How Do I Choose a Niche?

Some Internet marketers subscribe to the "passion theory"; choosing a niche based on passions(s). While others believe it's better to find a need in the marketplace and develop a niche to fill it.

I can tell you from personal experience, I've done niche blogging both ways. In my particular case, they both proved productive and profitable, yet still, I know in which direction I will go from here on in.

Let's see if this makes sense for you by first asking yourself these 3 questions:

1. If I commercialize my passion(s), will I continue to enjoy them in the same way I do today?

2. Will I still enjoy my passion(s) if I'm "working" with them 8 or more hours a day?

3. And if my passion becomes my work, what will I do on my "off-time"?

PASSION THEORY

You see, from personal experience, when I chose to create a niche around my passion, everything about my passion became work related. My passion became a business and I had to think too much about "other people" and what they wanted to know and learn and buy relative to my passion.

Ultimately, my passion became my job and during my free time the last thing I wanted to do was anything relative to my passion.

MARKET DEMAND

When I chose a niche based on market demand, and kept my passions out of the equation, I had a life. I focused on my niche during working hours, then I had my passions to enjoy and relax with during off-hours.

Generally, our passions are our hobbies. Our hobbies are things we do to relax and immerse ourselves in something we thoroughly enjoy. It's our downtime, away from work and the chaos of our lives; our sanctuary.

When you start to monetize and market your passions, they tend to lose their tranquil effect and before long there is no distinction between what we do for work and what we do for fun. You know the old saying...."all work and no play....".

When you choose a niche based on business reasons, and you go to your computer to start your business day, it's all business. It's the part of your day where you are focused on providing products or services in exchange for financial compensation, and that's that. Of course you do so with integrity and compassion for your customers, but at the end of the day, you can leave the work and "go home" to your life and your passions.

It sounds very black and white. And for most folks it will be. But there's also a gray area to consider.

PROFESSIONAL PASSION

A passion for providing something of value to others that can only be offered in the business world. A passion that provides a service to others that you have the skills, experience and knowledge to provide, and you enjoy doing so. A professional "calling", if you will.

Such an example would be my professional passion for training. Teaching people and sharing knowledge with others about topics I know and love. Creating training manuals and implementing training programs and executing training courses is something I have loved doing since I was a young child when I use to "teach" my younger brother everything under the sun, much to his dismay!

So for me, choosing a niche based on my passion for training, and considering my personal areas of knowledge and experience, eliminated the niche blogging roadblock that you may very well be facing right now.

I hope "my take" has offered you some helpful "food for thought" and will make your own personal niche blogging decisions easier.