The big difference between amateur and professional bloggers seems to be pretty clear: amateurs fade out and are not consistent. Professional bloggers consistently put out great content for people to enjoy. Professional bloggers have a following and they are authorities in their field. Amateurs write for themselves, while the pros seem to write for the benefit of others. Most importantly, I think the word professional indicates that you are making money off of your blog too, right?
So, let’s get down to business then. Why am I writing a blog? I’m really here to establish my own personal brand. I want to have a place online where I can just talk about stuff that is exciting and interesting to me. I want this blog to be a place where people can engage in interesting conversations. The question is: what contributes to a flourishing online platform?
I’ve been listening a lot to the podcast This is Your Life by Michael Hyatt, and he talks a lot about being intentional in your business. I’ve started to think about my blog and my personal identity as a business that needs to be properly represented, and I’m realizing that I really need to be intentional. What I mean by intentional is that I need to have a specific goal in mind, plan specific things to reach those goals, and then CRUSH IT! Its all about having a plan though, it seems. Flying by the seat of you pants can only get you so far.
Another thing I’ve been thinking a lot about is how building your online platform isn’t a sprint. It’s a marathon. You’ve got to work on it consistently and not give up. You can’t expect to be at the finish line of a marathon after only a few steps. Similarly, you can’t post a few things on your blog and expect to be the next Joe Q Blogenstein. I’m going to set a schedule for myself in the very near future and stick to it on a consistent basis.
So here’s today’s question: What do you think makes a good online platform for you personal brand? Let me know in the comments, and let’s get some discussion going!