Blogger's block

When was the 'year of the blog'? I can't remember either, but it's sometime in the past. That was the point when the early adopters became the early majority and everyone became excited by the growth in connections and conversations. (For reference, I started a home-coded website with blog-like characteristics in 2001 and this site replaced it in August 2003.)

Now that there are other 'new new things', where does the energy come from to keep blogging? And amongst PR bloggers, how to reconcile the need to be first and forthright with the professional duty to be discreet and retain confidences?

Here are some characteristics and approaches of those who manage to beat the block:

• Keep company. Blogging needn't be a solitary activity; find your community. Or aggregate individual efforts as at Hill & Knowlton and LEWIS. Erin may be drawing breath at her personal blog, but her lasting achievement was to establish Forward as a resource for PR students and young practitioners.
• Speak up - and shut up. There's too much noise, so why add to it? Dee Rambeau is falling silent. Richard Edelman, who has more to say than most of us, limits himself to posting once a week.
• Lead an interesting life, in public. This applies to multitaskers and in particular to those who have their colours nailed to a party political mast: Stuart and Ellee spring to mind. But it also applies to anyone prepared to put themselves out there like Richard and Paull. And to those who can turn the quotidien into entertainment, like Heather and Luke.
• Master your niche. Drew B is synonymous with social media; Heather Yaxley is an energetic and welcome addition to the small group of PR education bloggers.

If you're a star of the 'PR blogosphere' and I've omitted you, then you don't need my approval. Keep doing what works. Good bloggers don't fear causing offence: Tom Murphy loves a fight and he's been around - and earning a salary - from the beginning.

Comments

[Heather Yaxley]

Thanks for the link. You pick up on a couple of thoughts I've been pondering recently. First on how, when, if and why someone might cease blogging, as some innovators seem to be doing - is there a life cycle?

Which links into the second thought - the difference in styles of blogging and how everyone needs to find a way of making it work for them. Being true to yourself is probably the best way to avoid a block - but then I'm still early in my blogging life cycle...

[Ellee]

I tell you Richard, life becomes far more interesting - and hectic - after you start blogging.