Today I Was A Blogging Evangelist
We are members of the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO) Accelerator Program, and today I had my monthly “EO Trio” lunch with two of my fellow Accelerators. At lunch, we always talk about things we’re working on, and the fact the we blog here at Voodoo always seems to come up. The interesting thing to me is that blogging is still something people 1) really want to do, but 2) are not really sure how to get started. Getting started is completely simple, go to www.wordpress.com and create a blog for free. We recommend Wordpress because it’s what we use, it’s the best of breed, and it’s completely free. That’s not what this post is about, though. I’m continually interested in getting normal people (those that don’t work in technology) to start blogging.
Beyond The Soapbox
Why is blogging something they (you) really want to do? At it’s core, blogging is a soap-box. Everyone, at least everyone interested in blogging, has something to say, and blogging is currently the best and most popular way to get your thoughts out of your head and on the page. Beyond the soapbox, blogging sets you up as an opinion leader on a particular topic, and if you blog long enough and keep a meaningful conversation going, you’ll inevitably gain an audience (and audiences are valuble). Get enough people listening to what you have to say, and you can earn an income from selling ads on your site. OR you can use your audience to spread the word about a new product or service at your company lightning fast.
Blogs Aren’t Just For Geeks Anymore
‘Geek’ is an affectionate term I use to describe people that work in technology (If you know what the term ‘Web 2.0’ means you’re probably a geek). My friend at the EO lunch today owns a restaurant, but he just so happens to be a politics junkie — something I didn’t know before, but a perfect fit for blogging. He told me he goes every month and buys every new politcal book from Barnes & Noble. Add this to the fact that he watches MSNBC, Fox News, etc., and you have someone with a lot to say. Imagine what he could say about politics in New Orleans. Imagine who would find that interesting.