Finding Your Focus For Your Blog

By Laurie Epps
Edie Melson is my mentor and friend. She has developed a very easy and simple to read text about Social Media. In this blog, we'll talk about her points, chapter by chapter. So you too can create your own blog, and branding as a writer. To follow along, you'll want to purchase her book, Connections: Social Media and Networking Techniques for Writers.

Edie teaches seminars on Social Media throughout the Southeast and the rest of the nation. She's not just an inspiration to me, but to writers throughout the country.

Focus on Your Blog

Before you begin, ask yourself some of the following questions:

• What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?
• Do you simply want to share your passion? That's a good start. Then start there.
• Do you want to improve the world in some way? Example: feed the poor, raise breast cancer awareness, etc.
• Think about your platforms. What are they? But please know that if you are going to write about a platform, then you're also in for some research. Find out what's out there, and think of ways you can contribute.
• Focus is important. Without focus, you won't reach people with the same interests.
• Once you find that focus, distill your ideas down to an even more concise focus much like a thesis when you write a college paper. You'll find your unique voice on your subject by continually asking yourself, "What am I trying to say?"

Define Your Idea--Create Your Brand

• What are you passionate about? You can only sustain a blog that you truly care about.
• What are your strengths? You can only help someone at something you are truly good at.
• If you want to become an expert at something. Use your blog to develop yourself professionally.
• The most important point is to get started! The best ideas or intentions will go unnoticed if there's no way to access it.

Homework:
Edie suggests that you create for blog posts per week for a month. Don't publish them yet, place these in a separate folders in Word, or as a PDF to publish at a later time. A theme will emerge from your posts. I wish I had done this, and I think I will use the concept with my up and coming columns.

If you want to read more about Social Media, check out Edie's column called Social Media Mondays.

Laurie Epps is a senior at Anderson University majoring in Creative Writing. Already Laurie is most published as a feature article writer, essayist, and poet. A seeker of beauty and world traveler, Laurie hopes to grow into a career in travel writing illuminating the many stories that make us human despite our differences. Currently, Laurie also has a Thoughtful Thursday column dedicated to the fine art of poetry.