Power Blogging III: Make a Mantra – 3 keys

In the MBA language they call it the “mission statement”. I’ve spent half my life in the company of MBAs. But I’m not an MBA myself. I’ve thus been able to conserve my ability to think out of the box (eh ehhmm…). You don’t need a mission statement to blog. But you certainly need a tagline to emphasize, project and underline your blogs mission and value.Why not a mission statement? After all my arguement and reasoning I’m still not convinced how investing time and brains into creating a catchy mission statement justifies the effort or the purpose. Keep it simple – a mantra – the tagline of your blog.

Where does the word “mantra” come from? Here’s a brief history to better define what a mantra means. The word comes from the Indus valley civilization – arguably the oldest in the world. It’s a word from the Devnagri language also known as Sanskrit. The mantras are considered to have spiritual powers when pronounced correctly. Their effect is not in the meaning of the mantra but in the sound that emanates from pronouncing them. The sages chanted mantras in solace worshiping God to achieve salvation. The root “man” stands for the mind and the suffix “tra” means “tool” thus the “instrument of thought”.

As a blogger your identity should not be limited to the niche that you focus on. It in fact should underline the value you bring to your niche and in which direction you wish to carry your blog. So define a mantra – a tag line, a purpose of your blog. As a mantra it should carry you through all the confusion and help you focus your attention on the purpose of your blog. There are times when you have too many topics to blog about and others when you run out of ideas. The mantra shall bring you back to focus and carry your blog to attain its purpose. Here are three qualities of an effective mantra

1. It should be easy to remember

   You should be able to memorize and remember it out of the hundred other things that echo in the mind.

2. It should justify the existence of the blog

   A mantra stands as the reason why your blog exists and stands for. It should thus be meaningful and project the value you bring to the community and the niche.

3. It should be unique

   If it’s not unique it’s better to form a community and start a social networking site which stands for a purpose. You have your own blog to voice your expressions. It needs to have a “unique” purpose. If not (or may be if you are running it for money) you should focus on making meaning and not money.

A mantra is all you need to start blogging. And finally one day when you have 10000 subscribers you may want to create a mission statement. Guess what – the Dilbert Mission Statement Generator is at your service. Give it a try.

Mademoiselle Paty