I went to two holiday parties last night. I’m an extreme introvert, so I really don’t like going to parties unless I think that someone I know will be there. The biggest benefit of being a popular blogger, though, is that now when I go to nonprofit events, people know me. I don’t have to know them. Blogging has given me a reputation that speaks for me even when I’m not standing right in front of someone. And the best thing you can do for your nonprofit career is to make sure lots of people know who you are. That way, when a juicy job opportunity or leadership role comes open, a bunch of people will be thinking of you as the perfect fit. That’s when you know you’ve got a great personal brand.
No one knew who I was until I started a blog. At the first holiday event, I was talking with someone who said something along the lines of, “first you were working at the Nonprofit Roundtable, then you just exploded into this huge voice.” Even people who knew me from working with me at my organization didn’t really “see” me until they saw my thoughts being posted online. I was the Director of Development for a reputable nonprofit with a Master’s degree, yet many people mistook me for my boss’ secretary. When I would attend events hosted by my organization, people would ask me how long I had been an intern. It irritated the hell out of me.
At the second holiday event, I walked up to two ladies and introduced myself. They said, almost in unison, “we know who you are. We follow you on Twitter.” We fell into easy conversation like friends instead of that awkward moment of when you first meet a stranger. I met other people throughout the evening that I didn’t really know that well. One guy introduced me as a “dynamic young woman, a truth teller for the sector.” I couldn’t have asked for better promotion of my personal brand than my blog readers and Twitter followers. They blow my horn so I don’t have to.
Lots of people ask me how I started blogging and how I was able to build a great reputation online. I will tell you three of my own stories and then share one from a new nonprofit blogger that I think we all can learn from.
Get Your Own, Self-Hosted Domain
I started blogging in 2007. Just seven months into it, I had already reaped a ton of benefits, like being featured in the Chronicle of Philanthropy and blogging for the Stanford Social Innovation Review. I first launched my blog using Blogger at fromthepipeline.blogspot.com. It’s still up so you can see what I started out with. I kept it simple. The content was what was most important. In 2008, I switched to my own domain at rosettathurman.com and started using Wordpress with Yahoo Hosting. When I looked at my blog stats with Google Analytics, most people were already searching for my blog by typing in my name anyway. If I were to start a blog today, I would have had my own domain from the beginning. I would use Wordpress for sure, and forget Yahoo for a host. They suck. Use BlueHost instead. They rock. Also, having a dot.com instead of a blogspot.com or wordpress.com at the end of your blog address makes it easier for readers to find you. If you don’t understand anything I just said, you should visit the WeAreMedia blogging toolbox for a neverending list of fantastic resources to help you get started. For even more info on blogging, read Problogger and Copyblogger. They rock, too.
Blog Under your Real Name
I thought about blogging anonymously at first, especially after writing this post, which created a firestorm of comments and emails that were quite overwhelming to me at the time. But being anonymous would have defeated the entire purpose of blogging for personal branding. If no one knew who was writing the articles, I would have reaped absolutely no benefit to my professional reputation. Plus, I had to learn how to stand up for my ideas no matter what people said about me. That’s part of being a leader. It remains my greatest leadership experience that I’ve had through my blog.
Don’t Worry About Your Employer
When I first started my blog, I was also worried if my employer would disapprove. Which is another reason why I thought about blogging anonymously. I work for a membership organization, and many of my ideas and strong opinions don’t always exactly mesh with theirs. Turns out I was getting my panties in a bunch for nothing. When my boss saw my blog mentioned in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, he was thrilled. When the article with my picture came out, he sent a note to all of our members and the board. He was proud to have me as part of the team and he respected the fact that I had my own voice. I also suspect that the perception of my popularity or reputation in the nonprofit field made it easier for me to get several raises and the opportunity to travel around the country for professional development opportunities. My organization was more willing to pay for them, I think, not only because they wanted to keep me happy as an employee, but also because they perceived that I was worth it.
Should you start a blog? Yes, if you want to use it to build your personal brand. No, if you just want to use it to complain about your life and only talk about personal issues that will not show off your expertise in your field. Stick to Myspace or Facebook for that. Also (and everyone will not agree with me on this), don’t start a blog if you’re not going to have an opinion on anything. People will read you because they want to get information, but also because they want to know what you think. I’m tired of reading vanilla blogs that sound like all the posts came from vanilla press releases.
