Most businesses use vision and/or mission statements which tell their investors, employees and the public what their game plan is, what others can expect if they do business with them and even how customers will be treated.
In order to succeed, they realize the importance of strategic planning.
Wikipedia states strategic planning includes asking questions such as:
“What do we do?”
“For whom do we do it?”
“How do we excel?”
Businesses then take this information and create mission, vision and value statements.
These statements can be long and complex or short and sweet as reflected in Google’s mission statement:
“We organize the world‘s information and make it universally accessible and useful”
Blogs, which are similar to businesses, can benefit from mission, vision and value statements, as well.
Today’s Lesson
If we know why we are blogging and whom our target audience is, we’re more likely to remain succinct with our posts. If we have days when the words escape us, referring to our strategic planning statements could give us the inspiration we need to write an applicable post.
If we blog within a specific niche, we’d be reminded not to rant about irreverent topics.
Although our “About” page may share some of our strategy, in most cases we’re only showing our audience a small part of what they can expect from our blog or from us, plus it’s not a page blog authors turn to on a regular basis.
I think if we take make time to compose mission, vision and value statements (whether public or private) we can align ourselves with our blogging goals, become more focused and possibly see greater success.
Even though I have a vision for this blog, I’ve never put it in a written statement. If I did, it would read something like this:
Blogging Without A Blog (BWAB) is a site which targets new bloggers and where blogging issues are discussed by bloggers in all phases of their blogging journey. BWAB is a place where bloggers can come to share their thoughts and be warmly greeted by fellow writers. Or, if preferred, a visitor can remain silent, read the words of others and apply what they’ve learned to their blog.
The site will feel homey and welcoming. Posts will be blogging related and will be written in a lesson-assignment format. Ads, buttons and widgets will be kept to a minimum. Navigation of the site will be important, as will the ability to promote the work of fellow bloggers via the use of plugins such as CommentLuv and by linking to other sites on a regular basis.
As the blog author, I will make time to answer comments and visit the blogs of others whenever I can to show my support to them, as well.
Just rereading what I wrote reminds me to stay focused, stay true to my vision and live the words I’ve written.
What say you?
Today’s Assignment
Could a mission, vision and value statement help you with your blog?
How would your “statement” read?
Care to share?
~Barbara
Hi Barbara,
I agree with you that a mission, vision and value statement would be of great help to keep in track, but mostly if the blog is in a more specific direction. For blogs that don’t have, or try to avoid remaining in one niche, the statement would have to be very vague, loosing with it its strength. At least I can’t imagine a statement saying something like: “I will write about everything that comes to mind”
For a specialized blog or business it seems to be a necessity, but for personal blogs a statement could work well only if that blog has the intention of going in one direction. At least is what it seems to me. I’m curious what would be the opinion of other bloggers.
Raul
Hi Raul,
You’ve raised a good point. For those bloggers who post random thoughts, it would be difficult to write a mission, vision or value statement, but on the other hand I’d have to ask, “What’s the purpose of the blog?” If it’s just to vent to whomever may land on it, that’s one thing, but if it’s a blog where the author hopes to make “something” of it, eventually (to me) it seems like they’d know what direction they hope it will go.
Your comment reminds me of a very popular blog named Dooce, which is written by a mother of several children (can’t remember how many). Anyway she posts snippets from her day, how she feels about different things (some of which she’s quite outspoken about), and adds some photos. Anyway, her blog is extremely popular in the “mommy blogger” crowd, she’s written books, gained more popularity by TV appearances and supports her family by the income she receives from her blog. I’d be curious to know if she planned it that way or if the blog took on a life of its own and from there she expanded.
Hi Barbara,
I like the parallels you draw between businesses and bloggers. You reminded me the importance that as a blogger I have to know clearly why I am blogging and whom my target audience is. Your article also reminded me that for one of my blogs, I have not written an about page yet. I am going to do it today.
Hi Matthew,
That’s true. When we look at our blogs as we would a business, we approach it differently.
