Why I Started Writing Blogs
In July 2016, I wrote my first blog on RKKoranteng.com. Earlier that year (June 2016), I made a big career decision to jump into independent consulting. I faced alot of challenges, mainly how to secure my first customer and how to market my capabilities. After months of hard work, I eventually landed my first project, however I was still unclear about how to promote my services. Fast forward a few months later, I figured the best way to market my capabilities was to establish my online brand and provide value to my online audience.
The First Year Was All About Getting Gutsy With My Approach To Blogging
My first year of writing blogs taught me that the way (certainly not the only way) to become a great blogger is to stop over-planning and just start writing. I remember the anxiety and over-planning that went into that first blog: I did not want to write too much, or too little, or too technical, blah blah blah. It took almost a month to finish writing that first blog because I was too concerned with trying to get everything perfect. Here are some valuable lessons I’ve learned (from my first blog to now):
- Write first and edit later, don’t do them at the same time
- Accept that you won’t get it perfect in the beginning
- Write as if you need to reference it in the future
In Year 2, My Blog Was On Life Support
Initially I posted my blog articles on a weekly schedule, or at least I tried to. I’ve struggled to find time towards writing, editing, and posting content on such a frequent basis. I’m not a full-time blogger (at least not yet), so managing the demands of customer projects while finding time to write consistently was a challenge. Rather than being inconsistent, I abandoned my weekly blog posts and switched to monthly posts. I did some experimenting to make my monthly blogs even more valuable than weekly blogs. I’ve noticed a few things after switching my blog post frequency:
- I’m able to post on a consistent basis
- I’m able to write and post more than one blog a month
- I have more time to experiment with writing ideas
- I’m able to do better quality assurance before posting
- I have time to focus on other things for my website, such as tagging or back-linking articles
Year 3 Is All About A Redefined Purpose
My reason for blogging has evolved: I’m no longer writing just to promote my services … I’m now on a mission to:
- Share what I’ve learned in technology and consulting so that others can benefit from my experiences, as well as avoid mistakes I’ve made.
- Provide sound advice to IT professionals looking to grow their career
- Continue to use my online presence (blogs and social media) to promote my consulting services
