Do you know that there are well over a billion blogs on the web today? I’m not counting only WordPress blogs which amount by itself to about 63 million, I’m talking about all the blogs that you and I have access to at the click of the mouse on the World Wide Web.
Some marketers own over a dozen blogs, some companies pay writers to write on their blogs, and some individuals own and manage their own blog such as most people reading this blog of mine which I own and manage as well.
Back in the 1990’s until early the early 2000’s blogging was nothing more than an online diary. I remember back in 2006 which is really not a lot time ago, blogs were still rather new for most people. Of course, you had those online geeks who were already blogging back then, but I bet that most of you reading this blog didn’t blog back in 2006, did you?
So, the question needs to be asked to start with…
Why is there so Many Blogs out there Today?
The reason why blogging went from an online diary to what it is today is that some people started to see the great potential of a blog. They understood that a blog could help them build authority as business owners, entrepreneurs and other experts.
Yes, they may have had a website, but a website is something much more stagnant, something you build once and stays that way until you get enough time or money to update it.
A blog, on the other hand, is rather economical and can actually help you show to the world what you’re made of while you can directly speak to your readers, and even have a conversation with them. That’s why the blogging idea took off like a rocket.
But, while blogging is good, there is an important thing that you need to create with your blog, and that’s called building authority.
What does it Mean to Build Authority with your Blog?
According to a dictionary, authority means: Power to influence resulting from knowledge. Power to commend opinions, thoughts and behavior.
Building authority with your blogs means that you are blogging in the same niche you do business, and you are using your blog to create your profile and show the world who you are, what you know, and what you can do.
If you are a tech person, you are going to blog about technical topics. If you are into health and fitness, you are going to blog about health and fitness tips and advice. If you are a mom working from home you are going to blog about tips to work from home.
The goal is to show the world that you know what you are selling. You’re letting the world know that you are an expert at what you do and what you sell. The goal of building authority with you blog is to establish a relationship with your public until they learn to trust you. But even before they come to that, they will see that you are a professional at what you do.
When you build authority with your blog you gain the trust of your potential clients and customers and they see you as a source where they can go to for answers or advice when needed.
Building authority with your blog is very powerful indeed.
However, if you are still new at blogging and still not sure what you should be blogging about you may be asking yourself, how do I build such an authority?
You may have to Crawl before you can Walk
Do you remember when you were crawling before you could walk? Well, you probably don’t remember, but your parents would tell you or you could observed your own children.
Yes, we have to crawl before we can walk. Very few of us, if any, just stood up one day and started walking. We also took our share of falls before we could be really steady on our legs.
Well, it’s the same thing with blogging. We rarely just start blogging and become successful right away. Ask most bloggers out there, and they will tell you that the blog they have now is not their first blog. A lot of them would tell you that when they first started they were not sure where they were going. They took a path, and then another, and another until they found the right path.
So if you are at that stage of blogging right now; if you just started a blog, but you don’t see traffic coming in yet, if you’re not sure where you are going at this point, don’t give up! It’s just that you haven’t found the right path for you yet.
But how can you find it, you might ask?
How to Find your Blogging Niche?
Let me tell you right away that you’re not going to find your niche in the last new trend that some marking program would want you to believe in. Yes, in some rare cases, you might, but for the most part, you won’t.
I know some top marketers that are quick to tell people that they shouldn’t try to sell what they like, but what people like. I don’t agree with that at all. I believe that there is a market for everyone out there. If you are blogging about a product that you don’t like, how long are you going to be motivated to post on that blog? My guess is probably not very long.
If you are not yet sure about what you want to blog about, what you should do in order to find what you want to do is READ as much as you can for about 6 months. Don’t’ even try to do anything else, just browse around and look for what you would see yourself doing.
You could also take the plunge and try something even if you’re not sure. This may help you get an idea of what it’s going to take from you to keep a blog going.
Building Authority with your Blog
Once you are sure about the niche you want to go with, you need to develop some authority as soon as you can. Don’t think that’s impossible, I’ve seen bloggers do just that very quickly. They have a rather new blog and they are also pretty new on the scene of blogging, but gosh, did they build that authority fast.
How did they do it?
Very simple. They got educated in their niche right away. They read, researched, took notes, and so forth. Very rapidly they were able to sound like an authority in their niche regardless of the age of their blog.
