Why I Blog: Confessions of FSO Student Bloggers
Students share the reasons they blog and links to their content.
There are many reasons why a person might start a blog. Some want to share personal experiences with friends and family. Others want to connect to the industry dialogue occurring among professionals on the Web. Still others might use it as an outlet to pursue hobbies and extra interests. Whatever your reason, starting a blog should be about healthy expression, and many of your colleagues have chimed in with why they think blogging is an important experience.
“I love to write - it is a total release for me,” said Carly Brennecke, GRDBS student. “I get to pour out my soul and my guts, and hopefully, it will impact others around me. Some lessons you learn aren't meant to be kept to yourself.”
FSO students use their blogs personally and professionally, but most of them prefer to do a mixture of both. IMMS student Brad Lowrey says his blog helps him to build his personal brand, and EBMS colleague Michael Shine agrees:
“Blogging provides me with a platform to inform, promote and educate the world not only about my artists, recent business ventures and/or events, but it also allows me to share with the world some of my thoughts and opinions on what's currently going on either in the media or around the world,” Shine said. “My blog is somewhat abstract, but that is what I like about it. It's not too formal and not too informal. It's perfect, because it represents me, my company, and what grasps my attention in the media and entertainment world.”
What’s more, blogs provide a platform for worldwide dialogues on any subject you can imagine. With comments enabled, it can be a powerful way for a business to engage clients and improve customer relations.
“I like the interactivity of it: writing a post and having friends and peers comment with their thoughts,” said IMBS student Sharon O'Dell-Lindemann. “It's so much more than a Web site, and it can always be fresh. I am encouraging other small business owners and entrepreneurs to engage in blogging for that very reason.”
For professional blogs, you might find that blogging helps you to stay current in your industry. By reading others’ blogs and maintaining your own, you can ensure that you are up to speed with all the latest developments in your field. (For further reading, check out this feature, Try Blogging Between Jobs, to learn how blogs can be more powerful than a business card.)
“Blogging allows me to highlight what I am learning in my field, discuss best and worst practices with peers and pass helpful information on to those outside of my field who can learn from these examples,” said Internet Marketing student Jennifer Dempsey.
Whether you decide to blog for personal, professional or creative reasons, blogging is a viable outlet that keeps you in the conversation that’s constantly occurring on the Web. Check out the FSO Student Blogroll for links to your classmates’ blogs, and click here to read even more of their comments!
“Blogging to me is a release from everyday stress and a good way to express myself,” said GDNBS student Jeanie Watson. “It is also a good way for me to practice writing, which is something that I will doing a lot of in my classes at Full Sail University.”
-Ashley Belanger
