You Have a Blog? So What. Join the Conversation.
October 30, 2008
Blogging is one of the best ways to grow your personal brand.
I truly believe that through blogging, students and young professionals can learn more about themselves and what they want in their lives-professionally and personally (myself being proof). There are countless posts, articles, videos and Web sites devoted to helping people of all ages start their own blog.
But, guess what? Just starting a blog doesn’t mean anything. Blogging is work. And just like anything else in life, success in blogging comes with a plan, time and energy.
From talking with friends and other Gen Yers, I have found that sometimes GenYers think their blog exists in a vacuum. And technically, if you don’t connect with anyone else in the blogosphere, your blog will float in the middle of cyberspace. To some, that is fine. Writing can be therapeutic. But for people who want to use blogging as a means to establishing credibility and being involved in a conversation, blogging will take time.
There are some big players out there. While us Life Before Nooners have been writing for 9 months, we still have a lot to learn from some great forces in the field.
Here are some tips that I have learned, from my brief time in the blogosphere, for students who want to start blogging:
- Read other blogs. See who are the big players in your blogging field niche. Align yourself with them. Think about how your messages will add to the conversations they are involved in.
- Devise a plan. Think about your blog as a brand-what value will it bring to the customer (readers)? How will you communicate it’s attributes (the main ideas)? What promotion strategy are you going to use (Twitter, networking, etc)?
- Network, maintain, and spice it up. Blogging is about a conversation. Network with other bloggers in your niche. Comment, ask questions, be involved. Maintain your blog content, while spicing it up every once in a while. Do guest posts and extend yourself. Join a blogging network.
Obviously, this list could be quite extensive. Blogging is one avenue to build credibility in your field and make connections. The more time you put in, the more you will get out. I’m still learning the ins-and-outs of this everyday.
You have a blog? So what. Join the conversation.
-Carla
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1.
Meg Roberts | October 31, 2008 at 10:11 am
Hi Carla,
Thanks for the wake up call! I love reading blogs and posting on my own, but I’ve been lacking when it comes to building conversations. I used to comment on several blogs each week, and now I rarely comment. I know that I learn a lot from the comments on my own posts, so I really need to start returning the favor. Your post was very timely and I hope it encourages more people to get out there and comment.
Cheers!
Meg
2.
Jun Loayza | November 1, 2008 at 4:44 am
Hey Carla,
I just had a presentation at UCLA about how to use your blog to accelerate your career. I asked them how many had been told to start a blog before to build their personal brand equity. You know what, none of them raised their hand!
Undergraduates just don’t understand the benefits of blogging. It’s either that, or they’re just too lazy to do it. That’s why I’ve started Future Delivery TV, so that I can reach out to these undergraduates and young professionals and hopefully teach them something in a fun and productive way.
Keep up the great posts!
- Jun Loayza
3.
carlablumenthal | November 2, 2008 at 9:15 am
@Meg- I always think back to when LBN just started and we had no traffic. Instead of floating in cyberspace, I realized that commenting was key to establishing relationships. You have done that very well with PR Interactive! Sometimes I have to remind myself to get back involved. It takes some work!
@Jun-A lot of undergrads don’t understand. I feel really lucky to have started LBN and be involved with Brazen to keep my ideas alive. But FD looks awesome, I am happy that there is another option for students out there- thanks to your hard work!
4.
Rebecca | November 10, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Love the last line! Blogging is just as challenging, if not more so, than real world relationships. At least in the real world, I might run into you at the coffee shop and we can catch up there. But online, you have to seek people out. You have to join the conversation.