Many people talk about finding your “voice” as a writer, and this is very important. But what about finding your “place”? Think of this as your identity.
Marketing guru Mark Schaefer, in his book “Known: The Handbook for Building and Unleashing Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age”, describes your place as “a sustainable interest and something you want to be known for”. He recommends that it:
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- Be aligned with your strengths
- Provide purpose by benefitting others
- Offer a distinctive topic
- Is inexhaustibly fascinating to you
Here are 3 tools Mark recommends for you to help find your “place”:
- Finish the statement “Only I…” – what is it that only you can uniquely offer?
- Take the Gallup company’s Strength Finder Test
- Write your first 35 blog article headlines – kind of a test to see how broad and deep your expertise in the area is, and how much you are able to “stick with it”
Another approach comes from Jonathan Merritt*. He suggests picking 3 adjectives that describe who you are. Jonathan writes at the intersection of faith and culture, and his 3 adjectives for himself are proactive, thoughtful, and brave.
How would you describe yourself? What is your “place”?
* From “How to Become a Power Blogger” – Princeton Seminary presentation, June 2016
