Question: I have an idea for a blog that is something I am really interested in. But there are already a lot of blogs, some of them really popular, on the same topic. Should I even try?
First of all – YES!
But your question does bring up some questions of its own. Namely the big one – what is your goal in blogging?
Defining your goal is one of the keys to your happiness and sanity. If your goal is just to make money blogging, then you will get disappointed very quickly. Building a blog up to the point where it creates a steady income takes years, and success is definitely not guaranteed. If on the other hand your goal is just to talk about what you are passionate about, and if it makes some extra income that’s great – you will find that a lot more rewarding.
Looking at a topic and finding heavy competition is definitely tough. Think about all the blogs on how to do blogging. There are hundreds if not thousands of blogs on that topic, and many are written by the top powerhouses who have books, products, programs and more. But they all had to start somewhere.
What gives your blog its uniqueness isn’t only the topic – it’s your voice. You are unique. You have your own personal spin on what you are trying to say, and your own take on the information. Two people given the same material and information will present it in two completely separate ways. And the one who presents it in the most unique way will probably come out on top.
I have written a book on a subject completely different than blogging. It was a grueling process. Every time I thought I was done, I took the chapter I just wrote, broke it in half and then added to it so each of those halves were its own chapter. Little by little I built up the book. It took over a year just to write! I didn’t write the book because I was looking for a big pay-day. I didn’t write the book because I thought I “had to”. I wrote the book because I needed to. Not needed as in money, needed as it was burning in my soul. Writers need to write!
By the same token – bloggers need to blog! I consistently see people who have tried to start a blog and after a couple of months have given up. I don’t call them bloggers. There was no need for them to start their own blog. They started their blog because they thought it was just part of the process of making money. There was no passion.
If you wake up in the morning and feel you “have to” do a blog post today – do the Internet a favor and stop blogging now.
But if you are truly passionate about your topic – get out there and do it! Who cares if there are 10-20-200 blogs on the same topic out there… put your own spin on it. Participate on those other blogs (don’t forget to put your own website link in your signature or comment!) and enjoy talking about your topic your way and on your own terms.
Yes, if you want to grow your blog, eventually you will need to examine your processes, your visitors, advertisers, and all of the things that move your blog out of infancy to the next level. But you need to get your feet wet first, and if you are doing it just for the money – that money will probably never come.
Bottom line – it doesn’t matter how many blogs there are on a topic, if you enjoy the topic, enjoy writing about the topic, have your own voice, and don’t really care about the money right now – then you have a great start on a blog already. Get out there and start writing.