To blog or not to blog?

[Laura M. Rodebaugh]

Okay. I'll be honest. I've never been into online social media that much. With the exception of LinkedIn (and now Smaller Indiana), I don't have a profile page posted anywhere. I've never had a blog or a photo gallery or a personal website. These things are all fine and good, and I've enjoyed viewing the blogs, websites and photo galleries of friends and relatives. I've just never done it myself. But now I think that the times have finally caught up with me and I've decided to make that irrevocable leap into all the wonders that cyberspace has to offer. After all, blogging is an incredible way to keep up with friends and colleagues, particularly those you don't see too often or who are separated by physical distance. Sharing your thoughts and ideas with others can be a powerful way to connect and communicate. And since I've enjoyed Smaller Indiana so much, it seems that this is the perfect forum to finally get something started. So here goes - my maiden voyage into blogdom. I'll try my best to come up with interesting topics, to write as often as possible and when it makes sense. To whoever is reading out there, I hope you enjoy it.

[Lindsay Manfredi]

Welcome Laura, from one new blogger to another new blogger!
Cheers. I'll definitely support you.

[Kyle Lacy]

Laura,
Welcome to the blogosphere! The last thing I would do is check out Twitter to help the promotion of your blog. Also you can always check out my blog for some tips and check out the Top 50 Bloggers in Indianapolis post to gain some insights.

[Laura M. Rodebaugh]

Hey everyone,
Thanks for all the great feedback and supportive words of encouragement! Now the pressure's on, huh? :)

[David Mark]

Very cool Laura. I agree with Pat that the first one is tough and to follow-up can be tougher. Assuming your first blog was great, then you may place the pressure on yourself to deliver something better. If you're first blog stunk (and you admit it), then you may be gunshy. Either way, Keep on keepin' on! There are many great and inspiring bloggers in SI and you may be one of them!

I do have some words of wisdom for you however. Don't take things personal when, not if, one or all of the following happen (and they inevitably will happen):

1. You write a very good, or even brilliant, blog with thin or zilcho participation. This doesn't mean you're necessarily being ignored or not being taken serious. I personally read many good blogs on here and choose not to openly participate and sometimes I participate because it made sense in that moment. Based on my conversation with other Smoosiers, I expect this happens alot.
2. You get negative, sarcastic, or shallow feedback. Be prepared for backlash if you have a bold opinion especially about politics or global warming. Many folks are good debaters, but some do take things very personal and out of context. So, be sure to read and re-read before posting and never assume others will understsand your message. It doesn't hurt to have rhino skin either.
3. You've just taken the time to pour your heart out into the blogosphere with a genuis hot topic, impeccable grammar, DaVinci-like creativity, witty Seinfeld humor, Mother Teresa love and Lifetime Network emotion. You're all warm and fuzzy about your contribution and as you're excitedly tapping the blue Add Blog button, ten others are submitting a blog at the same time. If you're lucky, you'll get 5 minutes of front page "air time". It's like screaming at the top of your lungs in the middle of the desert. No dice!

Even if this is the norm (it's not necessarily here), it's still good to blog-on. Why? Practice makes perfect. You're building a history of participation. When I become a fan of yours, I can read your blog library weeks and months down the road if I choose to do so.

In my humble opinion, if you want the most impact with your blog on Samller Indiana, you should remember the three T's:
Time - When you submit your Blog. I haven't studied the best time of day or day of the week to post on here for ideal impact. I am surprised, however, at the lack of participation on noteworthy blogs while some borderline lackluster blogs get more than enough attention. It would be interesting to see the results from research on the best time (if it exists).
Topic- What you write about and why. Is it relevant, interesting, funny, thought-provoking, remarkable and/or inspiring?
Talent- Your blog certainly doesn't have to be a masterpiece. Seth Godin has typos weekly and he's considered by many to have the best marketing blog in the US, maybe in the world. It should contain signs that you know and we believe what you're writing about, or have a burning question we've all thought of and never asked, or an observation you feel a small audience would consider worthy and were too "blind" to notice.

I'm not a blogging expert by any means. If you want sound blogging advice, I suggest you look at the top 10 bloggers on here and follow their lead. However, I do blog, I enjoy blogging and I've learned a thing or two in a short amount of time (hence, my three T's above). I apoligize in advance for this cliche, but if I contribute to just one person through my blog today, then all is well.

Welcome aboard!

[Joe Dager]

Great start and welcome. Good bloggers are typically opinionated! So make sure you express yours! Looking forward to your posts.

P.S. Don't feel like a novice. 50% of bloggers probably just started in the past year or two.

[Pat Coyle]

Welcome to the Club, Laura. I've found the first post is hard. The second post is sometimes even harder...but it gets progressively easier after that. Just keep bloggin!