Finding my blog niche and how I shift from being a lifestyle blogger to becoming a life blogger
As a blogger, one of the hardest tasks I faced is finding my blog niche and later on realizing the need to shift from being a lifestyle blogger to becoming a life blogger. It was hard because the first time I launched a blog all I wanted to do is to write in lieu of a diary because I don't feel writing it down in fear of other people being able to read it. Ironic since I posted it online where everybody can see it, right? But as weird as it may, I was fine strangers reading my blog because they don't know me.
Back then, I remember that the first post I ever wrote and published was about my friend's heartache. It was from my point of view and it was liberating to know that I published something out there and I was beyond ecstatic when some strangers leave comments. It was a boost for my ego!
"Can I really do this?" that's what I asked myself before I decided to finally dive into it. I've decided to give it a go and I busied myself researching more about blogging and how it is done. I wrote my post in my notes app and publish it whenever I have an internet connection.
Did I ever see myself being where I am right now before? Nope. I'm sure I'll probably reading cheesy romance novels and writing here and there but never in my teen years did I think that I'll eventually have a blog that I can support this long. You probably know that I've had a few blogs before that's now been long gone and one of the reasons I failed at them is that I don't know what niche I was going for.
Early on, I did fashion because I was really into it- I think Project Runway really did it. If I'll be describing myself back then I'll say that I'm awkwardly chic just for the main reason that I am bold enough to try trends that don't even compliment me, that's no thanks to Models of the Runway and America's Next Top Model for instilling me that I can work anything out as long as I know how to stay fierce. I should have known that I'm way out of the league with Heidi Klum and Tyra Banks.
Fast forward, a few months after I got exhausted trying to be the model that I will never be, I decided to embark on a new journey and published book reviews online. It was crazy because I actually got the engagement that I wasn't expecting! I got publishers and authors e-mailing me and asking if they can send me books for me to review. Of course, I gladly accepted them because the bookworm in me will never decline a free book!
Gearing up for college eventually gave me a new direction. Book reviews are time-consuming and I got really busy in school that I can no longer have the liberty to write my thoughts about a book, heck I can't even have the luxury to read that much anymore. So I slow down in accepting and writing book reviews for my blog.
Hauled by the determination to gain something from what I'm doing I started looking at blogging with a business perspective. I've seen people gain money from it, they get free stuff, they earn something just by reviewing products and I want that. It was what a successful blogger looks like. I started posting stuff I normally do not post just to build content and target brands I want to have a partnership with.
It was like that for a few years.
Jacks-of-all-trades. That's what I'll describe my blog then. It was a mixture of every little thing and fortunately, I was able to label it under the niche of lifestyle blogging. I cover events, fashion, arts, books, movies, almost everything! I did it because I want brands partnership, it doesn't matter what brands as long as I can have any partnerships because that's how I thought successful bloggers look like. It was a whack move because somewhere along the line, I got lost.
Keen on wanting the 'success' I forgot my own voice. I realized that I can no longer associate myself with my blog, it's not me anymore. It was a mess and a kind that I can no longer take. I was mad at myself because I forgot the main reason why I started writing on a blog. I forgot that it was to talk about life and everything that makes you feel.
Lifestyle blogging by definition is anything related to life and anything we love the most. Most lifestyle blogs are about their travels, personal life, and the things that have been going on with their lives. Even after I decided to get my tone back in blogging I still classified myself as a lifestyle blogger.
Many of you might be wondering what's the difference of lifestyle blogging and life blogging and how did I coin it as it is. Actually, I tried googling the term life blogging but search engines redirect me to lifestyle blogging. I don't know if someone classifies them as life bloggers like I do but I would like to have someone share this niche that is it's still invisible to many. If you've been reading this blog you'll know that majority of my posts are about my personal musing in life, I don't travel that often and I already knew that I'm not adept to curate effective travel blog posts like other people that's why there's a slight hesitation from me to label myself as a lifestyle blogger since most of my posts are about my personal musing about life. At some point, I till feel that it is still similar to lifestyle blogging but there's a difference.
Not everyone will get my point because to be honest, it is not easy to understand where I am coming from. Now that I got my tone back, it's very important to me how to consider and label myself. Yes, some of my posts are similar to lifestyle blogging but not entirely.
Often times, some say that it's a motivational blog but it's actually not. Although I try to be as positive as I can, I don't really think that this is a motivational blog. Some of my posts are far from being motivating so even though I am happy that people find it as a safe place or that they enjoy reading my personal musings, I still don't associate it as somewhat motivational.
Plashing with my thoughts, I started introducing myself as a life blogger. For me, it's a combination of lifestyle blogging and journal writing. Life blogging is still somehow related to lifestyle blogging on some levels. It is a development of a niche, a hybrid even. After years of finding what niche I belong to, I finally found it. What I learn from this is that no matter what it is, as long as it's your voice you hear then that's what you are. Stake claim, own it.
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