I wrote a draft of this post over 6 weeks ago! I've been a very bad girl, and not in the "nasty kinky fantasy" kind of way, but in a "too busy to post" kind of way. So read on and I'll catch you up in the next post.
Blogging has so many different applications. Companies use them to bring attention to their products, people use them to keep in touch with families. Some people use them as a bully pulpit to espouse their own brand of brainwashing. Mine is pretty simple. I thought that if I wrote about my experience of not shopping, and even if Nick, Valerie, Kim and Jeff are the only ones reading it, that's OK because maybe the 4 of them can provide enough YIPPEE, DON'T GIVE UP, KEEP GOING to actually keep going.
But the blogging world can be treacherous as well, because you get lulled into thinking no one is actually reading any of what you write, so maybe you write something offensive, or maybe you write something that you don't think affects one aspect of your life, but might. How can you possibly cover all the contingencies?
Up until now mine has been easy. But in the last few weeks I've met some amazing people, and we've decided to start a company together, and that company will have a Face and a Name and a Brand and a Logo and a Mission. And it all has to do with social media, of which blogging is one of the main pillars. So I will be blogging for work, teaching about blogging, living, and breathing blogging. Does that mean this blog has to die?
Life is already confusing. Questions just keep popping up. Since this blog has absolutely nothing to do with social media or the brand we are building as a company, do I have to abandon my beloved 9 months and counting blog about downsizing my life? Do I keep one part here and one part there, never the two to meet, like meat and potatoes on the plate of a picky eater? I wish I had the answers because it is confusing, but for now I'll soldier on and try to figure it all out.
Brinstar, Thank you for your comments. I appreciate that you and Valerie both think I can do both. I hope so, because I love to blog both personally and for work, just hope I have the time!
Posted by: DITS | December 06, 2009 at 09:29 AM
I don't think this blog has to die just because you'll be blogging as part of your work. I do a bit of blogging for work, and I have a personal blog. Work stuff goes in the work blog and personal stuff goes in the personal blog. I know a CEO who writes on his company's blog, and he will mention a few personal things here and there, but the blog is focused about the company and its products. And it works. If people are going to your company blog, they want to hear about your company, not what you had for dinner (unless dinner has something to do with work). That's really the expectation out there. That's my two cents.
I hope you find a solution to your dilemma. :-)
Posted by: Brinstar | November 30, 2009 at 12:22 AM
But my question is can I do them both, together and maintain some kind of an overall personal brand?
Posted by: DITS | November 03, 2009 at 01:12 PM
A dilemma for sure. But I think you can do both and keep them separate. The main problem will be how do you find the time for both? I have heard of people creating separate Twitter and Facebook accounts for work/personal, so why not blogs?
Posted by: Valerie | November 03, 2009 at 10:08 AM