I have been blogging now since 2008. That seems like a long time, but the reality is that I may go a few months without blogging anything. You sort of get a block; nothing is relevant enough to talk about. What I have found is that my favorite blogs are not necessarily something that was really profound, but maybe just fun. It was something that put a smile on their face. Maybe it was something that made you say, “Humm.” CIO’s get just as frustrated as users. We sometimes are at the mercy of the political football and feel like we just aren’t moving forward like we need to.
If there is something that you are passionate about, it will translate to a good Blog. Those that know me really well know that during conversations I take my iPhone out and make a note. They see me making a note and say, “I hear a Blog coming on!” That’s because if you don’t capture the Blog title with the passion or humor at the time, then it’s lost forever and goes into the bottom of the Blog Bucket.
1. When you are in a heated discussion with an industry peer: There’s a Blog Post.
2. When you just came out of a frustrating meeting: There’s a Blog Post.
3. When you just finished a challenging project: There’s a Blog Post. (However temping…don’t use real names!)
4. After a Dinner with a vendor or colleague: There’s a Blog Post.
5. After you had a Doctor’s appointment and are feeling like the problems of Healthcare are here to stay: There’s a Blog Post.
It’s no mistake that I kept these at five bullets. Blogs are not case studies. We barely have enough time keeping up with work email, personal email, Facebook “I bought a Cow on Farmville!,” and Tweets. Add to these your Linked-In messages, updates and Linked-In Groups. By the time you get to reading Blogs, the title needs to tell you that it will be short, fun and important. Otherwise, you get the pleasure of sending it to the trash bin.
Tips: Write your blog in word. Set aside and read it the next day. If it still makes sense and it is not a rant, bounce it off someone. Get a second set of eyes on it. When it’s ready, go ahead and post it. Once it is posted, share it on Linked-In. I have about 15 groups that I belong to and link my blogs to them. Don’t regret what you post, don’t read it fifty times and re-analyze it. Put it down and walk away. If someone disagrees with you…Bravo! You hit a nerve. Exploit it and post back a response. Blogging is about exchanging ideas, starting a conversation, not just putting information out there. If you start a buzz going on about a certain topic, then it is relevant, important and maybe something that you can make an impact on. Thought Leadership is about influencing ideas, directing strategy, and in doing so, you will achieve more confidence in yourself and respect for your peers while exchanging ideas.
Humm….
