3. Blogging with Integrity (pt 1)

(An abridgment of a former series).

The central theme emerging in this series of posts is influence. I maintain my original thesis: “If the content we publish is sound and profitable, influence is precious.” In the last post, the supreme benefit of using social media was the opportunity to expand influence. Now I turn my attention to blogging with integrity, which also might be understood as exerting influence with integrity.

Blogging with Integrity is “Others-centered”

Most social media sites are by nature about you. That’s not inherently wrong. Even a blog is more or less about you (your interests, etc.). Integrity is lost, if while using these platforms, you lose sight of others. This is the achilles heel of social media. On one hand, there are unprecedented opportunities to network and multiply the numbers of people you can potentially benefit. On the other hand, the inhalation of the fumes of acceptance and popularity can be intoxicating (and quite addicting).

Blogging with integrity means your primary goals have to do with the profit of your reader, not you! This makes for a quality blog (or other social media site)–helpful posts, links, downloadable resources, podcasts, comments, and perhaps even (dare I say) status updates. Each time that ‘click’ results in information going public, consider the effect. Every ‘click’ is an opportunity.

To be continued…

Find more on how to make your own .com website. Or read more about starting an academic blog.