My First Blog – the experiences of a first time blogger
Writing my first blog; a process easier said than done it would seem?
Having read blogs spanning topics from marketing in the 21st century, to viral marketing, to agency life, I thought to myself, yeah, writing my first blog, no problem! But now, I find myself sitting here and the words escape me. So where do I begin?
This is the first published expression of my opinions, insights and as a marketing trainee, potentially… well almost definitely a report of my progression from trainee to trained, so please, bear with me and be kind. As my first exposure to the world of blogging, that is what I am at this moment… totally exposed.
The approach to the subject of my blog is hurdle number one of my grand national. Having produced a list of 30 odd titles, each relevant to my experiences so far with Clear Thought, I have concluded that it would be fitting to take the one and only opportunity to write a self-explanatory piece titled ‘My First Blog.’
Whilst some sources suggest that it is my duty to introduce myself to you, tell you what I do, why I am blogging and what I will be blogging about, others suggest that my first blog would better suit a description of the physical and psychological processes that have brought me to write the piece itself; from idea creation through to completion. But the Catch 22 I find is that, without ever having written a blog before, how can I tell you about the process of its creation when the process itself involves the writing? With this at the forefront of my thinking, I have chosen to heed all of the advice received and begin by introducing myself, before moving onto the ‘doing process,’ with the expectation that by the time I reach the blog’s end, I will be able to summarise the experience of the journey.
Who and what?
So to introduce myself, my name is Laura Champion. Having graduated with a degree in Marketing from the University of Liverpool; a great university in a great city, I now find myself in the very fortunate position of Marketing Trainee at Clear Thought Consulting in yet another one of the UK’s great cities; Bristol. Learning from the varied pools of expertise that my colleagues hold, I am slowly but surely caching valuable information into my knowledge bank, with the hope that dedication and application over the weeks and months to come will successfully allow me to make the transition from trainee to trained.
Why and how?
As I become evermore absorbed into the world of marketing, I have a growing respect for the dynamic nature of the industry. From where I’m sitting marketing in the 21st century looks like an era of vast change in its channels of communication, audience interaction, and a shift in consumer power. Getting our message out, in Blogs for example, is part of Clear Thought’s mission to provide valuable information that helps small businesses with essential marketing advice. And, I’ve been asked to play my part in that.
A tricky challenge as the newest member of the team just entering the world of marketing. Whilst I may not yet have years of experience to share, I do have a unique perspective. Much like many of Clear Thought’s clients I am on a constant path of learning, being exposed to new situations day-by-day. And, although I have a marketing degree, putting it all into practice is new to me. By writing about, and sharing my experiences, I hope to be able to show our clients both the value of blogging, and that it isn’t too scary. If I can do it, you can too. With hard work and dedication, anything is possible.
So, I think that brings me naturally to the end of my first blog. That’s me, that’s where I have come from and why I am blogging, but what I will be blogging about in the next few months is unknown given the rate of constant change that we are all exposed to in this socially-networked marketing world. I’m intrigued to see the path that I will follow, the blogs that will result and the view of the twists and turns I will experience along the way. One thing I can say is that now I have finished writing my first blog, I breathe a sigh of relief that the experience was not as bad as the build up, as is always the way and strangely, I am ready to write the next. Are you?
By Laura Champion | Assistant Clear Thinker | Clear Thought Consulting Ltd | www.clear-thought.co.uk
Clear Thought Consulting works with small businesses, equipping them with the marketing strategies, suppliers, skills and set-up that they need to become bigger businesses. We do this by planning and delivering 12-month marketing transformation programmes – supporting a small business through a step-by-step process to making marketing pay. We firmly believe that when you can’t out-spend your competition, you have to out-think them.
Published on 14 April 2010
