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finding your niche

Okay, so you‘ve decided that you would like to start a blog and become a blogger.  Congratulations!  That decision is the first step in learning to make extra money online using a blog.

The second step to making money online with a blog is finding your niche.  Your niche is your topic or the special focus of your blog.  Choosing a niche can be a challenge for any new blogger, whether they are just planning to blog for fun or whether they intend to use the blog as part of a commercial venture.  Right now as you choose your niche, you have a special challenge, because you don‘t want to just have fun blogging about this niche.  You‘d like to make money from this niche as well.  So what can you do to settle on that perfect topic?

Actually, finding your niche is not that difficult.  In fact, I can guarantee that by the end of this chapter you will have a niche picked out, partially researched and all ready to go.  In order to begin, all you need to do is get your thinking cap on and answer a few quick questions.

What do you like?  

Since you will be spending a considerable amount of time with this niche over the life of your blog, it is important to choose a topic that you like and have an interest in writing about extensively.    

Look at your interests, hobbies, and passions.  Just look at them and write them down on a piece of paper.  At this point, don‘t consider how much money you could make writing about any of them.  Just spend some time considering what you like to think about and what you enjoy spending your time and money doing.  

On your piece of paper, make a list of a least 10 things that you enjoy.  If you have more than 10 things to list, that‘s fine.  The most important thing is to take out a piece of paper and write down what you enjoy.  I‘m not kidding about this paper!  The next step will be more difficult if you have not written out your list. 

All done brainstorming?  Great!  Now look at the list you have made.  Next to each item, write down how long you think you would be happy writing about that topic.  You don‘t have to be specific to the day.  Just ask yourself and answer honestly:  Could I write about this topic for 2 weeks?  How about 2 years? 

If the above questions had made you cross off every item on your list, do not get too excited.  Just find a new sheet of paper and start over. 

 Keep brainstorming until you have come up with at least three areas you feel that you could enthusiastically write about for an extended period of time.  Be creative, and think outside the box.  Even if your idea seems unusual or silly, write it down.  You do not have to share this list with anyone, and you never know what might be successful online.