How to Write the WHAT for Your Blog Action Plan

Do you have a blog action plan? Do you wonder what a blog action plan is? Now it’s time for the final step in the process ~ WHAT. WHAT is the final step of your blog action plan.  

I’ve shared with you the importance of finding your WHY and how to write your HOW. When your WHY is clear and you know HOW to achieve it, then your WHAT is much easier to articulate, but it takes some working through to get to the best WHAT. Let’s start learning how to write the WHAT for your blog action plan.

Every company or organization or bloggers know WHAT they do. But your customers and clients have to know WHAT you do also.

It’s not crucial that they know HOW you do it, but WHAT and WHY are. As a customer (reader), I want to know WHAT you do and more importantly, I want to know WHY you do it.

The two go together. Especially, if you are a blogger, as I said before, you are the one who has to believe in your blog action plan, do the work and are perfectly clear about it. And it’s so important to communicate this to others in a clear, concise statement.

How to Write the WHAT for Your Blog Action Plan

Let me give you an example.

Last week, I went to a dance fitness class at our YMCA. Now I had not been in months. (Don’t judge me on that.) Fortunately, my favorite instructor when I used to go on a regular basis taught the class and afterward I went up to her to say hi. She recognized me and we talked about some of the changes that had taken place in the aerobic classes.

I decided to ask her WHY she taught dance fitness classes at the Y. She paused and laughed a little and said she had never been asked WHY she teaches. Her response went something like this: ” Well, I’ve always loved to dance and I majored in dance and I thought I would own a dance studio. And then I had kids and I knew a dance studio wouldn’t work in our schedule. And then I took some classes at the Y just for fun. Next thing you know I was teaching classes, just for fun. That was 7 years ago. And I’m still here.”

At this point, I asked her again WHY she taught classes at the Y when she is such an accomplished dancer that she could dance professionally. Again she paused and thought about it and replied:

“Because I love the feedback from students about how much better they feel after a class and that they were getting in better shape and they were having fun. I just love helping them find dance as a physical outlet. It’s just so fulfilling that I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Just hearing her enthusiasm made me want to come to more classes. She told me her WHAT and her WHY and I was inspired. Adding her WHY completed her WHAT.

Let’s do the same thing.

The Process to Find the WHAT for Your Blog Business Plan

Actually WHAT is your “elevator speech.” You’ve heard of the elevator speech? Your 30~second talk that tells someone WHAT you do. It might sound like this:

• I write a blog.

NO!  Not very specific.

• I write a lifestyle blog.

A teensy better.

But thousands of people could and do say the same thing. If I’m riding in the elevator with you, I want to know specifically WHAT do you do that makes you different. Could WHAT you do be more interesting and apply to YOU. Let’s start over.

• I teach people how to celebrate the homes they create.

More specific. More interesting, too. Because now someone wants to know what topics I teach.

• I inspire people ways to celebrate the homes they create by teaching them home decor ideas, DIY home projects, craft projects and tested recipes.

Oh, really. that sounds like fun. Where do you do that? Can I come take a class?

• Sure, I share all my teaching on my blog.

Oh, wow, you write a blog! What’s the name of your blog?

• BlueskyatHome.com

Finally, here is my WHAT. 

My Elevator Speech ~ The WHY and the WHAT

(Pretend that we’re on the elevator together.) I could start with my WHAT.

 (WHAT) I write a lifestyle blog about home decor, DIY projects, and recipes because (WHY) I love to teach and inspire people to celebrate the homes they create.

OR start with WHY.

(WHY) I love to teach and inspire people to celebrate the homes they create (WHAT) through home decor, DIY projects, and recipes. ” 

I think both ways get my message across.

Writing the WHAT took less than 30 minutes; saying it takes less than 30 seconds; but now that person knows my WHY and my WHAT; I know my HOW.

Remember: without your WHY, WHAT doesn’t matter. WHY makes your WHAT specific to you, it draws people in, it inspires and gets them excited.

Your Mission Statement

An organization’s mission statement should clearly communicate what it is that they do. Good mission statements should be clear, concise, and useful. Some might also add “inspiring” (that would be your WHY) to the list of descriptors.

You can think of your WHAT and your WHY as your mission statement. It’s not hard if you fill~in~the~blanks.

The mission of YOUR COMPANY NAME is to YOUR WHY by/through YOUR WHAT.

Here’s mine:

The mission of Bluesky at Home is to (My WHY)  inspire people to celebrate the homes they create by (WHAT) teaching them about home decor, DIY projects, and recipes.

I could restate that sentence by rearranging the phrases a bit, but I think the message is clear. Your mission statement is not written in stone, although you need to believe in it passionately; it can change as your blog grows, but your reason for being, your WHY is your rock.

Can you write a mission statement combining your WHY and your WHAT? Give it a try and let me know what you come up with . I’d love to hear your WHY and your WHAT. Remember that you need to share it with someone.

WHAT is the Completion of Your Blog Action Plan

Here’s what Simon Sinek shares is Apple’s WHY:

“Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently.”

Here is Apple’s HOW:

“The way we challenge the status quo is by making out products beautifully designed, and user~friendly.”

And finally, here is Apple’s WHAT:

“And we happen to make great computers.”

Now you and I aren’t Apple. We may not be out to change the world. Just our little piece of the Internet. But at least we know WHY we are doing it. I have found my WHY and it will drive WHAT I do and HOW I do it.

Did I just teach you something you didn’t know today? Did you learn a new way to think about WHAT you do and WHY you do it? Have you written down your specifics ~ HOW you are going to reach your WHY? You now know how to write the WHAT for your blog acton plan for the new year. It’s not too late to start. Give yourself a couple of hours to develop your WHY, HOW, and WHAT.  Then, we both benefitted. You learned a new approach, a new method, your blog acton plan is set and you helped me make my WHY come true today ~ I love to teach and inspire.

And sometimes there’s not a glue gun or paint brush or mixing bowl in sight.

Now in future posts, I’ll (WHY) teach and inspire my actual WHAT: home decor ideas, DIY projects, and recipes (plus a few more topics and a bloggy post or 2). Let’s start creating and celebrating.