“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” ~ Les Brown
If you’re considering becoming a blogger, then I have some important advice to share with you.
Blogs come in all shapes and sizes, and cover a myriad of topics. However, few succeed in gaining an enthusiastic following. In fact, most blogs kick the bucket within their first year.
One of the reasons for this, is that blogging is hard work. It takes time and effort to create and publish regular content. And this effort is made even tougher if a blog lacks a key ingredient… a purpose.
Why Your Blog Must Have a Purpose
Starting a blog without having a definite purpose in mind, is like trying to navigate without a map. It may be fun at first, but eventually you’ll end up lost.
So, what do I mean by a purpose?
In the blogging world, I can break this down for you into three straightforward points:
1. The reason you want to create a blog.
2. Who you expect will read your blog.
3. What you hope to achieve with your blog.
If you wish to be a successful blogger, then you must first reveal to yourself the purpose behind this desire.
As an example, let’s say you’re passionate about dogs. Perhaps you have your own dog, and you frequently look after your friends and family’s dogs too. This affection for canines could be the perfect blogging topic. You’ve learnt a ton about training and living with dogs, and now you want to share this knowledge with others. Congratulations – you’ve ticked off the first two points.
But how about the third point?
Think deeply about this one, as you want to be certain about your aims and goals for your blog.
If you’re happy to simply share cute stories with friends, then your purpose is clear. However, if you want to grow a popular, commercial blog, then you need to be 100% sure that you can commit the time, effort and ideas to make this ambitious goal a reality.
Make Every Blog Post Match That Purpose
I’m going to assume (and hope) that you’ve discovered a passion and purpose for your blog.
Now, a typical blog relies heavily on writing and images. The trick is to ensure that ALL of your content matches and reinforces your overall purpose.
For instance, if your goal is to turn your blog into a full-time career, then you’ll need to act on the three things below:
1. Your blog must have a professional look and feel.
2. Your posts must be captivating, and keep readers coming back for more.
3. You’ll need to engage with your readers via comments and social media.
Each blog post you write should embrace your wider purpose. Through your posts, you can inch closer and closer to your predefined goals.
Take Your Readers on a Journey with You
Blogs that lack purpose, usually lack readers too.
Most people follow specific blogs because they find them entertaining, learn things or enjoy the feeling of being part of something. The latter reason sums up nicely why your blog must be purpose-driven.
Without a purpose, your blog will be like a car without a steering wheel – it will be completely out of control. No one in the right mind would ride in a car like that, and quite frankly, no one in the right mind would follow a blog that lacks direction.
Coming back to my earlier example, if you want to create a professional blogging site about dogs, then plan for this. To help get you started, I suggest you spend some time finding a catchy, memorable name for your blog. Once you have that, then choose a visual theme for your blog. You’ll then be ready to begin creating the all-important written content.
I’ve deliberately left the best news until last…
A purpose-driven blog quickly takes on a life of its own.
Initially, your blog may cost you blood, sweat and tears. However, once the momentum has started, you’ll be astonished at how the words and ideas flow as easily as a mountain stream. Truly, purpose-driven.
