about a panel on blogging I saw.
About a month I was at a dinner at which a panel of experienced and well-known bloggers spoke. The audience was made up of mostly Internet marketing folks who do not blog.
Being there to see what was said and what was heard was an education in itself. When I left that night, I thought that disparity might be the most important “take away” that I had gained from the experience.
The experience. Note those two words.
The further I get from that night, the less I discuss the differences between what was said and what was heard and the more I repeat one comment made by a panel member it was Jory Des Jardins who said,
We blog about our experiences.
I agree. The best bloggers do that. They offer information that comes wrapped in the insight and wisdom they’ve gained from having “been there.”
We write about our experience of life, what we have learned, much like I am doing now. That’s how we help each other out.
That’s my “take away,” my insight, and my advice. Blog your experience.
Thanks Jory for your help on this one.
Hey Bmom,
Problogger did a post about things getting repetitive in all the blogging blogs. I was sad that he might actually be true.
This post offers a ray of hope though. The experiences which we each have are unique and will cure repetition.
I am glad that I have subscribed to your feed.
By the way, one more thing is learning from other’s experiences. If that person doesnt blog by himself, we can share it with our readers.
Hi Bson,
Darren is wise and observant to say that out loud. We need to read for our own view of the world if we are to be of value to each other. You are right. Maybe if we carry our uniqueness into our blogs we can make them something worthwhile. I learned from the experience of hearing Jory talk about her experience.
You have made my post more by explaining your experience in your comment here as well. 🙂
that’s what innside innkeeping’s all about… my experience… i try to articulate it in such a way that folks “get it”.
Even if we experience the “same event” we experience that event “differently”…. thereby not “repeating” necessarily… if we blog from experience 🙂
GP in Montana
Hi GP,
The experience of each person is a different learning and that is where the “cream” really is. How well you said that, GP. 🙂
Liz,
I’m so glad that something from that session resonated with you! I believe I was referring to how to appeal to bloggers, and how bloggers appeal to their readers. So often, marketers wonder, “How do I get so and so to write about my product?” without putting their product in the context of the blogger’s experience. I’ll never interrupt my blog to say, “Oh, by the way, Product X is really great!” I’m going to refer to the product because it somehow resonated with an experience that I want to share. Hence, the reason I always tell marketers to back away from the hard sell and push a good experience instead. GM had it right at BlogHer: Show them a good time–give these women the keys of the cars and let them take their friends out on a joyride. Let them create their own experiences, and you might just be a part of what they remember.
On a personal note: I can’t imaging pulling random info out of my back pocket. I’m just no good at writing significantly about something that didn’t personally affect me. Even if it’s someone else’s story. Hence, the difference between being a journalist and a blogger. For some there is no difference. But for me, it’s a bif one.
Again, Liz, glad to hear this resonated. And thanks!
Hi Jory!
Thanks for coming out and filling it what you said so well and so beautifully. It’s been on my mind since then and I’ve repeated it many times since then. I guess I knew it intuitively, but it was nice to hear it said out loud in a group by someone else.
It’s a pleasure to have you visit here. 🙂
Liz,
Experience is the one really unique thing that each person brings to the table. We can share similar knowledge but it’s the experience that makes you you and me me. That’s the heart of the “story”.
Without my experiences and memories I am no longer I.
You’re post causes me to ask this question: Am I an information pusher or a narrator of life?
Hi Dave,
I so like how you describe it. We build our lives and our “selves” from so many experiences and memories — some of the stories actually happened as we remember them, all of them are true for us as long as we believe them.
What a great question . . . I long to explore it myself.
Hi Liz
Experiences, that’s all that counts in life, not – to be able to grow? Even accepting ‘failure’ as growing ’tissue’ and sharing the experience by blogging about it makes you grow even faster I’ve noticed.
Something Adam Kayce (Monk at Work) mentions also in his recent post on blogging for clarity in your business.
Your post also reminds me of a recent discussion I had with Richard C – my mentor – about my ‘struggles’ with the weekly 60 seconds presentation during the BNI-meetings. His view: tell good luck stories, share how you experienced a problem your customer had and how you – thanks to your trade-experience – solved it for them.
Such a good point, Liz. When you and I talked last week, you said, “blog your experience,” within the first five minutes. I wrote that down, recognizing it as a gem, and I’ve been trying to go by it every time I post.
And thanks, Karin, for the mention!
Hi Karin!
I don’t know where my response to this went . . . [shrugs]
Telling stories is how people have learned since before we could read, since we first could talk. Oral histories . . . our experiences is another word for our lives.
Richard C. is a wise man, but we knew that. 🙂
Hi Adam!
Gosh every time you come by you remind me of something I want to say at SOBCon. How will I fit it all in?
You do that so well. I’ll wait here for the next installment, maybe you’ll tell me then. 🙂
I suppose that’s good advice seeing as how that Personal DNA test said I was a Benevolent Experiencer! 😉
Oh wow!
Mike you’ll have plenty to post about. I think with your wit and your life experience you’ll be a blogging maniac. 🙂
Yeah. The only problem is that the emphasis tends to fall on the word ‘maniac’. LOL
I’ll be getting back to blogging in earnest here shortly. I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time thinking through the whole concept of experience design and transformation design; seeing if I could synthesize dozens of different models into a manageable tool set. I think I’m finally on the cusp of succeeding, so now it’s time to throw some ideas out there and get some reaction.
Cheers,
Mike
Hi Mike,
Whoa! That’s quite a quest, but I think you’re more than up to it. I can’t wait see what it looks like when you start throwing those ideas. I’ll be ready to catch. 🙂