Defining your blog’s purpose and goals
May 7, 2008
Last week, I wrote a post entitled “Five ways to improve your blog right now,” which described simple things you can do in fifteen minutes to make your blog significantly better. It’s my post popular post to date, and elicited this comment from Zowoco:
“I think your advice here leads us back to the six million dollar question: ‘what exactly am I trying achieve through this blog?‘
And that is worth asking every day. Because your focus shifts, and the reason your blog exists now is most likely quite different to your reason a year ago.
What are you hoping to provide your reader? And what do you want them to do? I blog therefore I am.”
That’s an excellent question; one that every blogger must consider (and re-consider at regular intervals). In this post, I’ll describe exactly why — and how — you should define your blog’s purpose and goals.
Personal or professional?
Before we get into that, you’ve got to answer the most fundamental question: Is my blog personal or professional? Am I blogging for fun or for some other goal? The answer to this question, more than anything, will affect the content of your blog.
Here’s an example. I maintain a personal blog in addition to this one. That’s where I write about the funny thing my kids did, the TV shows I like and what I’m having for dinner. The “why” is, honestly, to entertain myself. If others find the content amusing, that’s fine. The tone is conversational and personal.
However, the purpose of the blog you’re reading now is completely different. The “why” of davecaolo.com is to share my knowledge and love of blogging and, ultimately, sign new clients. The tone is still conversational, but the content is strictly business.
In other words, business blogs are personable, but not personal.
My personal blog exists for self-serving purposes. The posts I put there are intended to amuse me and my close friends.
My business blog — the one you’re reading right now — is for the customer. It’s true that my ultimate goal is to generate clients for myself, but the blog posts are offering something (here’s a bit of my knowledge that you can use right now), not requesting something (will you be my client, pretty please?). If I have a clear picture of the ideal reader (or customer) I want to attract, crafting my content becomes much easier. Which leads me to the “how.”
Clearly define your ideal reader
Who is the person you want to read your blog? Are you after members of the American educational system, perhaps principals or superintendents? Perhaps small business owners or women in their 40’s are you aim. The more clearly you define the readers you want to attract, the more successfully you’ll attract those readers with appropriate content.
It’s a good idea to re-evaluate your blog’s purpose and goals at regular intervals, as they may change, necessitating a change in your writing style or content. If you maintain your blog with a razor-sharp focus on who you want to attract, the catch phrase from that famous movie will ring true:
“If you build (blog) it, they will come.”
f you liked this article and really want to get the most out of your business blog, hire me as your one-on-one blog coach. There are several packages to choose from. I look forward to working with you!
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