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What Does Eight Years Of Blogging Get You?

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Eight years ago on this day in 2003, I started Blogging.

Here’s some basic info about what has transpired in eight years here at the Six Pixels of Separation Blog: over 2700 Blog entries, over 20,000 comments and over 270 audio Podcasts. If you have read or listened to only one percent of all of that content, you’ll know that both acknowledging this milestone or speaking about the numbers (how big/how many) is not my style. But, when I woke up this morning and saw the date notification in my Outlook, it gave me pause. It wasn’t a sense of pride or accomplishment, either. The only question that continually popped into my brain was: was all of this Blogging worth it? And, the answer is obvious: yes.

Yes it is.

Starting this Blog was (and still is) without the question the single most important thing I have done in my professional life. It has changed me. It has changed the way I learn and grow and it has changed how I think about the world (and business and marketing and media and beyond). In spending some serious time soaking in this anniversary, I listed out why Blogging was (and still is) the smartest thing I have ever done.

8 Reasons Why Blogging Still Rules:

  1. It’s slow. I’m in no rush. Most brand are. They think that Social Media is cheap, fast and easy. Blogging has taught me that nothing could be further from the truth. In 2008, I wrote a Blog post called, In Praise Of Slow, that evolved into a much longer and important piece of my first business book, Six Pixels of Separation and the idea still rings true. Blogging has taught me the merits of building true relationships between an audience and content… and that takes time. Lots of time and effort. As fast and simple as it is to publish content with a Blog, success with a Blog as an engine of Marketing is a slow process. And, like a great cup of tea, the process is worth it if you have the intestinal fortitude to see it through.
  2. Critical thinking. People like to think that Blogging is about the discourse (the comments, trackbacks, links, likes and tweets). While this makes up an important piece of the Blogging puzzle, the main reason I Blog is to publicly think about New Media and my media hacking ways. To be blunt: it’s a selfish act. The only part that isn’t selfish is that I publish it for the world to see, comment on and criticize. But (to be blunt again), that is selfish too, because everything that everyone tacks on to my Blog posts make me think more (and even rethink my initial positions). The simple act of Blogging forces me to think in a more critical way and to get that thinking down in writing. The writing part is (obviously) the hardest part of critical thinking. Putting your thoughts into words is not easy.
  3. The people you meet. People often talk about stepping away from the computer to enjoy the conversation and meeting of people in the real world (more on that here: The Real World). My Blog has allowed me to not only meet, but become very close friends with people I would have never met otherwise. When I was a kid, I often wished that someone at my school liked comics or martial arts as much as I did. Now, we take for granted how easy it is to meet and connect with fellow, like-minded individuals. I don’t take our connectivity for granted. Ever. Blogging has allowed me to meet and connect with people by removing the challenge of geography. While I don’t often get to press the flesh with certain individuals often enough, I enjoy waking up and hanging out online with friends like Seth Godin, Amber Naslund, Julien Smith, Hugh McGuire, Liz Strauss, Christopher S. Penn, Mark W. Schaefer, Hugh McGuire, Tamar Weinberg, C.C. Chapman, Arjun Basu, Joseph Jaffe, Tom Peters, Jeff Jarvis, Jay Rosen and countless other (just look at my Blogroll on the left for more or who I follow on Twitter or Facebook🙂 I have coffee with all of these people each and every morning – whether they know it or not.
  4. Writing (and reading) as art. This concept was really driven home to me after reading the book, Linchpin, by Seth Godin. Some people paint, some people scrapbook and others twiddle on a guitar in their basements. I write about business, marketing and media hacking. That is my art. For years, I thought it would sound either pretentious or ridiculous to say that writing about business is an art form. Well, this is my art. Take it or leave it.
  5. Personal branding. Really, it’s about reputation. It’s easy to say something. It’s easy to do something. It’s hard to build a real reputation that is based on who you truly are for the world to see. This Blog is as real as it gets. It has been a tool, platform and space for me to demonstrate how I think. I believe the results are reflected in how Twist Image (my marketing agency that I own with my three other business partners) has grown over the years. I also believe that there is no better resume than this Blog to define me. I wish more people understood the power of having a living and breathing ongoing publishing platform that allows you to demonstrate how you think, that anyone can access from anywhere.
  6. My place to go. I’m hooked on Arianna Huffington‘s line: "Self expression is the new entertainment." People often ask, "when do you find the time to Blog?" All I can think to myself is, "when do you find the time to watch half of the television shows and movies that you’ve watched?" By definition, I’m much more interested in active media than passive media. So, while you’re relaxing and watching a sitcom, I’m relaxing and writing a Blog post. This is my place to go. My Blog is my treehouse. This is where I go for fun.
  7. It keeps me regular. I made a commitment to publish six pieces of text-based content and one audio piece each and every week. You can use all the Metamucil you want, my Blog keeps me regular. Knowing that I am committed to creating and publishing this amount of content makes my ears perk up. It keeps me open to uncover new and interesting topics to discuss. The regularity and consistency of the Blog has forced me to keep that "nose for news" that I first developed when I started off in professional journalism during my late teens.
  8. It connects me to you. Think about life before Blogging. You would be waiting for a new book to come out or for a published piece in a newspaper of magazine. No more. Blogging connects me to you. You don’t need to read it every day and you don’t even need to leave a comment, and yet it still connects us (some more than others). I Blog in the hopes my thoughts resonate. I Blog in the hopes that it creates a level of discourse. I Blog because I’m tired of "top 10 reasons"-types of Blog posts. I Blog in an attempt to raise the bar. I Blog because it connects me to people like you… the exact kind of people I have been waiting my whole life to meet.

