Niche Blogging: Strength In Numbers

Listed in order are the top three all-time traffic sources for this blog:

• google
• Facebook
• The Work at Home Woman (where I guest blog)

It can change from week to week, with twitter making the list instead of google or Facebook, but the one thing that remains the same is TWAHW.

When I started working on the new blog, finding a blog to contribute to in that niche was important. The list above proves it. I'd already developed a relationship with an editor/founder of a site and had been engaging long before she even launched her network. When I emailed and expressed my interest in contributing content, she responded within minutes saying yes. 

Some folks swear by writing keyword-rich blog posts to get traffic. I'm the opposite. I believe you need a community, not SEO. Search engine algorithms can change at any time and I have no desire to write for a 'machine' that I can't control. I'm not saying SEO is a bad thing. Relying on it alone is. 

I've not had one person hire me as a result of guest blogging. But what I have experienced is growth on my Facebook page, more connections via twitter as a result of Holly sharing my posts, and the obvious which is more eyeballs right here on my blog.

When you decide to guest blog, you have to ask yourself why you're doing it. Deciding to do so is a no-brainer if your goal is to move beyond blogging as a hobby.

Here are my reasons:

• exposure to a new group of bloggers
• to build relationships and establish credibility in this new market
• the opportunity to participate in virtual and live events sponsored by the network and its partners

The collaboration has to be mutually beneficial. While the blog's editor was thrilled that I'd ask to join, she wanted to know what I was bringing to the table. A fair question to ask and you should already have the answers before you send a pitch.

Building an audience for your blog takes time, no matter what kind of blog it is or your reasons for writing. Even if you're writing for fun, you want somebody out there reading and engaging.

These points sum it up:

• find a like-minded blogging community/forum before you launch
• identify other bloggers in your niche and start the relationship building process (via commenting/tweet chats/sharing)
• don't become a blog snob get so embedded in that niche and fail to connect with others outside of your target audience

The niche blog journey is not for the faint of heart. I'm enjoying it though. Looking forward to sharing the reveal with you and everything I'm learning along the way.