Blogs as part of the plan
Blogging and podcasts are becoming more and more common as part of a marketing plan.
I was at some marketing association meeting in 2002 or so, when the speaker asked the 100 or so people in the audience who knew about blogs or who had one. I was one of about 3 people who raised their hands. Mind you, I never 'fessed up about just what was IN my “pretend blog” thru Blogger.com. I think there were three posts in it and I had no idea what to do with it. (I won’t even tell you the address of my atrocious bit of my history.) But I’ve seen the light and I’ve had a blog connected to my own website since mid 2005.
In the beginning I had a hard time deciding if it should have all coaching content that would make people see me as a coach or that would talk about coaching in the world. I am sure there are plenty of those kinds of business blogs out there (although I’m breaking my cardinal rule for writing for Circle and I am not naming even one!)
When I look back in the archives about what I actually DID post in the first month or so of my blog, “A Map in My Own Mind: Thoughts about business and life for people with too many ideas,” I find posts about bullies, competition, and what the Bounty Paper Towel Guy could teach us. Those early posts seem to lean more towards a coaching paradigm. I mean, I tried to make each post have some coaching spin on them, even the odd ball posts.
But as time progressed and I got to feel more comfortable with the process and the format, I’ve been less committed to making the posts be like written coaching sessions. And I’m more appreciative of the possibility that what’s written there will allow clients and prospective clients to know me a little better than they would even in a sample session.
As coaches, we try to stay out of the conversation. Coaching is, after all, all about the client. But in my opinion, all that one sided conversation doesn’t do much for building a real connection between people.
I’ve found that my blog gives my readers a better picture of who I am. If you don’t want to do business with someone who has an opinion about women-of-an-age in the fashion industry then don’t bother talking to me. If it interests you that I was in the radio club in high school… Hey, you’d never know that if you hadn’t read my blog.
If you’re in business and want to know what I think about business, read the stuff in my marketing archive
I get to be myself in my blog. I know people are reading it, perhaps not the thousands that I’d LIKE to be reading it, but the readership is growing. And frankly if the only people who read it are the people who are thinking about hiring me, if those people who get to my site are convinced that I have the right personality for them, then that’s not a bad thing.
Regularly I hear from some nonclient who says something like, “I didn’t know you had a blog.” Or “I read your blog and I laughed myself silly.” How did they know? My signature file. One more way for people to know what I do.
About the author:
Kerch McConlogue is a Baltimore-based coach in private practice who works with adults who have too many ideas. You can find her on the web at www.mapthefuture.com. Contact her by email using kerch@mapthefuture.com or by phone at (410)233-3274.