Give the Gift of your Blog: What’s the Story You Want to Share?

We all have a story of what brought us to our relationships, pastimes, and where we are in our career.  Our stories are part serendipity, a bit of providence, and a whole lot of positive/negative actions and reactions.  That’s what makes each blog unique, and the underlying theme is what connects the reader to the writer. People now read blogs like they read the newspaper, and conduct routine Google searches to seek out ideas on their topics of interest.  It’s not about the number of blogs out there, but the information you as an individual writer want to convey to the world.  Why should you blog?

1) Connect with People Interested in the Same Topic as You

Blogging brings like-minded people together. Starting a blog can help you find those people and share your opinions and thoughts.  It’s a way to share your personal ideas or expertise on an issue.  Look at Om Malik.  He is a tech guru whose blogs are followed globally.  He was a chemist whose  story started back in 1986 when he immigrated to America.  He noticed the potential in internet technologies and switched gears.  That is what he started blogging on in-order to meet people in that industry.  He stated, “Blogging is a communal activity…it is about creating connections.” He wrote recently that the biggest lesson he learned from blogging is that every connection has led to a new idea, a new thought, and a new opportunity.

2) Establish Yourself in the Field

If you’re hoping to start a new venture, blogging can help validate your expertise.  A great example of this is an amazing man named Mike (Mish) Shedlock.  He is one of the leaders in financial blogs.  I connected with him this week and he stated, “I was flat out of work, no job and no income” and so Mish started blogging because it was a free forum to showcase his interest in economics.  He does not have a finance degree and never worked on Wall Street.  He was a computer programmer that was unemployed for 3 years after loosing a consulting contract.  He started to blog at this period in his life in the hopes that he would be noticed for his expertise in economics.  His success is a testimony to the fact that his blogging assisted in establishing him as a leader in what he was passionate about.

3) To Make a Difference

Whether it’s about unemployment, politics, or social issues; your words can offer insights and a different perspective to readers.  Craigslist CEO, Jim Buckmaster said, “I read blogs every day, for all sorts of reasons, but I turn to blogs especially when I want to hear alternative viewpoints — for example, information on a particular medical treatment from the viewpoint of patients receiving it, rather than doctors administering it; reports from the battlefield seen through the eyes of soldiers rather than politicians; thoughts on a particular technology from the standpoint of engineers rather than executives.”  Let your own personal view come out. You’ll find readers respond in a personal way back to you. Blog simply to make your statement and leave your footprint on others that need the advice.

4) Because you are a Job Seeker

Blogs related to the industry you are looking for employment in, is a great way to get noticed.  If you are in-between jobs, you can use your time blogging to communicate your skillset and showcase your expertise.  It acts as an adjunct to the resume and helps you stand out as a potential job candidate.  Through blogging you are building your online reputation.  Employers notice you.  You are advertising your skills and your values, which is more powerful than just listing a work history.  Penelope Trunk said,  “If you know what you want, blogging can get it for you.”

~Donna Sweidan, at CareerFolk was the one that suggested I start blogging back in September.  I wrote my first blog for her when I started my job search, and she entered it into JobMob’s International Career Blogging Contest.  A suggestion we give to clients as a Career Coach is to write in order to create an online identity and develop their brand. There is an audience out there that shares the same interests or has the same needs as you, and the goal is to connect with them through your writing.  Friendships, opportunities, and new ideas are born from blogging.  So give the gift of your story to someone, and give yourself the gift of possibilities in exchange.~

Thanks for the Share!!

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