Do you have a plan for your blog? Are your activities strategically mapped out? Or do you wing it?
I originally posted this on my first self-hosted blog (ceilidhontherun), but it’s one of those posts that just never seems to lose it’s value – so I thought I’d revisit it here, with a few minor updates:
Photo courtesy of @paulletourneau
Do you have a plan for your blog? Are your activities strategically mapped out? Or do you wing it?
I have been spending some time now researching and learning about blogging success. Because there are tons of resources out there I just hadn’t been able to decide where to focus.
First of all I had I simply started my blog without any real plan. I did what felt right and hoped it would come together. In many ways it had. I blog about what I enjoy.
I was invited to (and participated in) She’s Connected (or #SCCTO as known in the Twitterverse), a conference for Canada’s top digital women, connecting women and Brands. My influence steadily grew with Twitter following, blog page views, and Facebook influence, as well as other platforms.
In fact, because of my online influence, I returned to ShesConnected and was subsequently invited to FORD NAIAS; was invited to interview the Editor in Chief of Today’s Parent magazine; and have been invited to multiple opportunities for digital influencers…
Is a niche a requirement?
I have read over and over about the need to identify a niche.The value in niches seemed clear to me and I was pursuing one niche in a separate endeavor. However, I struggled with how I would narrow my blog down into one little niche, or create an off-shoot in a niche. The truth was that I really didn’t want to.
It was a relief to hear from and meet a few women who were making success online without a niche, by simply being themselves and connecting with interested online readers. They were falling into a new blogging realm of “Lifestyle blogging”. I loved that my blog was, and continues to be, a place that I can express whatever suits my fancy. I want to keep it that way.
When I re-branded my blog to “TrishBlogs… for Change” I identified the key theme to my blogging and my advocacy efforts – being a catalyst for change. Not surprising given that I studied Social Work when I went back to school for a career change in 2005.
Perhaps as I begin to feel satisfied with the way my blog is working, I’ll define a more distinct niche to build an additional online nest. For now, I continue using my personal work and art to learn the craft of working online and specifically, blogging.
Blogging resources
Due to reading such resources as Chris Guillebeau‘s website, emails and book(s), I always felt (and still do) inspired to remain true to myself. After reading Chris Brogan‘s tips I know there is a real science to success online. Darren Rowse (ProBlogger) previously issued an ebook of 31 Days to Building a Better Blog (which I’d read he’d released an updated version of), and I worked my way through each day’s entry / tasks to formulate my own daily/weekly task sheet to guide my own work. As a result, most of my task sheet I have taken from Darren’s tips. Some tasks come from other activities I already did regularly that seem to help me build that growing Klout score.
Blogging task sheet:
- Respond to comments on blog
- Message a reader
- Participate in relative platform(s) activities
- Plan week’s posting schedule
- Post blog entries and schedule tweets
- Connect on Twitter: reply to someone I follow; thx 4 mentions; connect w/ new followers; post new content (RT’s, news articles, etc.)
- Connect on Facebook: like & comment on other blog pages; respond to comments; connect with new likes; post new content
- Connect on other social media platforms
- Comment on other bloggers’ posts
- Email another blogger to build relationships
Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at trish at trishbogs dot com!
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