I must have heard nearly every conceivable absurd notion a person can come up with when it comes to marketing. There are a lot, and I have heard some really bad notions about marketing practices. One silly thing I hear a lot is when people say “It’s not about you.” A few people may really know what others mean when they say this, but I think the majority of people are just giving you hogwash.

It seems to me that this message has been mutated in so many ways that it has actually become a scare tactic against marketing, rather than good advice.

If you hear people say “It’s not about you”, you should never accept that as a reason to hide who you are, what you stand for, and what you are seeking, only to sneak it in once in a while. Tragically, I believe that is the way many people have taken this message, and it is often completely contrary to effective marketing.

My optional title was “Why Do We Blog? (or Not): A Question Every Business Should Ask”. I just thought I’d share that upfront. I have some thoughts on blogging, and since it’s been a week since I blogged, it is a biggie. No worries, though, because if your eyes are too tired to read, you can click the play button for the audio version.

I write a lot. I write somewhere upwards of 2,500 words per day. It varies widely, but to say that I spend a lot of time with a keyboard is an understatement. I once went totally off my rocker and wrote three books in three months, along with blogging “on the side”. It was a good lesson in insanity.

As I recently took a seven day break from blogging, a question that has been rattling through my head is “Why do I blog?” The question is not on my mind because I don’t want to do it, although that happens, too. The question is more a matter of focus and purpose. If I know why I am doing it, the purpose is enhanced, and the message becomes clearer. Just like any other business effort, there should be a good reason for it. Periodically asking the question of why I blog keeps things making sense. Similarly, I think every business should ask this question of why they do, or do not blog.

I’m trimming back my blog reading, and I thought I’d share my reasons, along with some benefits I discovered. I’ve been working on this for a while, and I’ve trimmed it down to a small fraction of what my reading list once was.

As I scroll through my blog subscriptions to hand pick the ones I find most valuable, there is a nagging thought I just can’t seem to shake. It forced me to question how much of the information in blogs is simply re-worded hyperbole and borrowed thoughts picked up at another blog, versus truly unique and useful insight.

This is not a blanket insult of bloggers at all, but rather an observation, and a compliment to the ones who are doing exceptional work. We are each influenced, to some degree, by the blogs we read. That can be a very good thing, but it can also have some downsides if we are not selective. I wrote about the influences around us in a recent article titled “Social Media Self-Analysis: How Are You Being Influenced?” I think it is worth some serious consideration of how this influence can affect the topics and tone of a blog.

It takes less than a single minute to find somebody willing to write a blog for under $10 per article. There are thousands of writers begging for business. Not unlike the phenomena that anybody with a camera can be a photographer, it seems that anybody with a computer is an eloquent writer. That’s fine, but with such a low cost to have a blog, it is easy to confuse cost with value.

What is the value of a blog article? There are obviously some variables, right? Do you know the variables, and do you value them appropriately? Some important considerations are the time or money to produce the article, its usefulness to the public, the accuracy and experience of the writer, and the longevity of its circulation. These are easy factors for many people to overlook, and can inspire a lot of confusion about the value of a blog.

Good sense tells us to not give it all away upfront. If you kiss on the first date, anticipation often fades, and there may never be a second date. It may get you into their fantasies, or even into their bed, but this will seldom get you into their hearts, where trust and loyalty thrive. I find it easy to apply this to concepts of marketing.

I really believe in giving away a lot of great ideas for free. Sharing useful thought is one of the best reasons to blog. In fact, there should be little wonder why some of the most popular blogs are popular. It is because they are giving away great information that people want.

A free sample is great, but can it go too far? I believe it can, and I think it is likely why there are so many people like my example of “Pete and The Amazing Pee-Pants Pizza Parlor” in my recent article titled “Marketing Clients vs. Crybaby Sissy Bed-Wetters“ who think marketing should be cheap … or free … and easy.