Having lunch with a senior executive, the conversation turned, as it often does, to blogging and whether the world needs another blog.
Creating a Personal Social Media Strategy
My lunch mate, as a mid-career professional, has extensive and valuable experience in various marketing dimensions across multiple industries. As he looks ahead to his next career move in several years, he had been thinking about creating a blog. One roadblock to getting started is knowing there is SO MUCH content already available. Why would whatever content he planned to share matter one way or the other?
I repeated advice shared here before: no one is in a better position to tell the unique story of your experience and knowledge than you. If your new blog would simply be regurgitating what Chris Brogan, Seth Godin, or some other social media celebrity is saying, then I agree: don't start a blog. The world - especially the part of the world where social media lives - doesn't need more regurgitated social media celebrity maxims.
If your intent is to blog about YOUR knowledge and experience to benefit others, however, go ahead and blog.
Should I Start a Blog?
In fact, here's a test to decide whether your personal social media strategy should include starting a blog. Answer these Yes or No questions to decide whether you should start a blog:
- Have you ever benefited someone you mentored?
- Do you read / consume an eclectic mix of content that shapes your perspective?
- Do you ever learn while you teach someone something?
- Do people seek you out for your perspective?
- Do you ever speak to groups and receive positive comments?
- Does even a small group of people in your life care about what you think?
- Would you like to create a more meaningful professional legacy?
- Do you love your profession including the art and science of it?
If you have real experience and answered "yes" to even one of these questions, that's a big first step toward being a beneficial new blogger for the world, no matter how much content is already out there.
If, however, you are the type of expert I learned about on a recent webinar who became an expert by completing a 49-day challenge program (i.e., 7 social media tasks weekly across 7 weeks), keep your blogging to yourself.
We have enough faux experts already out there blogging to go around! - Mike Brown
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