Planning Your Blog: First Things First
In this post, we'll be looking at a few basic building blocks that will lay the foundation for your blog...
Consider Your Motivation
Why do you want to create a blog?
Before you really get started, stop and ask yourself why you want to blog. What are your motivations? What do you expect to gain from it? Take some time and really mull this over. By defining your purpose before you begin, you'll be more likely to stay motivated, keep your focus, and stick with it later on.
Look over this list and see if any of these reasons describe your motivation...
Of course, there's lots of other reasons why people keep blogs. Whatever your reasons for are, consider them, and know why you're starting a blog before you even begin. Consider writing a mission statement as to what you want to accomplish with your blog. This will help to keep you motivated and greatly increase the longevity of your blog. Clarify your motivation, if only to yourself.
Define Your Niche or Topic
What are you going to blog about?
There's no rule that says you have to have a niche topic or that you can't change it later, but having a specific niche for your blog will help to define its purpose and keep it focused. It will determine your readership, and give your regular visitors something to expect. It will guarantee the interest of those within that market and insure more targeted return traffic. It will often give you stuff to write about when you draw a blank, and provoke discussions from interested readers. While a well-defined topic is not an absolute necessity for a good blog, it should not go overlooked.
Chances are, you've already decided what you want to write about. If you are blogging to provide information or promote something, then you already have your topic. If you want to create a personal blog, however, then choosing a topic might be a little tougher. Rather than writing about life in general, consider focusing on particular areas of your everyday existence.
Identify Your Intended Audience
Who will be reading your blog?
You wouldn't be planning a blog if you didn't want to communicate with others. So, who are those others? Your answer will greatly depend on your topic and reasons for blogging. You may be writing to anyone who's willing to read what you write, or you may have a highly targeted reader in mind, with a very specific purpose. Regardless of who you're writing for, it's important have them in mind while you're planning your blog.
Your potential audience will not only influence the way you write and features that you include when designing your blog, but also how and where you promote it. If you don't already have a target audience in mind, here's some things to consider that might help you narrow them down...
Know Your Selling Points
Why would someone want to buy your product or read your blog?
Whether you're promoting your blog or just trying to hold your visitors' interest long enough for them to finish reading your latest post, knowing your key selling points is vital to keeping a successful blog. Your sellling points are what makes your blog or product appeal to your customer. This is what will bring them back, possibly convert a sale, and likely the reason that they're on your site in the first place.
Even if you don't have a product for sale, what is it that will sell your blog? Consider the the appeal that your blog might have for your potential audience. What is it that sets it apart from all of the other blogs on the Internet? Identify the things about it that would make the visitor want to stop and read what you've written. Put yourself in the shoes of your visitor and ask, "What's in it for me?"
In the next post, we'll look at other things to consider before you begin writing...
Consider Your Motivation
Why do you want to create a blog?
Before you really get started, stop and ask yourself why you want to blog. What are your motivations? What do you expect to gain from it? Take some time and really mull this over. By defining your purpose before you begin, you'll be more likely to stay motivated, keep your focus, and stick with it later on.
Look over this list and see if any of these reasons describe your motivation...
- Self-expression
- Connection with family & friends
- Sharing of information or expertise in a certain area
- Possibility of influencing of others with your opinions
- Promotion of a product, service, or event
- Monetary profit
- Writing or composition practice
Of course, there's lots of other reasons why people keep blogs. Whatever your reasons for are, consider them, and know why you're starting a blog before you even begin. Consider writing a mission statement as to what you want to accomplish with your blog. This will help to keep you motivated and greatly increase the longevity of your blog. Clarify your motivation, if only to yourself.
Define Your Niche or Topic
What are you going to blog about?
There's no rule that says you have to have a niche topic or that you can't change it later, but having a specific niche for your blog will help to define its purpose and keep it focused. It will determine your readership, and give your regular visitors something to expect. It will guarantee the interest of those within that market and insure more targeted return traffic. It will often give you stuff to write about when you draw a blank, and provoke discussions from interested readers. While a well-defined topic is not an absolute necessity for a good blog, it should not go overlooked.
Chances are, you've already decided what you want to write about. If you are blogging to provide information or promote something, then you already have your topic. If you want to create a personal blog, however, then choosing a topic might be a little tougher. Rather than writing about life in general, consider focusing on particular areas of your everyday existence.
- Decide what the primary topic of your blog will be.
- Brainstorm your topic. Make a list of any words or terms that are related to your topic. Write down anything that you can think of.
- Choose two or three narrow sub-topics or niches that will be the focus of your blog.
- Begin a list of keywords relative to your general topic.
Identify Your Intended Audience
Who will be reading your blog?
You wouldn't be planning a blog if you didn't want to communicate with others. So, who are those others? Your answer will greatly depend on your topic and reasons for blogging. You may be writing to anyone who's willing to read what you write, or you may have a highly targeted reader in mind, with a very specific purpose. Regardless of who you're writing for, it's important have them in mind while you're planning your blog.
Your potential audience will not only influence the way you write and features that you include when designing your blog, but also how and where you promote it. If you don't already have a target audience in mind, here's some things to consider that might help you narrow them down...
- Ask yourself who would find this information useful.
- Consider the industry or market that your topic appeals to, and make a list of potential readers or customers.
- Look at other websites in this industry, and see who they are marketing to.
- Brainstorm for other groups outside of this specific industry that you might have overlooked.
Know Your Selling Points
Why would someone want to buy your product or read your blog?
Whether you're promoting your blog or just trying to hold your visitors' interest long enough for them to finish reading your latest post, knowing your key selling points is vital to keeping a successful blog. Your sellling points are what makes your blog or product appeal to your customer. This is what will bring them back, possibly convert a sale, and likely the reason that they're on your site in the first place.
Even if you don't have a product for sale, what is it that will sell your blog? Consider the the appeal that your blog might have for your potential audience. What is it that sets it apart from all of the other blogs on the Internet? Identify the things about it that would make the visitor want to stop and read what you've written. Put yourself in the shoes of your visitor and ask, "What's in it for me?"
- Make a list of the obvious reasons why anyone would want to read your blog or buy your product.
- Brainstorm for other less obvious reasons.
- Look at the selling points that others in the industry are using.
- Make a list of selling points that would appeal to each of your target audiences.
- Consider the strength of each selling point, and pick out the strongest ones to focus on.
In the next post, we'll look at other things to consider before you begin writing...
posted by J Bradley at
1:34 AM
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