In my case, my blog is very random in many ways although I do focus on food quite a bit. I guess my mission statement would be “to bring snippets of interesting information to people’s attention and to provide good recipes daily”. I haven’t attracted a wide readership although I do have a number of faithful readers each day. Nor, unfortunately do I make money. Blogger dropped me for some unspecified reason and people don’t appear to follow my links to Amazon.com, however, I still like to write.
Hi Jo,
I like your mission statement. I think as long as we know what we want to share with our readers, it helps to keep us on track and lets our readers know what to expect when they land, and return to our blogs.
P.S. If you enjoy writing, a blog is a perfect place to showcase your talent. 🙂
Well, a mission statement definitely helps. I have tried myself to put one though not in a great language 🙂
Mission and focus apart, one needs to find enough time to put the mission into practice and that’s where I am finding it difficult since I have a fulltime job.
Hi Ajith,
I hear you. Time is an issue for a lot of us, as is doing all the behind the scenes tasks a blog entails. Baby steps….
Unless you blog as a hobby, I 100% agree it makes sense to treat your blog as you would treat any other business.
Hi Vered,
Yes. Blogs do need to be treated like a business if we plan to do anything with them.
Hi Barbara,
I wrote a mission statement for my teaching practice but never for my blog. Perhaps I should.
I realize that like teaching, my blog covers a variety of different areas.
Here’s my teaching mission statement,
“To help every student develop to his or her full potential. To develop intellectual potential and provide opportunities for social, ethical, emotional, physical, and aesthetic development of every child in my class, and by extension, the entire student body whenever the opportunity presents itself.”
It might take some time to develop a blogging one, but I see how that could be a worthwhile thing too.
Hi Chase,
I LOVE your teaching mission statement. Can you imagine if all teachers had the same vision as you? That would be awesome.
I know you blog covers several topics, but I’m guessing you’ll do great creating a mission statement for that, considering what you did for your occupation.
Hi Barbara,
I just found your blog and love it!
If I were to write a mission statement it would look like this.
“Our site is based on the idea that you have the same right as other travelers to explore the world with confidence — no matter what your physical challenge may be. Visitors will receive up-to-date information about all aspects of traveling with disabilities, including unusual and exciting accessible destinations.
Does that sound OK to people? I ask because I don’t get much traffic & I’ve been at it for a while now….
Thank you Steve,
I think your mission statement fits your blog perfectly. I checked out your blog and love what you’re sharing with your readers. You’re providing an excellent service. Hang in there. 🙂
Hi Barbara,
I wrote a guest post that touched on this very topic. It was along the lines of “know yourself and know your audience and you will succeed.”
That means, knowing and visualizing your goals and your strengths and weaknesses. It also means that you have to know the needs of your target audience and then apply your skills to them.
Hi Richard,
Well put. We do need to know the needs of our target audience. It will not only help us to construct our posts better, but will give our visitors that which they come to our blog for.
Great post, Barbara. My blog’s purpose allows some variance in presentation, as long as there is a spiritual tone. That is my rudder. At times I consider having another blog that would provide more diversity, but my heart is with the blog I have right now. So the purpose being succinct and clear keeps me on track. I have other ways to exercise my creativity when it rings my chime.
Thank you Amy,
That’s a good point. When we want to diversify, adding another blog is an option, but like you said, your blog keeps you on track and you can always find other ways to exercise your creativity.
When your blog is a part of your job ( or is in fact your job and how you make money) then i absolutely agree that a mission statement// could help. I think it would help to keep on track with what you are writing about, so that down the road you dont veer off course, if this makes sense.
Hi Barbara .. I don’t have the business elements to my blog – though realise I perhaps need to .. it does so cover so much – but the aim is to entertain readers, while stimulating them to think and perhaps let their brain and conversation wander along different paths.
Cheers – interesting post .. Hilary
Hi Hilary,
Although you don’t have business elements to your blog now, I know you hope do more with your knowledge in the future. One good thing about mission statements is we can create and/or change them at anytime, so it’s never too late. 🙂
If you want people to follow you, then you need to be a leader. A leader is simply a person who has a clear vision which he or she wants to address to other people. As blogs are probably the most powerful way to gain authority and exposure, every blogger should treat his or her blog as it’s a real business (if this is the intention). Thanks for bringing this
You’re welcome David,
Yes. Leaders do need to have a clear vision, especially as you said, a blogger hopes to gain authority. All the more reason to look at a blog like a business.
