Guest Post: What Bloggers Can Learn From Farmers

Once again, my friend Lorraine Ball and I are trading guest blog posts.  Lorraine’s company is Roundpeg, a full service marketing firm serving the Indianapolis small business community,  that helps small business become big business….

I have often used the farming metaphor when teaching classes on networking, but now Chris Brogan channels the same concept with regard to your blog. Drawing a comparison to farmers, Chris lists 11 "chores" which should be part of your daily routine if you are serious about writing a blog.

His list included things I do on a regular basis, (not every day, but fairly often):

• Get your blog post up. Make it helpful, worthy of comments and unique.
• Comment on other people’s blog posts.
• Share other people’s blog posts.

Comment back to people who’ve commented on your blog.

If you are serious about building a regular readership, these items are a must. If it seems overwhelming, this is where a ghost writer or at least someone researching content and resources for you can be helpful. 

There were other things on his list which are not a part of my daily routine, but should be, such as

• Read something not related to your market.
• Connect with five people not in your vertical or your geography.
• Reconnect with people who matter. Drop an email or call. Don’t ask for anything.

  (This is fun!  I enjoy learning new things and meeting new people, and following these suggestions I get a chance to do both!)

And finally he had some suggestions which are important, not just for my blog, but for business in general.

• Look at the map of where you think things are going for your business. Anything change?
• Read the “weather” from the blogs you follow. Anything there?
• Think about what seeds you might plant for future projects.
• Share at the farmer’s market your best yields.

When I looked at the list, I realized it is a lot to do every day.   I guess that is why farmers get up so early.

As I work with small business owners, presenting a list like this can be overwhelming.  My advice, mix it up. If blogging is not your core business, but a way of connecting with customers and bringing them to your core business, then create your own farming list, and include some of these elements every day.

–Lorraine Ball