Why blog?
When I first began to blog, I had visions of greatness in my head. I thought that the ‘Field of Dreams’ mantra “If you build it, they will come.” would hold true for my blog. Hundreds or even thousands would read my pontification, many in the HR industry would point to me as an expert and job seekers around the globe would be waiting anxiously for each new blog update. This massive web traffic would then surely drive new clients to Octane Recruiting and the creation of revenue would fuel the weekly, if not daily, BlueBlanketBlog entry. Oops.
Reality often does not meet the lofty expectations we set for an activity or project. It’s not that the results I listed above are an impossible dream; it’s just there is far more to achieving blogosphere fortune than writing occasional random thoughts and waiting for the traffic to pour in. Becoming an expert blogger means knowing how to ping search engines, network with other bloggers and basically doing whatever it takes to get attention…something I’m not used to seeking. In other words, I still have a lot to figure out.
Being a blogger does not have to equal being a world champion blogger…it doesn’t have to mean that I’m driving record amounts of traffic or revenue…and it doesn’t have to make even a blip on the radar of so-called blogging experts. Going forward, I’m going to be a blogger that writes for whoever might choose to read. All I can be is a voice for my business ideas, my colleagues, or maybe even my friends and family…but as importantly, I’ll blog for myself. By being true to my thoughts and experiences, perhaps I can create new dialogue whether that conversation ends up being between two or two thousand!
Thanks for reading today – I hope you’ll take a look at past entries and decide that what I contribute going forward might be worth reading. If you think so, please feel free to use the “Subscribe” function on the right-hand side of this screen. I look forward to continuing a dialogue with you.
A friend of mine started blogging last year just to try it out. She didn't tell anyone about it, and was almost embarrassed about her desire to share with the world and be accepted by readers - she asked herself "who would want to read THIS?" and didn't put her whole heart into it - even though she desperately wanted the outlet. Fast forward a year, and she is a 'successful' blogger! By successful, I mean she blogs for herself - with passion and enthusiasm - and doesn't judge the quality of what she is submitting to the world by what other people leave as comments. At first, she was shocked that over 100 people had visited, but only a few had left comments. Then she reminded herself that she wasn't blogging for their approval, and if the other 97 people had taken part of her words with them into their lives, then she felt successful. She has poured herself into her blog, and her following and comments have greatly increased. She is exhilarated by people linking to her and mentioning her in their blogs - blogs she follows (and sometimes doesn't comment on!), but not dependent upon it. It has given her an outlet for her thoughts and creativity that she didn't know existed inside of her. I tell you this because when I read this post of yours, it made me think of her - she re-adjusted her reasons for blogging and then it just opened up for her like a river. I just want to extend kudos for putting yourself out there...you never know when someone like me will need some advice and be searching for something like this.
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