How to Write a Focused Blog

In today’s post I want to explore a simple concept too many bloggers avoid – the issue of focus in blogging.

Focus is an important part of any blog because it defines the blog’s audience. Let’s say a reader arrives at your blog via a Google search. If the reader is interested enough in your content to stick around and explore, she will quickly make a decision about just where your blog stands within the blogosphere. With a focused blog, the visitor is much more likely to continue reading related content. The reader may even add you to a feed-reader or otherwise bookmark your blog.

The trick is knowing just how to focus your blog. The focus at Mindful Entrepreneur, for example, evolves alongside my own change and growth. And while I might have a general idea of the blog’s purpose, there are slight shifts in emphasis and direction with time.

Here’s an exercise I use to locate my blogging focus. First, write the following statement:

The [insert your blog’s name] blog provides content

for readers interested in _____________….

Just writing through this statement once will bring instant results. Ideally, you will find time to revise it too – a few times now and then again in a week or a month. If possible, you can apply this exercise at regular intervals to re-focus your blogging efforts.

My latest shot at this exercise yielded the following blog focus:

The Mindful Entrepreneur blog provides content for readers interested in improving their quality of life by developing and operating a successful internet business.

I believe there are many benefits to determining your blog’s focus, but let’s consider just a few important ways getting focused can bring results:

1. Increases your blog’s traffic and retention with clearly focused content.

2. Identifies potential “spin-off” blogs to further concentrate your writing efforts.

3. Provides a quick way to inspire ideas for new posts.

4. Reminds you just why you’re blogging in the first place!

I suppose there are some limitations to getting too focused, though I don’t see that as a major issue in the blogosphere. At least not yet…

Tags:blogging | blog focus | business writing