I know a few bloggers who did just that, and a couple of name come to mind right away.
For example, Sue Neal who blogs at WriteClever.com. Her blog is only just over a year old and this lady sounds like a pro. She knew that writing had to be her niche, and when she started blogging she just plunged into it. Now she certainly sounds like an authority, and her following shows that.
Another name that comes to mind is Neamat Tawadrous who blogs at Problog.com. Now this is a good example, because Neamat had mentioned several times that she was still searching for a more specific niche, but it didn’t stop her to keep blogging every week and sound like an authority. She stared her blog in November of last year, and while she was still searching she kept her blog going long enough, so that she could afford to stop at this point to concentrate on where she wants to go with her blog.
Was this all a waste of time? I’m sure it wasn’t. She must have learned so many things in the process.
These are just two examples, but there are many more out there. You can find your niche, start blogging and become an authority rather rapidly these days. Are you taking advantage of this?
Whether you are a band new blogger or have been blogging for a while, have you found your niche, and are you building authority in your niche?
Do let us know…
Image credits: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Hey Sylviane,
I must say you touched an important point in blogging. Success in blogging largely depends on the niche. Selecting the wrong niche will finally lead to discouragement and in fact, most have left the scene because of this error in the beginning.
You also mentioned Sue, who is one of the bloggers whose blogs I read almost daily. She’s such a pro, though you mentioned 8 months (which is hard to believe).
I’m also learning about Neamat in this post. I’ll have to check her blog out.
Thanks for the great post this Monday
Enstine Muki invites you to read..Making Money Blogging Starts with a Great Domain Name
Hi Enstine,
Yes, indeed, if you are in the wrong niche for you, chances are you won’t last long, and I don’t care how fancy that niche may be. If it’s not your stuff you’ll fail with it, and that’s why they are so many people quitting as you said.
Indeed, I’ve seen you at Sue’s blog, and Neamat is taking a sabbatical searching/improving time right now, but she’s got great posts if you want to check her out!
Have a great week, and thank you for coming by!
Hi Enstine,
As you’ll see, there was a little misunderstanding and Sylviane’s now kindly amended the reference to the age of my blog, which I started in May 2012, so it’s actually just over a year old. I’m honoured that you’re a regular reader and always appreciate your comments – thanks so much 🙂
Sue
Susan Neal invites you to read..How Often Should You Publish a Blog Post?
Yes, sorry for that mistake. I couldn’t find posts past January of this year, even though I did think that the blog was a bit older than that.
All fixed now 🙂
Hi Sylviane, great topic on creating authority blogs. When creating one, it is important that you are passionate about it then you should be able to take your niche authority site to the next level. Sue Neal’s blog is great, she has fantastic topics and she is defiantly covering it like a pro.
Shalu Sharma invites you to read..Golden Temple- More than guys with turbans and a temple covered with shiny gold
Hi Shalu,
yes, that’s right, you first need to have the passion in order to create authority. I know you know all about it, as you have created authority in your own niche.
I knew that many of you would agree with the blogger examples I took.
Thanks for coming, Shalu, and have a great week.
Hi Sylviane,
2006? I had no idea about blogs in 2006. Absolutely no idea.
I agree. In the beginning you are not so sure where you are going. This happens with many, many people, I think. Me included.
Read as much as you can for at least 6 months. You know… this is interesting. I will try to apply it. I know Sue Neal applied it even from the beginning. She bought a lot of ebooks, studied it and then started to write.
No, I haven’t found my niche yet. I know that I like internet marketing and I try to study all the aspects of the domain. However, I cannot tell, at this point, what specific domain really interests me. I’m still trying this and that to see how it feels. I guess it will come.
Have a nice day
Silviu invites you to read..How to Record a Video with Screencast-O-Matic
Hi Silviu,
Yes, most people are searching at the beginning, but that’s OK, we can even start establishing a following while we are searching as you do.
Yes, when you read Sue’s blog, it’s obvious that she does a lot of reading, and it really pays off for her.
If you keep searching, I am sure that you will find your niche. It will be just right for you 🙂
Thanks for coming.
Very well put together post here Sylviane and boy does this explain things well.
