Blogger Vanity

“Now it's to the point that if you don't blog, the company is suspicious (what – do they have something to hide??).” – Rob, tech recruiter

“Where is your blog? How can you be Janet's friend if you don't blog??” – from Paul, marketer

This was one of the topics at lunch today (with Paul, Rob and Jason of Jibberjobber). The results of blogging have been on my mind as I'm preparing for tomorrow's class. I've been reading a lot of books on blogging as well as blogs on blogging. I've also been kicking around some thoughts about blogging for months. First, bloggers are vain. We are living life out loud. We risk people knowing what we really think and what we're up to. I like seeing examples of the power of a blog as a career and personal development tool.

Risks of blogging
– Your boss reads your blog and thinks what you say in your blog is about her/him, when it isn't
I had this discussion with a friend Danny about how he can't read his employees blogs any more. It's human nature to read things into what is there. So if his employee were having a bad day he worried that he caused it, if they weren't happy in their jobs, etc. So he stopped reading them, which is probably wise. I don't think it's a good idea to blog about your boss only what you learn about from your interactions with others, including your boss.

– Other people think something in your blog is about them when it isn't
It's easy to see yourself in stories or pieces of things written. In most cases the company or person already knows I'm talking about them. Sometimes it's an aggregate of a lot of different experiences. This is a fine line to walk.

Risks of not blogging
– You lose out on credibility and exposure
When you blog you are easier to find, easier to know. That means if someone is looking for someone like you to work with, chances are they will find you. For example, I learned today that I come up fairly high under SEO on LinkedIn. I don't have tools to measure that and frankly, it's too vain and a waste of time for me to keep track.

– You could lose out on some great friendships, business partners, etc
I cannot believe the smart capable amazing people I've met and gotten to know as a result of blogging. Some of the best minds there are. In real life my life is enriched by these interactions (like lunch today, oh and by the way Jason was there and he's hilarious).

I have a policy if someone asks if something is about them I answer honestly.

I read that if you blog about blogging, then you know you're vain. So now I'm sunk. I think simply documenting your thoughts has a certain affect. However, I just want to be perfectly clear that it's a certain type of vanity – which comes from exposure. This is good as I love people and community. Blogging enlarges the community I'm in.

Every day I'm aware that there is a lot I don't know. How can you be in this industry and not recognize that? I certainly am aware that I have a lot of blind spots. So we're all staring at our belly buttons. But there's not much time to do that or you'll be passed by.

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