"A question that doesn't have a definite answer is a question worth exploring."

Did you know a source found by Social Triggers says there are more than 164 million blogs?

I know right. What a figure.

164 million. To put it into context, there are around 64.1 million people living in the UK right now. So currently, there are more than twice as many blogs in the world compared to people in the UK.

That’s a big figure.

Huge.

If you’re reading this, you may have a blog or you may not. If you do, I’m guessing that like me, you’re one of the 164 million.

So in other words we’re all really little fish in a very big pond. It’s no wonder we always ask ourselves the question: “Why do we blog?”

You’d think it’d be a simple answer, wouldn’t you? Something along the lines of, we blog because we really enjoy it and get to meet lots of really nice people. Or we blog just because we love it. Or even just because.

But is that enough? Is that enough to really communicate to someone what your blog is truly about?

When someone says to you, tell me about your blog, you don’t want to say something like oh it’s about fashion, beauty, you know, things like that.

You want to be able to say exactly and uniquely what your blog is about – summed up in one sentence.

Tricky right?

You may never have thought about this before which is really what this post is all about. Knowing what the core of your blog is can be the start of a new direction in blogging for you. And it’s really important.

Say you’re a fashion blogger. Your answer to the above question could be something like, I blog about fashion.

Okay. But so do millions of others. What do you do differently? How do you blog about fashion so it’s different to what everyone else is doing? And why do you do it?

That’s your core.

Say you’re a beauty blogger. Your answer to the question above could be something like, I blog about beauty.

Okay. But so do millions of others. What do you do differently? Is it just the same old product descriptions? How do you blog about beauty so it’s different to what everyone else is doing? And why do you do it?

That's your core.

The answers to these questions are the equivalent of your brand values. Everything you write, every idea that you have for your blog links back to these values, or mission statements.

Establishing brand values is hugely important. Why? It helps you stay on track. There are a lot of strong, brilliant voices out there in the blogging world and I don't think any of us really expected this industry and community to grow as much as it has.

But that’s why it’s important to show how you unique you are. We all look for diversity and a variety of content - if you give us that, we’ll stick around.

You are a strong, brilliant voice. Whether you've got a few 100 followers or a few thousand, our voices are all unique and equal. We all have our own right to talk and write about whatever we want.

That's what our blogs are for.

So the next time you’re reading over a post you’re about to publish, get your brand values and see if your post links back to each one. If you can tick all the boxes, you’re on your way. If you can’t, don’t worry – these things take time and no doubt your brand values will change a lot along your blogging journey. It’s just working out what is most important to you and how you share that with your community.

But lucky for you, I’m trying something new in this blog post – my first ever worksheet!

What I want you to do is this:

Click right here to go to the first page of this worksheet
Download and print it out
Click right here to go to the second page of this worksheet
Download and print it out
Answer the questions

The key to this exercise is taking your time – it’s important to really think about your answers and what you want your brand to communicate.

But if you’re feeling stuck I'll help you out a bit.

The categories you blog about are highly important in creating your brand values. You need to narrow these down and categorise concisely. All your posts should fit under five headings - any more and it might be just a little too broad.

Be honest when you're answering these questions. Honesty is the key to really communicating your true feelings and future sights for your blog.

You may think that you don't need brand values. You may think that your blog isn't a brand. But with the way the industry is heading, seeing your blog as a brand means you're at the forefront of the change. And that's a good thing.

So you might download these worksheets and fill them in - or you might not. That's up to you. But if you're reading this then you're at least thinking about your blog as a brand and how you can make it unique.

Just remember that your voice is the most important thing of all.

Have you thought about your blog as a brand? Have you thought about establishing some brand values?

Do You Have Brand Values? If Not Why Not?