Why do you Blog? Better yet, why don’t you Blog?

53 comments

  1. Great post, Mitch and congratulations on 8 years of blogging. I’m a mere child because I’ve only been doing it for 6. But it has been a labor of love for me too. It has connected me to so many wonderful people and to know that 68,000 people have read my work is mind blowing.
    Here’s to your next 8 years of blogging, Mitch.
    Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
    Find New Customers

  2. Thank you for the post. For me, one of the biggest reasons to blog is that I need the outlet for self-expression. Which is why I love Arianna’s comment about self-expression being the new entertainment. Rarely does the script of a TV show hold a candle to the intricacies of real life. Good blogging is about being authentic and out there. It’s a cathartic experience.

  3. Congratulations Mitch!
    Can’t say enough how much I appreciate your blog and the podcast. It is a must read/listen if you want to keep up to date as a marketer and also to hear what’s coming next.
    Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge and here’s to many more years!
    Thanks again,
    Josh

  4. Mitch,
    I’ve only started enjoying your insights for the last year and mainly through the podcasts, but this is a good moment to acknowledge and appreciate your work and play.
    Thank you for encouraging thinking, introducing me to your friends and your perspective on media and our culture right now.
    Kathryn

  5. Great post Mitch.
    Every few months in a fit of business anxiety, I ask myself if the hour I just spent writing a blog post about market research is really worth it. Thankfully, sanity usually returns and I realize that the benefits of writing both personally and in business are not easily quantifiable and that maybe it is better that way. It keeps me on edge and, hopefully, engaged to take that next leap of faith when it is time to create something new.
    I love your reasons and I also like to think that a small part of my blog is about giving back to the community. Many people helped me get to where I am now and when I contribute to the conversation I am repaying that debt.

  6. Mitch, your blogging is inspiring both for its content and also for the window into how you think and what you think about. You are by far, the most consistently good blogger in this area.
    Your pace is amazing but I know when have gone through more consistent stretches of blogging that it’s hard work but certainly worth it.
    Thank you.

  7. Sincere thanks for this true portrait of the meaning of blogging. What a curious phenomenon, and what a wondrous opportunity! Your analysis of ‘eight years’ applies as well to anyone who blogs regularly. We may often question why, but never seriously.

  9. I blog for many of the same reasons you do. I’d have to say that there’s nothing that forces you to think more clearly than writing your thoughts down. And you’re right, it’s just a great ‘place to go.’ It’s fun.
    I’m really a late comer to your blog. I learned about it during the fall of 2010 when a good friend of mine gave me a copy of Six Pixels of Separation. I picked it up and couldn’t put it down. Any plans for another book? What could be better than a great cup of tea and a new book from Mitch Joel? You inform and inspire. Keep up the great work!

