3 Stages You Must Complete to Blog for Change

Writing or blogging books—or even booking blogs—that inspire and motivate change might seem no different from creating any type of book. Yet, there are some distinct differences. Specifically, to successfully blog for change with the intention of producing a book that fosters a cause or movement, bloggers must pass through three essential stages.

If you are a blogger who wants to write change-inspiring posts and books and make a positive and meaningful difference with your words, consider whether you:

1. Understand and embody change.
2. Create community around or awareness of your cause.
3. Develop clarity on how to “author change.”

These three stages help ensure your words—in blog or book form—make a difference. If you have a cause, are on a mission, want to start a movement, or feel a calling to make a difference in individual lives, your community, an organization, your country, or the world, you don’t want to write any old blog post or book. You want to write content that moves your readers to new action.

Yes, you want them to purchase your book and read your blog. But that’s not enough if you want to become an “Author of Change.” You want your written work to create a fire under your readers’ behinds, so they get up and do something different. You want them to make a difference in their own lives or the world.

When you readers do that, you have authored change.

Let’s look more closely at each of the three stages you must complete to write for change successfully.

1. Understand and embody change.

As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” In this first stage, you must become a person who demonstrates your cause, mission, or movement. And that has never been truer than when you decide to write a book that inspires and motivates change in readers.

However, most writers and bloggers choose to write “transformational” books or posts without understanding the need to role-model the change they seek to create. You can write about the change you are undertaking for yourself, even if you haven’t totally transformed. But you still need to show that you are in the process of change, and something you are doing is working.

And if you want to create change in the world, you must be someone who takes action that results in change. You must walk the talk.

Plus, many bloggers who want to write change-inspiring posts and books don’t fully comprehend that they:

• might need to change to write for change successfully.
• must have knowledge of how people change—the process that leads to transformation.

For example, if you want to write or blog a book (about anything), you must become a writer. What do writers do? They write. If you aren’t writing, you aren’t “being” a writer. To be an author, you must publish your written work.

Take on the identity of “writer,” “blogger,” “author,” “transformational author,” “change agent,” or “Author of Change.” When you do so, you automatically adopt the mindset and habits of such a person. You think and behave as they do.

Change is a process; transformation is its result. To move people from where they are to where they or you want them to go, you must understand how to make that happen. To get anyone to do something different, you must know how to inspire and motivate them to take new action.

Understand change, so you can write or blog a book that results in readers changing or supporting your cause or movement.

2. Create community around or awareness of your cause.

All authors—even novelists—benefit from a built-in audience for their books, which is called a “platform.” Your platform provides the foundation for all your book marketing. Without that audience, no one hears you when you say your book is for sale.

However, it’s even more necessary for bloggers who want to write to promote a cause, mission, or movement. That’s why this stage requires that you attract people who see you as a leader, expert, or influencer. These people will listen when you ask them to read your posts or buy your book and do what you recommend.

After all, you want to gather people around your brand of change. You need people who are ready, willing, and eager to change themselves or the world. Therefore, you must employ as many creative and traditional forms of promotion as possible to gather your “peeps” around you.

Such methods can include Facebook or LinkedIn groups, podcasts, blogs, writing for publications, a YouTube channel, or social media posts. You can choose from a plethora of audience-attracting tools. But keep in mind that these are not just blog or book readers, but your little “army” of change agents who help you fulfill your change-related mission.

3. Develop clarity on how to author change.

The last stage involves gaining clarity on how you will write your post or a manuscript that inspires and motivates readers to new action—the action you recommend. You need to write or blog the book, then determine which publishing method best supports your goal of attracting readers who will adopt your cause or join your movement.

You can write a novel, memoir, or prescriptive nonfiction book that moves readers toward change. The genre is less important than how you write the book. And sometimes self-publishing is a better choice than traditional publishing, depending upon your goals.

Of course, whether you blog a book, book a blog, or write a book from scratch, you need to plan your book using an outline, chapter summaries, or whatever method works for you. Know what you want to cover in each chapter; then sit down and write or compile old posts. Don’t fly by the seat of your pants; that’s not an effective way to write for change. Be more intentional.

If you understand how people change—recall Stage 1, employ that knowledge during this stage when you are writing. Plus, try writing methods that help readers want to take new actions. These include:

• Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) language
• sharing your story
• being authentic
• offering hope
• using research
• creating contrast
• tapping into emotions
• offering a plan
• making the reader the hero.

When it comes to writing/blogging and publishing a book, you might need to revisit how you need to change or who you need to be to write a change-inspiring book. Maybe you need to be more committed, disciplined, or organized, for instance. Maybe you need to stop being someone who procrastinates and, instead, become someone who writes consistently on a schedule—no matter what.

You Need More than Writing to Blog for Change

By now, you probably realize that there is more to blogging for change than writing. You must understand change and role model the change you desire. And you must inspire and motivate people to join your movement—not just buy your book or read your blog. Create true advocates for change. Then, use all your knowledge about writing that makes a difference to compose your blog posts and manuscript—and then publish both.

That’s when you author change. That’s when your book and blog become tools for good.

Have you moved through these stages to blog for change successfully? Tell me in a comment below, and please share this post with a blogger who might benefit from reading it.

Also, order your copy of Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words here—and receive a bonuses journal based on the book! Purchase soon! This is a limited-time offer.

Image courtesy of beritkessler.