Gillin's Guidance

Paul Gillin offers guidance to bloggers and future bloggers as well in chapter 11. Gillin is inspiring and authoritative in his advice, giving guidelines and warning to companies and individuals who are blogging or thinking about blogging. Through the chapter, appropriately entitled Next Steps, Gillin gives a few points to remember about the blogosphere.

Gillin uses Debbie Weil’s work and says to “blog or be blogged” basically what he is saying here is that even if you or your company chooses to stay away from blogging, someone is still likely going to talk about you online. When someone does talk about you, a blog is probably one of the best platforms to create a response. Also, if you don’t have a voice of you own in the blogosphere, you are likely to fade from peoples’ minds altogether. Beyond Weil’s advice, Gillin instructs asking a number of questions of the blogger before beginning a blog. I found myself answering the questions, too.
Gillin asks,
“Does my culture value transparency?
Are we good communicators?
Can we live with the commitment?
Do I believe that small markets are important?
Are you ready for a wild ride?”

I answered the questions as follows:
Yes! Transparency might be my favorite quality of social media!
I like to think that I am a good communicator, so I am going to say yes.
The commitment… honestly, I am not sure.
I don’t know very much about small markets, but I think that they are just as important as large ones.
A wild ride? I suppose… just let me buckle up?

I have a lot to think about and work on before I can have a successful blog. As this academic quarter comes to an end, I realize that I will now be completely and totally responsible for every topic I choose to blog about. In a way I am excited to explore all of my options, but then again, what if my blog just dies? Hopefully with all of the advice from the authors we have read this quarter and the instruction of my professor, I can be a great blogger.