I'm never going to be famous. My name will never be writ large on the roster of Those Who Do Things. I don't do any thing. Not one single thing. I used to bite my nails, but I don't even do that any more.
I have no expectations about becoming famous through blogging. Or even famous (period). I think I'm fairly satisfied making a decent living and contributing to society in various ways. Outside of the few non-profits and/or charities I affiliate with, and the cool online training courses I enjoy creating for the real estate industry, I think blogging is another way I feel I'm able to give back to society in some way.
When conversation turns to blogging (yes folks, be cautious about inviting me to your dinner parties, I'm a conversation killer) I align with those who're pretty positive about it. In every conversation I've had -- every, no kidding, and without fail -- there's at least one or two who'll say they'd like to blog but are scared or don't know how to start. They believe it could be good for their business by increasing their visibility to clients and customers in the communities they serve. I believe that too. But I don't believe everyone who wants to blog should. At least not right off the bat.
I usually suggest that folks start "light" by first finding a handful of blogs with topics that share their interests. Then post your own small contributions to the community through the use of comments. It's a great way to offer your own snippet of enlightened thought.
You can use Google Blogsearch to conduct keyword searches for blogs that share your interests. Once you have your handful of "go to blogs," you can set up alerts or RSS feeds to keep apprised of new topics. In a previous post, I discussed how to set up Google Alerts to set up e-mail notifications whenever certain words you choose show up on blogs (or on the web, video, etc.).
If visibility is one of your objectives, then you might first consider creating an online personal profile either on a website you already own, or, for my real-estate-agent-buddies, an agent site provided by your broker, or through any number of online social networks such as Facebook, Myspace, eCademy, ActiveRain or LinkedIn. I personally prefer LinkedIn for its business culture and the ability to build a network of trusted contacts. There's even a new LinkedIn "Services" area where service providers (you?) can have recommendations be displayed. For my friends in the real estate industry, did you know there's a category for Real Estate Agents?
Armed with your thoughtfully crafted online profile, you should then include it as a signature line at the end of your posted comment. That gives a backlink to your profile that not only helps a bit with internet search engines, but also begins to associate you in the minds of online readers as a helpful and knowledgeable professional.
Just a couple of quick caveats: it's worth just taking a quick pulse of the culture of the blog your commenting on to gauge if it's okay to put a one-liner signature at the end of your comments. Most blogs don't chafe at this provided you don't light it up with logos, slogans and gaudy marketing pitches.
So, before diving in and committing to the daily publishing responsibilities of a blog site, consider first the small moves you can make. Comment your way to visibility.
