This post is by Flimjo. Check out his blog for tips on obtaining passive income for yourself.

Want to learn how to make money as a blogger? Don’t start a “Make Money Online” blog.

There are hundreds of “make money online” blogs, and most of them aren’t any good. The pioneers of the “make money online” niche should blush at the number of people who attempt to copy their business models and attack the niche. However, simply copying what they do isn’t going to breed success.

If you want to blog, here are 5 reasons why your blog should be something other than a “make money online” blog. If you follow these guidelines, you should have no problem achieving success as a blogger.

1) It’s tough to overcome established stalwarts in a niche.

It’s very difficult to succeed in a niche that already has a handful of “big dogs” that control a hefty portion of the market share. Currently, John Chow Dot Com and Problogger are the main attractions in the “make money online” niche. If you intend to start a “make money online” blog, like it or not, you will be competing with those blogs.

Unless you approach the niche with a smart and aggressive plan for succeeding in it (there are, indeed, ways), it will be difficult to pry readers away from other, more established blogs. Those blogs are perceived as the authorities in this field and have valuable brand recognition. You certainly won’t play David to their Goliath, and you will have serious trouble even staying competitive.

If you’re not already a “make money online” expert and can’t offer something new and unique in that niche, it just doesn’t make business sense to start a blog in that niche. It would be like stepping into the ring with Coca-Cola and attempting to sell your own carbonated soft drink.

2) What would you write about that hasn’t already been covered?

The other significant challenge with starting a “make money online” blog is content. I can’t think of anything that the top “make money online” blogs don’t cover. These blogs are exhaustive Bibles on how to make money online (whether it’s through monetizing your blog, affiliate marketing, or other methods). If you’re the new fish in the pond, you will find it difficult not to rehash the same tips and strategies for making money online that those blogs have already covered.

Even if you re-purpose their information and take new angles in your posts, it’s still a tough hill to climb.

3) Be original.

The best reason for steering your blog away from the “make money online” niche is that focusing on that niche most likely doesn’t reflect who YOU are. The key to being successful in any business is finding something that reflects your passion. By doing that, your blog will exude energy, enthusiasm, and pride. That’s what people want to see (i.e., someone writing about a topic they are passionate about), not a passive recitation of information that other bloggers have already written about.

Blogs that are currently enjoying success (The University Kid, etc.) focus on niches and industries that might be related to the general “make money online” market, but are different in their own respect. Some of these areas include business, investing, personal development, and technology. I have even seen blogs about pets and cooking!

The catch is that you can blog about whatever topic you want and still make money as a blogger. There is no rule that says you have to blog about “making money online” in order to attract traffic and, thus, make money online.

Your best bet for success in blogging is to find a passion that you have and put it on display in the form of daily blog posts. If it’s politics, start a blog and write daily about the American presidential race. If it’s real estate, focus on that and write about the current state of the market. Ask yourself the question, “Would I do this for free?” If the answer is yes, then you have found your topic.

4) Originality helps you understand your market.

An indirect benefit of being original and writing passionately about a topic is that you understand the market for that topic. If, for example, you have a passion for search engine optimization, and you keep up with the industry, you understand what people need in that niche. You also understand what trends there are and what people want to read. This understanding helps you match your blog posts to your market. That picture-perfect match-up is like flipping on a light switch. It illuminates your blog and helps you develop a loyal reader base and attract more visitors.

5) It’s better to be the first in something than try to become the best at something.

It’s easier to be one of the first people to start a blog in a unique niche that you love and understand than to jump into a saturated niche (i.e., the “make money online” market) and try to be one of the best in that niche. I am not knocking the willingness and motivation of people who do, indeed, want to compete with the likes of the top blogs in the “make money online” niche. If you want your blog to equal their success, more power to you.

However, if that niche isn’t something in which you’re an expert, it’s easier to identify another niche that you do understand well (e.g., starting your own business, sports, movies) and are passionate about and be a pioneer blogger in that area. In your unique niche, more of the market is up for grabs, and there is a wealth of information that you have that readers will be starving for. The path to making money as a blogger is shorter if you’re the first blogger (or one of the first) in your niche.

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