Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once.

December 5, 2007

Are You Blogging for as Many or as Much?

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 10:00 am

This guest post was contributed by friend and SOB, Jon Swanson. He often emails me about my writing. I find his observations incredibly valuable, thoughtful, and dear. –ME “Liz” Strauss

As many or as much?

by Jon Swanson

I’ve been blogging for a couple years. I read the wonderful writings of Liz and Chris Brogan and Darren Rowse who all talk specifically about blogging, about success in community. I have considered how to build my reach, how to monetize, how to do all of those things that make a blog successful.

And then I am forced to think deeply about this: as many … or as much?

In my life I often wrestle with whether to help as many people as possible or to help people as much as possible. I understand that there is a falseness in this forced choice, but humor me briefly.

I see needs. It’s one of the things that is part of who I am. I can hear hurt. I can see chaos. I can feel anxiety. And I like to help. Sometimes, I like to help as many people as possible, to spread information or money or ideas widely. But even as I am talking with or working with a large group, I see that one person at the edge of the group, the one being ignored by everyone. And I want to go to that person, to talk with them, to listen.

And now do you see the dilemma? In a fixed amount of time you can talk with a large group or you can listen to an individual, but you cannot do both.

I love cross-links as much as the next person. I love reach. But when I hear pain in someone’s ‘voice’, I have this desire to send them an email or a text or a DM. And that takes heart cycles that then can’t be spent elsewhere.

I know that it is possible to have different levels of relationship with different people. I know that many people are very caring. But I know that in order for me to be most effective as a person who blogs as part of my involvement in lives, I have to put more of my life into ‘as much’ than I do into ‘as many’.

As a result, I feel a deep connection with a fairly small group of people online. Other people read my posts and comment occasionally, but my desire is to make sure that I am adding as much value as I possibly can to that group of people.

As we wrestle with our blogging, trying to figure out our purpose, our unique voice, our distinctive value to the people of the blogosphere, some of us will be very effective with ‘as many’. It is important to get the information that you have, the perspectives that you shape and share, to as many people as possible.

At the same time there are others of us who will be working on the ‘as much’.

It is possible to be very successful in both of these worlds. However, at some point feel the freedom from being measured by the expectations of the world that isn’t yours.

–Jon Swanson, You can find Jon at the Levite Chronicles

Is the world of “many” or the world of “much” where your blog makes the most difference?
– Liz
Work with Liz!!

Related
Change the World: Shaping the World in Little Ways, a guest post by Jon Swanson





Filed under Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog |




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31 Comments to “Are You Blogging for as Many or as Much?”

  1. December 5th, 2007 at 10:41 am
    Mother Earth said

    Jon

    what a lovely pondering.

    as a new blogger I have only begun to build my circle of influence, people like liz and a select of others speak to me and show me example that I had no idea was possible on the internet. My blogging started out as one idea and has just become much more

    2008 has me wondering how to, why to, where to take it to the next level - yet I am not even sure what that looks like.

    I like most what you say about simply wanting to help - that’s me too.

    Nice to meet you

    Mother Earth aka Karen Hanrahan
    http://www.bestwellnessconsultant.com

  2. December 5th, 2007 at 11:02 am
    jon said

    Hi, karen, nice to meet you as well. Grew up in the western suburbs (Wheaton)

    Other people’s capabilities to plan and vision notwithstanding, I’m not sure how to identify that next blogging level. I think that it’s probably about identifying the next level of relating, and the blog trails along.

  3. December 5th, 2007 at 11:08 am
    J. Erik Potter said

    The very fact that you helped is enough for me. People will remember you for how you made them feel more than what you said.

    Help where you can and when its asked of you. Sometimes that will be a group, sometimes that will be one person.

    They’re all equally important in my eye.

