Professional Blogging

Almost all of the bloggers I know also are evangelists for blogging, and they write to very high standards. Many are already developing consulting and writing careers from their blogging experience.

As we move forward, we could well adopt the more successful actions of professionals in other fields. No, I don't mean wearing suits! I mean, we should use business cards to capture someone's attention when we only have seconds to do our pitch on the power of blogging.
I find that blogs and blogging pop up in almost every conversation I have with new acquaintances. If they start asking questions, I simply give them my new blogging business card and say I'll be glad to help them learn more, if they will check out my weblog.

A good number of them have become frequent visitors and mention enjoying certain posts when I see them again.

Blogging is still a curiosity here in rural Virginia, because I occasionally overhear someone saying, "He's one of those bloggers, you know!" Hey, I'll take favorable publicity any way I can get it!

Starting this week, I'll mention my upcoming book and tell them they can preview it on my weblog.

There is an old saying: If you're going to do something, do it to professional standards.  Yes, I am one of the pajamahedin, and proud of it. This new card introduces my work to non-blogging strangers and never fails to start a discussion.

Tag: businesscards

Comments

[Marie]

You are absolutely right. I can still hear my father say: "Anything worth doing, is worth doing well."

[Marc Orchant]

David: Great post. I just ordered some blog-specific business cards to bring to conference I'm attending (as a blogger) in a couple of weeks. For this first go-round, I decided to get some of Hugh McLeod's Gaping Void cards. I figured they'd be great conversation starters.

[David St Lawrence]

Yes, I considered ordering cards from Hugh, but I don't know anyone I could give them to!

My prospective clients march to the beat of a different drummer, you might say.

On the other hand, you didn't say you were going to give them to clients, did you? :)

Let me know how they work out.

[Marc Orchant]

No... my blogging is a sideline, not my business (although I do have a great title in my day job - Storyteller - which elicits some very interesting conversations).

These will be handed out at a tech conference that I've been invited to as a blogger. I thought it would be a good way to do a little "positioning" as someone who is OK with a little edginess.

I will let you know what the reactions were like after the event.

[Bill]

I'm in complete agreement. As far as most of the world is concerned, you are what you appear to be. So it's best to appear the way you want to be perceived - in this case, knowledgable and professional. A simple card can lead to great things. It also helps people with your Web address when they finally sit down to check you out online.

I recently registered the domain www.writelife.net so my address would be as simple as I could make it for people - a little easier to remember. (I would have preferred .com but no such luck.) That's not especially necessary but it was one more aspect of simplicity I wanted to add.

Anyway ... the card idea is a very good one for anyone serious about promoting their blog to a wider audience.

[Wayne Hurlbert]

Your business card is very professional and describes your blog very well. It answers all of the questions that may arise about your blog, while causing the card recipient to want to read your blog more closely. I like the idea very much.