Before you start a blog, you need to understand why your blog will exist. Before you sit down to write, what exactly do you want your audience to do when they have done reading?
This is an important question, for both your specific article and your blog as a whole:
- Do you want your reader to get to know you?
- Do you want them to have “positive associations” with your brand?
- Are you trying to spread a message?
Good communication starts with your goal. Fuzzy goals create fuzzy thinking. Fuzzy thinking leads to fuzzy communication.
It’s like setting out on a journey, but not being quite sure where you want to be, you just enjoy the scenery until you run out of gas.
Before you write or speak, decide the outcome you want, and drive towards that destination.
Blogging Goals
When you set up your blog you had some aim in mind, true?
- Make money.
- Record your thoughts.
- Attract an audience.
- Grow an email list.
- Become famous.
- Get respect.
- Be sent free stuff.
Remember, however, a blog is a collection of blog posts.
Each post you write is a piece of a puzzle, you are taking your reader on a journey, though you can not guarantee that your reader will even read one article in full, let alone multiple articles.
You, Your Brand, Your Message?
You, you, you.
Remember, if your blog is all about you it is unlikely to succeed. You get what you want by delivering some sort of value for your readers, so how are their needs connected to your goals?
Work backward from your goal and determine what you need to provide to get your audience to the point where both your goals and their needs are in sync.
What is your blog meant to achieve for you?
Before you write, which part of that mission is the new article going to help you with?