The concept of branding, whether business, product, or one’s self has totally transformed with the digital age. Free social media marketing tools are readily available and relatively easy to utilize. Many Do-IT-YOURSELF-ers (DIY) are side stepping older business models which require store fronts and much over-head. Harnessing the internet, it is possible to create and image for your idea and unlock access to customers with very little cost.
If you have a knack for writing, one tool that can help build one’s reputation or business idea is blogging. The blog can be thought of as a real-time industry specific journal. Where it used to take months to review submissions for niche market publications, now individuals are instantaneously empowered to offer how-to guides, narratives, or knowledge on any number of topics. Below, three local female authors divulge how blogging has indirectly aided on their career path…
When did you start writing?
Rhonda Coleman (RC): I started my professional life after college as an artist, then left the hands-on realm to become an art director, marketing director, and finally a public relations manager. I started writing more and more as my job required it.
Renee Patrick (RP): I used to write and illustrate stories when I was a kid and was pretty sure I would write a book some day. I got a creative writing minor in college and in grad school a theory-based design program that required tons of writing.
Mary Moynihan (MM): December of 2011. That was three months after I finished backpacking the Continental Divide Trail.
What do you like about writing?
RC: I think of myself as a translator; someone who explains or communicates a message or story to specific readers.
RP: I love reading, and think being a good reader makes you a good writer. I love the imagination that goes into crafting stories and putting words together that not only make sense, but do so poetically. A well written sentence will compel the reader to continue on.
MM: It’s therapeutic. It’s also a very colorful means of communication, especially for those like myself who are highly visual.
How long have you been a blogger?
RC: I started my blog, Streaming, when my husband and I got our Airstream trailer in 2007.
RP: I’ve kept a trail journal (www.trailjournals.com – trail name She-ra since 2004 – Pacific Crest Trail, Colorado Trail and Arizona Trail). I would write out my journal each night on the trail, then I would mail those entries to my mom who would type them up for posting. I will be thru-hiking the Continental Divide Trail in 2015, and will use a foldable keyboard paired with my smart phone for journaling. And, I started my other blog, www.adventureswithpackraft.blogspot.com in 2012 after my boyfriend and I both bought packrafts.
Why blog?
RC: The exercise of blogging has made me a better writer, and has opened up wonderful opportunities to connect with people. I’ve found that over the years it has helped to narrow my professional focus and create a personal brand. (I’m now a featured “friend of Airstream” on their website.) When I pitch an article, I encourage editors to visit the blog to get a feel for my writing and my level of expertise as a female reporter who tows an RV around the west by herself.
Also, I’ve never been a professional photographer, but shooting for the blog has been inching me in that direction.
RP: It’s immediate, it’s a way to reach a specialized niche audience like packrafters, or long distance backpackers. I use a blog feed reader and daily browse through about 100 different blogs, if I’m doing it I know others are too! Because of blogging, I’m doing some writing for a gear company, Six Moon Designs in Beaverton, OR and some other freelance projects.
MM: It has helped me build a network of followers and that sort of community sense gives a great feel of success. I’m currently trying to publish a 300-page manuscript I wrote about my hike along the Continental Divide Trail. It tells my story of backpacking the CDT, which is a 3,000-mile long trail running the length of the Rockies Mountains. The book is currently on the hunt for a publisher. Like the way of a trail, it’s only a matter of time until the footsteps reach their goal.
What challenges have you faced in blogging?
RC: 1. Spam. It’s like living in a mosquito-infested jungle.
2. Making writing a priority, and posting regularly.
3. I probably labor too long on the writing and photo editing, which makes it feel more like an assignment than a fun avocation.
RP: Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads the blog or if it is just sent out into the world and no one cares. I also have to self-edit at times, not everything that I think about blogging will result in a post.
MM: Trying to find where technology fits in. When out on a 4-5 month hike, you have to ask yourself: do you want to bring along a device that can aid your blog, but potentially distract from the journey? Ultimately, I believe carrying an iPhone is worth its weight in gold. You can write when and where you choose, prep blog posts out in the field and then upload them when you get to town.
Are the technical aspects straight forward?
RC: Ugh! To me, using the backend of WordPress is as foreign as working on a car engine. I have rudimentary technical skills at best and needed to hire a consultant to get my blog up and running.
RP: I didn’t really think about it or research blog platforms, but Google has been my best friend when trying to figure out formatting or issues.
MM: I useWordpress.com because I can’t be bothered with learning code. In my opinion, it’s very user friendly and fun. I own my unique domain name and pay an additional one-time yearly fee to have a bit more storage and design flexibility on my WordPress.com site.
What are two tips you would give to a novice writer who wanted to get into blogging?
RC: 1. Identify a clear goal—what’s your blog for…personal reflection? To showcase your photos?—and keep it consistent.
2. Don’t expect to make any money directly from your blog. Many do, but that way lies madness and you can end up writing for clicks vs content. Think about using your blog to point to another aspect of your career.
RP: Find a niche to write about. If there aren’t a lot of other people doing it too, you may have more success. Ultimately I think blogging is more for me as a way to document my adventures and thoughts. Do it for yourself.
MM: 1. Just do it. Don’t overthink it. 2. Try to post something once a week, or at least every other. Otherwise people will become bored.
