In the midst of a fascinating, long distance Skype conversation, Robin Dickinson and I got on the subject of Blogging Focus – in other words, how do we find the right blogging formula? How do we strike the right chords in the branding, writing, and marketing of our business blogs? How can we balance the need to be authentic with the need to advance certain business goals?

Robin and I have similar business philosophies and attitudes about life in general. Since I’ve been blogging quite a bit longer, Robin thought I might be able to help him answer some of these questions, questions he is struggling with mightily right now. There was some advice I could offer, but as we talked it became obvious that Blogging Focus is a vast and complex issue. Every one of Robin’s questions raised three new ones, including many that have perplexed me for years.

We decided to continue our exploration of Blogging Focus as a series of blog post dialogs. We’re going to bounce some of our questions back and forth and see where it takes us. Our hope is, this little exercise will bring some clarity to our blogging approach, and perhaps help you to do the same.

How long does it take to establish a blogging focus that works?

Brad: In terms of blogging, focus has always been a particular challenge for me, because my interests are rather wide ranging and I perform a wide range of marketing and writing services for my clients. On top of that, I tend to be very eager to experiment, to make decisions and ask questions later. I’ve tried lots of different approaches and themes, and to tell the truth, I’m still not satisfied that I’ve achieved the appropriate amount of “focus”, even though I’ve narrowed down my topics considerably over the years.

Knowing who you’re writing for, as we discussed in the first installment, is certainly important for establishing focus. Different audiences are going to be interested in different subjects, or at least a different presentation on a given subject.

Knowing your blogging objectives – also important, obviously. Do you want to monetize your blog? Use it as a means of establishing credentials? A teaching platform? Community building? The list goes on and on.

You’ve got to be patient, that much I know. One of the attractions of blogging is that there are no cookie cutter solutions. Another is that the medium is constantly evolving, faster than anyone can completely keep up with. These are two huge reasons why blogging focus is always going to be a work in progress to one degree or another.

The other part of the question is the “working part.” So I ask you … What do you go by to determine whether your focus is working?

Robin: Helping clients get focused is a key part of my consulting work and it’s something I’m constantly applying to my own projects and tasks. So how do I know whether my blogging focus is working? This is a great question. Over the years I have gathered some reliable indicators – in the form of questions – that give me pretty accurate feedback as to whether or not my focus is working.

Let’s see what happens when I apply them to my current blogging efforts.

How to know if your focus is working

Q1. Are you getting the desired outcomes?
Not yet. To-date, quantitative measures such as views, comments and retweets are modest, but heading in the right direction – especially since becoming more focused over the past few weeks. I’m confident these results will improve as my focus sharpens and I carve out a niche in a way that makes it easy for my target audience to find my blog.

Q2. Is there is an ease to the task?
Almost. Starting from a position of zero knowledge and experience, unfocused blogging for me was initially a case of burden and struggle. I was clearly out of my depth and drifting into broad, murky waters – writing anything for everyone. As my focus is becoming clearer, it’s definitely getting easier. Easier to stay single-minded and say ‘No’ to topics and opportunities that don’t fit the focus. Easier to come up with suitable ideas for posts. My productivity is increasing, and blogging is becoming more enjoyable.

Q3. Is the task sustainable over a long period?
Yes. Since blogging, I’ve noticed many blogs come and go. What starts as a burst of excitement and enthusiasm seems to drop of in the months, even years that follow. Before I started blogging, I spent a lot of time thinking through what would have to happen for me to sustain this for the long haul. Focus is certainly an important key here. With tighter focus is coming the feeling that I could stick at blogging for years not months. I have a much clearer sense of what I have to do next, and actually look forward to doing it.

Just reviewing my answers, you will see that my focus is starting to work. However, continued improvement will depend on my mustering the courage to stay focused. You may have to help me here, Brad.