Professional Blogging

Posted Sat Jan 30, 2010 in Blogging

After our regular weekly meeting on Wednesday, one of my colleagues approached me with a book he’s been listening too. The title of the book is New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Scott. One of the things mentioned by Scott and relayed to me is the need to write a weblog dealing with professional activities to draw eyeballs that are looking for my specialty to the company website, and ultimately to me.

This is something I’ve been thinking about. I read a really short ebook about marketing tips. In that book, the writer suggests that a proper web presence is one of the things that brings in new work. It isn’t that someone will read my weblog and them dump a buttload of new work on my desk, but it opens an opportunity for me to establish myself as an expert in my field. Then an opportunity for a dialogue with individuals and companies needing my specialty can occur.

My colleague is right on this one. I don’t know when this will happen on the corporate website, but I have another domain that is housing my old university pages. It would not require much time to add another content management system to my server and run a professional website under my other domain. I could write about a number of things that are a combination of technical and professional and host those writings there, with prominent links to my current employer.

I was already thinking about this before my colleague approached me. I need to promote my capabilities if I want to draw additional work — which I do. I also want to position myself for the time when I leave my current employer. That time is no time soon (I think), but things do change and will change¹ and I want to prepare myself for that time.

I have no idea when the new company website will be operational, or even if it will change. My work is not prominently featured on our website. I think that’s a mistake (without being arrogant). So, I will probably work on something of my own to fill the gap while company leadership figures it out. There is no real reason for me to delay because I have the capability, the hosting space, and the knowledge to make it happen.

¹ I just shuddered thinking that I’m channeling the current U.S. President.