Why blog?
At the end of 2004 I set up a blogging account with Blogger. As a long-time ‘journaller’ blogging seemed like the perfect outlet to let my creative juices flow.
Unfortunately I was so intimidated by the thought that any body, anywhere could read – and comment on! – my ramblings I didn’t ever write a single post.
Reading other blogs wasn’t inspiring either; the ones I stumbled across seemed to be blow by blow accounts of a person’s day (today the weather was crap, I’m hung over, I’m hungry, I’m bored, I went to the shops, I called my friends and so on… yawn….)
Searching for a way to write my book on Her Business, and looking for a platform for the Entrepreneurette programme I came full circle back to the world of blogging; which has come a long way.
Now blogs are interesting, addictive even. And blogs are mandatory for businesses now; just like the website, the e-newsletter. I feel like a late comer to the ‘buzz’, I’m chasing the tiger by the tail, while the jaded blog pioneers are off looking for the ‘next big thing’ after blogging. Better late than never though.
I’m on a steep learning curve – as I did with print publishing – and discovering a whole new world and a new terminology (pings, PGP, permalinks…).
I’m discovering people and businesses are blogging for all sorts of reasons; to make money, as a part of the marketing mix, as a tool to write a book or to publicise a book, to communicate with customers or friends and so on.
I bought the book Blog Wild by Andy Wibbels and he says blogs are good for business because: they offer fresh content; they’re usually written in an approachable, informal voice and they provide useful information via links. Plus lots more (which websites do to some degree); you can test drive new ideas, go global, become a content expert (for the media or to write a book)… and I think there’s tons more potential if you can be creative with the platform.
As a newbie the potential is exciting.
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I’m passionate about social media – I founded the online community entrepreneurette in 2006 and flokka, the blog network in 2008, after a decade and a half in magazine publishing. A typical ‘maven’ I love to share what I’m learning, researching and implementing - as well as what’s working for my clients, my students and my network members, in the worlds of social media and business in general. I’m Fiona Powell and this is my blog. 
