Writing a Mission Statement for Your Blog

I admitted to feeling as if my blog was holding me back and encouraged you to ask the same question I’ve been asking myself, why do I blog? This week I’m writing a blog mission statement. – Erin

Why do you need a mission statement?

A mission statement will define your blog’s purpose and subsequently make it easier for you to focus your efforts and attention. When we define our blogs we can determine both the guidelines and boundaries for how we will use it.

How do you write a mission statement?

I don’t have a list of questions you should ask yourself, (I’m sorry but when I get something with questions I tend to look at it as a test and my need to succeed kicks in; instead of writing what is really on my mind I write what I think others want to see.) instead I’m going to suggest a writing project.
Get a blank sheet of paper and give yourself 5 minutes to free write what you want your blog to do, who you want it to impact, and the mark you want to leave on the digital world. Remember this is not a to-do list! Just write! It doesn’t have to make sense; it can be incomplete thoughts. All that really matters is that it comes from a place of HONESTY. If you want your blog to make you rich and famous, write it down. No one has to see what you write and no one has to see your final mission statement. This is for you.

Look at what you’re written. REALLY LOOK AT IT. There will be things you like, things you love, and things you’ll want to toss out. You’re also going to find similar themes, condense them as best you can. Use a thesaurus and dictionary, sometimes the word to bring it all together is out there you just can’t remember, or didn’t know it. The end goal is to sum everything up in just a couple of sentences. Seriously.

I know it’s hard. In my case I love sharing domestic type stuff but I don’t want to confine myself as a niche blog. I think that makes me a Mommy blogger, AACCKK, not one of those! Then I’m suddenly overwhelmed and feeling completely insignificant. So I Google whether or not Mommy bloggers are insignificant and fifteen (OKAY, 50) minutes later I can’t remember what I was doing.

Once you have a couple sentences you’re comfortable with, say it out loud a few times. Does it feel good to say it? Call a trusted friend and try it out on them. Don’t give up and remember your mission statement can change. We’re not writing in stone and there’s no one holding you to it. That said, our mission statements should help us to create continuity, as long as we don’t go changing it with every new moon.

Hopefully this helped you get onto a path towards creating a mission statement.

3 more things about mission statements:

They should be short.

They should stand on their own without explanations.

They should reflect what you want to be remembered for.