Sharing my blogging experience with others

Late last year, I had the opportunity to present before the local chapter of Zeta Phi Beta sorority on social media. I talked about SEO and Facebook and Twitter. I gave stats on who’s using social networks. However, the part that generated the most interest and discussion centered around blogging.

As I talked about starting and maintaining Association Advocacy Chick, many in the audience wanted to know the pros and cons of blogging. On the downside, it requires time that I may not always have. A lack of comments can be discouraging. Sometimes you wonder if anyone’s reading your blog.  However, the pros greatly outweigh the cons. Blogging has made me a better writer, a better thinker and overall, a better person. I’ve made great friends and contacts. I have an outlet to express ideas and opinions not always found in the blogosphere.

I ended the presentation with a story about one of my blog posts. As you may recall, my former boss and mentor Reed Franklin passed away last Fall. Upon hearing the news, I wrote Having a lasting impact  about the mark he’s left on my life. The post made its way to my former association garnering comments from the Executive Director and other senior staff.  When I attended his memorial service, his sister mentioned all the kind words she read about her brother including a blog post.  I thought nothing of that comment until the reception when his mother came to me and said, “Your blog post was one of the nicest things the family has ever read about Reed.” I was later asked by his local homeowners association if I would allow the post to be published in their newsletter.

I told that story not as a pat on the back for writing something that moved people, but to show the attendees that the act of blogging can be powerful and worth sharing.