Whenever people ask me about blogging or social media, they usually say something condescending like, ‘Oh, good for you. I just don’t know how in the world you have time for that… I’m just soooo busy.’
It’s a fair point. Being a blogger does take some effort, but the way that I look at it, the benefits far outweigh any negatives. The way to do it is to find the right balance between your personal and professional life.
I currently have two blogs: one about social media and PR, and one about food and restaurants in London. They’re opposite ends of the spectrum, but they have both helped me in ways I couldn’t have imagined back at the beginning.
My PR and social media site, Fake Plastic Noodles, is the first blog I started, and tends to lean more toward the professional side. I did so because I wanted to find a job in London, wanted to make connections and really establish myself in the UK PR industry. Incidentally, it worked. I firmly believe that a huge reason I’m here right now is because of my blog. This is because many agencies and clients understand that while everyone in PR is talking the social media talk, not all of them can walk the walk. If you interview for a PR position or pitch to prospective clients who you know understand the online space, you need to prove it. Twitter is fabulous for establishing an online presence too, but blogging really helps you expound on your ideas.
My food blog on the other hand is something I do simply for intrinsic value. I finally started om nom London this past summer after months of questioning whether or not I’d have time to start a whole new site.
It’s proved to be the right decision. It keeps me sane to just write about things that *I* like to do. I was a keen food photographer already, so food blogging just seemed a perfect fit. Plus, it’s nice to write about something that’s not my job. Shocking, I know.
I won’t lie, sometimes it’s tough to devote enough time to both, but having a system in place of what I want to post about and when is how I’ve been able to juggle it all. Being a blogger is something that is part of my life that I’m not sure I’d ever want to give up. No matter what, I’ll make time.
