The Power of Blogging

Most of us who spend a lot of time on the internet have a blog that we read often due to the interesting and informative content the blogger provides. Some of these blogs could be forums for entertainment, gossip, news or even industry expert opinion

Most bloggers who run the blogs we follow do it for fun while others are industry experts in various fields who analyze or offer commentary on issues concerning their industry of interest.

I personally read a lot of blogs with aviation content due to my interest in the industry. Usually am puzzled by the informed analysis that some of the bloggers provide. A number of them are consultants with lots of years of experience in their lines of expertise. These bloggers to some extent have used their blogs to sell their expertise and skills to the world. In some cases blogs have been transformed to fully fledged websites providing specialized information and/or industry news.

Blogging can be used as a way of letting the world know about your skills and experience and also raising your profile as an industry analyst/commentator. A well planned, regularly updated blog with objective content can open up a window of opportunities to the blogger.

There is a lot involved with blogging but the benefits that could accrue from it could be massive.

Below are some guidelines on how to set up a blog:

• Blogs are easy and free to set up. The two most popular blogging sites are WordPress and Blogger. If you prefer to privately host your blog there is an annual hosting fee involved and you can seek some advice from the blogging site support team on how to go about it.

• Whether you plan to blog for fun or to offer expert opinion on any issue; you need to define your subject and target audience. Your subject of choice has to be about something you’ll enjoy writing about so that you don’t run out of topics to write about.

• Give your blog a catchy name; align it to your preferred subject.

• Provide accurate information about yourself on the blog’s profile.

• Consistently update your blog with serious and fun articles; make sure you create a good balance between the two. This will ensure that people visit your blog often. As much as there is freedom of expression it is advised that you should be as objective as possible in your writing.

• Let people know about your blog. The use of social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter will help a lot in this aspect.

• Visit various industry-like blogs and leave a comment when necessary on discussions relating to your preferred subject. This will enhance your visibility. People will get to know about you and your blog and thus increase traffic to your blog.

Are you an active blogger? Are you wondering how blogging can help your job hunt or finding consultancy opportunities?

A few tips on how to maximize your job search using your blog:

• Mention your blog on your resume. Although, this may be dependant on your blog’s core subject and the role you are applying for. Either way mentioning it will help you showcase your writing skills which may be required in the role you are applying for.

• Provide accurate information about yourself on the blog’s profile. This should include your professional training and experience. Including your contact details preferably an email address is also important.

Below are some of the most popular aviation blogs:

The Cranky Flier

Randys Journal

SimpliFlying

Bangalore Aviation

My Flight Blog 

PlaneBuzz

Cockpit Conversation

Go ahead and blog; you never know who will be reading it.

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