why bother blogging?

February 26, 2007 by  

Because I live in fairly techie Cambridge MA, its surprising to me how few bloggers I personally know, considering how many blogs exist. Its taken me a long time to figure out what I wanted my blog to be so I’ve often wondered as I struggled “is it worth it?”

Then I think back to my last business venture before the internet. It was 1990 and it was a machine tool manufacturing startup. We needed a slick brochure, the typical print and design work, bare minimum trade show collateral, a feature article in a few trade magazines with accompanying PR etc. I’ll bet we spent $100k in the first year, and that didn’t include “owning” the artwork. It puts things in perspective.

So the longer I blog, and build and update my business web site, the more I appreciate the (almost) free publishing and not take it for granted or stress about how many other professional service firms (psf’s) are doing the same. Its time, its effort but the cash outlay is nothing, I have control, I learn new skills, and I stay on point about what I do because I blog about it. Seventeen years ago you did not have to compete for eyeballs and mindshare the way we do now. But comparing now to then, I can say without hesitation “you can frackin keep the old days”.

If no one reads your post, does it exist?: ”

What do most people get out of blogging? After all, most blogs are virtually unread by outsiders…

The act of writing a blog changes people, especially business people. The first thing it does is change posture. Once you realize that no HAS to read your blog, that you can’t MAKE them read your blog, you approach writing with humility and view readers with gratitude. The second thing it does is force you to be clear. If you write something that’s confusing or in shorthand, you fail.

Respectful and clear. That’s a lot to get out of something that doesn’t take much time.

“

(Via Seth’s Blog.)

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