Last week, I spent a twenty-four hr menstruum inward Bath at a Digital Essentials Masterclass organized past times the Society of Authors. I was partly drawn to going because the speaker inward the afternoon was Shoo Rayner, a children's author as well as illustrator whose weblog was ane of the really starting fourth dimension I followed agency dorsum when I was thinking nearly starting my own. I was chatting to Shoo inward the luncheon interruption as well as trying to pivot downwards precisely when that would convey been. H5N1 chip after I checked as well as I realized I'd merely missed my 10th anniversary equally a blogger ... my really starting fourth dimension postal service on this weblog was inward September 2006.
In Shoo's workshop, he reflected on his ain experiences equally a author inward the online footing - blogging, on social media, setting upwards his ain YouTube channel as well as fifty-fifty dipping a toe into the footing of crowdfunding. He spoke nearly experiences that had been rewarding, time-consuming, exciting as well as frustrating ... sometimes all at the same time. He also asked questions nearly how useful it had all been, particularly inward price of reaching his target audience, i.e. people who mightiness truly purchase his books. Which got me thinking nearly why I weblog as well as merely who my target audience is.
Why?
I intend the reasons I weblog convey likely changed over the years. Back inward 2006, I'd already been working equally a freelance author for a few years as well as although move was ticking along okay, it was a pretty lonely existence. Before the advent of social media, my contact amongst other freelance colleagues was express to a handful of freelancers who happened to move personal friends as well as a yearly view to the IATEFL conference. I spent most of my fourth dimension working away on my ain as well as I missed having people to chat to nearly work. So I initially gear upwards the weblog equally a agency of chatting nearly things that interested me professionally either to exercise amongst my actual move inward the plain of ELT or concerned amongst the labor of existence a freelance writer. Back then, I had no regard who mightiness read what I was putting out in that place - although I merely spotted that Diane Nicholls, a long-term, freelance colleague as well as friend commented on my really starting fourth dimension post, thank yous Diane!
Nowadays amongst enough of freelance as well as ELT chat going on via social media as well as to a greater extent than opportunities to encounter upwards inward individual through the likes of MaWSIG, the weblog has learn to a greater extent than of a infinite for writing nearly materials that's merely also long for Twitter or a Facebook postal service - it's to a greater extent than of an extension of my social media presence than an entity inward its ain right
Who?
So who reads my weblog ... who are yous reading this now?! (Answers inward comments welcome!) I know from comments - either on the weblog itself or via Facebook - that lots of my readers are those freelance colleagues who I approximate I was originally reaching out to. I'm e'er pleased to learn comments from people I've met at events or on instructor preparation courses. I also know that I occasionally learn by to accomplish dissimilar groups of people amongst specific posts. Sometimes I give a speak at a conference as well as position a link to my weblog at the cease of my slides hence I tin move write a follow-up postal service aimed at the folks who attended. From fourth dimension to time, I've also written posts nearly something connected amongst a detail group, such equally MaWSIG or BALEAP, as well as they've shared the postal service to a greater extent than widely. I approximate amongst each postal service I convey a detail target audience vaguely inward mind, but I also aim to move of involvement to anyone who mightiness occur to halt by.
So has it all been worth it? Have I ever got move remove equally a lawsuit of a weblog postal service ... likely not. Has it sold to a greater extent than copies of my books ... I really much dubiousness it. What it has done though is helped me to experience purpose of a community as well as to bring together inward the full general chat nearly my profession. I've lost count of the release of times that I've been talking to someone at an lawsuit as well as they've mentioned they've read ane of my weblog posts - it makes me experience to a greater extent than connected as well as hence long equally someone out there's interested inward reading my occasional ramblings, as well as hence I intend it's worth it.
Thanks for reading!
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