I look back at my beginnings and I have to laugh at myself. I didn’t understand any of this and had no one to explain it to me. I oftentimes wonder if I started even later if I would have done better because I don’t feel when I started online or with blogging that the type of information that is out there today was available then.
Just like I’ve mentioned so many times and I’m sure you get tired of hearing it but you explain things so simply. If we had any further questions you’re available to ask but for the most part you just lay things out so easily. Would I have known how to move forward? Maybe, maybe not but I think that’s the thing with starting anything new. As you said we all have to learn how to walk eventually and we weren’t put on this earth to get it all right the first time.
I appreciate this explanation Sylviane and great job. Thank you so much.
~Adrienne
Adrienne invites you to read..Blog Maintenance: The Essential Guide
Hi Adrienne,
Don’t you worry, I’ll never get tired to get compliments. Never 🙂
I’m so glad when someone let’s me know that I was on the right track with a post. And it’s my hope that this post will clarify things for beginners, especially.
You are right, Adrienne, there weren’t nearly as much info a few years ago as there is now. Wow, I only wish, that would have save me so much time and money.
At least, I think that people are fortunate these days, there’s so much good information out there today. As for us, we weren’t so lucky and we had to learn it the hard way, so to speak 🙂
Thank you so much for your great input, as always.
Thanks for this post Sylviane. I started my first blog in April 2011, the second in July 2012 and I set up a copywriting website April this year. After reading your post it’s made me wonder if I’m on the right track or not.
When I first started blogging I didn’t have a clue about niches. I just wanted to write so I wrote. But lately I’ve been thinking about the whole niche thing. I decided to change my main blog into a self-development blog for single ladies. But I’m wondering if that’s the right thing because my passion is writing. I’m really not sure what to do!
Anyway after reading your post I’m going to do some serious thinking.
Have a good week.
June invites you to read..How to be Happily Single
Hi June,
Well, I am certainly happy that you’ve found my post if it helps you to think about what to do next.
According to what you’re saying, your are in that phase where you are still not sure about what you want to do, and still searching. Don’t worry, this is normal, we all go through this.
My advice to you is to keep reading and reflecting on what you learn. Also, listen to your inner voice and what’s it’s telling you. What do you really want to blog about? Where do you have the most knowledge and experience to teach others and draw them to you? Questions like these will help guide you too.
While you do this, if you have any questions, you can always contact me through my contact page, or any social media listed on my sidebar.
I hope to see you here again soon.
Hi Sylviane,
I only wish that everyone who wants to start a blog can read this post! There are too many people out there thinking all they have to do is set one up and then make money. But we know the truth!
Yes, we must crawl before we walk. I always knew that when I started blogging and had the patience and persistence and still do! I came in with no expectations to “get rich quick” nor did I ever listen to the guru’s back then saying “fake it till you make it” because it just went against my own belief system.
Yes, I’ve learned so much in the past three years. I think we have to start being truthful to ourselves. How much start up money do we have? How much time do we have to run a successful blog? Things like that. Then comes the marketing part….
I think that to build an authority blog, we must constantly be educated on the niche we are in. I find it quite exciting.
Thank you Sylviane!
-Donna
Donna Merrill invites you to read..Are You Running A Business Or Running A Blog Site?
Hi Donna,
How funny we just crossed over at each other blog. I was at yours and as I came back here, there you were.
Yes, the fake it until you make it really annoys me now. I’ve tried that in the past, but it sucks. I don’t like it. That’s why eventually I dropped all my niche blogs and stayed with the ones that REALLY meant something to me. The ones you know 🙂
Building authority with a blog takes time, but as I said in the post, as long as we found what we want to do and did our homework, we can be an authority, and that’s a good thing.
Thank you for coming.
Hi Sylviane,
Thanks for a great post about creating authority blogs and you really explained it in a very simple and knowledgeable way. I also appreciate the mention and thanks a lot for seeing my blog as an authority blog. I am really humbled.
Absolutely, I have to say that I am blogging for a very broad niche but I know that I am in the right niche but I just need to narrow it to a specific market who will be my target and whom I need to brand myself for. I am doing a course about this and it is really a good but difficult course that needs lots of time for the research and implementation of information that is needed. That’s why I took a Sabbatical to get focused but I know I will be back.
