Blogging's Biggest Business Effect

What is blogging's biggest effect on my business? A recent business survey made me critically rethink blogging's #1 biggest effect.

It's not more paid speeches, not the two book contracts, not more traffic, etc. - although those ARE effects I've seen.

It's the the enormous increase in networking -- and of course associated opportunities.

Maybe this should have been obvious to me. Of all the people I interviewed, many spoke about the networking opportunities.

• Bob Cargill listed it as one of his concrete reasons for blogging -- and it seems to have helped him big time in his brief search for a great job.
• Phil Gerbyshak describes blogging as "a natural relationship builder," and Phil believes strongly in the power of relationships.
• Robert Rosenthal blogs for better business relationship quality. There are some toxic clients and bad practices in his field, and he blogs about them, effectively driving away bad and attracting good clients.
• Christopher Salazar, a blogging intern when we spoke, was told to "network" but never how. Blogging made networking easy.

They do call it social media for a good reason! As the saying goes, "it's not what you know, it's who knows you" or something similar.

Bloggers know a lot of people, and a lot of people know them. In business, that's a BIG plus.

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Guest Blogger, Ted Demopoulos, blogs at The Ted Rap and is author of What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting.

Comments

[Tammy Vitale]

So are you the only gals? If not, howcome you only list men who are using blogs to get ahead? hmmmm? Hard to believe you only interviewed men in this day and age.

[T Demop, Blogging for Business]

Tammy,

I interviewed lots of guys AND gals too. The full list that appears in the book is available at www.demop.com/book.html. The four that spoke the most about networking and building relationships were guys and are the ones listed above.

[Monchster]

Blogging has become, in my opinion, the best tool in online marketing and networking. What other ways exist where you can interact with total strangers during odd hours in the night?

A friend of mine, who is an unpublished book author (blog.lacruzsite.com), came to me last week very excited because he has had 3 published book authors comment on his site and place his blog on their blogrolls. How else would he have been able to accomplish that?

Not only that, but one of the authors has actually volunteered to edit his 300 page novel for free. Awesome experience, and I'm very excited for him.

In this day and age, Blogging is a vital tool for success!

[Denise aka The Blog Squad]

I have to add my 2 cents here. I heartily agree that blogging is one of the best networking tools around. It came as an unexpected bonus. My initital thoughts were that it was all about marketing and creating relationships with your prospects and clients. Yet, from the perspective of building relationships with partners and friendships with colleagues, blogging can't be beat, especially for an introvert like me!

[T Demop, Blogging for Business]

I've been thinking about this a lot: "if I knew what a benefit networking would be, would it have effected my blogging or blog planning?"
I decided it wouldn't have, but am still not 100% sure!

[Delaney Kirk]

Hey, Ted mentioned me in his book and I'm a woman!

[Delaney Kirk]

Blogging has allowed me to "meet" people that I would never have otherwise. I love the learning community that blogging has created.