by M Kayo

Created on: November 07, 2009

The world is now your neighborhood

The internet, social media and blogging are literally altering our social reality. The days of sitting out on the front porch and casually speaking with your neighbors as they stroll through the neighborhood on a cool evening seem a distant memory for most Baby Boomers. That neighborly experience is a completely foreign concept to post-boomers. There's an old saying, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." People still need to connect with other people. The internet, in particular, a weblog is the modern version of social interaction. Today, rather than talking to your neighbor, you go online and "blog". Fortunately, the internet has leveled the playing field. Influence and the sharing of information has been democratized.

First things first - finding your passion

OK, so you know what a blog is, and you've decided to make money with your blog. You've got all the technical stuff nailed down, or at least you've hired some competent techie to do this for you. So now what? Well, it's time to start asking some serious questions of yourself. What are you passionate about? What really cranks your soul? Where do you spend most of your time and effort? For what would you absolutely, positively get up out of bed in the middle of the night? It seems so simple, right?

Sometimes the simple things are the hardest things

Get a pad and paper, find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for an hour or so. This is the simplest and the most difficult part of starting a blog. Write down anything that comes to mind, no rules. If it pops into your head, write it down on the list. Write down things that you know a great deal about. Write down things you love to write about. Write down the things that make your heart soar. When you get that done, start asking yourself if there might be an audience for what you're passionate about. Ask yourself if you can bring a unique angle to a particular subject. Here's a secret - the answer is "Yes, you can". You are uniquely qualified to write, discuss, debate and share your thoughts on a particular subject.

For example, let's say you like the Doobie Brothers. You have all their albums, you've been to most of their concerts over the years, you even have a friend of a friend who knows Michael McDonald. You have a passion for all things Doobie. Guess what, they already have an official website. But I'm betting you could interact with other fans, share experiences, stories, album reviews, commentaries, even what song lyrics have meant to you over the years. What were you doing when Takin' it to the Streets came out in 1976? What was your world like then? You could write endlessly about something for which you are passionate. That's what a blog is, basically. Simple, yes. Difficult, yes - at first. Worth doing? Absolutely!

What are you waiting for? Go get your pad and pen, start making the list. Don't do anything else, do this first. Make it a priority. If you are really serious about making money with your blog, and you're willing to invest your time and effort consistently toward this blog, then you will be successful. What success? Well, you have to define what that means to you. For you it might mean building a name, readership and eventually monetization. For you it might simply be the experience of sharing a passion with others.

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