I am right in the middle of creating these lessons…I do make great plans and write them right down to the fine points…but they always need so much revising…they never quite go as planned or expected…
…new business in design phase right now…lot of work…trying to keep it simple and use what I already know how to do…Whewee! (wipes sweat from her brow!)
Hi Patricia,
You’ve raised a good point. Our plans (mission and vision) can and do change over time. I think as long as we remember to make those revisions along the way, we’ll do fine.
P.S. Congratulations on your new endeavor. I know you’ll do great!
I believe so! Your content is absolutely right! A blogger must have his/her mission, vision and value statement to keep him/her focused with his writing task and blog. But as for me, I haven’t really written mine but I have thoughts which are similar to having a mission and vision that inspires and motivates me when I write an article or a post. We should really inspire the beginners in our field to keep them a mission vision statement. Thanks for this post!
You’re welcome Connie,
That’s true. We may not have a written statement, but if we can keep our vision in our mind as we progress with our blogs, we’re more apt to stay on track.
I say you do a wonderful job of “keeping your focus”! Your blog is helpful, interactive, welcoming and warm. I don’t think that is an easy combination to achieve and your blog is a very good example for others!
Thank you for your kind words Caryn. I truly appreciate your support.
Planning everything and being organized are the best ways to succeed not only in blogging but in life in general. We have a lot of time, and a lot of energy. But we need to focus that time and energy on one domain and we can do great things.
Hi Mark,
You’re right. Planning is very important to keep us on the track to success. Although it’s not always easy, like you said, we can do great things.
Dear Barbra,
I had a mission statement on my website/blog but I was advertising my services as a freelancer but yes I do feel a mission is like a goal and goals in life are important they give you something to work towards.
Hi Valerie,
Yes. Mission statements are very similar to writing out our goals and having that type of document can help to keep us on track.
I’m a fan of using vision, mission, and values to stay on track.
Early on, I used it in my About, and I periodically revisit it.
I revised my tag line to include:
“The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence”
I wanted something a little sharper and more passionate to remind me of the mission.
Hi J.D.,
I like that; “The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence”. It’s like a never ending mission to continue working toward.
I’m in the process of recreating my blog and will be including a manifesto as well as a vision statement..as my personal life evolves my blog evolves and now a wonderful business is being created..love how unfolding works when I allow it to!
Hi Joy,
Yes. It’s amazing what can unfold if we let it. Just like our lives, our online mission changes. I’m looking forward to seeing how your blog and business evolve, as well. 🙂
Of course, having a mission and a vision is necessary for every business and blogging is a business. Having such statements stated will assist in choosing the right topics, ways, directions but I think that our mission should change with the course of time as the world is changing as well as our life and priorities.
Hi Anna,
That’s true. Our mission and vision statements will change over time. It would be fascinating to reread our first one and then read our current one years later (and see how our blogs changed).
great stuff and full of information. i think focus and consistency matters in blogging. i found your blog really informative. Thanks for sharing such a useful info with us
Thank you Kavita,
I’m happy you enjoy my blog. And yes, it is important to have focus and consistency. That way too, our readers aren’t too surprised. 🙂
I, too believe that any form of business should have some form of mission statement. Like you stated, when the going gets tough as it will at times, we can always look at our motivation for doing what we do. This motivation is usually contained in any type of mission statement related to our business.
Hi David,
That’s so true. Things do get tough (online and off) and by reviewing our mission statement, like you said, it’s a gentle reminder to prod on toward our dream(s).
Your post is a great help for me. As a new blogger I really appreciate the ideas that you have in your post. I think everything in every work that we do, we need to have focus. Thanks for sharing Barbra! ^_^
Thank you April,
I agree. Focus is important. Without it we could waste many hours aimlessly surfing the web or frittering away our time.
P.S. Welcome the the blogosphere. Happy Blogging!
Hi Barbara. It’s a great sharing you’ve done there. A lot of interesting information I could get from here. Thanks a lot for the share.
