Welcome. Here it is. Officially my first official blog or as I would like to call it ‘entry into my public journal’. The opportunity to see through my eyes, my online diary……
Don’t get me wrong – I love to write. Love to share my thoughts on / off line. I write to clear the jumble in my head, to find inspiration and to share insight with others. I am a massive fan of journalling and will share more on the tools I use another time.
I am not one to shy away from sharing my opinion and have shared insight, thoughts, opinion on various social platforms, if you stop me in the street and want my view, I will share it with you. However, I am new to the world of ‘formal let the world read it with you online blogging’.
So, what is a blog?
Google has a number of definitions for a blog ( another subject for my journalling, right there! Google….. the way the world has changed to that of instant gratification…… anyway, I digress).
Taken from blogbasics.com (recommend popping on over, if you are also new to blogging).
‘A blog is a frequently updated online personal journey or diary. It is a place to express yourself to the world. A place to share your thoughts and your passions. Really, it’s anything you want it to be. We’ll say that a blog is your own website that you are going to update on an ongoing basis. Blog is a short form for the word weblog and the two words are used interchangeably.’
Why Bother?
Let me chat stats……..stay with me – don’t let the eyes glaze over just yet……:-)
The world has changed – it continues to evolve every day – the way we communicate, the way we do business, the way we spend our time, the list is endless. Stats from Ofcom are that smart phones in the UK alone, have overtaken laptops as the most popular device for getting online. We spend 2 hours online on our smartphones, superfast 4G is helping change the way we shop, bank, watch TV and communicate. Additionally email marketers have shown blogging to be the most significant explanation for increased email traffic; given those who blog see two times as much email traffic as those that do not. A massive 126% more growth is seen in small business that embrace blogging compared to those that don’t.
Stats aside. If you are a small business owner and the face of your company – you will know that before anyone will buy your product/service, they will buy you first. In todays society, the internet allows your prospective customer to search for you and see what you are all about. The content that you share will help shape your own credibility and expert status – ultimately, blogging, if done well, could have a really positive impact on your reputation. Equally showing up and sharing the ‘real you’ will ensure that the right people are attracted towards you and hear your message.
So why am I starting now? I have endless amounts of information that only a small pocket of my clients get to hear. Here is the thing. I want to make a difference. I want to leave a legacy that is, because of me, someone was inspired to be better. I want everyone to have the chance to turn up and be their ‘better self’. If by sharing my insight, I can go some way in building my tribe bigger, I can potentially help more people and of course, if done correctly – my reputation, credibility and tribe should start to evolve.
Writing your thoughts privately in the journal beside your bed and writing and sharing them publicly are two very different things. It is a little daunting, I won’t lie. Anyone who blogs is opening themselves up to ridicule and negativity and this can be a little terrifying. However the benefits far outweigh this. Personally, if I get to hear positive stories that my insight has helped someone grow or someone can resonate with a story I share, maybe that someone has had a breakthrough in making transformational change in their lives – this will definately outweigh any of the naysayers.
So, here I am. It starts here. Stick with me, do give some encouragement – I am only human after all. Today, I have found 20 seconds of insane courage and out I step of the starting stall………
Let us go be BETTER TOGETHER.
