Tag: effective blog

Blogging’s not cool anymore

March 17, 2011 / / 8 Comments

Blogging isn’t cool anymore.

There, I said it.

It seems that almost every person on the planet can say either, “I have a blog…” or, “I used to have a blog…”

You used to be cutting edge if you had a blog, back when the first ones launched in 1999.  Now, in 2011, bloggers are a dime a dozen.

And there are so many mediocre blogs out there that if yours doesn’t significantly stand out, you’ll get lost among the noise.  Here’s what I mean:

There’s no guarantee today that if you start a blog, it’ll become successful.

There’s no guarantee today that if you have a blog, it’ll continue to be successful.

And though this may frustrate you, it thrills me.  It drives me to work harder, faster, more creatively, and more passionately.  Creating art that is relevant, helpful, and sharable is difficult, given the level of noise that social media is creating in our world.  But the product that successful bloggers are creating is getting better and better.

In the long run, the fact that blogging is difficult will make you a better writer, communicator, and artists (assuming you stick with it).  And it will force better artists to step up and continue to create better art.  And in the long run, the number of active blogs may decrease.  And that competition is good for the system.

People aren’t just clicking on blogs anymore.  They’ve got to have a reason.

What reason(s) are you giving them?

Why should someone read and subscribe to your blog?

 

Be an Expert!

July 29, 2009 / / 0 Comments

So a few days ago I was disappointed, and today I’m just left shaking my head.  I was looking at the details and speaker lineup for an upcoming conference designed to help pastors and leaders make the best use of social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.).  I looked at each speaker’s bio, and clicked through to their blog sites.  Three of their blogs had not been updated in over a week (which isn’t a huge deal), and two had not been updated in over 3 months!  If you are going to be a social media “expert,” you have got to be diligent about interacting in the social media world!  Updating a blog sporadically is fine for most people.  But for others, such as a speaker at a national event, not updating your blog kills your reputation and influence.

Are you becoming an “expert” in your field?  If not, why not?  Those you lead deserve your best.  If you’re a pastor, be the best in town.  If you’re a plumber, offer the best plumbing work available.  If you’re a real estate agent…find a new job (I’m kidding!).  You can become an expert in any field that you want, but it takes effort.  Read, ask questions, learn from others who are better at it than you, practice, practice, practice.

This “blogger” was supposed to be an expert, but he wasn’t.  He could have been, but dropped the ball.  Don’t lose influence with people by claiming one thing and living another.  That’s called hypocrisy.

And nobody likes a hypocrit.

Not even God.

 

Communication 2.0

June 4, 2009 / / 1 Comment

People want the newest and the latest, right?  That’s why a new iPod can come out, with very few new features, and have a splash in the market.  That’s why new movies, new sandwiches, new TV shows, and new churches can initially do really well.  That may not be what keeps people longing for second helpings, but “new” attracts people.  Since I’m a blogger, I’m always asking myself, “What’s the the next new thing with blogs?”

I don’t know.  I can’t answer that question for you.  But somebody will.  And they’ll launch with a splash in the market.  It may be completely different, or it may be a twist on what you see now, but rest assured that there will be another wave.  Let me assure you of one thing that will have to be present for that blog, or website, or ministry to continue to be effective and relevant: genuineness.

Blogs that are effective now give a glimpse into a person’s life.  Ron Edmonson is a great example of that.  I read his blog, and love it.  He shares great information, communicated through his personality.  It’s a snapshot of him. Warts and all.

I believe that this is a big reason that Twitter has become viral.  Twitter is a way for people to say, “This who I am.”

These days, I believe that people want content that communicates personality, not just information.  Cutting-edge information is great, and is needed, but if it’s stale and lifeless people will leave it on the shelf.

How are you communicating, whether that’s through a podcast, a blog, Twitter, Facebook, sermons, or presentations, using your personality?  Go ahead and try it.  Be vulnerable, honest, real.  Your audience will appreciate it.

 

What's this blog about?

May 30, 2009 / / 2 Comments

My blog may seem random to you.  And if that’s what you think it is…you’re probably right.  In talking with successful bloggers, I’m often told that I should choose one or two things to blog about, and blog at least a couple of times a week about each of those topics.

But that’s not me.

And my blog is a snapshot of my life.

And I am dealing with much more than one or two things per week.

It’s about my life, how I process things, and what I’m dealing with.  It’s leadership, small groups, and parenting.  It’s theology and counseling.  It’s a devotional thought and a book review.  It’s sometimes about adoption or a post from a friend.  In short, it’s my life.  I’m trying to process all of life through the grid of Scripture, thinking through things theologically.  Sometimes I hit the mark…sometimes I miss it badly.  Hopefully you’ll see growth in my own life through my blog, but if you see me miss it, please give me some grace.  I’ve still got lots of growing and learning to do.

I guess I’ve been thinking about this because I want my blog to be effective for my readers.  If my blog ceases to be relevant and helpful for my readers, I need to rethink and restructure things.  If it ceases to be effective for me, I need to stop blogging.  I hope that it always will be a helpful source of information for readers, but one thing that I’m certain of right now is that it’s effective for me.  It really helps me to flesh out my thoughts and communicate them in a way that others can understand.  Writing forces me to shape my thoughts into some form of definable action on my part.  If I put them on “paper,” I’m more likely to act on them and live them out.

Thanks for all of you who put up with my rambling, often random blog.

 

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