Why I (don't) blog

Anyone who follows me will notice I don't blog much any more. The overriding feelings I have are a) I don't want to add to the noise and b) I don't want to use it as a sales platform.

This means I will only post if I have something original to share that I think will interest/help my readers.

Does that make sense to you? Or am I barking mad?

Comments

[Frank O'Mahony]

As the title says, they're Sporadic Posts. If it said Gratuitous Posts Because It's Wednesday And I Need to Blog, that'd be different. Sporadic's good - climb up on that soap box as the mood takes you, say your few important words, then climb back down and go inside for a pint. Seems like a reasonable plan to me.

[David Tebbutt]

Hi Stuart. Thank you for your comments. I actually agree with all of them. I guess the bottom line is quality and value to those to whom it's relevant.

[Stuart Bruce]

David, I'd challenge both your points:

1) You're right there is far too much noise, but most of it is dross and doesn't mean those producing quality content should give up. That just lets the noise win. My RSS feeds are still my best source for quality thinking and ideas as I've chosen what I subscribe to and it's divided up into neat folders. One is called "People are really should read, but don't want to". You're not in that folder, although many very big 'online' and 'social media' names are. You're in a folder called 'Old favourites', not a comment on age, but on the fact that I've been subscribing for years and don't plan to stop anytime soon as it's good stuff.

2) Of course it's a sales tool and there is nothing wrong with that. But you sell by writing interesting stuff that will "interest/help" your readers, not by directly selling.

3) Remember that what is of interest/helpful for you isn't the same as what interests your readers. The reason they are reading is you are a 'thought leader' (awful phrase, but useful shorthand). Even if a topic has been covered elsewhere (and let's face what hasn't) your opinion and thoughts matter more than a lot of the people who are simply creating noise.

[David Tebbutt]

Hey folks, I really appreciate your responses. All of them. I'm beginning to feel I'm in a therapy session with multiple therapists. And that's astonishingly good. And thought-provoking. Thank you.

[neville]

"This means I will only post if I have something original to share that I think will interest/help my readers." That is good enough, David!

[Euan]

What DT said

[Al Tepper]

I've been thinking the same thing for ages about my blog - it's almost like I'm too busy to form opinions any more. WTF?

[David Tebbutt]

Thank you David. I didn't mention the 'treadmill' effect of becoming obsessed with blogging. But I guess that's covered under 'noise'.

What's interesting already is that two entrepreneurs have politely suggested I'm mad while one journalist thinks I'm not. I'm keeping an open mind for now.

[@DT - David Terrar]

I understand the sentiment for your a) but not for your b). There should be no shame in using this blog (any blog) as a sales platform by simply doing what you do. You're showcasing that you have plenty of things to contribute that people need. Today, more than ever, people need to be writing with clarity to bring their particular signal above the noise. You are probably the best at that that I know, so I'd be posting more regularly or reminding people about the content that's already here. So no, posting a lot less doesn't make sense to me at all.