Take Your Blog to the Next Level by Going Offline

When it comes to social change, we often talk about how the conversation should start online and move offline to better mobilize people for action. What I have noticed though, is that acting offline is great for you as a blogger. You can increase readership, develop better content, and create a stronger network by stepping offline. The reasons for this are pretty simple:

Not everyone blogs: Whenever I go to a conference or event I am often outnumbered by people who don’t blog very often. They may have a facebook or myspace but that’s usually the extent of it. So focusing solely on internet communities leaves out people with great ideas who may not be comfortable blogging to the extent that I am.

And the ones who do blog you’re probably not connected to: When I went to the Brazen Careerist get together in August, there were so many bloggers that I didn’t know even though we were all part of the same online community. I saw potential collaborations, got new writing tips, and walked away with a wonderful new set of contacts.

You think differently when face-to-face: I feel more pressure to actually know what I’m talking about. Unlike online when you can take your time to respond and collect your thoughts, you don’t have that luxury in person. You’ve got 20 seconds to pitch your blog or your idea. And if someone approaches you with a bad idea there’s no clicking the small X at the top of the box. You’ve got to engage.

When you get offline you become more inclusive and open yourself to more criticism and insight which are necessary to move your blog forward.  Not to mention making friends and professional contacts which are always beneficial!