  10. OUTSTANDING & HIGHLY INSPIRATIONAL POST Mitch!
    Keep it up, your mission, your work gives a lot to many people.
    I’m just back from a fantastic weekend with Tony Robbins and reading this post gives me that extra motivation to do everything I have always wanted, including blogging!
    Congratulations, CELEBRATE as you deserve!

  13. Mitch,
    Since you are the CEO of the Can’t Take a Compliment Club, I will say that you, sir have helped me more than I can explain and you remain one of my daily motivators. You are a great friend and you lead by example. You have been gracious and helpful to me myself personally simply because you wanted to help and not for a shred of gain to you. Thank-you and congratulations!
    There, I said it, right in front of everyone.
    (Is he gone? Can we talk?)
    Mitch and I met when we were both in the music industry working very hard to look and be cool. Neither of us is sure to this day if we pulled that off but it was certainly a lot of fun. I saw Mitch for the first time in years in 2008 and he didn’t stand on ceremony or wait for my request, he just shoved me in the deep end of the pool.
    Mitch invited me to a dinner in April 2008 and when I say invited he simply told me the time and day and to be there. During the dinner, I met someone who I have done a bunch of with and my blog was born, or perhaps it was a shotgun wedding to mix metaphors. After the 5th person asked me how to find my blog of which I hadn’t even started or thought about starting, I began to think I may need to change that. What would I add? What would I say? Who would care?
    An hour after returning home that night, I started my blog. And I made the commitment that I would publish no less than three posts each week. In the last three years, my work has taken me on many dips and dives and detours but because I could hear Mitch say it almost daily, I have kept at it through 691 posts, 9,130 comments or mentions and for reasons that continue to baffle me, readers all over the world. It has been the single element of my personal journey that I have consistently kept up with in the last three years – period. Even on those days when I wasn’t feeling all that inspired, I wrote something.
    The act of publishing your musings on the interwebs even if no one is reading them is a powerful thing. If your audience consists of you and your dog, who cares! If you don’t know what to say, give it a shot. If you don’t think anyone will care, you do!
    But don’t be surprised when actual humans actually start to actually pay attention and you begin to find your voice. I promise you this, it can be one of the most liberating things you will do in your career.

  14. Mitch,
    Since you are the CEO of the Can’t Take a Compliment Club, I will say that you, sir have helped me more than I can explain and you remain one of my daily motivators. You are a great friend and you lead by example. You have been gracious and helpful to me myself personally simply because you wanted to help and not for a shred of gain to you. Thank-you and congratulations!
    There, I said it, right in front of everyone.
    (Is he gone? Can we talk?)
    Mitch and I met when we were both in the music industry working very hard to look and be cool. Neither of us is sure to this day if we pulled that off but it was certainly a lot of fun. I saw Mitch for the first time in years in 2008 and he didn’t stand on ceremony or wait for my request, he just shoved me in the deep end of the pool.
    Mitch invited me to a dinner in April 2008 and when I say invited he simply told me the time and day and to be there. During the dinner, I met someone who I have done a bunch of with and my blog was born, or perhaps it was a shotgun wedding to mix metaphors. After the 5th person asked me how to find my blog of which I hadn’t even started or thought about starting, I began to think I may need to change that. What would I add? What would I say? Who would care?
    An hour after returning home that night, I started my blog. And I made the commitment that I would publish no less than three posts each week. In the last three years, my work has taken me on many dips and dives and detours but because I could hear Mitch say it almost daily, I have kept at it through 691 posts, 9,130 comments or mentions and for reasons that continue to baffle me, readers all over the world. It has been the single element of my personal journey that I have consistently kept up with in the last three years – period. Even on those days when I wasn’t feeling all that inspired, I wrote something.
    The act of publishing your musings on the interwebs even if no one is reading them is a powerful thing. If your audience consists of you and your dog, who cares! If you don’t know what to say, give it a shot. If you don’t think anyone will care, you do!
    But don’t be surprised when actual humans actually start to actually pay attention and you begin to find your voice. It can be one of the most liberating things you will do in your career.

