Is Your Blogging Niche Taken?

Just because someone has already established themselves in a niche in the blogging landscape, doesn’t mean it’s ruled out for you. If you want to compete with them, you can bring your unique perspective and voice to your content in order to stand out. You don’t even have to travel very far to become a travel writer or destination expert, just look outside your door at your local area.

Bloggers owning their niche

Here’s an example of some successful bloggers who have carved out a niche for themselves in a specific audience segment by establishing their subject matter expertise:Matthew Kepnes, Nomadic Matt: has anchored his brand around budget travel, and is the New York Times best-selling author of How to Travel the World on $50 a Day. He also publishes “How To” Guides, an eye-catching Budget City Guide series, and runs blogging, photography, travel writing and travel video courses.

• https://www.nomadicmatt.com

Not only did someone buy it [How to Make Money with Your Travel Blog], but so did many other people! Suddenly, this book was earning more money than everything else I did. It was then I realized the power and necessity of creating your own products.I wrote another book (on teaching English) and then another book (on how to travel better). And I just kept on writing. Now, book sales represent two-thirds of my income and it is something that grows the more my audience does.It’s not impossible to make money online when you create your own products. It doesn’t need to be an expensive product; it just needs to be something…It doesn’t matter what your product is. What matters is that you have something.Matthew Kepnes, April 2018

Nora Dunn, The Professional Hobo: provides financial advice and hosts financial case-study interviews with other nomads on her blog. She’s published Working on the Road: The Unconventional Guide to Full-Time Freedom and How to Get Free Accommodation Around the World.

• https://www.theprofessionalhobo.com/

Brooke Schoenman, Her Packing List: Brooke started blogging via Brooke vs. the World, and then in 2010 launched Her Packing List which focuses on tips and advice about travel gear, backpack reviews, packing lists and tips, and female travel advice. She published an ebook Eliminate the Nightmares: Pack Smaller, Lighter and Smarter in 30 Days.

• http://herpackinglist.com/

Kristen Addis, Be My Travel Muse: uses her blog to establish herself as a female solo travel expert, and has a regular guest spot on Nomadic Matt’s blog sharing her brand of travel advice. She has also written a book, Conquering Mountains: How to Solo Travel the World Fearlessly, which is aimed at helping fellow female travelers to overcome their travel fears.

• https://www.bemytravelmuse.com

Matthew Karsten, Expert Vagabond: has been exploring the world for the last 8+ years and positions himself as a full-time adventure travel blogger and photographer. He offers advice about how to take better travel photographs and shares motivation and inspiration to live a life full of adventure.

• https://expertvagabond.com

Megan McDuffie and Michael van Vliet, Fresh Off the Grid: is a cooking resource blog for outdoor enthusiasts. They features an assortment of easy-to-prepare recipes, helpful how-to cooking guides, a curated gear shop, and inspiration to enjoy an outdoor lifestyle.

• https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/

A Narrow Content Niche

You’ll notice that each of these travel writers have identified a specialized content niche, which helps them target and connect with their core audience.

This list is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more bloggers and travel writers who have realized the potential of establishing themselves as a subject matter expert in a specific niche, whether that niche is a location, audience segment, or area of interest.

My Case Study

I did just that with my Bodrum Peninsula Travel Guide, my Turkey travel blog.

When I researched the competition I realized that although there were plenty of established generic blogs about Turkey, there wasn’t any that focused on this western area of the country. So I defined quite a narrow geographic area, and decided to cover it in depth, using my insider knowledge and part-time resident status to establish myself as a subject matter expert.

What travel blogging and writing niche you’re targeting?

When you’re exploring a new travel niche, make sure you take some time to evaluate the marketplace and see who your competition is. You can compete in an existing niche, as long as you have something unique and different to off the audience. Or better yet, identify a niche that no other blogger is covering, and own that space with your content.

One of the most important things to create a successful blog to build your brand around, is to make sure you write your passion. Here’s an article I wrote on this topic: Why you should write your passion

Read more articles in my How to Write a Travel Guide Series

I’m putting the finishing touches on my How to Write and Self-Publish a Travel Guide Series, which details a step by step approach for writing and producing your own travel guide. It’s part of a four-part series aimed at helping travel bloggers achieve passive income based on their passions and existing content.

Each month I host a monthly free prize draw and give away a travel writing e-book to the lucky winner. Sign up to join my mailing list to participate.

Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com