Blog because you can; blog because you must

I had the pleasure of being interviewed for a five-minute podcast on the topic of blogging by my Masters in Public Relations classmate Angela Murray (pictured on the left) today. Angela asked me why I blog, what I blog about, and how blogging helps freelancers like myself as well as organizations meet their communication objectives.

For freelance writers, I consider blogging a requirement. It allows you to build a portfolio of your work. There's also a beautiful freedom in blogging. No one is assigning you topics or word count, and no one but the blogger him/herself is deciding whether it's worth publishing.

Best of all, blogging inspires conversations. For public relations practitioners, it offers a model of assymetrical communications because it invites—and hopefully provokes—responses. Sure it's great to push messages out, but it's equally important to actively listen and contribute meaningfully to discussions on an infinite range of topics.

Blogging is an extension of brand, whether that's an organization's brand or your personal brand. Best of all, it's superb writing practice in a productive and creative space. What are your thoughts on blogging? Send me a link to your blog and I'll check it out!

Also find it at: http://angtmurray.wordpress.com/