  15. Dear Mitch,
    I am probably the “latest comer” to your blog which I discovered via Mark Schaefer only a few months ago. I read it because it is enjoyable and insightful. I don’t comment often, but today I must.
    I am also a relative newcomer to blogging, and in fact our blogs have the same birthday. Exactly ONE YEAR ago today I published my first post. I had no idea what I was doing. I was not in the habit of reading others’ posts unless they came up in specific Google searches. That was clearly a mistake. I have read a lot of posts in the past year, and am committed to continue to do the same. Because even if we are not blogging in the same genre, I can learn a tremendous amount from reading not only the posts but the comments.
    Yesterday I started writing my “anniversary” post, which was going to be filled with lots of numbers (they aren’t all that big, but it still amazes me that ANYONE outside my close family and friends takes the time to read, and to comment) but now I know that I need to put a little more of myself into the post that I will publish later today. Thanks for inspiring and educating me; and showing me how to keep things real in blog communication.

  16. Congratulations. Truly. I am relatively new to blogging, but I agree with your comments and enjoy your insights. They are thoughtful and honest. For myself, as a writer, I’m still trying to balance the push and pull of marketing with building a business that reflects my own inner voice. I don’t think I’m winning. I feel I spruik more than reflect – thrust more than rest in the moment to revolve a thought and consider it well – and yet I know inherently that truth is deeper than a smear of market-speak. I’m sure my blogging voice will mature beyond the lure of tweetdom. Your voice and conscience is well appreciated. As is your tenacity. Barbara Grace

  17. Mitch,
    Congratulations on eight years! As a fellow blogger I know that is no small accomplishment.
    I always laugh when potential clients say, “Well I’ll just start a blog and people will flock to my site.” So naive.
    You’re so right, blogging is a slow drip strategy that takes so much time and effort it’s really more for ‘the blogger’ than it is for the ‘the audience’.
    Anyway, keep on rocking in the free world, love the posts,
    Mike

  19. Thank you so much for writing this post. Just when I got tired and completely blocked for great content, you reminded me how far I’ve come and how much there is ahead of me. I have only been blogging since February 2009, so I am just a novice compared to the rest of you. But when I started my journey, little did I know it would transform the way I work, the way I write, the people I am able to meet, and the way I look at myself and the world around me. It’s addictive. I can’t wait to get to my 8th anniversary.

  20. Love the post, Mitch, as I do most of yours. I am particularly moved by #6. I am a fairly new blogger and I get that question all the time. “Where do you find time to write?” And your answer is the perfect metaphor, it is my treehouse, it is where I go. Love your stuff and your style.

  21. Mitch – Congratulations! I have been reading your blog regularly (like, I never miss a post) for well over a year. Over that same time period, I became an avid reader of blogs and I am slowly stepping into the waters with my own blog (slowly being the operative word!) Just want you to know that you make a huge impact.
    I sometimes ask myself why I find your blog so compelling – I am not a player in the social/digital/marketing industry. But of course I am a citizen of the 21st century, and your insights have everything to do with how to live in this new world regardless of occupation. Yes, that’s it. I also appreciate all that you share. (I look for the 6 Links post every week.) And finally, you clear the blogging path and lead the way. You show us how it is done (and you share). “My blog is my treehouse”! What fun! So anyway, I just want to say thanks for all that you do.

  22. Great post! I am still new to blogging – my first post was April 16, 2009. I sometimes wonder why I do it, but I just love sharing information. I am a Registered Dietitian, so I am constantly learning, but I want to help people lead healthier lives, so I find blogging is a great way to get that information out. I can see what you mean about being “selfish” because I do it for my clients, for strangers, etc. but I also love doing it!
    Thanks for the motivation to keep blogging!
    Steph
    http://www.nutrishus.blogspot.com