  4. December 5th, 2007 at 11:21 am
    Mother Earth said

    i have always had this dream of being famous -but not where it’s about me but where it’s about touching many people’s lives merely by being sharing, years ago I was at a workshop and spoke the same dream and a young woman I had never met knew of me from my writing - she said your THE Karen Hanrahan of “product of the week”

    http://bestwellnessconsultant.com/categories/product%20of%20the%20week.aspx

    Thus shot my theory of striving for fame - I was already famous ( giggle )

    I grew up in Elk Grove,Wheaton is an area I don’t know very well - I actually thought it might be cool to unite local bloggers and see if we could support each other…one idea of reach

    yeah I really don’t know about what is next …making money at it might work !!

    Mother Earth aka Karen Hanrahan
    http://www.bestwellnessconsultant.com

  5. December 5th, 2007 at 11:23 am
    jon said

    oh yes, erik. “…more than what you said.” As a recovering speech teacher, i am intrigued byt the fact that very seldom does anyone ever mention anything I ever taught…in class. But the conversations? that part they remember, that someone talked with them.

    We just gotta talk WITH people. Like this.

    Jon

  6. December 5th, 2007 at 11:41 am
    Connie Reece said

    As always, Jon, you’ve given me something to think about today. And it’s suddenly not as important to me that I have blogged only a handful of times in the past month. I was busy on the “as much” part of life for a while.

  7. December 5th, 2007 at 12:55 pm
    sbpoet said

    What an interesting — and helful — formulation this is! So often the blogging world is focussed on ‘moreness’: more hits! more subscribers! more money!

    I think it may be time for me to accept that I am a ‘muchness’ person; what I do means much, to few.

    And so be it.

  8. December 5th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
    SunnySchlenger said

    Jon — thank you. I’ve struggled with this as I deal with the business of publishing. I guess I must want to be in the “more” group at some level, yet I seem to live for the small, intense, meaningful connections. This is a good way of getting to know myself better. :-)

  9. December 5th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
    jon said

    Connie, you are looking at the broader conversation anyway. A blog is part of that, but so are your tweets and your audio contributions and your SL and your, well, your you.

  10. December 5th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
    jon said

    sbpoet
    there is, in poetry, a sense of muchness anyway, an abandonment of saying things shallow and wide and opting for deep and reflective and, well, much. Those who choose that way have alreay chosen a narrow way, but one with an incredible view of moon and sunset and the mirror.

  11. December 5th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
    Lisa Merritt said

    Thanks Jon! I feel like I’m getting hit over the head today. I got Yaro Starak’s free sample, about being more thoughtful and indepth with fewer comments, and now your wonderful post.

    As a mom, I’m always looking for that balance where more meets enough and good meets great. Now that I’m getting older, I’ve seen my circle (and my Christmas Card list!) pare down to the people who are really important in my life, who get much more than the many acquaintances who used to populate my time.

    I read a book once, I think it was Seat of the Soul by Zukav, where it was postulated that each person is born to affect a certain circle of influence, and maybe one will affect a neighborhood while another will affect the entire planet. It is up to each of us to decide where our limit is.

  12. December 5th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
    jon said

    Sunny -
    Yes, you are putting some of your ideas into more kinds of media (book, seminar), but the approach you are taking is very much a much approach. After all, personal coaching takes time and attention.

    Do you find that you are saying, “for those who want my ideas, here, read this; for those who want me, let’s talk more about that”?

  13. December 5th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
    jon said

    Lisa -
    Your time with your uncle and then your time talking about that time shows a gift to invest in muchness.

    My dad has often given me the same advice - move to your level of greatest influence. I’m still sorting that out, but have erred in both directions and am learning, as you, to focus.

  14. December 5th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
    Joanna Young said

    Hello again Jon.

    I feel like this is another part of this rich conversation we are sharing.

    And it was so good to see these reflections, and the sharing of thoughts, feelings and ideas that you have prompted here.

    You do have a turn of phrase that gets right to the heart of things don’t you? I just loved this sentence, thank you (and for the reminder)

    “And that takes heart cycles that then can’t be spent elsewhere.”

    Joanna

    PS And yes your investment does add value, always.

  15. December 5th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
    Lisa Merritt said

    Thanks for visiting my blog Jon, and I appreciate your comments.

