I've been thinking a lot about vision and designing the course of one's blog and website.
How we present ourselves online, first on our platforms- our blogs and websites- and then spreading out in the world of the web- is how people will get to know us.
The fuzzier and broader we are in our message, the harder it will be for people to "get us," even the people we want to reach.
As a result, we won't gain the attention of the people we want to serve. Nor will be able to effectively build our business and expand our own creative dreams.
All because we aren't clear on our voice and design.
Let's look at this concept for just a little bit.
First off, I'm not here yet. I struggle and wrestle with having a clear and consistent voice every week, if not every day.
So I hardly consider myself to have "arrived."
But I see some people ahead of me (way ahead of me) and I watch them and think this is what I'm going for.
Not to be them, but to be at the place where I am working towards something with momentum and passion and I'm helping others to do the same.
Long term planning and right-now-action are essentials keys to doing this. I think we need to be both committed to the long course and flexible in the short term.
If that sounds like an oxymoron, bear with me just a little bit.
I want to do a little show and tell.
Again, I'm not an expert. My own journey is one of a million mess-ups and I'm just now beginning to feel that I am grasping what is going on in my own journey.
Here is what I do know.
Be consistent and persistent
The more consistent we can be with a narrow message, the more effective we'll be.
When I want to say a million things, I end up saying nothing.
However, when my message is like Monica Lee at Smart Creative Women who wants to empower women artists and creatives to thrive and shine, the message comes through loud and clear.
Decide What You Want to Do
It's important to design and arrange your blog so others know what you are about and how you can help/inspire/ encourage/entertain right away.
If people don't know what the blog is about in just a few seconds they leave even if you have the information they were looking for.
People just aren't into looking for buried treasure these days.
They want what they want when they want. Hey, you and I are the same way. I'm looking for a recipe, an answer to a HTML question or research for a book I'm writing. Unless I know, like and trust the person I'm not hanging out on their website too long unless it has the thing I'm after.
And therein lies the key: creating an online presence where people know, like and trust you.
This is the first in a series I'm hoping will help you to not only help you understand why its crucial but show you how to begin to do that for yourself.
Find Your Voice
Consistency is key. As Monica at Smart Creative Women pointed out recently, "I'm not necessarily hiding parts of my life but I choose what to shine." (emphasis mine)
Monica is happy, inspiring, curious and an explorer. Each week she digs out what other artists, authors , bloggers, painters, designers are doing in interviews and shares them with the audience.
The most influential people choose the message, their message, that they want to emphasize and bring to the masses.
Whitney Englishblogs about design, being a stationer and an entrepreneur and her very strong views on being a creative. She includes more personal stories on her blog.
It works because Whitney prioritizes authenticity as part of her personal and company brand.
Meanwhile, at the Copyblogger blog, it's all business where writers of all types learn about the industry today.
At the The Creative Penn, fiction author and book marketer Joanna Penn shares what she has learned about writing, self publishing and writing fiction. Her topics are very focused and she is very limited on what she shares about her personal life.
Michael Hyatt at Intentional Leadership blogs mainly about building a platform and leadership. However, he is very sensitive to his audience and may veer to indirect but related topics such as journaling, the power of midday naps and productivity tips.
Legal Nomad Jodi E.writes about the nomadic lifestyle, traveling and food around the world. Her photo essays are beautiful and inspiring.
Sean Ogle's Location 180 website centers around building a lifestyle around a business that is location independent. His blog posts are known for being full of meaty content about how to do what he has done.
Pinch of Yum is a husband and wife team who food blog as their "hobby job" and also create products and a membership site for food bloggers. Lindsay and Bjork combine their personal passions and their love of food in clear way. The readers have come to enjoy and expect Lindsay's great recipes along with tales of their personal life.
Nobody Gets to the End Without a Lot of Work
My first website was a disaster.
So was the second.
The third was better but only because I found a great designer (shout out to Thomas Usborne at ProFramework- fabulous design work).
But I didn't figure out exactly what my direction was for some time. It took trial and error in my writing, in hiring a coach to help me, in doing a lot of studying, reading and experimenting before I began to get a strong idea and the ability to clearly communicate it.
Nobody Gets to the Final Product without Starting
If you have been hesitating to starting your blog, business idea or website because you are unsure of how it will look or there is the desire to "get everything right" stop right now!
Just start.
Ideas? Inspired? Questions? Let me know! Leave a comment or send me an email. I'd love to help. melissaauclair@gmail.com
The post How to Design the Voice and Design of your Blog: Part 1 of a Series appeared first on Launch Your Creative Life.