  23. Mitch,
    Congratulations on eight years of blogging! And, thank you, thank you, thank you for concisely pinpointing the reasons why you blog – and others should too.
    I work for a company that helps writers develop and publish nonfiction books. This includes utilizing social media and many of our clients, including writers we meet during workshops and at book events, resist social media and blogging. They really don’t understand why they must do it. The reasons you listed in this post, particularly numbers 2, 5 and 8, explain the motivation and need perfectly. I blog about similar subjects, but you accurately and authoritatively proved it here. I’ll be sharing your post with our clients!
    Cheers,
    Danielle

  24. I identify with all of your reasons so completely, but most especially the critical thinking part. I use the writing process to suss out my own views on things, but I welcome the perspectives that my readers bring to the table, because they so often challenge me in a good way. If you get nothing else from blogging than the ability to see other perspectives (whether you ultimately agree or not), then you’re doing really well. It’s one stepping stone to building greater awareness and compassion.
    Congratulations on your milestone. Those of us who are far behind you are grateful for you and others who’ve blazed the trail.

  25. Hi Mitch,
    I’ve been reading your blog since I read your book, shortly after it was published.
    I not only learn a lot of content,but I have a very clear sense of having gotten to know you, the person providing the content. And I’ve grown to like the person providing the content.
    Thanks for taking the time to provide me with useful content in a way that allows you to shine through. You seem like a great guy.
    Morty

  26. Re: Adriana H. – Self expression is the new entertainment….sure, it’s like masturbation is the new sex…

  28. I’ve got a little over 5 years under my belt blogging, and have slowed down a bit but I still love blogging. I love to write and tried my hand at fiction which was an utter and complete bust but writing on my blog, I love. I also love that I’ve made friends from all over the world through my words and pictures. To me it is an extension of the idea of “pen pal”. In fact I still write to my pen pal from 1972 and we have never met. Blogging, for me, has evolved from that. I actually started my blog June 2006, just after the sudden and tragic death of my best friend in March ’06 and a month before the death of my sweet mother. The blogging, writing, helped me to reach out and to express my feelings on the losses.

  29. I’m sitting on holiday in my hotel room in Paris. I check 3 things daily. The Globe and Mail for headlines back home; the weather in Oakville to see if my basement may be leaking; and this Blog. Keep up the great posts.

  30. I appreciate the value of content marketing for you in general – both personally and professionally – but I’m neither an active blog/comment-poster nor am I likely to ever work with you; the benefit is, evidently, entirely one-sided.
    I would therefore like to thank you for everything you have done and the enjoyment you’ve given me and will – fingers thoroughly crossed – continue to give. Both your blog-posts and your podcast are consistently wonderful and rarely fail to bring a grin to my face.
    [I once had a charming old teacher who proclaimed his best friend was the 16th century philosopher Michel de Montaigne, a person to whom he could always turn for good, pertinent advice and thought-inspiring nuggets of wisdom. I still feel that he is bonkers, but possibly have a much better understanding of what he may have meant.]

  31. Haven’t had time to come by like I did in the past Mitch. Still listen to most of your podcasts and you still inspire me. Grats on 8 years and I always have appreciated your candor. And even on the occasion we have different views on things I always respect what you have to say.
    Cheers!

  32. Fantastic post Mitch. We all certainly appreciate you taking the time. I likewise blog for selfish reasons. Mostly as an outlet and opportunity to flex my vocabulary, but also to create a record of experiences that my hockey-playing kids may want to look back on one day.

  33. Mitch .. Whether you are an industry veteran or just starting out, your blog is a must read! Congrats on 8 years!

  34. Congrats Mitch, entertaining and insightful as usual (I won’t say as always because we all have bad or off days) 🙂 You have few of them. Kudos to the commitment. Bets wishes for the next 8 years. Cheers

  35. I think you just inspired me to get credentials in journalism! My goal is to blog at least once a week, I’ll strive to achieve this and more. Thank you for the inspiration Mitch!

  36. Hi, Mitch… you’re definitely a respected source of inbound marketing pursuits and many industry connections along the way. I first saw you at the Calgary Art of Marketing in 2010 and have tried to engage with your message and viewpoints ever since. Congrats on the milestones 🙂

  37. Blogging is definitely a selfish act. I write a blog about learning to program, because I’m learning to program. I write entries to rehash and explain code, so that I personally understand it better. I also hope for comments from more or less experienced programmers. I want to connect with that audience.
    I want to help other would-be beginning programmers so they can see where I made mistakes and learn from them. In the end, I just want to learn to program. Nevertheless it’s changed my life. It’s made me more constant, and given me a greater passion for writing. Honestly, how many bloggers out there do it purely for unselfish reasons?

