Can Blogging Grow Your Business? Only if You Share!

I've been blogging now for a little over the year and have to say that blogging is one of the simplest, yet most rewarding experiences a marketer can have. As a marketer, having access to like minded individuals is invaluable (that's all of you!). Your comments, suggestions, and commentary around topics of the day are what allow us to learn and improve our marketing practices.

Is there enough for all of us? One question I commonly get is, "If we all start blogging, won't the communities we create be too small to generate any value?" Believe it or not, I have found the opposite to be true. The more that marketers blog, the more awareness we are creating with regard to our craft. Each day the Internet continues to grow and the sheer volume of 'would be marketers' continues to increase. Our websites, blogs, and marketing pieces bring more and more individuals into the fold.

How big is the pie? I don't know how big the actual professional marketing pie is, but do know that the American Marketing Association says that there are a little over 750,000 marketers in the U.S. and Canada. That said, I feel like marketing affects 10 or 20Xs that. Name one person in the free world who isn't affected by this thing we call "marketing"!

Communicate, Share, Grow. As a marketer, share you ideas, your thoughts, and your approach. By doing so you not only strengthen your execution of marketing practices, but you also enhance the consumer experience. I'm always reminded of the need to do this when I receive a letter from the school I graduated from. After receiving the last one I wrote a letter to the head of Alumni marketing that went something like this, "Dear XXX, thanks for your recent note. However, as a fellow marketer I have to say that I am extremely disappointed in your approach. The letter, who's only purpose is to ask for a donation touts the benefits of the school, not the WIIFM - focus more on the value you bring to me, the alum, not what you want me to do for you!..."

The point here is that we must be open and honest communicators with one another. I hope the result of my letter (excerpt above) gets this marketing manager thinking about the value he can deliver for others and maybe even walk a mile in his shoes. Basic marketing principle, see things from the customers point of view, but an incredibly powerful one!