I’m a big believer that big dreamers achieve big things. Yet when it comes to blogging, so little people launch their websites after they take a little bit of time to map out their blogging vision first.

I’ve been there, trust me. And it’s probably the very reason why my first two blogs failed and I subsequently gave up on them. Because I had no goals, no objectives, no target. Simply put, no vision.



WHY DO YOU NEED A BLOGGING VISION MAP?

I sat down the other day and realized this is the longest period of time that I have been blogging without stopping (and dare I say most successfully) and it made me question what’s different about this blog.

Before I even started this blog, bought a domain and starting writing posts, I mapped out a vision map (or a blogging vision board as I like to call it) on a notebook. And it’s to no surprise that I have already accomplished 90% of  my goals from back then.

That notebook contains everything, from the topics I wanted to approach on my blog, to my blog title ideas, to what I wanted to accomplish in my first two months and two years blogging and so on. I still use it to scribble blog posts idea and map out future plans, but the very few pages are the most important.

I remember going back to it a few months ago when I was in a blogging slump and unmotivated to go on, and I got so inspired by all that I initially planned that it refueled my fire and got me to be even more consistent and involved with blogging than before.

There is the reason why all the successful business out there have started from an idea and a well thought out business plan. Because clarity kills ambiguity and actionable plans bring real results.

Here is how creating a vision map can help bring clarity in your blogging journey:

IT HELPS YOU FOCUS ON THE WHY

A big really motivator in anything we do is the “why”. It’s just how humans work. Not the how, not the when or the what, but the very reason why.  That’s what motivates us and drives us and helps us get over obstacles when we inevitably face them.

Figuring out and writing down why you want to start a blog can bring clarity to your purpose. Not only will this translate in anything you do but people will be able to pick up on it right away which will help you connect to your audience and deliver value-packed content for them.

When I first launched this blog I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to write about, but I knew that I wanted to empower women and help those who are one or two steps behind me get to where I am a bit faster.

After revisiting my notes last month and going through my blogging vision I realized how powerful that WHY is and I made a total switch with my blog because it helped me figure out the HOW’s and stay true to my initial goals .

When we get burnout and we feel like quitting, nothing else is going to matter but the “why”. Do you know WHY you do what you do? And do you realize how powerful that motivator is? Write it down and harness it! Use it as an anchor every time you feel like sinking (ok, that might not be a very helpful visual, but you get the idea).

Your “why “is the single most important thing that can help you determine your way! (Go ahead and tweet that little piece of grandma wisdom.)

IT BRINGS CLARITY TO THE WHAT

Now that you know the why, what do you want to create? What do you want to put out there for the world to see and in what format? What topics are you going to approach? What is your blog going to be about? And most importantly, what is your message, your area of expertise or your blog’s intention (which also feeds into the why)?

Even if you are not 100% sure on how to answer these questions when you start, it’s vital that you go over them and outline a basic structure. Changing your mind down the line or listening to your instincts and going a different way is totally allowed, so don’t put too much pressure on it. (This is supposed to fuel your creativity, not contain it)

But even then, make sure you decide on the new “what”. This can bring out content ideas, help you stay inspired and consistent with your blog on the long run.

Which brings out to another very important “what” – what do you want to achieve? What are your goals for this blog? The more clear you are about them, the more likely they are to happen.

What I like to do is create a goal, a stretch goal and a super stretch goal. For example I wanted to reach 2k page views in my first month of blogging. My stretch goal was 3k and my super stretch goal was 4k. And it just so happened that I reached 3k. If I had no goals at all or only thought I could get 2k, this would probably not happen.

Setting some objectives for your blog and your blog’s growth is super important. Because the further you can see, the further you will get. So write down everything. From how many posts you want to have up monthly, to how many visitors and email subscribers. Be clear and set a sustainable timeline as well.

Revisiting my initial goals and seeing how well I’ve actually been doing got me so pumped and energized to try new things with my blog and keep going!

Having a blogging vision and mapping it out can help you achieve your objectives. Get my free blogging map printable template now!

IT LEADS YOU TO FIGURE OUT THE WHO

A lot of bloggers start out with this big idea for their blog but give no consideration to who their readers are going to be. This is a fundamental mistake because not knowing who your readers are means you don’t know how to reach them. And who wants to put so much effort into creating awesome content is no one is going to read it or benefit from it?

Knowing why you want to blog and what you’re going to blog about should give you a general idea of who you’re going to blog for. This will help you put out there content that others find valuable, make you understand how and where to reach your target audience and steer you in the right direction which will grow your blog faster.

Understanding your readership and their interests can help you connect that much faster with them, and that, my friend, is a priceless marketing strategy. Becuase who doesn’t want readers that are genuinely interested in your blog?

IT MAKES YOU FORGET THE HOW 

Now you may think the “how” is the one question you really need to have figured out (especially in the beginning) to make things happen. But stressing over the how does not only makes you put less importance on the other things you should be focusing on but raises new obstacles and makes it seem like they are impossible to overcome.

Say for example you want to start a blog. Instead of focusing on all the amazing things you have planned for your blog, you back down because you have no tech skills and have no idea where to actually start creating your blog, how to get hosting, how to install and theme and so on.

Or maybe you want to start monetizing your blog but even the term affiliate marketing seems complicated.

Now don’t get me wrong, if you know how to do some blogging related tasks, you should write the steps down. This way you will make sure that they get done in due time and the clarity of knowing exactly what to do and in what order can improve your efficiency.

But if you don’t know how to so something just yet, putting to much pressure on it can cause you to give up because in your mind you see it as this big giant that you can’t overcome. But if you focus on the why, the giant becomes smaller and somehow you find the resources and information you need to make things happen. And research is the giant’s weakness.

So if you are facing a blogging block right now go back to the why’s and the who’s and you will become a mama bear ready to tackle any problem.

 


Bottom line is that having a vision for your blog can help you find your way and figure out the way to do exactly what you envision. So if you never took the time to map out your blogging journey, it’s never too late!

Grab my printable vision map template and spend 10 minutes today putting your vision on paper. Your future self will thank you!

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Andrea Broom

This was awesome, I love learning other tricks other bloggers have. I didn’t ever think that it was important to map out everything but I have to admit it really is a game changer. BTW I love your blog!

Ana - The She Approach

Thank you so much Andrea! Stoked this was helpful!
x

Rob

Glad I came back to this, just started but had not spent enough time on this “Vision” step.