part two

I started regularly blogging because I felt like I had a trove of stories to draw from. I had written twenty or so blogs that received a little attention and I was starting to get in a groove.  I found a place to hang my hat and I settled in.  I think it was the challenge that kept me going.  

Finding Your Goal

Once you establish your voice and to whom you want to address, you need to further clarify your goal and what you want to achieve, hope to accomplish with your blog.  Every time you sit down to write should require this train of thought.  Are you hoping to engage?  Do you simply want to expand your network?  Do you want to motivate and inspire? Do you want to teach or educate about new technologies or practices?  Do you want to draw attention to your business?  Do you want to fulfill something within you?  Do you want to find you?  Do you want to clarify your life's purpose?  Or find one?

-A message is required.  So, rambling doesn't always work.  Have a point, establish it in a paragraph or two.  Define it with a story or example.  Reflect and finish.

-Write what you think your audience might want to hear?  Gear your message toward them. 

-How will you deliver that message?  Will it be straightforward?  Conversational? Cloaked with a surprise ending? Will you use profanity for impact?  What are the risks involved with the message, and it there are any, will they be worth it?

-What do you want to get out of blogging?  What if that doesn't happen?

When I first started blogging,  I had a regular schedule:

Monday - Time Management
Tuesday - Candidate / Client Control
Wednesday - Headspace
Thursday - Interviews
Friday - The Butterfly Effect

Using a set schedule helped me achieve my goal of writing every day.  After it became a way of life, I loosened the schedule and now, I go with the flow and write a series here and there, as well as interviews and reviews.  The goal of the schedule was to get me going.

by rayannethorn