Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Finding my Voice

Why is it so hard to find a voice online? With a seemingly infinite number of blogs about public relations, marketing, social media, and the future of the web it may be a bit of an understatement to say that I'm struggling to find my angle. Who am I and what do I have to contribute to the vast world of social media? After a 4 months of posting, I have little more to show than a few boring observations about work a a list of 'things I love about PR'. No direction, no theme, no real voice. And what kills me about it all is that I love to write. Blogging should be easier than this, shouldn't it?

What I've created is an a random collection of forced thoughts about an industry that I know little about. And maybe that's the essence of the problem. I spend my days reading blogs from PR pros who speak, so naturally about the things that they know best -- the fabulous world of PR. And so when I sit down to write I try to do the same thing. But there's a problem: I know so little about the industry. I'm just so new. And what I do know is boring as all heck. So what does that leave me with? A boring blog that even I don't want to read.

But maybe I'm not alone. How long does it take an author to find their voice? Maybe it's unfair to expect a first blog to be a perfect blog. Maybe I just have to work my way through this and figure out what works for me. Write what I know. Use the gurus as a guide but not as the answer. Don't worry so much about what other people are going to say about it.

And just keep writing.

If you're reading, bear with me for a few more months. I can hear someone down deep inside me trying to talk... She just hasn't quite figured a way onto the screen.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Ad and PR Blogs... how to choose

With so much out there to digest it's hard for someone just getting into the field to figure out what's most worthy of attention. Magazines, eNewsletters, blogs, eZines... content is non-stop. How do you choose?

As I'm working on structuring my own blog -- finding a voice and figuring out what unique message I have to say to the world -- I've been especially enjoying reading other people's blogs. I set up my own NetVibes page and now get a steady stream of Ad- and PR-related postings every day. Here's what I'm reading now:

The Steve Rubel Lifestream offers the most consistent and regular posting -- with short updates coming every few hours. The author has a blog too (Micro Persuasion) but I like the lifestram as it it's somewhat of an information tease... bits of news here and there to investigate as you will. Has been a great resource for discovering new blogs, websites, and hot articles.

PR Squared is Todd Defran's comments on social media marketing. Consistent lengthy posts that get you thinking. Bonus: his firm Shift Communications, has an employee blog (unSpun) that covers a hodge podge of thoughts from Shift professionals.

Gaping Void Hugh MacLeod draws cartoons on the back of business cards and comments on his life and the media. He's the mind behind Microsoft's Blue Monster, the corp's new mascot for their new PR plan to tell their own story instead of letting their competitors and the media do it for them.

Adverganza. Just found this one (thanks, SRL). Comments on advertising industry. Haven't had much time to look into it but so far it seems good.

Forward Blog is targeted at young PR and Advertising professionals. Archived posts on interviewing, job hunting, and PR basics. Regular podcasts with a similar focus.

What are you reading?