblogger.com/about Christian Russell

    Rock on for pointing out the niche doesn't bring you success. You are the deciding factor, not the niche. Yeah, meta-blogging is crowded for sure, but I don't think that's really a problem. Product launches are successful when they're awesome. When they're not, they're not. Same thing with internal launches or any other income-producing activity.

    You make money with your blog, David, because you actually know what the heck you're doing. All the bloggers who don't…don't. They don't really represent competition, even for people's attention, because they're just not offering much of value. Even in a lower competition niche, you still have to be good. The internet is noisy. I think it's warranted to vent about these things from time to time, but let's face it…noise yields good things. Just listen to Jimi Hendrix :)

  • http://www.financiallydigital.com Nunzio Bruno

    I couldn't agree with you more here. The biggest point I think you hit was drawing on real experience and successes. I was a financial planner for years before I started sharing my insight online at Financially Digital. It gets to be too hard to compete if you just show up unprepared and try to “teach” without actually having learned. I love to read about blogging and monetization but I try to parlay that to what I'm doing with my own blog – not emulate you guys, which is such a crucial point.

  • http://davidrisley.com David Risley

    That's really important – not to emulate, but be your own thing. Nice one.

  • anthonykrese

    I'm glad I've listened (to people like yourself and others ) who have suggested steering clear of the blogging/mmo niches. I think there is a tendency for people to teach what they are learning / have learned. I guess it helps them solidify information.

    I've been testing niches, besides blogging and IM, and it has been pretty easy to get noticed rather fast. I'm finding the competition, if any, fairly weak.

    Furthermore, I wonder why new blogs about blogging don't hone down into more specific niches. How about teaching dog breeders how to blog. Teaching teachers how to blog. Obviously you'd have to have experience in the niche. Sure, it's smaller but probably more lucrative.

  • joshuanoerr

    You've made some great points David. I love all of the blogging bloggers I read. I learn a lot from yourself and others, and I can't imaging coming as far as I have without it.

    But I have no desire to do it myself. There are too many great bloggers writing about it. I know what I am good at, and I don't think my skill set will translate to the blogging about blogging niche.

    On a side note, I have been having a little chuckle at how many different people are marketing Jeff Walkers program, and all the different ways it is being done.

  • http://www.websitebegin.com Joe Boyle

    With the thousands of bloggers in the “Blogging about blogging” niche that some many are in, including myself, you need to fight to get anywhere. There are far too many people to just sit down and wait for things to get sent to you.

    It seems like people want to jump on this bandwagon because it's the hot thing to do. I am on it because a) people in my school wanted to know how to blog and I knew, b) I love blogging. That's the only reason why I joined this humble niche.

    Great post, David.

  • http://words4writing.com Sheila Cragg

    David between you and Darrem Rowse I am discouraged.
    What downer blogs! I believe you by the way.

    “Coming into this scene as a brand new blogger with no existing footprint online? Ugh. Good luck with that. It can be done, but not by most.” Darren pretty much said the same thing.

    I would love to earn a three figure income, but after your remarks, i am beginning to wonder. I have worked long hard hours and for nothing so far. I have two whole people, close friends , on my mailing list. I'm not giving up, but I'm not sure of what will be the best use of my time.

  • http://keithbloemendaal.com Keith Bloemendaal

    You know my frustrations with the “blogging” niche because we have discussed them inside Inner Circle. I have been blogging for 30 mos now, and only 6mos of that has been in the “blogging” niche. And while I think I have something to offer, I am not always sure it is unique because of the saturation.

    That is why I started my personal blog and am taking a different approach with it. It will still have a degree of “blogging” advice, but I want to teach people how to create a business with products, not blog to get ads clicked….

  • http://impulsemagazine.net Impulse Magazine

    I think that it is not a good move because the market is way too saturated

  • kiesha_WeBlogBetter

    Hi David,
    You're absolutely right – I think nearly any other niche would work if people were just a little more creative. Of course, I'm in the exact same niche as you, and while my blog functions as a doorway to earning income via consulting, my sole source of income is not based on ad clicks.
    It is absolutely hard to stand out – and all I can do is use my personal uniqueness to my advantage – that and the fact that I work hard and have enough persistence to endure while others give up and bow out of the race. I don't need to be in first place, but I'd at least like to place. :)

  • http://davidrisley.com David Risley

    Yeah, the magic key is in how you do it. For example, Jordan Cooper came into this market from nowhere damn near, but being a comic with a wicked sense of humor, and networking with the right folks – now we know who he is. :-) Very smart.

  • http://davidrisley.com David Risley

    Realize that this post was aimed primarily at people trying to get into the “make money blogging” market. And you're not. :-)

    That said, yeah, blogging is a lot of work. You have to be a business and a marketer first, blogger second.

  • http://davidrisley.com David Risley

    Speaking as somebody who promoted Walker's course, too, I will say – yeah, seemed like the whole damn world did it. But, it is a testament to the product, really. PLF is an awesome course and Jeff is a great guy. Lots of people want to promote for him.

  • http://davidrisley.com David Risley

    Great idea. Sub-niching is always a cool way to approach a saturated larger niche.

  • http://www.notaproblog.com Jordan Cooper

    I finally got a testimonial out of you, Dave!

    I'll add it to my library now… which now stands at a whopping 1 testimonial!

  • http://website-in-a-weekend.net/ Dave Doolin

    It amuses me that I agree with every thing you say, David, but I don't draw the same conclusions.

