6 Tips to Help Your Blog Make an Impact and a Difference in the World

A couple of weeks ago I shared a post entitled, "6 Ways to Stop the Comparison Game & Love your Blog" which has quickly become one of my most popular posts. Personally I think it is because this topic resonates so deeply with each of us that are writers of blogs. We want and desire our words that we labor and work to perfectly craft to touch the heart of someone. We want to be a blogger who inspires others. We want to have our blogs change someone in the best possible way. The question then becomes how do we make our blog stand out and be unique from the millions of other blogs that there are?

I know that there has been a ton written on the subjects of how to have your blog gain more traffic, more followers, more everything basically but today I wanted to step away from the numbers and social media tutorials for growing something and go to the heart of what I believe most bloggers are wanting: ways to have your blog make an impact on someone else and a difference in the world. Here are six tips that I hope will encourage you in this bloggy world and bloggy journey:

(1) Define Your Goals & Develop and Re-evaluate Your Mission Statement
So often I hear bloggers say, "I want my blog to have an impact" or "I want my blog to make a difference" but we don't define and really narrow down what our goals are with our blogs. What are your goals? In what arena do you want your blog to make a difference? Do you want to be known as "the best" in your niche? Do you want to make an impact for a charity that you are passionate about? Do you want to become an author? Do you want to use your blog as a stepping stone for a shop or business? Do you want to become a full time blogger? What are your goals? Defining your goals will help you see and plan how you want your blog to make a difference and an impact in the world and will help you as you move forward in this area.

I have shared this a couple of times over this past year, but I can't recommend enough having a "mission statement" for your blog if you want to develop your blog and make an impact. The mission statement to me is almost a part "b" to defining your goals. First you have the goals and then you need the mission statement. Your mission statement may change and morph as the years go on and your blog develops more and more. Take the time to let your mission statement grow and morph with you as a person and this will flow over into the course of your blog. 

(2) Share Your Heart

Whatever your platform and niche is with your blog (travel, fashion, lifestyle, family, etc.) take the time to share your heart with your readers. This might look different for each person, but think about how you can share your heart and your life with your readers. Your story matters. It really does. One of my favorite quotes for this point comes from author Shauna Niequist:

"There’s nothing small or inconsequential about our stories. There is, in fact, nothing bigger. And when we tell the truth about our lives—the broken parts, the secret parts, the beautiful parts—then the gospel comes to life..."

Don't ever think that what you have to offer in regards to your story is to small or not big enough. Your story is powerful and your story matters. Share you heart!

(3)Write. Write. Write. Write some more

One of the biggest ways for your blog to have an impact is to recognize a key component: writing. A key for your blog making a difference is to write, write, write, and write some more. Let's be honest: maintaining a blog is a lot of work. You need to be thinking about the daily component of responsibilities, plus your weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. But everything comes down to writing and sharing your heart. Writing and crafting your words takes time- a lot of time and the best way to become a better writer is to keep writing. 

When I first started blogging I remember a well-known blogger sharing that she carried a small notebook with her to write down blog ideas when she thought of them. I loved this idea because there are so many times when you are doing something away from your computer and you have a thought for the blog that you want to remember. I love altering things so I always carry my altered calendar with me (which has note space in it) but maybe you prefer keeping notes on your phone or in a different form. Whatever the best method is for you - take time to write every single day perfecting the craft. 

(4) Put the Time Into Your Blog & Have Quality Stamped All Over It
I am always a little baffled at how I hear from many bloggers who want to make an impact and a difference with their blog but when I ask them how much time they put into their blog they say "oh ya know 1-2 hours a week throwing up a post as much as possible". It's not the time that baffles me as much as the flippant, "throw up a post". Life is busy. I get it. I really do. Honestly, I really really do. I think that some people think that because I am "sick and not working" I just have a ton of time sitting around to twiddle my thumbs and write for the blog. Uh No. Like everyone else I have a ton of things going on and being sick actually adds a very difficult dimension to blogging. Some days I am to sick to look at a computer screen let alone be able to type an entire post. But this isn't about me... this is about the desire to have your blog make an impact and a difference and the reality is that you will have to put the time into your blog if you want to accomplish that. 

On one hand it is not about the time that you can spend and on the other it is. This can be a sensitive area- especially if you have a lot going on or are going through an extremely difficult time. But the reality is that time is a huge component to our blogs. Many bloggers who are making an impact and a difference have been working at this for years. You have to put the time in if you want to see these types of results. Maybe you truly do only have 1-2 hours a week to devote to your blog. That is okay- make those hours worthwhile and make them the best you can. Maybe you don't have time to post every single day. That is okay. Make your posts the best that they can be so that when you do post your readers know that you will provide great quality and content. Maybe you want to take better pictures, develop your craft. Whatever you do- put the time into it and (as the president of my college used to say to us) "have quality stamped all over it".

(5) Pray
As a christian my number one goal is to share the hope of Jesus Christ with each person that I encounter- in person and in my online presence. I hope that people will walk away from my blog and feel encouraged and inspired to chase after their dreams, find beauty in the ordinary, grab onto hope, and see the love of Jesus through my writing and my interactions with them. I have shared this before with lots of people, but I honestly do spend a LOT of time praying about my blog and social media presence. I want my blog to be honoring to the Lord. This has meant that sometimes I have turned down some opportunities for growth or some opportunities that some would call "lucrative". That is okay, I have complete peace about this. As I pray, I truly believe that the people that I interact with and who come to my blog are meant to be there. I hope in some small way my little writing and life might encourage them in their own journey. 

(6) Be Kind
Isn't it amazing how much kindness affects each of us in our daily lives? When someone takes the time to truly listen to what we are saying, ask us important questions, send us an encouraging note, etc. Even a stranger's kindness can touch us. It is absolutely the same thing with our blogs. When we give our time to write thoughtful comments on other bloggers posts, offer kindness to those whom we don't know, offer an encouraging word, respond back to comments on our posts, etc. we are spreading kindness and this changes things. This makes a difference in someone's life. Kindness can truly shape and change the course of someone's life that you interact with and this will make a difference in the world. 

What are ways that you hope your blog will make an impact or a difference in someone's life? What tips do you recommend for those who want to make a difference in the world through their blog?