You know I'm not crazy about publishing other people's words on this blog instead of my own. I'm always happy to give kudos and cite sources in my research but I primarily strive to come up with my own conclusions and you can bet I have my own strong opinions on just about everything.
However, I'm getting ready to eat those words - a bit of foreshadowing for you…
I get asked a lot about why I blog, what the purpose is and how I handle the overlap between personal and professional topics. A blog, by it's very nature can be a beastly thing - especially when inspiration decides to take a hiatus. It IS personal because I'm the voice and, as much as I'd sometimes like to think otherwise, I'm not an institution.
But my job is marketing - interactive online marketing, I like to call it. I happen to love it. And I'm always into sharing the love. See yesterday's post for some inspiration and just why my job is so cool.
The fact remains that blogging is a time-consuming, gotta love it and have something to say, really putting yourself out there activity. It's also one of the best marketing projects I've ever engaged in for myself, personally, and for what I'm continually learning from it. Max Kalehoff, over at Nielson Buzzmetrics just wrote a post about this very topic. It struck a chord with me because it's pretty much what I would say (and have) about why I blog. Here's a bit of what he said…
"First, I learned to become one with a Web site like never before. When you single-handedly build and publish a simple and elegant online diary — a blatant expression of yourself — the resulting Web site almost becomes an extension of you. You begin to pay attention to every detail, from the graphical design, to interactive flow, to custom functionality. Inside or out, regardless of what others think, the creation is you.
Second, the blog forced me to better understand my community — those individuals formerly known as the audience. I developed an innate sense of engagement based on the culmination of visitor traffic, profiles, usage intensity, frequency of comments, quality and variety of discussion, number of subscribers, endorsements and linking — among other characteristics. I quickly bridged the gap between the individuals I thought should be in my community, and those who actually were. If you were never a Web metrics junkie, you’ll become one. I already was one, but I became a bigger one.
With that understanding of my community, I learned about the powers of attraction, affinity and affirmation — or, what sticks. I became more focused on my own content and voice. I quickly learned that talking like a human — not a machine or a corporate voice of god — tends to resonate with existing and future community members. I also learned to package and express my thoughts more concisely and naturally than ever before — whether it be through text, visuals, audio or video. I also found that giving to others results in them giving back — whether in the form of feedback, endorsements, suggestions or exposure. And I learned some tough lessons about the consequences of full public exposure."
You know, Max got it spot on. There's more to his post and you are welcome to cruise on over and read it. I fully agree with it and my own experiences have been very similar.
My advice is to get out there, get blogging and see what it's all about if you don't already. As Max said, "It's this submersion in blogging - marketing essence, really - that has made me a better marketer." Yep, me too, Max.
