Is blogging really good for business development? Or is it just a self-aggrandizing hobby?
Perhaps it’s both.
What do you think? Here’s are four thoughts for your consideration:
1. Every day, I hear from another person who reads Net Cotton Content. The current readership is in the thousands, throughout my hometown of Columbus, Ohio — and also coast-to-coast, with subscribers in Canada, Mexico and Japan. Today, through the miracle of Internet technology, domestic and foreign visitors have read Net Cotton Content in both English and Spanish. (Contenido Neto Del Algodón, Señoritas?) Closer to home, I’ve been stopped in the street and in client hallways by readers who appreciate the daily posts. It’s heart-warming.
2. The blogosphere has a way of amplifying any blog. Consider Seth Godin’s kind assessment of our holiday direct mail. Or Ryan Morgan’s hum where he recently offered a retrospective and complimentary commentary on the past 10 years of Young Isaac’s house advertising. They have readers; those readers click to Net Cotton Content, then to youngisaac.com.
3. A couple days ago, I wrote that I would be speaking tonight at the business college at Ohio State — and invited readers to attend. I’ve heard from six folks I’ve never met (and a friend from Pittsburgh) who plan on attending. Go figure.
4. And, personally, writing every day — especially for an audience that talks (and writes) back — sharpens my communication skills. I’ve become a better writer. I’ve also become a more curious reader, because I need to provide more than my own perspective to the readers of Net Cotton Content. Blogging takes time, but it’s an investment in growth — which is always a good idea. Blogging is a good vehicle for me as I engage with life.
So, should rainmakers blog? Here’s my assessment:
1. Blogging is better than a corporate newsletter, because readers actually seek it out.
2. If a beloved client or potential client secretly visits, takes a walk through my mind, and likes what I’m thinking, that’s helpful to our business development effort. (If he or she does not like what’s in my head, that’s helpful too. It will save everyone a lot of time.)
3. If Young Isaac’s corporate culture is related to me in any way (and surely it must be), then my blogging is a daily stream-of-culture for the Youngsters. If my beloved co-workers, clients, and prospective clients and employees care to know what I’m thinking, I’ve hung it out for all to see.
You’re welcome to it. Thanks for reading!