Time to Blog
I still remember the first Web site I ever created. It was a Star Wars fan site for geeks like me who dreamed of being a Jedi Knight. I spent days on it, trying to get the animated light-saber GIF image just right.
Once the website was created, it was done. I updated a few pages, and encouraged my friends to check it out. I stole images of Yoda and Darth Vader from the web and added a cool audio clip of Obi-Wan Kenobi saying, “May the Force be with you.” But after all that, there was nothing left to do.
So I got bored and moved on to other projects.
Other than news sites and chat rooms, this was all the Internet was for the longest time: a collection of pages you might be lucky enough to stumble upon. That was it.
But now with the advent of social media, everything has changed.
Every day, there are millions of conversations happening online. They are discussions about politics and religion, discourses on what foods to eat and international development.
It's hard to imagine what life was like before blogs, even though it was only a short while ago. But I can still remember that light-saber graphic and the old Jedi Master's voice.
A lot has changed since 1996.
Why Should You Blog?
There's a conversation happening online, whether you're a part of it or not. If you want to be an influencer – if you want to make a difference in the world – don't you think you should contribute to the conversation?
You have a voice. And you've been given something to say. People need to hear it.
Other reasons to blog:
- To stay in touch with distant family and friends
- To keep track of your life in a sort of online diary
- To influence others
- To make money (or raise money for a worthy cause)
- To connect with what's happening in the world
- To make a difference on public policy, international relations, and other forms of advocacy
These are only a few reasons to blog. You probably have your own. In fact, you may be telling yourself, “Some day, I'll get around to that.” But we don't have time for that. We need your voice now.
It's time to begin
The world is waiting. So… what's your reason to blog? Decide now. Before moving forward, commit to a cause or a story or some purpose to the content you'll be sharing.
You'll also need to decide to commit to this series. It's free, so you don't have much skin in the game, but I do. I've poured hours into these lessons, because I believe strongly in this material.
What do I ask in return? That you'll take it seriously. That you'll actually try what I tell you to do. If at the end of this course, you want to go back to your old way of doing things, you're more than welcome to do so. But for the next several weeks, I want you to experiment.
Are You In?