Yes, I don’t consider the last few months that I was blogging to be a waste of time at all. I learned a lot about my niche as I was reading and searching a lot and I learned a lot about self-development skills which helped me through the ups and downs of this business and the most valuable thing which I consider priceless about being in the blogosphere is knowing you and so many other great bloggers from whom I learned a lot and are good friends and this alone is a great asset for me which as I said is priceless and I cannot put a price tag on. I wanted to mention some names but I would rather not as I don’t want to forget any name. But all who comment in my blog and I comment in their blogs are so dear to my heart and I appreciate their friendship and all what I learn from them.
Thanks again Sylviane for a great and valuable post and for the kind mention. You are an awesome friend and I value your friendship so much.
Be Blessed,
Neamat
Neamat Tawadrous invites you to read..Sabbatical From Blogging!
Hi Neamat,
You’re welcome and you really deserved to be mentioned. I know it’s tough to mention names, and I’m sure I could have mentioned others as well, beside you and Sue Neal, but I had to make a choice and you two really popped up right away without any effort.
I’m glad that you are refining your niche and I’m sure that you will come out enriched from this course and start again stronger than ever.
It was a pleasure to mention you, and thank you for taking some of your time off to come here.
A great article Sylviane. This a well written article. I am glad you mentioned Sue because she is a very good blogger.
You would never know she has been blogging for a short time.
Authority has everything to do with your blog.
Hi Micheal,
Yes, she is indeed very good even though she still consider herself new. She sure doesn’t show that and her hard work is showing.
Thanks for coming and have a great day!
Hello Sylviane,
Wonderful post! I’m a new blogger, so to answer your question, I believe I have found my niche. I’m into business, personal development, and marketing, and I was surprised at how quickly I found fellow bloggers who were so helpful and supportive.
You bring up an interesting point about websites. They are static and bland, but a blog is dynamic and constantly provides valuable information to a reader. I’m surprised at how popular it has become, as a business tool and a necessity.
Thank you for your thoughts,
Kalina
Kalina Slavkova invites you to read..Change Is Not A Choice || Progress Is
Hi Kalina,
That’s great that you have found your niche. I see that you seem to be knowing what you’re doing and that’s a good start, indeed.
I think that blogs became so popular because of their regular updates and the conversational relationship building tools that they are.
Thank you for coming here and leaving your thoughts with us.
They give visitors something to look forward to, which keeps them coming back. I don’t really revisit websites unless I need to buy something from them that I need.
Blogs, though, provide food for the mind, which is absolutely necessary. They’ll never go out of style 🙂 Thanks again.
Kalina Slavkova invites you to read..Daily Quote #20 || Change and Charles Darwin
Sylviane, you touched about an important topic, that niches can make or break your blog. If you are not in the right niche it can be a world of difference. Some niches are very crowded and you may not make the inroads you have hoped so you must define it more over time. We also must learn something every time we blog – either from our readers or other blogs we read.
It’s a never ending cycle on the way to success and even with success. I’m still refining my niche along the way….
Lisa invites you to read..SEO Guide – A Day At SEO Kindergarten For Beginners
Hi Lisa,
So true. Even if we are successful with our blog we need to constently redefine and update it, and do a whole lot of different things that make a blog stay alive and well.
Along the way, we try things and they may or may not work. You’re right that work never end.
Thanks for coming, Lisa 🙂
This is a great post on a really important topic, Sylviane. I think it’s so important to find the right niche – apart from anything else, blogging’s so all-consuming and takes up so much of your time, that it must be soul-destroying to land up in a niche you don’t really enjoy. In order to build a successful blog, I think you need to be a bit obsessed about your field, otherwise it’s hard to maintain the enthusiasm.
I don’t think you need to be an expert when you start out – I still regard myself as a novice in the field of writing – but you need to be sufficiently fascinated by the subject to want to BECOME an expert as your blog develops. And I think blogging is a great way to develop expertise in any field – as you say, we learn as we go along.
I worry that too many novice bloggers end up in the internet marketing or ‘how to blog’ niches, because they think that’s where the money is – it’s a shame, because many are probably missing out by failing to choose niches to which they’re more temperamentally suited.