Meet Jessica Journey
Everyone should check out Jessica Journey’s blog on nonprofit leadership. She is a young, professional woman, thriving in the Indianapolis nonprofit sector. Her current position is in the Development Office at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis. As a full-time student, she is completing her Master of Public Affairs with a Concentration in Nonprofit Management. Learn more about Jessica here.
I found Jessica’s blog through one of my Google Alerts I have set up to inform me whenever someone posts an article on nonprofit leadership. She developed her blog to share her experiences in the nonprofit sector, and she is definitely doing it RIGHT. I asked Jessica to do a quick interview for this week’s personal branding series, and here she shares her experiences with using her blog to build her personal brand.
How has your blog helped you build your personal brand?
I view my blog as one tool (of many) for building my personal brand. Each tool has its place in the building process. The blog demonstrates that I am knowledgable about my field and can think critically about interesting issues. The blog itself indicates that I value the effective use of technology. The blog’s dynamic nature allows me to constantly shape and mold my personal brand.
The very process of developing the blog (and website) has forced me to answer some critical questions about my personal brand. For example, what are my areas of expertise? That is, am I writing enough about particular topics: diversity or organ donation or fundraising? And, what is the quality of my writing and ideas – in comparison to others writing about similar topics? Another important question: what is my style or tone of voice? Am I always going to provide “the right answer” to the problem? How much of my personal life am I going to reference? How do I effectively express my perspective?
How have you used your blog to enhance your nonprofit career?
- It has helped me gain new contacts – like yourself! Also, a business professional in my city found me via LinkedIn, but it was my blog that convinced him to contact me. This person is the key to a specific job prospective for my Spring graduation.
- It has helped reinforce prior contacts. For example, a former colleague was flattered when I asked her to review the blog and webpage design. She offered some helpful feedback. Then, it was quite easy to reconnect over coffee.
- I’ve been able to highlight work that I am doing with others. People enjoy being blogged about!
- The blog has made me more accountable to staying informed about the latest hot topic in the news or the most recent research article. It is motivation for advancing my professional knowledge.
- The blog has increased the number of questions I get from friends and acquaintances about the nonprofit sector. I have received more (than normal) requests for small consulting jobs. (I credit this to always posting on Facebook about my latest blog post.)
- Developing the blog has increased my knowledge about website design and internet traffic. These are more skills to offer to an employer.
I hope mine and Jessica’s stories will encourage other young nonprofit leaders to blog. It can be a tremendous asset to your career. The only way to find out is to start. Right now.
Photo credit: Metropolis Creative
I’m blogging every single day this month for 31 Days of Giving to celebrate my 27th birthday on December 31 and asking all my friends to donate $27 to benefit the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Washington DC. Will you give? Your gift would really make a difference for young nonprofit leaders in DC!
Hi, Rosetta! It’s a pleasure to consider you a colleague! Your blog is an inspiration to me. I have been considering the domain name switch, and I will be checking out BlueHost this weekend. Thanks for this piece of advice, and thank you for inviting me to do the interview! Jessica
You echo my thoughts exactly Rosetta. As a fellow introvert, I love what blogging and Twitter can do and have done for my personal brand.
It’s a great excuse to interview and talk to interesting and experienced people that I might otherwise make excuses for not approaching. “I have a blog about nonprofit capacity and engaged citizenship, would you mind me interviewing you for an upcoming post?”
As for using your real name, my last name -Isakson- is a pain to remember and spell. When I named my blog, I selected something that was easy to remember and obvious -”Trina’s Nonprofit Blog”. Most direct searches for my blog come from my blog name rather than my full name.
@Jessica – I love your “About Me” details. That’s a part of my site I haven’t done yet, and your resume-like layout appeals to my linear self. Thanks for the inspiration!
@Rosetta – now that you also have .org for your new consulting brand, is your intent to move everything over from your .com? Any reason why you didn’t stick with your .org and just rebrand it?
@Rosetta – oops, meant stick with your .com and rebrand.
@Jessica – Thanks for sharing your experiences with my readers!
@Trina – Good question – if I had imagined doing consulting from the beginning, I would have put everything under my dot.com, but now I don’t want to rebrand my blog. I still want to write about the same topics here and not lose readers by having them go to another site. My .org site is not actually going to be a blog, it’s to just a website meant to capture potential clients. Lessons learned!
Thanks for sharing this, Rosetta–some of my experiences have been very similar, particularly the shared experience that some of the more ‘controversial’ pieces are those that attract the most interest and buy-in from readers. And I’m glad you profiled someone else, too, both to build others’ brands and because it makes your experiences seem more generalizable. I wish you all the best in your exciting future endeavors!