Religions thrive on structure.
I’m not talking about rituals, though they can be important markers for a blog-religion.
I’m talking about the underlying infrastructure that all religions possess; the rock foundation upon which the faithful depend.
Yes, religions grok structure.
Successful blogs do, too.
Think about it..the structural elements (I know…I said ‘secret ingredients’ in the headline…so, we’ll go with that) that most religions rely on for their success are also found inside successful blogs.
The 5 Not-So-Secret Ingredients for a Thriving Blog-Religion:
- An engaging leader
- A core philosophy that attracts attention
- Loyal followers
- A meeting place
- A sense of community
Take away any of these ingredients and you no longer have a religion. You simply have a..well..you don’t have much at all…maybe a recipe for failure?
After all, what good is a meeting place without a community? What good are loyal followers if there isn’t an engaging leader to organize things? No, the not-so-secret-ingredients are definitely required for both religions and blogs.
“Form ever follows function“
Louis Sullivan, America’s first modern architect and mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright, is credited with this quote:
“It is the pervading law of all things organic, and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things super-human, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law.”
Form does indeed follow function. If form follows function, the form a building takes on should fulfill it’s intended function.
- A hospital should be designed with patient care in mind, not the doctors.
- A gym should be designed with it’s users in mind, not designed around the fitness equipment.
- A church should be designed with the parishioners in mind.
- A blog should be designed with the readers/client/customer in mind, not the blogger.
Let’s take that a step further
Blogs should be designed (design includes the framework, mechanics, structure) so that readers/clients/customers gain the ultimate benefit.
In order to bring that ultimate benefit to your readers, you’ve got to build something more than just a blog. You need to build an online presence that creates community, that engages followers, that provides the structure necessary to convert to your core philosophy.
Here are 3 steps you can take now to get started building your blog-religion.
1. Define your core beliefs. What does your blog stand for? What problem does it help your readers solve? What’s the one-thing, the core idea around which your blog coalesces? Explore it. Know it. Write about it.
2. Craft your conversion story. Tell the story that includes why and how readers should adopt your core philosophy. What has your core philosophy done for you? What will it do me me? Tell them what will happen if they don’t convert!
3. Evangelize the world. Go forth and spread the gospel according to you! Do this in guest posts, in blog posts, in speaking engagements, in your email newsletter. Leave a trail back to your blog wherever you go.
Bonus Step
4. Join a community of like-minded bloggers where you can find support and advice. You might even consider The Upper Room Community Forum!