    What I see are a large number of people for whom writing is an essential part of their learning process (as it is for me). Speaking for myself, I'm compelled to write, and my publication record, both “blogging” and academic reflects that compulsion.

    I don't believe I'm unique.

    I see two other things which offer stupendous opportunity:

    1. All these people are self-motivated and they are self-training. For better or worse, every single person who writing the same old recycled pap us old timers screech so loudly about is a motivated person for whom the material provides little frissons of revelation, each and every blog post.

    2. Blogging as a medium is in it's infancy. I have a very long post about this brewing, so that's all I'll say about that here. I can say, from living in San Francisco, that the amount of technology about to be unleashed on the blogging world is mind boggling. If anything, we need *more* bloggers blogging about blogging. Which leads me to…

    The real work is just starting, even in the blogging niche. So many questions remain unanswered: How do we measure ROI, for real? Which “outposts” provide the highest ROI? Over what period of time? How do we manage these properties so their long term asset value increases? In a world where content is free, what really constitutes value?

    There's been a lot of… discussion… lately concerning this whole blogging thing. It's a regular brouhaha. At the moment, WordPress runs 8% of the internet. I don't think it's out of the question to see WordPress serving 50%-60% of the internet, a 2-3 fold doubling from it's current value.

    That's a lot of opportunity.

    So I'm happy to go right on doing what I'm doing (teaching and consulting), and happy to acquire as readers, customers and friends all those still interested in learning the craft.

  • http://baddeacondesign.com Sean *Deacon* Neprud

    So… you are blogging about blogging about blogging. Actually, since you mention that this post was inspired by a blog post about blogging about blogging, it could be said that this post is blogging about blogging about blogging about blogging, though I think I might be pushing it there.

    Writing this comment is making my head spin.

    Anyway, this comment meant to be tongue-in-cheek.

  • http://twitter.com/rayvonnejohnson RayJohnson

    David this has been a great post to read. one of the biggest problems I know for me is what I have gravitated to online and the pressure to not copy it. I mean I love business, but I do not want to have another blog about starting a blogging business just don't think I can add to the niche that way.
    I think as a person starts out we get blinded by the money and forget that we have other passions, hobbies etc that we can actually become authorities in. Again thanks.

  • http://www.growyouronlineincome.com/ Shane

    Well damn David. You just peed all over my Corn Flakes. lol. But really, I started blogging about 2 months ago. I follow the likes of yourself and Lynn Terry. This post was a real wakeup call quite honestly. I go from reading (and hearing) your “Six Figure Blogger Blueprint” report to a real dose of reality.

    Pretty much, the make money blogging is the sexiest niche by far. Funny thing is, most bloggers and affiliate marketers make their money on totally different niches. For crying out loud Frank Kern made a killing in the dog training niche.

    The take away I got from this…don't buy products that teach you how to make money blogging. Buy products that teach you how to do effective and outrageous marketing. Because if you can do outrageous marketing, then it doesn't really matter what niche you're in, you'll kill it.

  • Leon Aldrich

    Sheila, my own site goes live soon. Even though it will have “blog” as part of the domain name, it isn't actually a site devoted to bloggers or MMO. I currently subscribe to close to 100+blogs (thank you RSS feed and google reader).

    I meandered over to your site. You are a solid, capable writer. You certainly don't need me to give you a back pat. I believe if you continue to write and put up content, your blog will grow. If anything you might want to try guest posting on other sites as well.

    Now for my feedback. Ready?

    There has to be a way for your future fans to “contact” you. I didn't see a contact tab on your menu (at least via email). Though I haven't ever emailed David (yet), I have corresponded with dozens of popular bloggers and even some published authors. Email contact is at the top of my list when I visit or subscribe to a site.

    Move your (free chapters) to the very top right. Don't just take my word for it, you only have to review David's site to see his freebie at the very top, noticeable, along with ways to connect with David. Any top blog site, regardless of their niche, will have the standard elements located in key positions on their website. Every single one of them sets it up like this.

    You have your twitter follow blended in with your featured post, sandwiched in between your banner and your actual post. I'd put a logo with title (Words4Writing) with subheading or slogan of: 4Creating Memorable Characters, Articles, Blogs, Family Histories, Stories and Novels (or something like that). Notice again, David's? He has his logo with site name with a slogan Confessions of a Six Figure Professional Blogger. Your subheading/slogan is good. It should be placed with your site title.

    If anything, just ask David if what I've stated makes sense.

  • Leon Aldrich

    Robb, your site is one of my cornerstone learning centers (no joke).

  • http://words4writing.com Sheila Cragg

    Thanks Leon, Most helpful and right on. I will do what you suggest a.s.a.p. Wish I could figure out how to get the posting in the black part removed. it's very distracting and a sub banner would be so much better. I always appreciate the help, Sheila

  • http://evengrounds.com/blog Julius

    There are too many niches out there, and I think that similar to what you've said, people who are new to blogging should focus on picking other niches, instead of the blogging niche. I agree that it's getting way too crowded and I understand why some people are getting tired of it.

  • Stuart McMinigal

    Hi,
    I'm currently in the process of creating content and getting ready to go live with my website http://thebloggersway.com hoping for it to take off with me adding great content. I hope to Blog about Blogging and i think there is still a huge amount of people wanting to tap into this area…

    PS. Great blog, love to read it….