Friday, November 15, 2013

The Business of Blogging




Famous poet, William Wordsworth, once offered this advice for successful writing: “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”  Today, there is no easier way to reveal the breathings of your heart than with the cultural tidal wave of blogging. Easy and instantaneous, blogs provide a worldwide audience for people who have something to say.

For those of you “with it” people, who know what a blog is, you can tune out for a second. For those of you who have no clue what I’m talking about, let me fill you in: you’re reading one. A blog is simply a collection of ramblings by a single author, posted on a site that hosts it. Some bloggers limit themselves to one category, like politics. Others, like myself, blog on whatever they happen to be thinking about at the moment.

Similar to the way people buy magazines, people find blogs that match their interests. Like gardening? Click on whatever browser you use (Chrome, Safari, Firefox…whatever), type in garden blog. Quick as a click, you’re connected with gardeners from all over the world! Cool, huh?

Readers have limited time, so once they find a blogger they like, they bookmark them. Big Business knows this! Blog tabs are found on countless websites. Take my garden example. If I love Joe Green’s blog on perennials, I will return to it again and again, not minding that it’s featured on a commercial site like NurseryNuts.com (fictional site). 

Every day, more and more websites hire out bloggers to write stories for their sites. Why? Because the number one rule in business is TRAFFIC=SALES! It’s a win/win situation… post a blog that people like, and both business and blogger will benefit.

Our small town of Holdrege is home to two of the world’s finest bloggers (ok three, if you count me!): Scott Rager and Sierra Klein.



Scott Rager: Renaissance Man….writer, photographer, designer, chef, artist...he does it all! Working from his home in Holdrege, Nebraska, Scott is regularly hired by clients on the coasts for his design expertise. Maybe it’s the serene setting of rural Nebraska that allows so much inspired creativity to filter down to Scott.  Whatever the reason, he is in demand! Check out his blog, County Seat Living, and you’ll understand why!

Sierra Klein: This young woman is proof that great things come in small packages! Also living in Holdrege, this full time administrative assistant turned her love of reading into an internationally respected book blog. Need a book recommendation? Look no further. The quality of Sierra’s writing has attracted world famous authors such as Anne Rice to personally contact her for reviews of their books! I don’t know about you, but that leaves me in awe. What’s really unique about Sierra is she doesn’t limit her reviews to the famous. New and upcoming authors can also receive honest and well-written feedback. Check out her blog: A Simple Taste For Reading.

Blogging is here to stay. If Mother Goose lived in the 21st century, she’d probably write:

            Better business bought a bit of better bloggers.
            Better bloggers benefited bigger business.
            Bigger business boasted beautiful bottomlines, so
            Better bloggers bragged booming bounty!

HONK IF YOU AGREE!