I just received word that some people I work with think that my blogging and tweeting is “weird”.  I’m not offended - in fact, I understand the perception.  They don’t use the technology, so they don’t “get it.”  They view it as all fun and games…Karlyn just playing around.  They don’t get that there’s more to it than that.

For all you non-believers, here’s a few of the things that I get from blogging and tweeting: 

  • I’m nationally known in my field because of blogging and tweeting.
  • I speak at most of the major higher ed web and marketing conferences - AMA Symposium, eduWeb, HigherEdExperts, Stamats, CASE conferences and (coming soon!) HighEdWeb - because of blogging and tweeting.  Because I speak at them, I also get to attend them (mostly for free) and learn from the other great speakers.
  • 100% of the clients I have through DoJo can be traced either directly or indirectly back to blogging or tweeting. I don’t spend a dime on marketing and have had to turn business away because of the amount of interest that comes in.  And believe me when I tell you that the paycheck I’m collecting from that business isn’t too shabby (not to mention a lot of fun work!)
  • When I interviewed for the adjunct faculty position for internet marketing at Champlain College, I talked mostly about blogging and tweeting and the benefits I’ve received from it.  I’ll be teaching my first class there this fall.   
  • I have connections to some of the most brilliant people in my field because of blogging and tweeting.  I know I say this a lot, but I learn from them every single day and they make me better at what I do. 
  • I don’t have to apply for jobs because of blogging and tweeting - I consistently have companies approach me because of the things I’ve written or the conferences I’ve spoken at or just generally the name I’ve built.
  • I get to teach.  I get to have influence.  I get to work on tons of cool projects. I only hope that all of you can achieve the professional satisfaction that I have because of blogging and tweeting.  

None of this happened overnight, and I certainly never expected all of this to happen when I first started. But here we are. I’m not doing it because it makes me feel like the cool kid - there’s a reason behind it.  So you may think I’m weird, or that it’s all just a big waste of time and energy. But I have a vast professional network, am making more than a little bit of money and have more professional opportunities than I can take advantage of.  If all that is weird, then I wouldn’t want to be normal. 

Do you blog or tweet?  What do you get out of it? Leave a comment!

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Hire Karlyn: Karlyn is the President & Principal Consultant of DoJo Web Strategy, a consultancy dedicated to helping colleges and universities to utilize the web in their marketing efforts. Find out how she can help your institution by requesting a proposal today »