  39. Congratulations Mitch – that’s quite a milestone. I still have a few months before my 8th blogging birthday, but many of my own reasons blogging still rules mirror the list you’ve shared. Keep on blogging.

  41. Well written. I don’t blog, well not professionally. My job is to go out, find, read, glean and report back. And so I came upon a post via twitter http://www.mckeay.net/2011/10/04/write-to-learn-learn-to-progress/ that lead me here and the end result is I grab the link, email it to the boss along so he can read it on the plane tonight traversing from West Coast client to East Coast office.
    Which doesn’t really answer why I don’t blog does it? I don’t blog because I work for a tech company and I don’t do any tech stuff, and I don’t know how. So I’m smart enough to keep my mouth shut and my fingers still 🙂
    But I’m hoping this article and the one that brought me here will help remind the techies why it is important to keep up the blogging even when they are “too busy working”

  42. I love that you’re addressing the non-obvious and monetary benefits of blogging. Yes, I get a small amount of business from my blog. No, no one actually pays me for all of the time and effort I put into entertaining and informing my audience of 3 people who aren’t directly related to me. But would I give it up? No way. It makes me a better, stronger, more thoughtful person in so many ways.

  43. Thanks for sharing your blogging journey; you made some very interesting comments. I agree you can’t rush blogging it needs time to develop and build trust with your audience. I think this post is really inspirational and I will be sharing this with my internal and external bloggers. Hopefully inspiring them to continue their own blogging journeys and unique styles.

  44. congratulations for 8 years you help a lot you move lives and because of passion and love of blogging youve got all years suceed and I hope i can like that years

  47. This is an inspiring blog for me. I am just getting into the world of blogging and its quite a bit more challenging than I expected. I have been wondering would it all be worth it one day. Im glad that after 8 years you are happy you started blogging. I like that you set deadlines for yourself. I need to do that and stick to them. Its just too easy to brush them off and not blog.

  48. Congratulations on your eight years of blogging. This is a very inspiring post and it gives me the courage to keep on blogging! I really like the first point; in order to truly build an asset online it requires a lot of dedication, time and effort. Things just don’t happen over night. Keep up the good work and am glad to have connected with you!

  49. great post – I really subscribe to all the elements you have mentioned. I was at a seminar last week were the speaker – a renowned blogger said ‘blogging is dead’ its been over taken by twitter and facebook. This was demonstrated by the reduced levels of comments on blog articles. Do you think this is the case? Is blogging dying?
    Personally I disagree, for the reasons you have outlined above, Twitter and facebook can never replace good quality blogging content.

  50. Congratulations on eight years of blogging. This is my first visit here and I am truly inspired by your content, commitment and consistency. As a both a student and teacher of business blogging, I find your insights extremely useful. Like you mentioned. I am glad to have made yet another connection with a like-minded individual. I look forward to learning more.

  51. First off – Congrats on 8 years of blogging!
    I just started blogging. I’ve done it on and off over the years… but I’m only now growing into content that could actually influence someone. Over my teen years where I used it as a platform to complain about anything and everything.
    It’s so rewarding. It’s a way to put my thoughts down into something that makes sense and allows me to learn more about myself and how I feel. It is also a platform to share whatever interesting tidbits of knowledge that come my way.
    Anyway, enough rambling! I love this post and wish you all the best in the future!

  52. I share your sentiments completely on the joys of blogging. My blog is also my tree. I hardly watch TV, I prefer expressing myself through creative writing. Occasional movies are great too, but yes blogging tops it. I’m at my 4th year and your post has just boosted my motivation to continue blogging. Thank you for the great post!

  53. I should thank you for posting this post. It takes me a lot of time to look for topic similar to this but I arrived at your post which if the one I’m looking for. It actually gave me a lot of information and idea.

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