BlogSwap Post: The Reasons We Blog

The following is a guest author post for the BlogSwap.  This post is a fantastic example of the most important part of blogging for the business blogger.  Please welcome Louise Fletcher of BlueSkyResumes to the stage.

Louise:

I've been interested in the recent discussion on the point of writing blogs, but I haven't seen anyone mention the one benefit I have derived above all others from my blogging. That benefit is a renewed clarity about who I am, what I have to offer my clients, and where I want to take my business in the coming years.

That wasn't my intent when I started to blog - my goal was to provide information and let job seekers get to know me and my business, hopefully generating more sales as a result. But something about the act of writing honestly and frequently has been immensely valuable, and while both of my current blogs are entirely focused on helping job seekers, they have actually helped me more.

I started my business as a 'resume writer' and I followed what everyone else was doing because I didn't know any better. Don't get me wrong - I am an excellent resume writer, and my team is better than 95% of the other resume services out there (Modesty is also a strength.) But we were not particularly differentiated, and our clients didn't find out how good we were until they saw the finished product.

Through blogging, I came to see that my interest and talent lies with more than just producing great resumes. I am much more interested in helping people navigate an increasingly changing job search landscape where a resume is less and less important, and the ability to write online profiles, build a positive web presence, keep yourself out of trouble on MySpace, and network on LinkedIn may be much more important than the beautiful 2 page documents we produce at Blue Sky Resumes.

I am now in the process of reshaping my business and my services to meet these new challenges and opportunities.  Maybe I would have come to this realization without blogging, but I'm not sure. Something about the act of writing crystallized and clarified everything, pulling disparate and fleeting thoughts into a coherent viewpoint I didn't even know I had.

I have made sales through my blogs, built a very useful business network, and met some great people... but far and away the most valuable benefit is one I had never anticipated.

Louise Fletcher is President of Blue Sky Resumes and founder/managing Editor of Career Hub , a job search advice blog featuring top resume writers, career coaches and corporate executives.