Is this of any interest?

The other day I was having coffee with two potential members/speakers and I told them about my blog challenge. Which, I honestly admit, is a little tough. I haven't quite held to my committed every other day challenge, but I am trying.

The reason it is tough is not because I don't have the time. Because you know we always have time, its simply what you make a priority to take up that time.

And its certainly not because I don't have any thing to say. If you have had the chance to meet me on one or more occasions, you know I rarely lack anything to say.

The big reason I think this is such a challenge is the same reason it is a challenge to communicate with association members -- what you are saying has to be important to the reader.

During this morning conversation, the question was posed to me, well, what other blogs do you read and why. Well, the answer is simple. I read blogs that are of interest to me. You wouldn't catch me reading a blog about the TV show "One Tree Hill" or "Laguna Beach". It just wouldn't happen. But now I love to read about what other association professionals, golfers or weather buffs are saying on their blogs. Why, because it is of interest to me.

When you begin a blog, you need to make sure there is someone or some group of people that will find your blog interesting. That is unless you just want to write to see yourself in print on the world wide web.

The blog is no more than another communication tool and it has to be well thought out and provide relevant information. The difference in this and any other tool is that, unlike your monthly magazine, it can be updated in real-time. And unlike your web site or e-news letter, it can create a two-way communication.

So, if you are taking the journey down the road of blogs and you are in association executive, you are in luck. You have the first part of the battle won. You have an instant audience that shares something in common with you. Go out there and create something worth reading and worth chatting about.