You’re welcome Andrew,
I’m happy to hear what has been shared is beneficial. 🙂
this is actually the basic of blogging. if you dont know who your target audience are then you won’t have direction when it comes to writing. this is one reason as well why keyword research are usually done first and usually their is a title/description for the page to create awareness of whats happening within the blog.
Hi Baking Supply,
I’m glad you brought that up. Not only is it important to know our target audience, but we also need to learn more about keywords and keyword phrases so we draw those individuals to our blogs.
Thanks for this post Barbara! I just remembered our company’s vision. It is what inspires the employees. And yes, it also applies to blogging. Bloggers with clear & achievable vision, knows how to stay focussed because they want to achieve their goals by fulfilling their missions. Continuous practice results to improvement.
You’re welcome Ann.
You’re right. Practice helps immensely. And, like you said, when we stay focused, we’re more apt to reach our goals.
All blogs should be treated like a business venture. Thanks for sharing this, Barbara
You’re welcome Cheolsu,
True! When we treat our blogs like a business, I think we’re more inclined to insure what we share is timeless and holds value.
Barbara, what do you think about blogging with topic you don´t like? Is it better to outsource?
Thanks Joe
Hi Joe,
Personally I can’t see myself blogging about a topic I have no interest in, but if you have a topic you’d like to share with readers and don’t have the passion to research and write about it, then outsourcing may be the best way to go.
I have thoroughly read the post and as well as interesting comments at end of post. Before commenting, the most catchy thing I can see here in comments is the interaction of the writer with commenter.
I have been blogging few years back, blogging is an addiction that don’t have an end. I am agreed with Barbara, identification of target audience is an art. People identify their target audience with the passage of time.
Sophie
Thank you Sophie,
That’s true. For some it will take time to figure out who our target audience is. Oftentimes that’s not revealed until we start getting comments.
Hi Barbara,
Y’know, a mission statement for my blog never occurred to me before, but thinking back on it, it can only help! I love reading books like Robert Kiyosaki and Brendon Burchard, and they’re always talking about focus, knowing your goals, and going after what you want to accomplish. Robert’s books even have whole chapters dedicated to mission statements and the goals, etc., of the company.
Why not have that for your blog? It’ll help keep you focused, and also let others help hold you accountable if growing your blog (and business?) are what you’re aiming for.
Delena
Hi Delena,
That’s a good point. If we posted our mission statement on our blog, it would help to hold us more accountable, plus remind us to stay on target.
P.S. Sounds like you’ve found some fascinating books. I’ll have to check them out.
I believe the mission statement should set the expectations for your readers and and be tightly focused on the key words your core audience is interested in. And you should review the statement weekly to stay on task and no lose site of your target audience.
Hi Sandy,
That’s a good point. Our mission statements will change over time, therefore reviewing them on a regular basis would keep us on track with the keywords our audience will be searching for.
You got me thinking with this post. I’m guilty of not treating my blogging like a business. I’m not necessarily making money, but eventually I would like to become an authority on what I know. This will take time, but if i use your advice and focus myself, then I might just get there a little sooner. Nice post. The comments have been equally informative.
Thank you Chelsea,
Yes. When we continue to publish articles on a specific topic, we do become an authority on that subject. Like you said, it takes time to get to that point. Treating our blogs like a business can get us there faster and a mission statement could be a great reminder for us to stay on target, as well.
Thank you for your blog. You gave me an idea to focused in blogging and improve more and more…
You’re welcome Andrew,
I’m happy to hear this post has helped you with your blogging endeavor. I hope to see you again soon.
Well, there’s one part of the my blog I forgot to fill out. A big facepalm for me then, as this has to be the first thing one ought to write on their website! thanks for the reminder.
You’re welcome Phil,
That’s true. Even before we start blogging we should think about why we’re blogging. Writing a mission statement could keep us on track right from the get-go.
thanks to help me, i want to follow your suggestion.
You’re welcome Nimita,
I wish you well with your blog and am happy to hear this post helped you.
