Do you have to blog to have a presence in the blogosphere?
While searching for an article about blogging in the NY Times' (now free!) archives, I came across an equally interesting article about commenting on blogs (free registration required).
The article talks about a number of people who have become famous (well, relatively speaking) not by having their own blogs and initiating conversation, but by joining in the conversation on other people's sites.
It leads with the story of "DaShiv," a part-time wedding photographer who hit the big time (again, relatively speaking) because of prolific and excellent commenting.
It makes sense: some people are better at initiating conversation, while others excel at dissecting--the old artists vs. art critics thing. And critics aren't a bad thing, necessarily--a lot of times, they illuminate points for others of us who are a little behind in the subject.
Plus, often, they are profoundly hilarious/brilliant in their own right: the comments on salon.com articles can be as good or better than the articles themselves.
In short, if you're not blogging, maybe don't worry about it. Getting out there and just commenting is not only a great way to get the lay of the land--it can also be a great way of leaving your mark.
Any thoughts on this? Comments are open!
I laughed when I read your post because I have been doing just that. Posting on other people's blogs and putting my website because I'm not sure about whether I'm ready to start blogging myself. I have a newsletter and that seems like enough for now.
I know that it has driven some traffic to my site. Maybe a few subscribers too?
All the best, Karen
Posted by: Karen DeBolt | October 23, 2007 at 04:31 PM
Absolutely, you're driving traffic. And if the comments are *good*, subscriptions, too. (Obnoxious comments drive traffic, but it's usually of the non-repeating variety.)
I think it's a fine way to get your feet wet. Good for you!
Posted by: Colleen Wainwright | October 23, 2007 at 06:18 PM
Well, Karen, looks like your comment is dead on. Just by reading through this blog, I then clicked on your name to learn more about you. I'm a mom with a Kindergartner and 4 year old and my husband and I were just talking about an issue with our daughter. I signed up for your newsletter to more. If it wasn't for blogging, I would not have stumbled across it.
Posted by: Jennine Arena | October 23, 2007 at 11:13 PM
Ha! That's great!
I love it when the proof happens right before your eyes.
Posted by: Colleen Wainwright | October 24, 2007 at 12:27 AM
I agree, and this is one of the things I keep telling my clients - if you don't like to write, don't start a blog; but definitely check out some blogs and leave comments on them.
The key, I find, is the usefullness of the comments and how they contribute to the actual conversation - although you can definitely incorporate stuff about your business in the comments, there are too many folks who leave comments that come across mostly as a marketing pitch, mainly because they have nothing to do with the actual conversation that's taking place.
Posted by: Dani Nordin | October 28, 2007 at 03:05 PM