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This is part of the the book BLOGTASTIC! Growing and Making a Difference Through Blogging. You can read the table of contents and follow the book on this page:
See the table of contents for the book here: BLOGTASTIC project
Previous article: Blogging can be a serious addiction.
BLOGTASTIC: Take a stand please…
We’ve talked about the importance of managing your online identity. However, readers won’t come to your blog just because they like you. They’ll come to your blog because you share smart ideas and clearly express insightful opinions.
Your attitude and personality form the skin of your blog. The content and focus provide your blog’s muscle, sinews, and bone. Reflect on these five questions for a moment:
1. What does your blog stand for?
2. Who is your audience?
3. Why should someone read your blog?
4. What is in it for them?
5. Why should they come back?
If you have a well-planned blog, then you should be able to wrap the above questions into an answer that makes sense to both you and your readership. These answers should provide the elevator pitch for your blog.
If you are having a hard time answering these questions, then you should go back to your drawing board and re-think your blogging strategies.
Unless you are planning to be a news-reporting site (which itself is not bad), then you need to have to have a theme for the blog. Your audience will be built over a long period of time. Your readers will come to your blog for a reason. Here are just a few samples why people come to successful blogs:
• Improve their leadership skills;
• Become more productive; and
• Discuss viewpoint on specific professional topics.
You shouldn’t ever try to replicate someone else’s blogging formula. You’ll likely fail, because the blog’s voice won’t be authentic. You have to find your own voice and leverage your passion and knowledge.
Brian Clark at Copyblogger.com took a stand that “Copywriting is the Key to Successful Online Marketing” and focused Copyblogger on “everything about compelling content.” The result : 50,000 subscribers to the blog and growing.
Leo Babuata at ZenHabits.Net took a stand that there is power in doing less. He says – “Do Less. Get More Done” and focused his blog on productivity. The result: 86,900 subscribers and growing.
Look back at your blog’s content. If your writing topics do not excite you, then it’s unlikely they will interest anyone else.
Blogging Tip: If you don’t stand for something, you may fall for anything
Many people struggle to take a stand—whether it is on their blog or in any part of their life or career.
I’ve talked to many people, and they view a stand as a “box.” In a way they are right. Taking a stand requires you to focus on some things and exclude many other things.
As a savvy blogger, you should know that there’s an opportunity cost when you refuse to take a stand. When you include everything, you refuse to exclude anything. You will quickly confuse your readers and the people around you. Whatever way you look at it, you will be much wiser to take a stand than not take one.
Rajesh Setty is an entrepreneur, author and speaker based in Silicon Valley. He maintains another blog called Life Beyond Code and tweets as @UpbeatNow