Why Have a Personal Website or Blog?

Why have a personal website or blog?

For me, it's very simple. I'm in marketing. I live in a world where people search for answers using Google. I believe in the power of the written word. So I'd better embed myself within the web fabric to learn as much as I can about it.

It's a case of talking the web–talk and walking the web–walk. How can I direct the web marketing activities of a company if I'm not immersed in it—or if I'm only speculating about what works (or doesn't work) on the web?

The real power of having your own website is learning what attracts people and what drives them to take action. Whether you're doing it for money or simply for research, I believe the nuggets of knowledge you discover can be exploited for decades. I'm serious. (I'm on my second decade now.) I encourage anyone involved in web marketing to "put themselves out there." To discover these inner secrets themselves. Don't listen to the walking zombies who still talk about viral videos or fret about a Web 2.0 look. Get to know what really fires people up. Get to know what moves them.

I believe that if you're hiring someone for a web marketing role in this day and age and they don't have a personal website or blog, then you'd have to question that hire. Yes, I'd give some slack for the folks over 50, but there'd be plenty of questions for the folks in their twenties, thirties, or forties. For all of the five minutes it takes to begin blogging, I'd have to question their ability to perform primary research. I'd also question their initiative.

Stop Talking About It. Do It.

Yes, I'm a bit extreme. But here's a great example of why I feel so strongly about it. I once interviewed a young man for a marketing role who said he was trying to build a business case for his existing employer to create a blog or a website. I asked, "So why didn't you just go ahead and do it? At least create a sample for them?" He didn't have an answer for those questions. And yes, I was very nice about it. I liked him. I just wanted to see more self-empowerment. So at the end of the interview I recommended that he go ahead and create a blog or web template to show the owners. I even offered my services for advice if he needed it. I never heard from him again.

If a 10 Year Old Can Do It...

My daughter once built a website (at age 10) that got over 2,000 visits a month. Yes, she had my guidance. But she did all the coding. She had the initiative. She was the one who wrote those great "how to annoy your parents" webpages. That's the fire I like to see in any web marketing person. I have to feel it. I wouldn't care if they try and then screw up. I just have to see if they have the desire in the first place.

Conclusion: Drawing out the A-Types

So that's why I have a personal website. I believe it would be hypocritical not to. I want to go deeper into the psyche of the web surfer's heart, mind, and soul. Because some people are doing more than just web surfing. They're hungry for something. They're A-Types. They're the ones, in life, who lead. They make a difference. They make things happen. Through my web site at work and this one I've communicated with and/or met hundreds of them. And that's just awesome.