This is a very good question. I’m glad you asked! 😉
Let’s think about the ways you communicate with people about what you do.
You…
talk about it in person
show, practice and demonstrate in person
share photos/recordings of it on social media
display, sample or perform it in person, on your website, on a t-shirt, bumper sticker, sign…
And those are all great ways to spread the word about what you do and how well you do it.
However... They all have one downfall: they’re fleeting.
Meaningful? Yes. Sincere? Absolutely. Enlightening? You betcha. But once they’re experienced… they’re gone. There’s no tangible record that you ever had that conversation/answered that question/made that impression. Chances are it only touched a few eyes/ears/noses or taste buds anyway and, worse yet, it no longer exists. No one can experience it in an hour or next week or a year from now. Like time itself, the moment passes and only a memory remains.
Thank goodness that technology has solved this issue of your promotional interactions vanishing into thin air! For long-lasting and far-reaching results, it's blogging to the rescue!
A blog post, my friend, is forever - or well, for MUCH longer than any of the types of interactions listed above. It’s a conversation you have once, then share with countless people over the course of time. You can link to it as part of a bigger conversation about what you do. You can share it with people you know in an email or via social media. You can use it to document your expertise in your creative pursuits. Because a blog post is tangible and committed to writing, it has wings - all you need to do is nudge it out of the nest.
Best of all, people can find a blog post on their own when searching for (key)words and phrases that describe what you do. You know when you type a question into your browser bar, like, “Who played Klinger on M*A*S*H? or, “What do groundhogs eat?” or, (hopefully for me,) “How can I monetize my hobby?” If a blog contains content that matches the words used in an internet search, it’s more likely to show up in the searcher’s results - and that’s a great, organic way for your website to be discovered by people out of your direct sphere of influence. (More about search results in a future post, or guide - I promise. It’s a juicy subject and too much for this post if I want to keep it concise.)
As part of your website, a blog benefits you in a couple additional ways. Because fresh content (for example a blog post) raises a website's rank in search results, a regular blogging practice helps ensure that your site doesn't grow stale and fall off the internet's "radar." Blogging also serves as a highly effective way of leading people to your online "front door" where you have the opportunity to welcome them to look around and discover what your website offers.
Think of a blog as a repository of conversations you’ve had about your creative passion. It’s an ideal way to distill your who, what and why so people can get to know what motivates your creativity. And that’s the ultimate goal of any marketing effort - nurturing a familiarity, fondness and faith in you and your brand.
I recognize that, as a writer, blogging comes naturally to me, while it may not to you. That's why I offer blogging services among my professional services. I'm adept (if I do say so myself) at capturing your "voice" so, although not written by you, blog posts written by me will authentically express your own unique style and persona. To discuss my blogging service - and other ways we can partner to promote your creative brand - check out my Work With Me Here Page.