Blog Purpose – Be Brave. I Dare You.

If you are starting your blog or thinking about revamping it, here’s a tip from top blogger Ron Dawson: “The first thing you need to decide when you build your blog is what you want to accomplish with it, and what it can do if successful.” 

So when the Singapore Mom Bloggers (SMB) hosted a bloggers’ workshop for its members, many of us were excited to attend. Aside from the obvious social gathering, we were eager to find out how to enhance our existing blogs, especially from the more experienced and successful local bloggers.

It was one of the most fulfilling and thought-provoking 4-hour afternoon I’ve had in a long time. We were challenged to find our blogging purpose, taught how to brand our blog and devise content strategy to promote and increase readership for our blog. We were also put to task to define our blog with our personal voice.

I was quite excited to flex my ‘blogging’ muscles after the workshop. Over the past weeks I tried to put what I’ve learnt to practice. It is still a work in progress but here’s what I’ve come up with so far… 

1) Review My Blog Purpose 

I have been struggling with the ambiguity of my blog. I couldn’t quite decide if it was a parenting blog, a family blog or a platform to showcase my written work.

But after Chrystal’s presentation on Discovering Your Blogging Purpose and a brief chat with her during the break, I discovered what my blog’s focus should be. Thanks Chrystal…

My “new” blog is about being a woman and the multiple hats that we wear everyday. I am streamlining my categories as advised and focusing on the following aspects:

• Being a Woman
• Being a Mom
• Relationships (with husband, girlfriend, sister, daughter)
• Working (SAHM, WAHM, Mompreneur)
• Blogging With Purpose (charity)
• Events & Activities

I know parenting and kids will still be a primary feature, me being a mom and all. But that’s not all I am. I want to write more about what it takes to be a woman these days. I want to write about the dexterity, resourcefulness and creativity it takes to navigate the steep terrain of a modern woman – that means balancing career with family life, practicing positive parenting with challenges in the modern world and keeping sane juggling our different portfolios and priorities.

I also want to write more statement posts like why stay-home-moms receive less benefits than working moms (no offense to working moms), and how the government spend so much money encouraging women to go back to work without the same financial support to protect the moral fibre of our children’s generation. This brings me to my second learning point.

2) Showcasing My Voice

“There’s a lot of information out there for free, so you’ve got to figure out what makes your information different.” ~ Matt Wolfe (top blogger)

I am a little conflicted when it comes to revealing myself on the blog. I always feel slightly awkward. See, I’m  one of those extrovert-introvert people — outwardly friendly but very private on the inside. I’m also worried about backlash; I don’t know if my skin is thick enough to withstand any negative feedback.

So when Rachel Teo from Catch Forty Winks shared about the 70/20/10 Content Plan, I thought that’s brilliant! And I am inspired by her honesty and fearlessness.

I am resolved to “speak” loud and clearly through my blog about my passions and things that truly matter to me. Thanks Rachel for daring us to be brave and own our personal voice in the blog and tips on how to acquire one.

3) Branding My Blog

“Social media is not about one time hits. It’s about building a loyal following over time.” ~ Syed Balkhi (top blogger)

Finally, my third learning point is to brand my blog. Having gained some clarity on my blogging purpose, it is also apparent to me that blogging is not a passing phase for me. It is about me connecting with the world and sharing about my passions. And I am excited to start building a loyal following…

There is still much to learn, so thank you SMB for the head start.

I also want to especially thank Christy for initiating and organizing the SMB workshop, and Sarah for her presentation on Blogging For Good. I have some causes that I care a great deal about but have tossed them into deep storage when the kids arrived. Now that the kids are older and busier with their friends, I am inspired to take these charities out of the dusty shelves. Thanks Sarah for the inspiration to use our platforms for the greater good of others. 

Here are their respective blogs for any readers interested to know more about the organizer and speakers of the workshop.

♥ Christy Wong (Kids R Simple)  

♥ Chrystal Lee (Chrystallee.com)

♥ Dominque Goh (Dominque’s Desk) 

♥ Rachel Teo (Catch Forty Winks)

♥ Sarah Wong-Lee (the playful parents)

I welcome you to check in with me from time to time on my revamped blog. See you around!

Fellow mom blogger Winnie and I helping out at the registration desk.

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Till our next post, love yourself, love one another.