I have seen a lot of criticism lately about newbies jumping on the "Make Money Online" blog bandwagon. Its seems that everyone out there is saying "you can't be the next John Chow, so don't even try". Well I have one thing to say to those nay-sayers....."BACK OFF!"
Don't listen to them. Give it your best shot and try it anyway. Blog away. It is a fun and exciting experience that will teach you a lot about this exciting form of media. Yes...it is becoming a crowded niche. But that doesn't mean that you still can't have a successful blog. You just need to be realistic about your definition of success. You will not topple Shoemoney or earn more money that the ProBlogger. That is just not realistic. But if watching your subscriber count rise because people are taking an interest in something you enjoyed writing counts as a success, then by all means you should be doing it. If you blog because you find joy in blogging, then there is no way you can't be successful. At the very least your reward will be something you enjoyed doing. At the very most, people will like what you have to say and become ardent followers. Stay passionate and stick with it long enough, and you just might become a well-known name (and probably make some decent coin).
Now, there is one point that I must chalk up to the evil nay-sayers. One of their common complaints is that everything written by the MMO newb is just regurgitated information that has been discussed a million times on countless other blogs. Unfortunately, I think they do have a point here. If your blog just says the same repetitive thing as every other blog, what value does it offer a new reader? None! In order to find your place in a crowded niche, like Making Money Online, you must have a clear understanding of the true PURPOSE of your blog.
Take a second and think about this. What is the purpose of your blog? Do you even know? Maybe its to entertain. If so, your posts should be funny or thought provoking. Is it to inform? If so, you had better be a real expert on something and discuss things that few others know. If the sole purpose of your blog is to get people to click on affiliate links in hopes of getting rich quick, then good luck - you're gonna need it. The blogs that stand out in a crowded niche are the ones that have a clear and focused purpose.
I admit...it took me a little while to discover my purpose. When I decided to start this blog, I knew people were making money online but I didn't really know how. I thought to myself "what better way to learn than to blog about what I'm learning". It didn't take very long before I realized a gazillion other people had the same idea! So I needed to find a new direction. I realized that even though my blog was about making money, it was not my top priority. Instead, I was more concerned with helping other people make their blogs more successful. Eureka! My blog found its purpose!
I still write about some interesting things that I've learned in hopes of helping out a fellow newb. And yeah...I am sure they've been discussed before. But hopefully I can add a unique perspective or make the similar topic a little more entertaining. But I also like to help my readers. Just ask Raymond over at CommuterChronicles.com or Tom over at TechnoGumption.com. I'll do whatever I can to help. Want me to Digg or Stumble an article? Drop me an email. Need a guest post? I'll help out if I have the time. Leave me a comment, I'll write back. My Weekly Buzz feature will be announced any day now. I will spotlight a blog and give away free EntreCard credits each week. No strings! I want to help because I am one of you. Because that is the purpose of my blog.
What is the purpose of your blog? Figure it out and I am sure it will stand out in any crowded niche.
Jeff
