“How can I get more traffic on my blog?” I asked. “Well, your blog is not a lifestyle blog, or a fashion blog or a food blog, it’s a horse blog. That’s a niche market.” This was my daughters reply. She had a very successful lifestyle blog and now is program manager of social media and marketing at a consultancy firm. So, I believe she knows what she’s talking about.
Niche: adjective, denoting products, services or interests that appeal to a small specific section of the population.
I had started my blog site Horse Addict and had it up and running for a couple of months and was wondering how I could get more readers. Now, I knew I had a “niche” market I was writing for. I also knew that most of my readers were likely to be amateur riders like myself. In the US there are about 43,000 amateur members of the US Equestrian Federation of which 9,500 are dressage riders. I am a dressage rider and that is the discipline I was writing about. So, this was a pretty small niche market.
I have now been blogging for just over a year and here are some of my stats (as of May 9, 2017) .
Posts: 209
Views: 62,500
Visitors: 39,787
Follows: 463
Views per month in 2017: 4,000-4,500
I am very happy with those numbers. How did I get there with blogging for a niche market?
1. I took the Word Press blogging and branding courses. Lots of great help at Word Press.
2. I joined several dressage Facebook groups. I would post links to the groups and see which ones reacted to my posts. I now have the larger number of groups down to three who always read and respond to the posts that I share.
3. I have my blog linked to a Facebook page, Horse Addict Leueen, that is all horse related. I also share things, photos, videos from other horsey FB pages to my page to keep it active and every time I post on my blog it is automatically shared the page.
4. I write about my own horse and my training and competition but I expanded to other horse topics as well. I have done interviews with veterinarians, Olympic Dressage riders, Paralympian riders, and Grand Prix dressage competitors. I have reviewed books on horses, and horse training and horse health. I have written about the Horse Guards in the Queen’s Household Cavalry in England. I have written about horses in war, race horses, jumpers….horses! I now have a regular Monday feature called the Monday Minstrel that has short pieces, photos, humor, and quotes about horses. Also, my horse Biasini “speaks” and has a post once a month. My advice is: write about what interests you. The chances are good that if you write about what you have a passion for others will enjoy reading it too.
I realized after about six months of blogging that several of my followers and readers were not horse people. So, I made sure that when I wrote about my training or about competition that I explained something of what I was talking about. I don’t expect a person who has never been on a horse to understand what a half pass is or a canter zig zag. So, I would give a brief and basic description of that for the non-horse readers. This seems to have been successful as many of my most loyal followers are not riders or horse owners. Many of them ask interesting questions about horses and I am very happy to answer them. It gives me great joy to think that others are interested in horses and want to understand them better.
- Observing Blogger Etiquette. I do my best to keep up with the blogs I follow by reading and reacting. I also try to keep up with the bloggers who are following me. If they leave a comment or a ‘like’ I will take a look at a recent blog post from their site and leave a ‘like’ or a comment even if only once a week to keep in touch.
Finally, I think the most important thing is to write about what you love and know something about. It would be ridiculous for me to write about fashion, or new trends in false nails. Use Social Media wherever you can. Upgrade skills that may improve your blog. I took an online horse photography course and it made a big difference to my photos. And, very important, complete the information on your blog site. Put something in the “About” section don’t just leave the WordPress default text. Make sure it is easy for readers to find their way around your site. Word Press Community can help you with this. Enjoy your blog writing and blog following. If it is not fun then what’s the point? I am not making money from doing this so my payment is enjoying the writing and enjoying finding other bloggers from all over the world, reading their work and learning of their lives. So if you are blogging for a niche market ….carry on and have fun!
I do agree with you as I have a niche blog myself which is about dolls and I do pretty much the same as you have described. It’s good advice for new bloggers especially the part about writing about what you love. I think keeping things interesting with a variety of posts on horse related subjects is a good idea as you also engage the non-horsey people who love photography or animals and people who are new to the hobby appreciate it when someone explains the jargon. I found you via Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge.
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Thank you for this comment. I shall check out your blog too.
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it’s a great post and I really like your blog for being a niche blog…that also means a very precise purpose driven blog and that’s something!