I can’t thank you enough for your very kind words about my blog, Sylviane. I’m so glad you’ve mentioned Neamat, too, because I love her blog and think she creates some wonderful content. Your own sites are great examples of blogs run by someone who’s truly passionate and committed to her niches – I just don’t know how you manage to cope with three. I take my hat off to you, Sylviane 🙂
Thanks again, for a wonderful post,
Sue
Susan Neal invites you to read..How Often Should You Publish a Blog Post?
Hi Sue,
I just commented on someone’s blog this morning and was telling her just that. Sometimes I have even off line acquaintances that find one of my blogs by chance and they ask me how I do this like they want to do it too. So, I tell them that “this” is not something one can do leisurely, and that it’s going to take a whole lot of their time and energy. I’m not trying to scare them, but that’s the truth, as you so well said yourself.
The only reason why I’m able to keep those 3 blogs up are two, actually, 1- I love it and 2- I write very fast.
I understand you completely when you say that you still consider you as a novice, because I do to, but what counts is that we don’t look it, and there’s also the fact that one tends to think less of themselves then they really should.
It was my pleasure to mention you here, because you’re doing a great job, Sue. So, my hat to you as well 🙂
Hi Sylviane,
Excellent post! 🙂 Really enjoyed and glad to find familiar names mentioned in there ~ Sue and Neamat. They indeed quick learners and built their authority very quickly too. Nothing is impossible 🙂
Woah… I was at school in 2006 😉 I had a computer back then, but had no access to Internet until 2011. Can you imagine spending long hours even without Internet? 😀 lol… A sign of addiction I guess.
Gladly I’m blogging on the first ever blog I’ve created and didn’t wanna change topics except for expanding the scope Sylviane 🙂 I had no idea that there were courses to follow too. I think that’s a benefit of doing what we love to do. Isn’t it?
I can see I’ve improved over time by grasping tips from fellow bloggers including you 🙂 Especially, writing tips. Well, I have to admit that in some topics there’s nothing much to write though. Word count never been a problem 🙂
I love the fact that blogging helps us to build an authority 🙂 I really do! I’ve witnessed it in many places I visit and here you are already built your authority too.
I agree with Donna! Some bloggers out there is thinking about setting up a blog and how to make money next. Probably, that’s why there are many scams out there. They MUST read your post up here. I hope this is helpful enough to convince them and get them to think what they are doing 🙂 You have made it simple and clear enough as always Sylviane.
You have a wonderful day there dear 🙂
Cheers…
Mayura invites you to read..How to Add an Apple Touch Icon for Your Website
Hi Mayura,
Thank you for being here and leaving your thoughts.
Oh, you were still in schoold in 2006? You are so young indeed.
I’m glad that you knew right aways what you wanted to blog about – Tech is your niche no doubt about it.
Thanks for coming and have a great day!
Hi Sylviane,
Firstly, I came across your site on one of Barry’s article. Nice knowing you!
Many bloggers doesn’t really know what their niche is until they are get serious and do some soul searching. Taking myself for an example, I started blogging in ’05 and until now, I am still an average Joe in blogging. I didn’t know my niche until it was like last year or so. Moral of the story, you need do find ‘it’ yourself.
When it comes to niche finding, it is always best to work with what you know best. Not the one that gives you the most money, fame etc. As long as you are writing from your heart and experience, you are going to catch a lot readers and the rest are pretty self explanatory.
I can’t agree more with the authority part as well. For me, build it step by step and we need to reach out to others. Don’t only count on search engines. Use social media, forums and even Triberr to talk to the world 🙂
Excellent write up and definitely deserve a share!
Have a great weekend!
Reginald invites you to read..What is SEO? Understand what SEO is all about in 521 seconds
Hi Reginald and welcome to my blog 🙂
I’m so glad that you’ve found me on Barry’s blog. Barry is a good friend that I have actually interviewed a while back and that’s how I’ve got to know him better.
Thank you for your honesty and I so understand what you mean. Some bloggers start a blog and they’re famous within a few months, but some like me included, it took years to get to where we are, and it could still be better.
I think that this is due to the fact that everyone is different, and each one of us learn at a different pace, and there’s so many other factors out there that determine how fast or how slow we are.
But in the end it’s our determination that will make a difference. I’m glad you found me and I will certainly come and see you on your side.
