For the vast majority of people on this planet, a blog is utter nonsense and completely unnecessary. Not only would it take away from the more important things in their day-to-day lives, but it would add even more irrelevant blather to an already bloated cyber-world — one bursting at the seams with dead or dying blogs. For a small minority of people, however, taking the time to conceive a purpose for a blog, set one up and then commit to growing it can be a very noble pursuit — and one that can pay dividends for their brand.

So the question is, which category do you fall in? Or rather, what category would you rather be in? If you have every reason to be online blogging but haven’t yet taken the leap, see if any of the following objections is the reason for your resistance. Getting beyond it is easier than you think.

Objection #1. I have nothing to blog about.
You do. If you are alive and breathing, you have something to write about. If you are passionate about something, you have something to write about. If you are in business, you most certainly have something to write about: your business. The point is to get up and running. If you don’t know what your “voice” is now, it will come.

Objection #2. I’m a dinosaur and the technology is too complicated.
That’s what almost all of your peers are thinking too. But guess what? Those very few who have decided blogging is for them are already ahead of you and everyone else with the same mindset, and they’re reaping the rewards. Get out of the “dinosaur” mentality and recognize that learning new technology is not a matter of age, but simply a desire to be successful. It’s the same approach that’s made you this successful in life so far, isn’t it?

Objection #3. Blogs are for the new generation of vain, exhibitionist youngsters who have no shame and no restraint on what they’re willing to divulge about themselves.
Yes… but only for a very small segment of the blogging world. On the flipside, you’ll find the people you admire most out there blogging as well — and not about trivial things. They’re writing about their industries and trends and things that genuinely move them.

Objection #4. No one will read what I have to say.
That’s possible, but your level of involvement in your blog will dictate how valuable others will find it. Quality will always bring people back. If you love your business and enjoy what you write about, that’s all that matters. At least you’re leaving a footprint out there in the Web world. If you’re consistent and write quality posts though, readers will find you.

Objection #5. I don’t have the time to maintain it.
Like anything, the more you cultivate something, the stronger it will be. Blogging doesn’t have to be an everyday pursuit. Posting four, three, even two times a week is fine. As long as you’re maintaining it and showing that it’s being cultivated. There’s nothing more depressing than coming across yet another blog with a great title and a great tagline, but hasn’t been updated since September 2007. What happened? Remember, you can always delegate the management of your blog to someone in your business.

It takes very little to be up online talking about your product, service, brand, business or opinions. Consider whether any of the above objections are ones you’ve been spinning around in your mind. Then take the next step.

Artist Christopher Niemann takes his son’s lego kit and crafts pieces that are decidedly NYC.

h/t Ken

NPR.org has an article talking about the technology divide between younger managers and older employees within companies. The managers find they really need to encourage the older generation to get up to speed with social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and mobile apps like text messaging. Their reasoning? It increases productivity. But there’s not only a tech divide, but a general gap in mindset when it comes to social networking. The older generation comes from an era where face-to-face or phone networking was the order of the day. Today’s generation does it via text, Web or — when necessary — phone. 

There is merit obviously to both mindsets — current technology is excellent for networking and keeping in touch; and face-to-face communication is necessary for building an understanding of one another — a “feel” for one another — that the Web or phone could never do.

The Digital Marketing World Expo is scheduled for April 1. Sign up for free and watch a number of speeches and shows via the Web. Here’s the agenda:

WHY YOU CAN’T MISS IT

Digital Marketing World Spring 2009 will sum up the cutting-edge information and skills you need to master the latest, most successful digital marketing techniques out there. You’ll be amazed by how much you can digest in a six hour period! Some of the concepts brought to you by respected thought leaders and experts in the industry include:

• How to use Facebook to build a community and meet marketing objectives
• What you need to build a successful corporate blog
• How to maximize website ROI and drive real results
• How to create online branded content to accelerate sales
• How to start “The Rave” and get your biggest fans to tell your story
• There are specific ways to garner the few dollars people and businesses are willing to spend when times are tough. We’ll have them all for you—current, tested, updated, and on the cutting edge.

B2C AND B2B MARKETERS…WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED

We know the unique challenges faced by both B2C and B2B marketers…and we’ve got you covered! Throughout the conference, you’ll find dedicated tracks for those B2C marketers among us and for all you B2B-ers. We’ve built individual sessions to break it down and give you only the information you can apply to your jobs and your companies.

Some sessions, including the keynote presentation, will be beneficial for both groups so we’ll all come together (as one big happy family) for those!

Welcome to the launch of blue.0 — our online marketing vehicle designed to showcase our business and what we can do for clients.