How To Write A Mission Statement For Your Blog

How To Write A Mission Statement For Your Blog Lost your way while blogging? Thats where mission statements come in, simple maps that keep you on track without getting you bogged down in details. Mission statements arent just for huge corporations, either. They are for anyone–even individuals–who better want to understand who they are and what they intend to do. In other words, theyre perfect for your blog. A mission statement keeps  your photography blog from turning into a political blog. Its what keeps you writing when traffic is low and you think you should quit. How To Write A Mission Statement A blog mission statement reminds you why you are blogging in the first place. It helps you, your team, and even your audience understand what you are doing. Before you start writing the actual statement, though, you need to lay a foundation first. The first two steps of that foundation are very important. 1. Ask questions. You need to ask questions to help you understand what youre doing. The answers to these questions might not every be used verbatim in your mission statement, but they help you get there. Most of us operate on default setting, it seems, and we arent very mindful of why we do what we do. Why do I blog? What questions do I answer? What questions do I ask? What kinds of things will/do I write about? Why? What kinds of things do I enjoy writing about? Why? Who cares about what I write? Who reads it? Which bloggers do I admire? Why? Will I be personal about my writing? Please note that #4 and #5 are not the same question. Some bloggers write on topics they dont necessarily enjoy. Thats fine. Its a lot of work. It can be done. It takes discipline. You might get burned out. But its completely viable. Writing about what you enjoy will certainly be easier. I answered the questions for my personal blog. Go ahead give it a try! Asking these questions of myself for my own blogs, and for the blog here at , reveals different answers, because these blogs have different missions. Go ahead. Answer the questions right now. (Well wait for you here until youre done.) Once you have your answers to those questions, well need to winnow them down to what they are really telling you. 2. Extract your mission. Take a look at the answers to those questions. You are looking for the following key themes: Your motivation for blogging. This is answered by questions 1-3. Who your blog is for. This is answered by questions 4 6. What you want to become. This is answered by question 7. For example, if youre looking to make serious income, youll have chosen bloggers who are doing that. Its easier to identify bloggers we admire rather than asking outright what do I want to be because sometimes we dont answer that question very honestly. Our secret admirations do not lie. How youll do it. This is answered by question 8. Some remove themselves from their writing, with nothing personal. Business only. The writer is not present in the content. If you answered the questions truthfully (and fully), you should have plenty to flesh out these four parts of your mission statement. What did I find out for my personal blog? Why: I write because I feel compelled to write. Who: My blog is for like-interested people who want to live a mindful, introspective life. And the occasional laugh. What: I want to offer more examples and stories from literature, faith, and the arts to show that these things have a place in everyday life. How: Continuous exposure to new ideas (reading, experiences) so I can share them by interpreting them. 3. Keep it short. One to three sentences ought to do it, when it comes to mission statements. Yes, thats correct. It should be about that short. Long mission statements are easier to ignore than read. A mission statement is not a comprehensive plan. This is not where you lay out your social media strategy, or create a detailed inbound marketing plan. It is best when it is succinct and easily remembered. Its not a multi-page guide to refer to. So, how might my mission statement look for my personal blog? The mission of my blog is to encourage a thoughtful life that leads to feelings of belonging and hope in both myself and my readers by exposure to a variety of ideas, experiences, and real-life stories. Laughter is always welcome. Yours might be completely different. It might include a specific amount of money you want your blog to bring as in come each year. It might be a specific niche that you wish to speak to, and would identify in your mission statement. A mission statement should be short and sweet. Anything extra is just distraction.4. Be specific. Not once in my mission statement did I try to leverage anything. There was no paradigm shift. There were no funnels, no permission marketing, no native advertising. No jargon. Buzz words and jargon come about in an industry because insiders understand the terms. They seem appropriate, because they seem fit. But those words are ridiculous to anyone else, and they prevent even those who understand the jargon from really thinking clearly. No ridiculous language in your mission statement. Try really, really, really, really hard to keep it out. Try to find another way of putting into as few words as possible what you want to happen with your blog. When you cant use jargon, youre forced to face the big ugly monster that youve been hesitant to put into words. Instead of saying I am going to leverage my blog for financial independence you should be more specific and say my blog will bring in $40,000 a year because thats the amount that would be necessary for you to be financially independent. A mission statement is the time to write plainly, clearly, directly. You are not trying to impress anyone. You are trying to be clear. If your blog mission statement isnt understandable by the average Joe, you did it wrong.