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I have a confession to make.
When I first decided to start blogging nearly nine months ago, I dreaded it just a little. Any writer can tell you about the slightly nauseous feeling they get when faced with a looming deadline, and the thought of a regular schedule of self-inflicted blog post deadlines (something no one was asking me to meet) was a bit intimidating.
What if I don’t have anything to say on a given day? What happens when inspiration fails me? What if I just don’t want to?
I got over it. And the way I got over it, to paraphrase Nike, is by just doing it. My first post was no deathless piece of prose, just a simple welcome and explanation of what the hell I hoped to do here.
As I try to add a little something of value to the vast, dark reaches of the web, I’ve come to one simple conclusion: Every professional communicator should be doing this. No excuses. No B.S. Just do it.
Why? What I get out of it is as good a place to start as any.
It’s good for my writing. What does it take to become a better writer? Uh, writing. A lot. And rewriting. And editing. Then writing a lot more. Improvement comes through constant, consistent effort. Practice really does make perfect … or at least pretty good.
“Gimme a break,” you say. “Bad enough I do it every day at work, now you want me to do it in my free time, too?” Oh, quit your whining. You wouldn’t be in the communications business if you didn’t (on some level) enjoy writing.
And here’s the good news: You can blog about anything your little heart desires. I write mostly about communications and social media because that’s what really fascinates me. Someday I’ll start another blog on horror fiction because that really fascinates me, too. But for you it might be the daily drama of parenting. Or gardening. Or Death Metal. Or how vaccinations are part of a government conspiracy to track our every movement using alien technology. If so, I probably won’t be reading you, but go with God.
It’s good for my brain. Even the laziest, most ill-conceived and poorly structured post will generally force you to think and maybe do a little research. I’ve found myself with the germ of a half-assed idea that has dragged me deep into the web, reading all kinds of fascinating stuff that, admittedly, has little to do with my original thought but stretches my brain in new directions.
It’ s good for my employer. Blogging was my first real step into the social media arena. It and Twitter have helped me build a fairly robust network of fellow professionals that I can tap when facing issues outside my areas of expertise. Anything that makes me better at my job is good for the people who employ me.
It’s good for my career. The organization I work for isn’t ready to delve deeply into social media. I can’t wait. My current and future value as a communications pro requires building experience in crafting social media strategies and comfort in using the tools. Poke the Beehive is as much about building my skills as it is sharing my knowledge and expertise with others.
It’s good for my soul. Let’s face it. If you’re in marketing or communications, you produce work on a regular basis that makes you hate yourself just a little. Maybe others tell you it’s great, it’s brilliant, it’s just what’s needed. And you look at it and think, “This kinda sucks.” Because you don’t create in a vacuum. You have people you report to, committees that review and weigh in on your projects, politics to contend with, compromises that must be made. And the result is work that may meet or even exceed the standards of others, but not your own.
(An aside: If this isn’t the case for you, if you work where you never have to compromise or settle for anything less than your personal best, then give me a call. I’d like your job.)
My blog, on the other hand, is me for better or worse. Sure, there’s a certain degree of self-editing that goes on (because I enjoy having a job, and friends, and family), but what I write here is for me, and you to the extent that I want to create something others find valuable. The limitations you find here are my own, not the result of editing by committee or business realities or any other external influences.
So when someone says, “Hey, that was a great post!” I feel pretty good about myself. Actually, I feel pretty good when someone says “Hey, that didn’t totally stink up the internet!” But that’s because I’m easy to please.
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{ 3 comments }
Funny, I started blogging about 6 months ago. I was also dreading the self-imposed deadlines. Truth is, I have enjoyed every minute of my writing/blogging existence. Looking forward to the next 6 months.
Easy pleasy, Dan? Your piece reflects much of my own motivation for blogging, and I am not a regular and not widely read like you. So thanks for writing it so I don’t need to.
Seth Godin made me try it. By example, for example. I began blogging about one year ago.
It’s good for my focus. It’s good for me (soul).
Thanks Bernd. Consider this a challenge to write a little more regularly. As we agree, it’s good for the soul.
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