Day One!
IDEATION
Decide if you are going to build to sell (or not) from DAY ONE!
My niche selection process is mostly intuitive. This means I can’t always tell you the exact “why” behind my decisions, and by taking this challenge you have to be okay with that. If not, go check out Authority Hacker’s $699 course that will teach this process in a more technical way.
Yes, you can go down the rabbit hole of niche viability, best sites on Google, your future competition, etc., but for me, it’s a waste of time. I’ve never picked a “losing” niche… ever. If you choose a niche for the right reasons (to really help people), and you put the work in, you will win.
Which niches are most
Profitable?
The gold is when you help people (usually by teaching something or connecting in some way).
Niches I personally avoid:
- Financial (unless you pick a really good sub-niche: single mom budgeting, for example)
- Medical (Google says NO NO)
- Reading/Book Sites (they’re fun but pay pennies 99% of the time)
HOW DO I PICK A NICHE?
What is a topic you can get excited writing about daily for a year:
Without Getting Bored?
Without Running Out of Ideas?
Without Getting Paid?
Woah, woah, woah…
Hold Up!! Without getting paid? Yes, that’s a question I always ask because the pay is going to be low and slow! So it’s going to feel like you aren’t getting paid, even when those first monetization deposits start coming in. I’ve gotten deposits for less than a dollar before, which can feel deflating AF when you’ve put so much hard work in.
You HAVE to be in it for the long haul. At the very least, you’ll need to build this site for a year to get anything out of it – perhaps two or three years. Are you committing to your success?
Pro tip: Don’t worry about not being an expert; the best niches are ones you are hungry to learn more about. Experts often neglect very important foundational information and steps.
On the other hand, don’t write about “how to start a profitable blog” if you don’t have plenty of experience monetizing blogs successfully.
Think evergreen for year-round traffic
Skip fads – focus on evergreen topics and realize that some niches will have more seasonality than others (like gardening, for example). If your topic is more seasonal, you may want a second niche site to ensure you’re making maximum profit during those down months as well.
What about YMYL?
Some blogging “gurus” have folks freaked out about YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) niches. While I would avoid medical and financial niches due to Google, regulations surrounding the niches, and competition, don’t freak out about every topic in this category.
What Google really wants is for you to know what you’re talking about instead of running your mouth about essential oils curing cancer. Don’t write about topics you’re clueless about; become an expert in your niche (more about that later), don’t make promises or wild claims; focus on serving your audience in an ethical and honest way and you will be fine.
How niche is too niche?
Choose a broad/top level niche (like “outdoors”) even if you’re starting with “camping” – so you can expand later if need be.
Problem-Solving Sites
Instead of focusing on pain points, I like to focus on pain-relieving points: I build content based on questions my audience is asking, and I help them solve their problems with my front-facing content (blog posts, YouTube videos).
Product/Affiliate Based Sites
I do not build out sites that focus solely on products and affiliates. You can, but it’s not a path I’ve taken or will be teaching. My niche sites have very diversified sources of income: ads, digital products, affiliates, etc.
action
Step
Brainstorm and choose a niche.
It's okay to start with a list of 10+.
Can't choose a niche?
- Brainstorm
- Narrow it down
- Flip a coin
DO YOU WISH THERE WAS AN Easy Button?
If you want to make this process easier… pick one of the pre-made Niches in a Box!
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