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| Image by Mike Licht via Flickr/Creative Commons |
Who do you want to be in the blogosphere?
The answer to this question can help determine your website's content, the tone of your writing, and even what you do and don't share on social media.
But answering this question can be much harder than you might think.
I've grappled with this question for months, maybe years. Do I want to be the go-to girl for all things related to writing, blogging and social media? Or do I want to the face of southern feminism?
Then one day I felt God whispering to me in the voice my Granny used in church when I was a little girl and she needed to tell me my slip was too long for my dress. I felt God saying, "Honey, your arrogance is showing."
I'm a church-going gal and so I see this little blog of mine as a ministry, which means it's not supposed to be about me. It's supposed to be about helping other people and giving God glory in the process. But there I was trying to figure out how I could be exalted, how I could be lifted up from the earth and draw all feminist writers unto me.
But even if you're not a Jesus lover, there's a lesson here for you too.
To have true online success you must know your purpose in the world (wide web). Why are you blogging?
My answer to that question is simple: I want to empower women and girls, especially those who write and blog. But somehow I lost sight of the women in the blogosphere and became too focused on the woman in the mirror.
A couple weeks ago I gave a talk on blogging to high school journalism advisers, taking them through simple steps toward building a blogging plan. I now realize I need to practice what I preach.
I told them to answer several questions before launching or relaunching their blogs:
- Why are you blogging? Write a mission statement for your site.
- Who are you writing for? Identify your target audience.
- What will you write about? Develop content related to your purpose and relevant to your audience.
- When will you post new content? Create an editorial calendar.
- Where will your blog live? Decide on a domain name and choose the best platform and hosting service for your site.
- How will you spread the word? Develop a promotion plan for your blog.
Looking over these questions you can see that most of them are in someway tied to the initial query: Why are you blogging? What is your purpose in the world (wide web)?
Can you answer these questions? Can you tell me, can you tell your readers, why you're here in the blogosphere?
Yes! I believe I have always had a clear vision about this. I firmly believe that there is a need to change the perception that women can't be both intelligent and fashionable, but that the two must be mutually exclusive. My blog speaks to that. It also speaks to the fact that one can dress fashionably on a budget, including designer items! Loved this post and perhaps you can be the face of both?! ;)
ReplyDeleteI love that this is your mission. I am passionate about this topic too. I've blogged about it and, in fact, my first column for B-Metro was on this topic. Kudos to you!
Delete:) - It's amazing how so much of what we face can be answered with just a few simple questions.
ReplyDeleteA good reason to blog always makes a good blog.
ReplyDeletehttp://jdy-ramble-on.blogspot.com/
These are some great questions to answer. Recently, a friend told me "to create is to live." I think it easy to get caught up in how we want to be seen, and lose track of what we want to actually do which could prompt realizations about our own arrogance. However, I think for other women to see a woman pursuing things confidently in many different areas in her life is invaluable and all too rare. The things you do for yourself become empowering for other women and girls who are able to see them through your writing!
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