Camp Out in a Niche

I say this often: “If I were starting out in a new career field or industry, one of the first things I would do is start a blog.”

Admittedly, I wouldn’t know much about that brand-new career field and you’re probably asking, “What would you blog about then?”

That’s the great thing about it though: I wouldn’t know anything!

So here what I’d blog about … I’d blog about what I’m learning … new ideas that surface for the industry … questions on why things are done the way they are … I’d take the skills and experiences from past careers and seek to apply them to the new one and in the process bring a fresh perspective.

I’d blog my passion about my new career field. I’d give veterans a reminder of what their first baby steps were and the excitement surrounding it.

All those are among the reasons I started my first real blog.

Over 600 posts later, it’s been an incredible tool for my career.

Why?

I camped out in a niche …. and I made my voice known.

I just shared my ideas and experiences and lessons in my field with whoever would listen.

Yes, there were MANY other, more qualified people who could have talked about my subject. But I was one of a few taking the chance to let my ideas flop or fly on the web.

I stuck my head out … and with it, my ideas.

And over time, people started to learn my name in my career field.

Eventually I got asked to teach seminars on topics I blogged about. A couple of times I got some really neat media coverage.

My traffic doubled. Tripled.

And remarkably, other people in my niche started to actually become interested in what I was saying and even linking to my posts.

… all because I found a small space on the web that a set of people (my target audience) were interested in …. one in which I could talk somewhat authoritatively … so I stuck my claim on a piece of that conversation and I filled it with my own ideas and thoughts.

It gave me credibility. It broadened my exposure (exponentially). It even got me more freelance work and made a few dollars. And it helped me forge a new career path as an entrepreneur and into other spaces and topics and conversations.

It’s been a great ride too!

And now … I’m working on the next niche … to do it all over again!