Mixing Business and Personal Blogs

J writes:

Do you ever find that something you wrote in your ranty personal blog has negative impact on your professional career?

This is a tough one and I'd have to say no - so far. The day my dad discovered my blog - ah, good times. I'd been personal-blogging for I think about 2 years and was single then and was of course living it up as any single guy would - granted not of any Paris 'Skank of the Bank' Hilton magnitude, but a bit more rambunctious than my upbringing.

Top Lies About Blogging

Few things excite bloggers more than talking about blogging. It's a trend I see a lot. Blogs about blogging. Seminars about giving seminars. Public speakers talking about public speaking. Podcasts about podcasting. Coaches coaching coaches. Newsletters about newsletters... anyway - the quickest way to hit a nerve with bloggers is to get a little iconoclastic. Ann over at Marketing Profs does just that with her post What's The Biggest Lie About Blogging.

A roster of folks chime in and here's a few of my favorites:

Sensei Seth: Oh for sure, it's this: That people care what you say. They don't. They care what they get.

BL: I've read a zillion times that if you have great stuff to say people will find you. But you're a needle in a haystack until you know how to promote. All the top bloggers are skilled and artful self-promoters.

Jeremy: You have to be an A-List blogger or there's no point.

And my additions:

1. It's hard to get started.
2. It's 'one more thing' to think about. (If you are any sort of professional keeping tabs on an industry should never run out of things to blog about.)
3. It replaces ezines. Tandem tandem tandem!
4. It has to be perfect out of the gate.
5. Blogs are new. (They are an extension and maturation of existing trends and technologies.)
6. Only the A-List matters.