For any business, Strategy Planning is one of the main things to make sure business stays on course. It means a plan of action that is designed to achieve a particular goal.
I always treat blogging as a business. I think most of the blogger wants full time income from blogging which qualifies it to be treated equal to business.
What is Strategy Planning in terms of Blogging?
Strategy is a plan that is aimed to give a competitive advantage to the blog over rivals through differentiation.
Now if you have read the above statement correctly then you must have noticed few key terms:
Plan
Plan is an action guideline in strategy planning, which directs you to your goals. The prerequisite for this is – Set Goals.
The first thing which we need to setup is Goal or mission statement. What do you want from your blog – Money/Name?
Once you are clear on your goal or mission statement, you can set a plan.
If you have read Darren Rowse – 31 Days to Build a Better Blog, the very first thing he asked is to write a pitch for your blog. What your blog is about and what you want to achieve with it. This can be treated as a mission statement for your blog.
Once you have your mission statement and goals setup, its time to setup your roadmap or action plan. Depending on the goals you need to decide about the content, navigation, blogging frequency etc, – combine all of these you will have your action plan.
Your action plan needs to contain the some risk mitigation plan, Blogging Business has its own associated risks, which needs attention. If you want to know more in details then check my post for Business Blogging – 5 Risks Which Needs Mitigation.
If you have tough time developing the plan, I highly recommend Darren Rowse – 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. It’s a pre-written, 31 day action plan for your blog.
Rivals
This term sounds more like a war term, but in blogging business it means nothing more then competitive blogs in your niche.
Though I treat blogging as a business, but I don’t recommend treating your competitive blogs as rival. There are many things which you can learn from them and can get what is working in your market. These information can help you in your strategy planning.
Create a list of blogs which you consider as competitive. I bet most of the blogger will not have that list. Once your list is ready add two things for each blog – Their strength and weakness according to you.
If you have hard time finding weaknesses, then you are competing in tough niche. You need to put lot of efforts to see the results.
You need to build your strength around the weaknesses of your rivals. Check the list and see what you can take as a strength for you and start building on it.
Through Differentiation
You can watch your rivals and follow their lead to get some success or you can start a new path which people can follow.
If you choose to follow then you will be always looking for your rivals to lead you, you will be comparing success based on the matrix set by your rivals.
If you have defined clear goals for your blog then your matrix should be set according to your goals rather then your rivals goals.
You need to define your own path and it has to be different then your rivals, If you want success in any niche you need to give something unique to your readers.
It can be anything like quality, quantity, product, unexplored topics. There are many ways you can create something unique for your readers even writing styles can be unique.
Once you finalized that unique proposition then you need to create and promote it. Yes, you need to tell your readers that they are getting something unique on your blog. Don’t expect them to figure it out.
Strategy Planning – Let’s Put Them Together
Now let me again put the definition for Strategy Planning
Strategy is a plan that is aimed to give a competitive advantage to the blog over rivals through differentiation.
Is it making more sense now?
You need to do your homework and come up with a plan which can give your blog an edge with differentiation from your competitive blogs.
So are you doing the strategy planning for your blog? and if you are doing let us know if you think if this effort is worthwhile.
Image Credit: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I think a blogging strategy is absolutely necessary. On one of my recent Podcast episodes I talk about a lot of the things you mentioned above and how you can use it to reach your goals. If you want to be successful it is absolutely necessary that you create an action plan to achieve your goals (Blogging Strategy).
Once you have done that you break your action plan down into multiple actionable items and knock things of the list as you go. Regardless of your goals you have to break them down. From their it is being consistent with your efforts and constantly challenging the status quo.
Find a way to stand out in your niche. Be innovative, yet learn from other successful leaders in your niche. Learn from their strategies, adjust it to fit, improve it, and then implement it into your own blogging strategies.
Hi William,
Yes, without a proper strategy, it can never be a measured path to success. It gives a baseline to compare and check if we are moving in the correct direction. You have mentioned some good points in your comment. Thanks for adding that…
I think this is something most blogger lack, they have no real idea about which direction they are going and in the end they give up after getting frustrated.
Hi Nishadha, If we can plan from the start than we can track the progress and direction. Which can make rolling smooth, but I agree most people lack in that and its one of the reason for so many orphan blogs.
Strategy planning is an out and out advantage.
Every business needs plan and strategy in order to become successful! Many huge businesses today also started small but look at them today. They are dominating the industry. Surely they have business plans.
Yes Rick, It can give long term results, we just need to follow it.
Sanjeev, I didn’t even finish reading this post before going to a word doc and laid out a strategy for my blogs. I determined I have four I will work with most. I have a backlink plan for each and a posting schedule. It’s not a detailed strategy, but it’s a starting point. Thanks.
Thanks Brian, Starting point is better then having nothing, at least you have something on which you can expand..
Strategy planning is a good deal. It can organize blog work greatly
Hi Sanjeev! This is so true, after planning carefully, you would be on a way to have a success with the right plans and hard work, the success is on your way. Thanks for sharing your advice.
Thanks for linking the post, right planning and hard work is really important. I do no believe in short-cuts as they might give short term result but always fail in long term.
That is true,Sanjeev. As an author and business man, I can relate to how you said, “I always treat blogging as a business. I think most of the blogger wants full time income from blogging which qualifies it to be treated equal to business”. I hope more people discover your blog because you really know what you’re talking about. Can’t wait to read more from you!
Thanks Daniel, I think most of us start it as a business, the main important thing is to give it same treatment. Most bloggers fails to do that.
This is good advice. It is difficult to differentiate yourself from competitors, but blogging is all about being different. Thank you.
ohh yes, its all about being different and it does not mean to be in totally different path, sometime slight difference can also work and that’s why I say work on your rivals weaknesses….It can make you different from them.
Great article.. I always make my own strategy planning before implementing anything to my blog.
Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks Amrik, It is really important factor in blog success and I am glad you have already incorporated it in your actions.
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