4 Reasons to Blog Even if No One Reads Your Blog

Today’s blog post is about blogging, but before I begin I’d like to acknowledge that yesterday was a monumental day for internet users. The stop SOPA and PIPA campaigns were even more prominent than ever with sites such as Wikipedia, Reddit and Cragislist all blacking for 24 hours to make a statement on what the internet may look like if certain laws are passed. As someone who’s an Entrepreneur and Marketer in the digital space, the internet is essential for my business to thrive. I use the internet to connect with people, share information and  provide resources. Today’s post on “4 Reasons to Blog Even if No One Reads Your Blog” might not even be possible if SOPA or PIPA pass. So even if you did want to read my blog (which of course you all do anyway) you may not be able to! Oh and I’m pretty sure my video Shit Social Media Experts Say would definitely not fly under these new laws.

Although blogging is a great marketing tool, it’s not the reason I blog, it just happens to be an amazing benefit. I’ve been blogging for almost 10 years yet I don’t ever think of myself as a blogger. Blogging is really just me writing and since I now do it online, instead of saying “I write”, I say, “I blog”. In college I used to blog daily on Xanga.com. I wrote about my adventures, school, work and things I did and experienced day to day. Before blogging I used to journal. My parents had me journal as a kid to practice writing. I remember keeping a notebook and journaling as far back as kindergarten maybe even pre-school! (Even then I was an early adopter )

Now I write to educate other, share my adventures and inspire both myself and my readers. I started my current website and blog, Marketing Melodie in March of 2008 (I can’t believe it’s been almost 4 years). When I started it, I was working for a large media company doing sales and marketing. I created the site to be a resource for clients and to educate myself. It’s since evolved into the marketing company I run today specializing in digital technology and social media.

Whether it’s for your business (especially if it’s for your business) or personal I highly recommend everyone have a blog. I hear the excuse from so many people “But no one is going to read my blog”. So what if no one reads what you write? Write for YOU, write like no one is reading and don’t be afraid to put your thoughts down in a tangible place. By doing this you’ll receive so many benefits. So I present you with 4 Reasons to Blog Even if No One Reads Your Blog. 

1. SEO- The first reason is just practical so let’s start with that. Even if a single soul doesn’t read your blog, updating your site with fresh, new content (this is especially important if it’s a business blog on your website) will significantly improve your SEO. Search engines pick up on fresh, new content and place a higher value on sites that have been recently updated versus stagnant sites that have been sitting around for months or years. Within each blog post you can create links with keywords directing readers to other areas of your site. I won’t get too technical here, but just know that blogging will improve your SEO.
2. Blogging teaches you- I learn something new every day and much of it is attributed to writing. I find that writing stuff down often teaches me how to be more clear and concise with the thoughts I have racing through my mind. Because I’m able to clarify my thoughts, Ican see things in a different perspective which in turn teaches me more about the very topic I’m blogging about.
3. Blogging is cathartic- Sometimes you just need to get things off your chest. During these times, it can also difficult to say these things out loud. Well blogging is a great way to release any emotions you have stored up.  Not all blogs need to be public. If you write something but don’t yet feel ready to share it, there’s no shame in that. But at least you put it out into the world so it’s no longer just stored inside you. Putting things out there is also a great step in being able to let things go.
4. Reflection- I just read a bunch of blog posts I wrote back in 2008. Wow it’s really amazing to be able to read the YOU from 4 years ago. Reading old posts really allows me to reflect on things I’ve done in the past but also appreciate the present moment. It brings into perspective even more of how everything that’s happened so far has led me to where I am today. I do find it amusing though because reading back on some of the stuff I wrote the thought “Are you kidding me? I actually said that?!” does tend to pop up a lot. Live and learn. Live and learn.

As you can see, writing, blogging, whatever you want to call it has helped me in so many ways. Please feel free to share with me other reason you blog. I leave you with a quote from a famous writer that really inspired me:

 “And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise.  The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt”.  ~Sylvia Plath

Call for Speakers! Mobile Marketing, SEO and Web Development

Professional speaking has helped me in many areas of my business including marketing, business development and improving my overall communication skills. While not everyone is meant to be a Professional Speaker for a living it is highly advantageous to have the ability to speak professionally in your area of expertise. I shared in an earlier post tips on how to grow your business through professional speaking. Read more

Marketing Melodie’s Adventures in Hong Kong

I’m happy to report a safe return to sweet home San Diego from my first international trip to Hong Kong. Although I’ve been back for over a week now, I’m slowly but surely recovering from the unexpected Jet Lag. I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who generously offered me travel advice. As soon as I announced that Marketing Melodie brings Marketing Expertise to Hong Kong, everyone stepped up by giving me invaluable tips which significantly increased the quality of my overall travel experience. Read more

Melodie Brings Marketing Expertise To Hong Kong

I recently wrote about how to Grow Your Business Through Professional Speaking. Of course I included social media insight with another post on 10 Social Media Tips for Professional Speakers. I mentioned to stay tuned for more upcoming posts related to professional speaking. Now I’m proudly announcing that I’m going global with my speaking career!  I was invited to speak at the INET Asia Regional Conference in Hong Kong on SEO and Social Media! My first international appearance is coming up soon on April 14^th at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Read more

Blogging Tips from One Blogger to Another

I started my marketing blog a year ago to document and share things things I’ve learned, talk about my own insights and experiences. I knew blogging would give me freedom to write on any topic, blog on my own time and use my own writing style. I’m honored that each blog I post receives more page views than the previous which means I’m educating and reaching out to more people. I truly hope everyone learns at least 1 piece of useful information each time they visit my website. Since blogging is such a hot topic, I’m dedicating this entire blog to blogging. Read more

3K Interactive brings Internet Marketing to Las Vegas!

Earlier this week, the 3K Interactive team packed our bags for Vegas to show the DMA08 what Internet Marketing is all about.

I spoke to over 100 companies. Only about 5 were online/interactive companies. I know it was the “Direct Marketing” conference but I’m still perplexed by the number of traditional marketing companies present: specialty envelops, address list brokers, postcards, telemarketing companies etc. (especially since the event itself was marketed as a global event for “Integrated” marketing)

To all of the traditional marketing companies, I’d like to educate you on why you too should have an SEO campaign with 3K Interactive. If you are 1 of 50 companies who sells specialty envelops for direct mail advertisers, how are you going to stand out from all the others?

I actually asked this question to many people. Most responded with something along the lines “We’re the only company who uses soy based ink”, “We are the only eco-friendly company”, “We sell clear envelops that don’t look like junk mail.” It’s great to have a unique selling point but this does not mean potential customers will find you.

If I told you I have a way to get people who are ready to buy your service go to your website and place an order with you right away, wouldn’t you listen? Better yet I can even track it for you so you know where your customer are coming from! Sound too good to be true? Not even! This is reality with the career that I have become so passionate about, Internet Marketing!