IS THERE VALUE IN BLOGGING & SELF PUBLISHING?

Social Networking – It’s the way the 21^st Century communicates today! Social media can promote you, your business or special interests, and there are various ways to be heard.

What is social networking?

Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision.

With online social networking, websites are commonly used.

 Social networking websites function like an online community of internet users.

What about blogging?

Blogs = usually written by one person and updated regularly, they are often written on a particular topic.

What can blogging do for me?

                It can say a great deal about you and/or your company.

                It can convey an image of understanding (paint a mental picture).

                It can make you look like an authority on the subject.

It can encourage wide participation and generate instant debates.

What about self-publishing?

You can publish any book or work that you author.

You don’t need the involvement of a third-party publisher.

You are “in charge” of the entire process including design, formats, price & distribution.

You will find that a large number of self-published authors start a blog first.

Learn the basics of these 21^st Century media expressions through our Professional Development classes:

Leveraging Social Media

Blogging & Self-Publishing

Guest Blog Post written by Russell Mickler

When we're young, we're taught how to share at an early age. Sharing is an example of good behavior. It's selfless, considerate, allows us to “get along”, participate, collaborate with others, and work for a common good. As kids, we're taught that sharing is about good citizenship.
 
Yet when we get older, sharing evolves into a form of currency. If we share something, we often want something in return. We expect a quid quo pro: we share our labor for money; our knowledge for attribution; our favors for more favors; our advice for action; our promises for commitment. As adults, sharing is less about “getting along” and more about personal gain.
 
That's why so many people struggle with social media. Sharing without an exchange for something of value grains against our adult sensibilities! If you find yourself having to share online, maybe you've asked yourself these kinds of questions:
 
·         What am I getting out of this?
·         What will I be paid?
·         What's the return on my investment?
·         How can I eat something I give away for free?
·         What will I say?
·         How many viewers will convert to customers, and how many customers will convert into sales?
·         How will what I say not be ripped off and used by somebody else?
·         Who's listening?
 
In the real world, we're used to the exchange of sharing for something else of value in return. It's competitive. In social media, we share because information and media is not competitive. 
 
Information is abundant; producers are abundant; the means of production are free and everywhere; distribution is free; everyone can share anything at any time. Social media allows us to get back to good behavior, and in business, it allows us to concentrate on providing real value to our customers from sharing useful information, expertise, advice, features, capabilities, opinions - and from listening - because it costs us nothing to do so.
 
In my classes on social media and Facebook, I try to teach my students the value of free and abundance to businesses; how to measure their impact with customers and followers; how to leverage information to extend greater value to each customer; how to share. In particular, a social business strategy really helps the small business because sharing reinforces trust, and it's easier to trust a local person than a huge impersonal brand. 
 
Social is a near costless way for businesses to create relationships, build trust, extend value in every transaction, and advertise … so why isn't your business doing it? And what if your competitors are?
 
Russell Mickler is a technology consultant and educator based in Vancouver Washington. Author of Simple Social Media and a Clark College instructor for social media courses, Mickler has over 17 years of technology experience.