Why I Blog

Because I can.

People often wonder why bloggers continue to ply their craft, regardless of who may be reading.  I've given other excuses, such as the fact that Google is always reading my blogs.  That means that somebody, someday will read them.  But that's not enough to sustain the effort.

And when I say effort, I'm talking about much more than time.  You can crank out a blog in a few minutes.  All you have to do is read a few headlines and give another perspective.  That's nice, and few people will read it.  But that is not enough for me.  My nature is to do what I do well, regardless of who may be reading.

The true motivation comes from the response you get from real people with common interests that connect with your message.  When you make a connection like that, you have communicated.  You have in some way helped someone in your community do what they want to do better.  That's what it is all about. 

Of course, whether you are a new or an experienced blogger, you will have to blog with abandon just to receive a few morsels of encouragement.  And that's OK.  If you have something to say that is of value, you know that those seeds will eventually fall upon fertile soil.  So you bend, shape, and package your message in such a way to potentially engage a few readers.

Is that the goal?  Not at all.  The goal, if you are honest, is thousands of readers!  But you had better be prepared to engage them one at a time.  That's how this works.  You plant seeds, you watch over them, scaring away the birds and rodents until those seeds bear fruit. It's simple enough, but it takes patience.

In order to develop that patience, here are a few other reasons to blog.

Find Your Voice

You don't realize how poorly you communicate until you really start to measure it.  That measurement comes in the form of a message that feels right.  It's you. The more you practice, the more skillful you get. If you need some role models, look to any well-known presenter.  My business finds me presenting to green industry professionals at least 50% of the time.  Recently my friend Al Lautenslager sent me a video of George Carlin giving his perspective on Saving the Planet.  You may not agree with George's style or language, but his skill in delivering his message is truly amazing.  It takes a lifetime to develop your voice.  So, you may as well get started now.

Create a Forum for Engagement

A few weeks ago I created a series of posts about my project to write a book within two weeks.  I proceeded to burn through the first week by reorganizing my material.  Yet, when I finally hit the ground running, I wrote half of that book in the second week.  This proved the validity of my thesis.  More importantly, I engaged with many friends who gave me their tips and advice.  And that made the effort incredibly valuable and worthwhile.

Differentiate Your Business

Your market, your customers, only know what they know.  It is your job to communicate what is unique about your business.  How do you do things differently that makes a difference?  These days the bar is set high.  Quality is expected.  Your customers need to be reminded, again and again, why they should be doing business with you.  They need a reason to continue their relationship with you.  Often this has little to do with what you do, but how you do it.  It has a lot to do with who you are on a personal level.  Pull back the curtain and give them a show they will remember.

Fan the Flames

Have you ever felt you were at the right place at the right time?  This is what marketing is all about.  It's reminding your customers that they have made the right decision to do business with you. Give them evidence.  Make them feel great.  That's what people want.  It's simple.  And that is why it works.

Own Your Ideas

This week I presented some new material on green industry trends to a group of industry leaders.  Any speaker knows the most important aspect of any presentation is the first few minutes where you set the stage.  I had worked on those few minutes for weeks. I had the idea in my mind, but how to present it best kept changing. 

That's when I realized how I could best create a tight, well-written opening.  I simply needed to blog about those thoughts to work through them – and really own them.  And after doing that, I was able to comfortably stand in front of those industry leaders and say what needed to be said.

How about you?

Photo Credit:  Fellowship of The Rich