As oDharma gifts me with new opportunities for dialogue I find myself more and more communicating with people my beliefs that a website has to stay dynamic – and that a great way to do that is through blogging. This is true regardless of the purpose of the website – it is true for personal websites and business websites alike. If you are publishing content online you are probably trying to reach and get a message out to people (even though you may not yet know what that message is, yet).
Though publishing online is relatively easy to do (thanks to WordPress, affordable Linux-based hosting, search engine traffic, etc.) – reaching people remains a formidable challenge. There are numerous indicators that can tell you that people have visited and even spent some time at your website. But only a very small fraction of those people will actually make contact with you – and only through direct contact (such as comments, email communications, etc.) will YOU be able to experience “reach” (or failure to reach!). Most of the time you may feel as if you are talking to no-one.
When our actions are rooted in our sense of purpose – they are their own reward. For example, my writing about Yoga is fueled with a purpose of sharing and preserving teachings I have received. Writing and then publishing a post about Yoga is it’s own reward regardless of who else it may reach. But the very act of publishing gives birth to another subtle craving – to actually know that I’ve reached someone. That craving is rarely satisfied. If I do (and I do) falter and seek satisfaction (for example – by looking at my website visitor statistics information) – I usually end up disappointed and with diminished motivation to continue writing.
I constantly remind myself that writing is an intrinsic movement – it comes from within me and satisfies something within me. That awareness from within is like a magical fuel-tank that can keep me going on and on and on. My writing engine stutters when I put in a lesser fuel like social recognition and appreciation.
I believe that the “reach-trap” is even bigger for businesses. A business-website is usually created as a means for generating business leads – a higher level of engagement – reaching people AND prompting them to act. This can easily lead to questions like “What should I write about to convince people to do business with me?”. This is a slippery slope that can quickly lead away from flowing, honest & purpose-filled writing to burdensome, superficial & manipulative writing. It literally defeats purpose (of writing and business).
Good, sustainable, interesting, engaging, passionate writing comes from within. It is an expression and exploration of purpose. It takes vigilance, discipline and a shifting balance to stay in tune with an inner movement that takes on external expression. Blog first and foremost from yourself and for yourself; let it reveberate free of expectations; and stay open to experience anything and everything that may bounce back as it truly is: a pleasant surprise.
Blog for Yourself
As oDharma gifts me with new opportunities for dialogue I find myself more and more communicating with people my beliefs that a website has to stay dynamic – and that a great way to do that is through blogging. This is true regardless of the purpose of the website – it is true for personal websites and business websites alike. If you are publishing content online you are probably trying to reach and get a message out to people (even though you may not yet know what that message is, yet).
Though publishing online is relatively easy to do (thanks to WordPress, affordable Linux-based hosting, search engine traffic, etc.) – reaching people remains a formidable challenge. There are numerous indicators that can tell you that people have visited and even spent some time at your website. But only a very small fraction of those people will actually make contact with you – and only through direct contact (such as comments, email communications, etc.) will YOU be able to experience “reach” (or failure to reach!). Most of the time you may feel as if you are talking to no-one.
When our actions are rooted in our sense of purpose – they are their own reward. For example, my writing about Yoga is fueled with a purpose of sharing and preserving teachings I have received. Writing and then publishing a post about Yoga is it’s own reward regardless of who else it may reach. But the very act of publishing gives birth to another subtle craving – to actually know that I’ve reached someone. That craving is rarely satisfied. If I do (and I do) falter and seek satisfaction (for example – by looking at my website visitor statistics information) – I usually end up disappointed and with diminished motivation to continue writing.
I constantly remind myself that writing is an intrinsic movement – it comes from within me and satisfies something within me. That awareness from within is like a magical fuel-tank that can keep me going on and on and on. My writing engine stutters when I put in a lesser fuel like social recognition and appreciation.
I believe that the “reach-trap” is even bigger for businesses. A business-website is usually created as a means for generating business leads – a higher level of engagement – reaching people AND prompting them to act. This can easily lead to questions like “What should I write about to convince people to do business with me?”. This is a slippery slope that can quickly lead away from flowing, honest & purpose-filled writing to burdensome, superficial & manipulative writing. It literally defeats purpose (of writing and business).
Good, sustainable, interesting, engaging, passionate writing comes from within. It is an expression and exploration of purpose. It takes vigilance, discipline and a shifting balance to stay in tune with an inner movement that takes on external expression. Blog first and foremost from yourself and for yourself; let it reveberate free of expectations; and stay open to experience anything and everything that may bounce back as it truly is: a pleasant surprise.