This past week I’ve been researching niche focus – the idea that blogs with a super-concentrated topic ultimately fare better – both communally and monetarily – than blogs with wide-arched content. I’ve surveyed the go-to blogs high and low, gathering all the info I can in the short amount of free time I’m allotted in my day. And you know what?
I’m tired.
It’s a terribly interesting topic to me, but I’m wiped out from trying to decide what this blog – Simple Mom – should be. I honestly hope to make this a small income generator, so I want to get the most buck for my bang. If you know what I mean. I don’t want to wile away hours and hours writing and researching something that genuinely interests me, ultimately to only make $1.68. It’s not a good use of my time as a busy mom.
Photo by atmo
But you know what else? If I don’t let this blog evolve organically, it’s going to turn into a forced topic, and I’ll fizzle out. I won’t enjoy it. It’ll become a burden.
So I still want this blog to be profitable, and I still want to research SEO, adsense, ebooks, and niche marketing, but not at the expense of writing about something I truly enjoy.
Before I’m a marketer, I’m a blogger.
And before I’m a blogger, I’m a writer.
And before I’m a writer, I’m a mom and wife.
And alongside being a mom and wife, I’m a girl with a myriad of interests – cooking, decorating, organizing, finances, frugality, family time. And I think it makes most sense just to stick with that.
Simple Mom rises again. I shall indeed keep things simple.
(This blog post serves as a flag in the ground for me, a point where I can look back and remember whenever I start stressing profitability.)
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m facing the same thing with my blog, I want to post what I want to keep it fun for me, but at the same time would like it to become a profitable thing. I’m not sure I could focus it on one niche and keep it fun for me. So, I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing (I have readers, so someone must like it
) and hopefully it’ll evolve into something great.
Hi! I just came to your site via your comment on Problogger. I have struggled with all those very things! For my blog I created 20 categories and every post must fit within those categories. If an idea for a post doesn’t fit in the categories, then I don’t post it. This helps to give me some boundaries.
The design of your site is awesome! I can’t wait to read more.
@Alison – Thanks for letting me know I’m not the only one out there! I completely agree. It’s good to make our “hobby” profitable, but if it stops being fun, then it’s a burden. Don’t want that. As I’m doing for me, I encourage you to keep it fun!
@Amanda – That’s a good idea. Knowing me, I think I could find a reason to write anything with 20 whole categories. I’ve tried to keep mine down to under 10. We’ll see. And thanks, I love the site layout, too. It’s the latest design by Chris Pearson.
I’m with Amanda – that works for me too!
Your blog is ‘simply’ beautiful!
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