Last week I wrote a blog post titled “What to write about.” Now that you have your general list of possible topics, you may want to consider defining your niche in the blogging arena.
Here’s what I mean.
Although your business may have started out as a general business, over time, it has probably evolved into a specific niche business.
For example, I began my business by saying, “Hey World! I am a freelance copywriter!” Now that may have impressed my Grandma, in truth, it does little for my business. Google ‘copywriter’ and you’ll get over 13.2 million results!
Over the years, I made that shift to define my niche as the builders’ writer. Here’s why. I can offer value to contractors because I’ve spent 20+ years in their world. I know their lingo and struggles and what it takes to sell a home. True, I may have only spent a few years doing field work with my hands, but I’ve spent the rest of my career studying how EPA and DEP policies and regulations affect development. I’ve listened to builder problems and celebrated victories with them. I’ve even lived through a time when a picture of a bog turtle nearly shut down development in suburban Philadelphia in the late ‘90s.
To quote one of my clients, “You understand builder issues, Tess. You ‘get’ our business.”
So naturally, my target market is clearly defined – home builders, remodelers and trade contractors. However, from there I’ve further defined my niche in the area of articles, newsletters and customer stories. Sure, I can write other content – press releases and brochure copy to name a few – but my niche is contractors who want to market their business using content, such as articles, newsletters and customer stories.
Same is true for builders; they, too, have niche markets. There are home builders who specialize in developing attractive 55+ communities while others carve out their niche in the townhome market and still others are custom home builders for customers who want grand homes priced above $3 million.
Remodelers and trade contactors specialize, too. There are some remodeling companies who focus on kitchen and bath renovation projects while others are really good at incorporating additions into your home. And trade contractors, by definition, specialize in their trade. There are hundreds of specialty areas.
It is important to capitalize on your specialty areas and define your niche in the blogging world, too. Why? Because writing articles about your niche will define you as the expert in your field and the company the prospect will want to hire.
If the prospect has narrowed down their bathroom remodeler search to two companies – one who shares their knowledge and expertise on a regular basis on their blog and the other company who has a static and boring website, who do you think they are going to feel connected to and trust?
So the next time you put pen to paper to write your blog post, don’t just write about anything. Write about your niche market. Over time, you’ll see how honing in on your niche will really set you apart from the competition.
