If You Fell Out of Love With Blogging
I started blogging in 1998 when it was called journaling. I still put up posts at chrisbrogan.com, though not as often. And I write a weekly newsletter that I've not missed a week on since 2009. But you know, the act of blogging, the sense of getting something written down, it's sometimes easy to fall away from, and it's also easy to miss.
A Blog Post Can Open the World
I know it sounds all woo woo and magical, but nearly all of my biggest successes in the world came from blogging. I got my first book deal because of my popular blog. I started a podcast because all my blogging friends were getting interested in podcasts, which led to a podcasting unconference series which led to a cool job with an incredible mentor, and that led to another job where I learned how to run a company, which led to me launching my own company, and on and on.
Maybe You Just Forgot the Value of Words
At their best, a good blog post can drive you right out into the wilderness of a new possibility. At their medium-est, a blog post can give you something to think about, something to agree with, something to disagree with, or something to build upon. Growing up in the heyday of blogging, more often than not, the value wasn't in what we said: it was in what we started rolling across all the other blogs who wanted to weigh in. (I miss that most of all.)
It's Not About the Tools
Or the time of day or a blogging framework or any of that, though I could tell you what works well, etc. It's all about remembering that words matter and that people seek them out, and that you have the potential to move people, to meet people, to explore ideas, and to tell the future (or at least one potential future) through your blogging efforts.
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The magic comes from the act of thinking in text. The power comes from sharing your ideas and finding other opinions and perspectives. It comes from geeking out about something that doesn't matter to everyone else, just to a select few.
That's where the magic is still hiding, waiting for you.
Start again here. Or start on your own website (preferred). Or sneak it somewhere. But publish. And stop worrying about readers. Stop worrying at all. Just share ideas. Make our minds turn faster. Give the world your juicy brain again. Start again now?
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Chris Brogan is about to launch a new project called Zero Formula. You should get the free newsletter so you're there from the very start.
Co-founder of Crush | CEO whisperer | Content Marketing Pioneer | Keynote Speaker | Author | she/her
3yThank you for writing this. I stopped blogging regularly years ago, and I restarted it again this year. I’m enjoying it, but also still not sure if I want to claim a comeback and if I want to continue in a long run. I’m feeling like I should be doing video or at least audio, and well, I feel like an old-timer with my blog (which I am 😅). But I do feel strongly that blogs are not over yet, but I’m just not sure what the next stage is. You are probably right - if we all keep blogging, we will figure it out together.
Marketing Executive
3yI believe it will transmogrify into a new style before it makes a comeback. Technology is changing and our consuming of content with it. When we blogged before it was a disruptor of content, and now the style of the disruption will change.
Content Marketing Strategist and Content Creator | @gstockton.bsky.social
3yGreat thoughts as always Chris. I think blogging is ready for a revival. When I’m into it, I find blogging to be quite therapeutic, and good for getting ideas down. I wish I had more time to write, perhaps it’s just something I should block time for. So much of my work involves creating content for work topics, by the time the evening comes, I’m ready to unplug. I like reading stuff on Medium, there’s a ton of stuff to find inspiration there. What blogs do you like to read?
Sales Leader, Writer, Author, Speaker — I teach sales professionals how to win in an evolving B2B landscape.
3yI have never stopped, Chris Brogan
Content marketing pro, corporate social media pioneer
3yI'm defintely onboard with this thinking. I can say at least in the cybersecurity space, cyber companies seem to recognize the value of blogging. That's a big part of why Forcepoint brought me on.