Money is not everything. Anything beyond an optimum amount causes more misery than happiness.
Yet, with a stereotypical assumption that most of us want to make money (let’s not kid ourselves by saying “no” to this assumption), we all have a tendency to get stuck in a rut: the dirty groove of a routine that we get comfortable with over time. Even the advice we receive, the articles we write, and everything we believe in becomes congruent with this comfort zone.
For bloggers, it translates to finding niches, writing 500 word posts, and promoting your blog using the same methods we’ve always been used to. That includes social media, asking for links, putting up sign-up forms for opt-ins, some paid advertising, and then wondering how else to promote the blog.
If you’ve been doing whatever you’ve been doing, how will you get to where you want to go?
It’s time to do something different.
We all know passion pours energy into our life. It gives us more chutzpah to do what we want. It drives our efforts to reach our goals.
If you pick niches, blog multiple times a day, and work like a machine to promote your blog, here’s what happens..
Passion wears out..
Frustration sets in..
You’ll develop stress. Finally, you’ll give up.
Ignore the popular advice.
Forget the damn niches. ;)
If you have to blog, do so for a purpose. Here are different ways to find your purpose:
What is that one thing that pisses you off?
We all have our pet peeves, don’t we?
Maybe you love to do something but your lifestyle is your biggest enemy. Maybe you actually travel and you don’t like the way immigration procedures and visa restrictions don’t allow you to travel free. You could have been scammed online before and you just can’t get over it. Or maybe you got dumped unceremoniously by your girlfriend. Perhaps, you hate the well-orchestrated, social brainwash that marriage really is.
Find your biggest source of frustration; go and blog about it. Chances are that you’ll not worry about word counts and blog post lengths. There’s a possibility that many others in the world would relate to you.
Relating to the topic on hand, by the way, is half the business done.
Find a real business, blog for that business
Don’t blog about a topic. Instead, find a real business and apply your passion for blogging into a blog built for your business. Why? An unbelievable amount of “you” gets into your business, whether you know it or not.
Hatching that idea, sticking with it, and grabbing a business plan template off the web are the starting points. Beyond that, you’d give your business everything (including startup capital, sacrifices, the comfort of a day job, and the wholesome approval of people who mean so much to you). You will not sound or feel normal after so much goes into starting and running a business.
Your blog now reflects the new “you,” doesn’t it? Whatever you went through until this stage of your business (assuming you go with this idea) helps you communicate better. You are stronger, and you have an attitude to kill for.
Blog for a cause, to make a difference
If starting and running a full-fledged business (such as ecommerce, maybe) is not your thing, let’s get back to blogging.
Niches are popular and commercial. They evoke responses from customers such as “buy,” “buy later,” “no way, it’s too expensive,” and “nah, not for me.” If you don’t directly pitch for anything in your blog, all you’ll get is “ah,” “duh,” or “I see. Wow!”
Blog for a cause, instead, and you’ll mostly get responses like “I so want to help, if I could,” “Where is the donate button?” “I like what this person does,” “This is so true,” and “Wow, really?”
Now, causes don’t have to charitable. You could find a cause within commercial domains too. You can find a cause anywhere. All you have to do is look for something that’s troubling you, and you know that a lot of other people are also affected by it.
Look at what SaltyDroid does:
The trouble seed: Online scammers on the rise
The cause: Exposing scammers, thieves, and fraud “gurus” with make-believe opportunities
Does SaltyDroid sell anything? No.
Does it get traffic? Next question please.
Experiment until you find the purpose
Learning the art of blogging after you find your purpose will draw you in very late to the game. When the purpose comes calling, you have to hit the ground running. You have to be ready by then. That’s why it’s important to keep blogging everyday. How do you become a better blogger? Write blog posts every day.
What’s the secret to passionate blogging? Using your well-developed blogging skills to write about things that matter to you (and others).
In a nutshell, you have to do all the dreaming, thinking, and executing while you already have a blog in place. Now, you know that your choice of niche wouldn’t matter too. Pick a topic, start a blog and run with it. Think of this as your experiment.
Experiment until you find your passion. Once you find it, give your blog everything you’ve got.
Grammar? Rules? What’s that?
Read all the blogs you want on “how to blog better.” Brush up on your basics of writing (add copywriting to the mix). Yet, don’t think that what you read is the only “right” way to do things out there. You can make your own rules. Copywriters, for instance, break rules all the time. Find your voice. Make your writing reflect that voice. If you have to twist sentence structures, do so. If you have to invent your own words or phrases, like labeling yourself as an “anti-niche blogging rebel” go ahead and do it.
This is your playground. Go play. ;)
Your passion should show. Success will follow.
Are you stuck with niches or are you blogging from your heart? Do you have a purpose yet? Share it with us!
So, finally it’s 2nd year of blogging.