    Maybe our greatest sphere of influence is changeable depending on our life circumstances?

    Lisa

  16. December 5th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
    jon said

    ahh Joanna;
    your comments about phrase turning are high praise, indeed. You live the connection of words and lives.

  17. December 5th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
    Erica Ross-Krieger said

    Remembering a Lao Tsu snippet from Tao Te Ching:

    “…few realize how much how little will do…”

    I’ve been living with the Do Less attitude intensely the last few days, deciding where to pare back, what is important, how to do much rather than more and just what it is I want from the blogging world that I jumped into 3 months ago. Jon, I haven’t met you here before but your words today are a breath of fresh air.

    You did much for me today.

  18. December 5th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Jon,
    You do much for many more than you might suspect. The rest of us know.

    :) :) :)

    With all love,
    Liz

  19. December 5th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
    SunnySchlenger said

    Jon - yes, you nailed it. That’s exactly what I do. And I appreciate you wording it so nicely.

  20. December 5th, 2007 at 7:54 pm
    jon said

    Erica -
    I like how you are taking the much and more all the way to life. Do we want to live for more or for much?

    Hmmm.

    I have to think on this more, this expansion/extension.

    thanks for helping me think, too.

  21. December 5th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
    jon said

    Liz -
    When the house is decorated so well, when the sofa isn’t covered with plastic, but with an invitation to relax, when the refrigerator is stocked with everything wonderful, then spending the night in the guest room is, well, a delight.

    But the house is always as friendly as it is because of the heart of the owner.

    We’ll be glad to have you back. Safely.

  22. December 5th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
    jon said

    Lisa -
    yes, I think our spheres do change as the people around us change and as we move and are moved.

    Good thought

  23. December 6th, 2007 at 8:32 am
    Karen Putz said

    What an interesting discussion here. This has me pondering about my blog and the direction I want to take it in. What I love most is the connections I’ve made as a result of blogging– the friendships that have sprung up– to me, that is the “much” and the “more” all in one. :)

  24. December 6th, 2007 at 9:40 am
    jon said

    Karen, you are right about the both/and. That’s been my experience as well.

    What you are doing, writing as you do,sharign your life, your friend’s lives, hard choice about schools, celebrations of lives gone, is writing with an honesty that is about much. As a result, people are showing up. Because deep often spreads wide.

  25. December 6th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
    Natalie said

    People used to blog for content and just to speak to the world, more and more people are now blogging just to make a buck!

    Boy have things changed so much!

  26. December 6th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
    jon said

    Natalie
    Or we are trying to make a buck, which I have thought about at times. But for me, I don’t have the patience for that kind of planning and work. So I’m staying with influence.

  27. December 6th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
    Albert | UrbanMonk.Net said

    Great stuff - I’m finding this problem as well. Do I focus on the people who email me or try to reach the many? It was easy at the start, when I wasn’t getting as many emails but now it’s really hard to make the choice.

    Cheers,
    Albert | UrbanMonk.Net
    Modern personal development, entwined with ancient spirituality.

  28. December 7th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
    jon said

    Albert

    Or do you turn the emails into new posts? If they share the same questions,if answering the specific questions actually end up as writing similar posts over and over, then it’s possible to take the much to many.

    When I find I’m having the same conversation over and over with different people, I realized that it’s time to teach it in a larger venue.

  29. December 7th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
    Albert | UrbanMonk.Net said

    Good stuff jon, yes sometimes the conversations give me value as well because it is feedback on the material I have already written, or it’s just further questions.

  30. December 9th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
    Sueblimely said

    I think that that often “as much” or “as many” is blurred in blogging terms. If one person needs something then there are bound to be many others needing the same thing. Listening to individuals helps us learn how we need to talk to the whole group.

  31. January 13th, 2008 at 7:33 am
    Where I’ve been - 2007 « Levite Chronicles said

    [...] Liz for letting me stop by on December 5 (Are you blogging for as many or as much?) and August 15 (Shaping the world in little [...]

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