Three Reasons to Start a Blog

Have you ever considered starting a blog? For me, it was curiosity and the need to learn how blogs impact communications on the web that first peaked my interest.

Recently though, I've struggled with finding inspiration for my content on Chasing Change. With that in mind, I figured I would retrace my steps and really dig into why I feel compelled to blog at all.

After some meditation and a few conversations with other bloggers who have inspired me, here are my top three reasons to start a blog:

1. The Freedom to Have a Voice
I remember reading an article in 2005 about how professional journalists felt threatened by the blogosphere. Their frustration is understandable. They paid good money and spent their time going to school to be journalists. Why should some chump with a laptop (like me for instance) have the ability to publish their thoughts to thousands, even millions of readers? That's just not fair! (As I quietly chuckle.)

Web technology makes it so easy to publish our thoughts with a simple mouse click. There are a large number of blog services that are provided at no cost, so why not take advantage of the opportunity? What do you have to loose?

2. Writing an Ethical Will
My friend, teacher (and employer), Artie Isaac, blogs at Net Cotton Content. I enjoy reading his posts daily, and so the other day, I asked him: "Why do you blog?"

This was one of his answers: "In the Jewish tradition, there's the concept of an ethical will. A father leaves an ethical will as was a way to pass on his morals and wisdom to his children."

Having a 17 month-old son myself, I really like this idea. In a sense, a blog can be an electronic way to pass on more than just your possessions to the next generations. It's a medium to capture your path through life, so that you and your beliefs will be remembered by those next in line.

3. Gaining Credibility Through Visibility
Being in business development, it's my job to build relationships for my company. Hopefully those relationships, if nurtured honestly, will eventually translate into revenue for Young Isaac.

Over the past six years I've learned that the most critical piece of this formula is finding ways to establish a level of trust among your network. The challenge? How can you expect people to trust you when they only know you as a part of your company?

Heres my solution: with every business card and every email will come the URL of Chasing Change. Here it is folks. Here's what I'm about. I blog to lay my cards on the table for all to see. By reading, you can watch as I change both personally and professionally.

And by sharing my experiences - the good with the bad - maybe someday I'll even earn your trust...