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Thank you !
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Reblogged this on nz.
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Thank you!
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please, please, very gladly Thank you very much
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Fantastic advice and really good read – I am only just starting out and feel a little bit like I’ve got an uphill challenge ahead of me… but I do enjoy writing, engaging with people and am passionate about horse training – so I think I’m in the right place!
Thanks again, I have started following you and look forward to reading more!
Alex 🙂
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Welcome to the blogosphere! If you are passionate about horse training and you like to write then those are the important ingredients! So have fun! And thank you for the follow.
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Excellent advice! I think trying to touch base with followers once a week is a great idea. Loved the horse pictures!! You have quite a lot of readers!! Good job.
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Thank you!
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Definitely a readerworthy blog!
Chiming in on the importance adding something on the About page. It is surprising how many writers leave that part out…. It is a huge part of the reader experience!
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Agreed!
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Excellent post, I want to learn too about horses, I love horses, don’t know much or anything.
So love to know a thing or two about it.
What I would suggest, is to make a category to reb log some of your blog, where you have discussed for a very laymen like me.
Plus, you are right, you can be creative, it depends how you create interest for your non audience. By sharing some interesting horse habits.
Not a big long post, short and interesting to make the reader a tuned.
Plus loads of pictures.
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thank you!
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I would say, keep doing it, you never know what a big data Base of things you are making in the long run.
Just keep in thing in focus and than direct your efforts accordingly, which is treat your blog as the only place for anyone to look for horses. Now what you want to share with them.
What they will be looking from laymen, amateur, semi professional and professional level and the ones who are passionate about horses.
Keep on moving, down the lane, you won’t regret anything. And I am sure right now you won’t regret either.
Except some minor stuff.
Just upload more photos!
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Way to go! I personally have never even been on a horse. Hard to believe I know! This is why I switched up the format of my blog. I was just writing about my daily life, and only a certain few really care to read about my boring life haha. Now on top of shorter life posts, also post about news I care to talk about and do movie reviews. I hope that increase my viewership. Great job with your blog! 😀
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Thanks! I enjoy your posts and seeing what you are doing. So carry on and bring in the other things as well!
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Anytime! 😀
Thank you for the kind words. I love hearing that people are satisfied with my content. 😀
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Thank you so much for this wonderful post. I have been walking for just a few months now, and I’m always wondering how to increase my reader base. I will absolutely be falling some of your recommendations, it definitely sounds like your dog is very successful and reaches tons of readers, congratulations! Thanks for the tips!
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Ack! Voice to text in traffic. *blogging, following
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Alright! Never mind the talking to text app failures. This is a very entertaining comment! Thanks:D
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these are great tips! And congrats on the awesome site stats 🙂
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Thank you!
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I ridden a few times. I love learning everything and the great pictures. I’m a book reviewer. I don’t have those showy pics but I’m building a following by following things I like. I like your blog. Is your type with the really high walls the horse jumps over.
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I don’t do any jumping myself. I’m too old for that now. I am a dressage rider where we compete by reforming test patterns in an arena.
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I think we should write about what we know and like and not worry about the rest of it.
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Agreed!
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Your blog is unique and special, Anne. I do love enjoy seeing your adventure with Biasini…
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Thank you. Your blog is one of the ones from the other side of the world that I enjoy and find interesting.
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What great advice!!! Thank you, Anne, for having such a wonderful blog!!! I just love reading about all your horse insights, and I am sure people that aren’t super into horses really appreciate all the explanations.. ❤ ❤ ❤
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Thank you. If I can introduce people to horses I’m happy!
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Lots of good tips, Anne. I do agree the most important thing is to write
about things you love and to have fun doing it!
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Great advice! I have been thinking about taking the courses and starting a facebook page for my blog.
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The courses are very interesting. I think you’d like them. You have a unique perspective in your blog posts that is different from mine and from other horse bloggers so why not go for it!
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Thanks! I think i should!
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I like just to see horse, I don’t know anything about horse riding. I am following your blog and reading your posts just to learn something about the animal I like.
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I am so happy to hear that! They are wonderful animals and I enjoy sharing my love of them. Thank you for your comment!
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