A prime debate in the world of digital media is whether or not to create your own platform for sharing media or use one that already exists.  A prime example of this would be whether to create a blog where you review local restaurants in St. Louis or  simply post your reviews to a popular restaurant review site like Yelp or Open Table.  In my opinion, it all depends on how much time you have, but I will say that I find it quite important to own content, rather than simply renting space to put it on.

The debate doesn’t have to go much further than renting movies or buying music.  If you rent a movie, it’s often easier, cheaper, and more convenient, but at the end of rental period, the movie is no longer yours.  Same with music.  If you join a streaming service, you can listen to as much music as you want, but rest assured that right after you terminate that agreement, that music is gone.

With the advent of sharing platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, and IMDB, the shelf-life of important information has been greatly shortened.  That’s why I find owning content is so important.  It lasts and it’s yours and the shelf-life can be as long or as short as you’d like it to be.  Let’s look further.

Instead of posting content to Popcorn Jury (my movie review site) I could simply write reviews for IMDB (a popular online film database).  The problem is, the minute I turn that content over, it’s there’s to do with how they want.  Within a matter of minutes, it’s approved and live online, but then what?  What did I get out of that relationship.

Same goes with Yelp.  Sure I try and post reviews of local restaurants for the benefit of the community, but the minute I write that review, I’m handing the content to them and getting nothing in return.  With owned content, your investing in something that’s yours, something that’s infinite, and something that’s unique to you, not to be overshadowed by thousands of others like you on other existing platforms.  

That’s not to say that sharing media on existing platforms isn’t important.  Trust me, a review that I post on IMDB will get at least twice as many hits as something I’d post on my own site,  but I’ll be honest in saying that I never post to one without copying the post to another.  That way, I’m getting the reach, but owning the content all the same.

This same theory applies to Twitter and Facebook too.  Sure, if something is trivial, but entertaining, I’ll simply retweet the link or share the url, but if the content is engaging or worth reading, I’ll blog about it.  Why?  Because people don’t pay as much attention to content shared through social networks.  Your tweet?  Very few people click on it.  Your Facebook post?  Hundreds of things appear on the newsfeed every minute.  It goes in one ear and out the other.  That stuff on your blog?  It’s there to stay and people will find it.

A lot of people always ask me different forms of the following question, "Why do you blog?"  Other forms include, "are you still doing that blog thing?", do you still have that website?" or "don't you like work on Facebook?"  The short answer to this question would be, yes, I am still blogging and I do it because I enjoy writing, but I believe the long answer provides a more complete conclusion to the reoccurring question.

So why do I write?  There's a variety of reasons all of which I'll outline below.  The hope isn't to flatter myself or provide a reason for something I enjoy, rather to tell you a little bit more about myself and possibly inspire you to reevaluate blogging and why it may be right or wrong for you.

I'm Not a Great Writer, but I Love to Write

For those that read this blog often, I'm sure you'll remember a time when you've seen misspelled words, mix matched ideas, or a sentence that didn't quite make sense.  I've never once claimed to be a writer, I don't have a bachelors degree in journalism and I know I'm not always on point with punctuation, but unlike most, even most writers, I love to write everyday or as often as possible.  I never let grammar get in the way of a good idea and although I'm not a great writer, I think the more and more I work at it, the better I end up getting.  

I Exist in the Age of the Internet

In the age of the Internet everything is online.  When you go out looking for a job, one of the first thing most employers do is google you.  While I don't have a stat on this at the moment, it's something that I would almost qualitatively guarantee.  When you meet someone at a meeting, if you make an impact, they will most likely google you.  If you meet someone at a bar and spark a conversation, they will most likely google you.  Is blogging a necessary factor in having an online presence?  No.  But it does establish the identity that you want to portray to others and reinforces a sense of credibility often overlooked in casual conversation.  Do most of my coworkers have a blog?  No.  Are they still some of the most successful creative professionals in the Saint Louis area?  Yes.  This isn't a necessary factor, but I enjoy giving friends, fans, and casual acquaintances an opportunity to learn more about me, my thoughts, and my opinions in real-time without having to exert a lot of effort.

Learning From My Readers

Getting users to comment on a blog is one of the toughest pieces of the blogging puzzle.  In a perfect world, I'd want you to go to the comment section below, tell me whether you blog or not, why you're thinking about doing it, or what you think of mine.  Fact of the matter is, it often doesn't happen, but the few times a month that it does (often from fellow industry professionals - thanks Danielle) it is in the form of an inspiring idea, comment, or criticism.  It's opens up a new perspective on an issue, and often leads to new thinking, both of which is invaluable in the industry that I'm in.

Blogging Allows Time for the Interpretation of Ideas

Often when you read something, it goes in one ear and out the other.  When you're passionate about an idea or an article that you've read, blogging about it allows time to analyze the idea and form your own opinions around it.  You'll notice that I'm never simply sharing an article without posing some sort of personal perspective on the topic at hand  .  

Fossilizing My Digital Footprint

You often hear about how the things you put on the Internet will never go away.  In most cases, this is a negative statement (college Facebook photos) but in other cases, this can be a huge benefit.  Everything that I blog about is something that I would encourage others to read.  I'm spreading thoughts and thinking on topics that I'm passionate about now, and plan on being passionate about in the future.  I'm building a positive digital footprint now that will only grow into a bigger and better package as I grow into my professional career.  If I was in Finance, I'd want to have a robust digital footprint outlining my years of experience writing and forming opinions about financial issues and opportunities.  If I was a lobbyist, I'd use my blog to share ideas on the different issues arising in the city and state I was working in, and how I think the community could get in on the action.  Regardless of the industry, having this online reputation could be a huge benefit when the future is entirely online.

DId I get my job because of my blog?  No.  Does my agency get new business when I write blogs for them?  No.  Do I have thousands of fans and followers that retweet, repost, and reply to every article I write?  Most definitely not.  Have I learned a ton, started to form an online identity, and made a few valuable connections along the way?  Most definitely.  Plus, not to toot my own horn, but I have reached a total of over 14,000 views in the past three months.  Not too bad in my honest opinion.

I don't manage Facebook accounts at my job.  I don't write blog articles for clients.  All the tweeting I do is typically done during downtime to actively engage with other industry professionals in the area.  I help clients manage projects on a strategic level for everything from print to digital, radio, to word-of-mouth and work to quantify results through research, rather than just hoping for some sort of radical, unreliable rule-of-thumb.

Would I enjoy getting out and doing something active instead of blogging?  Trust me, I do.  I spend about 1-2 hours a day doing this, but it's often instead of watching television or talking on the phone.  It's a commitment, but it's something I enjoy, and when you're passionate about something, there's always enough time in the day.

I appreciate your continued clicks!  

Places you can find me writing:

Rebus: Saint Louis Advertising Blog for Young Professionals

Schupp Company Blog

Popcorn Jury: Judging Movies Since 2010