Thank you for this post. A bit of a wake up call for me. I need to get a bit more focused. I have somewhat of a plan, but I think it needs to be more detailed. BTW, nice blog layout. This is the first time I’ve seen your blog. I have it bookmarked now.
Thank you for your kind words Dave,
Like you, I had “a plan” in my mind, but never wrote it out. I think if we take time to put pen to paper and really think about what we want to accomplish with our blogs, we’re more likely to stay focused.
I’ve found that coming up with a storyboard for my blog posts has been really helpful — basically creating a map of the topics you want to explore over the next 6 months to one year. This has helped me be concise in each individual post because I don’t bleed over into other topics I’ve already planned for later.
Hi Austin Contract Lawyer,
That’s a great idea. I’ve never done story boards before, but now that you’ve mentioned it, I’ll have to give them a try. It sounds like they’re another wonderful way to stay on track.
Great post! Focus is really important in whatever our mission to attained our mission.. I like your tips here! thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome Robby,
Yes. By staying focused we end up being more efficient.
Yes focusing on what you do will always give you the perfect returns.
Hi Shauna,
That’s true. And focus works in other parts of our lives, as well.
Hi Barbara……….Really Mission, Vision, and Value these three statements can change the business image if we follow the every stair. Blog is like a rubber strip. As rubber strip fold as you want same as blog work as you want but condition here is that if you treat it positively then output is positive otherwise…..
Hi Cheap Scrubs,
I hear you. Mission, vision and value statements can result in a positive outcome. All we need to do is stick with them.
Hi Barbara!
I most certainly agree with the content on this post! As an individual who holds down a full time job in addition to blogging, making prime use of available time is of paramount importance. I am always on the lookout for techniques to use my time more productively.
The reference above to the statements outlined by wikipedia will give any blogger a model on which to structure his or her blogging efforts (me included!).
Thank you once again for a very beneficial blog post.
Erik
You’re welcome Erik,
Like you, I also work full-time away from the blog. I think having mission, vision and value statements is a great way to keep us on target when we sit down to blog. Otherwise, I don’t know about you, but I can easily waste hours of time if I’m not careful. Yikes!
Nice share Barbara, even though I am involve in internet marketing for more than 2 years but I am relatively new to blogging. focusing to put content on the blog is really need to be plan well.You have good resources here and thanks for sharing.
Thank you Rammesh,
I’m happy to hear this post holds value for you. Happy planning. 🙂
As a business lawyer and blogger – I find that blogging serves a multitude of purposes. Not only is it a great way to market yourself, but it also teaches lawyers to communicate better in layman terms and to connect better with non-lawyers.
Hi Austin Business Lawyer,
That’s a good point. Whether it be lawyers, doctors or any profession, learning how to communicate in layman’s terms ends up being beneficial.
I just started blogging a couple of months ago, for no other reason than because I felt like writing. I did not have a target audience in mind, nor any idea of where I was going to go with this. My humble beginnings have been pretty unstructured so far.
To my surprise, I picked up a couple of readers (wow!). All of a sudden I find myself thinking: “Geesh! If someone is going to read this, I better get myself in gear!”
Your post (I should say posts since I’ve read quite a few tonight) has been very informative. Thank you. I guess I have one question for you. If you find yourself posting in three or four general formats (say poetry, photography, general “thought of the day type stuff” for example), would you suggest having three different blogs or just different pages on the same blog? or just place them in categories? What’s most efficient for visitors?
Thanks again
While I agree wholeheartedly with having a strategic plan and vision of the blog, many times it is not directly applicable. Or at least not initially. Many times the blog itself evolves and takes a life and direction of its own. It only after blogging for a while does one realize what it TAKES to blog. I think the best time for coming up with a strategic plan is after being at blogging for a few months.
I would tend to agree with you Amanda. When you start writing just for the sake of writing, with no specific agenda in mind, you create an infant blog. You need to let it grow up a little, to discover what kind of personality it will have.
I agree that bloggers should treat blogs as their business. Its like taking care of your employees so that your company will stand strong and be able to have a strong foundation. If you blog as a hobby then its normal but if you want to gain something and want to have visitors then you create the blog that should stand out.