House Rules Book releases April 23

Purpose

blog purpose statement

Every blog deserves a purpose statement.

Actually every blog needs two purpose statements.

One for the readers, one for the writer. {I’ll share both of mine at the end of this post}

Having a purpose statement is a must because once you make one, it’s like having your own personal blog coach. You get to turn to your purpose statement and just by reading the words you wrote you can find the answers to questions like:

What should I write about?

Should I speak at this conference?

Should I partner with this company?

Is this blog still worth my time?

Having two well thought out purpose statements have saved me from wasting time on things that weren’t important to me and helped me focus better on what I truly wanted for my online space. I spent my first two years blogging without a purpose and it showed in my writing, content and time management. I don’t have that kind of time to waste.

Here are some questions to help prompt your thinking as you consider your purpose statements::

1.  How do you want readers to feel when they leave your blog?

2. What do you want them to do differently when they leave your blog?

3. What do you hope they turn to your site first for?

4. What are you obsessed with?

5. What are you an expert in (your unique experiences and circumstances that give you a valuable perspective)?

Still fuzzy?

1. What posts feel like drudgery? (stop writing those)

2. What posts get the most comments that mean something to you? (this is where your passion and the readers needs intersect, pay attention to these posts)

3. What posts do you get nervous about before you hit publish.  (these posts are near and dear to you and feel important)

Here are some books that have helped me be intentional and purposeful on my blog and in my life:

The first three books here help me with balance in my work and home life:

Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God’s Transforming Presence by Ruth Haley Barton.

Choosing Rest: Cultivating a Sunday Heart in a Monday World by Sally Breedlove

Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard A. Swenson (pretty good read if you need to be convinced that Margin is important, if you already are convinced of that you can skip this book)

These books help me think like a smart businesswoman:

Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life’s Work by Steven Pressfield (LOVE this one) YES

The War of Art (not pictured)  also by Steven Pressfield–every creative should read this book. It might be rated R or PG-13, I lost my copy and NEED to get another one.

So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by Cal Newport (still reading this one but I’m a Cal Newport fan)

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Expanded and Updated) by Timothy Ferriss (I really only read the first half and it was well worth it I would have paid full price just for the chapter on Time Management the second half got a little crazy to me)

These two books are a must read for any creative:

not pictured: Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod   (one of my all time favorites) rated PG-13

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative A fun little read to help inspire creativity.

All of these books combined have helped me shape my purpose over the years.

Knowing the purpose of your blog (or of anything for that matter) will help you make decisions. Here’s the purpose statement for my blog, Nesting Place where I’ve been writing online for seven years (it’s also my full time job). I tweak it from time to time, it’s normal for it to change and grow and adapt as things tend to do:

Nesting Place gives hope and motivation to women to find contentment and embrace the home they are in, fill it with meaningful beauty and enjoy the risk and adventure of creating a purposeful home that suits their family all while chanting “it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful”.

It’s a mouthful but I wanted to fit it all in one glorious run on sentence. When I feel lost or like I’m going off track, I’ll look back at that statement and see if that’s what I’m doing.  My goal is for every post to fall into the purpose of my blog. From sponsored posts to guest posts to DIY projects and series–if it doesn’t past the purpose test, I probably don’t need to be writing about it at Nesting Place. Then, I can’t just have a purpose statement for the readers, I need to have one for myself too.

Nesting Place is an outlet for my obsession with all things home. I continue writing because I find joy in encouraging others to love their home, I love the community with kindred spirits, it helps me practice the discipline of writing, I’ve earned credibility and influence and want to use that wisely, and I’m able to contribute to the family income. The amount of time I get to spend at Nesting Place is directly related to the income I can generate. Nesting Place is my dream job.

Have more questions about blogging?  I recommend the ebook Simple Blogging. And also this fun little blogging series that Kate from Centsational Girl put together, the links to each post are at the bottom.