Have a great day!
Hi Sylviane Nuccio,
This is really nice, I was just looking on Google “Become An Authority” & I find yours post ! I do happy to get valuable info. Thanks Sylviane Nuccio,
Hi Christina and welcome to my blog.
I love it that you’ve found me with the right keywords. Wow, that’s good news to me, because in the end search engine traffic is what will do it for me.
I see you on your side 🙂 Have a great week.
Hey Sylviane,
The number of blogs (and bloggers) are staggering, aren’t they? Wow, so many blogs, so many bloggers. Crowded niches (Especially, blogging about blogging). Choosing a niche is hard, but we should always go for the one we are interested in. It’s hard to stir interest in our audience when we, ourselves, are not interested in the niche.
I came into blogging as an accident (didn’t know what to do; I wanted a hobby, so I started a blog). And, it went well.
As niches, I have had the opportunity to write in many niches (I have changed the niche of my blog a few times). Started out with Science & Tech, then to Tech only, then to blogging (You know, at first I was confused about the notion of blogging about blogging :D), and then to marketing/networking.
I didn’t quite achieve my blogging goals, but I did learn a lot in the process. Things that formed my current personality and thought patterns.
Danke (I am learning German right now, so I thought it might help me if I included little German words in my comments :D) for the post, Sylviane 🙂
Hi Jeevan,
I think that blogging came very easily to you, and you seemed to have done well, but why did you go away for a year, if you don’t mind me asking?
Nice to see you here again, anyhow.
Thanks 🙂
Many reasons:
1) My domain was near its renewal date (didn’t plan to renew it)
2) My studies
3) I did plan to get back though – start a new blog by the end of the year. But, I never actually did it. I wanted to get back, and now seemed to be the best time 😀
But, I am glad that I took the break (Even though it was not intentional). I feel fresh about blogging, and I have so many ideas to write about (I learned a lot of things during this one year break).
Hi Sylviane,
I really liked your post like the others. I admit there are so many blogs and topics out there. So making our blog into something unique is one perfect solution. But I know that it’s not easy, because we still have much to learn. Learning from the experts like you is my way to keep growing.
Erwin invites you to read..Trekdesk Standing Treadmill Desk
Hi Erwin,
I’m glad you found this post, and thank you for calling an expert 🙂
There are indeed many blogs out there, the competion is huge, so we really need to be as good and as unique as possible.
Thank you for coming.
I Enjoyed the whole blog post just like a learner, it covers all the basics of finding the best niche to be a perfect blogger. Anyway, I loved your writing and explanation style. I’m new here but now regular reader. 🙂
Yogendra Sharma invites you to read..Namecheap Dedicated Server 50% Discount Coupon 2013 | Dedicated Web Hosting
This is a unique topic, i have done a topic like this in the past, it is indeed very necessary that everyone that wants to come into the industry must be well equipped with the required information. Thanks once again for doing justice to this topic.
Pst Bless invites you to read..How to Take Advantage Of A Blog’s #1 Traffic Magnet
I’m glad you enjoyed this, Pst, and thanks for coming again.
Hi Sylviane,I think its important to focus to be an authority. Sue is one great example of how to do this correctly. It\’s simple proof if we have the strong effort time is not a problem to be an authority.Thanks
Okto invites you to read..Aim for Relationships not Links
Nice topic Sylviane. I like to read your article. I agree that there is always market for everyone. It sounds like a motivation but it is right. Everyone has his own niche. Someone needs process to find his niche. It can be quick or slow. It takes time. And the fact is it needs an effort.
Heru Prasetyono invites you to read..Computer Skills We Need For Blogging
Hi Heru, and nice meeting you here.
there is a niche for everyone indeed, the only mistake we should try to avoid is get into a niche that doesn’t match our personality.
Thank you for coming and Happy New Years!
Hello dear Sylviane Nuccio. Thank you so much for sharing this article with us. This is really informative articles for SEO expert and Pro Bloggers. Niche blogs can promote a blog in search engines properly. You write very well Sylviane Nuccio. Thanks.
Rafiul Islam invites you to read..Tips for Driving Targeted Traffic to Your Blog
Rafiul,
Thank you for the compliment. Appreciate that. And thank you for coming. Hope you’ll drop by again soon.