Blogging As Conversation, Not Publication

Disposable, throwaway, perishable — However you say it, blog posts have a very short shelf life. Especially if you’re stuck in a publishing mindset. But more-and-more, I’m thinking of blogging as a conversation.

Ideas + Conversation

Powerful blogs aren’t just about words, they’re about ideas. When others begin to engage with your ideas, (comments + links) it becomes a conversation. The feedback and interaction makes everyone think clearer. The best measure of a good post is the extend to which readers interact with it’s ideas.

3 Steps For Bloggers: Read-React-Respond

If your blog has been stuck in a magazine mindset, it may be time for you to try a different angle. I propose the following three steps to help you get started.

Read: When you find a good post, slow down and read it.

React: While you read, consider how you agree and disagree with ideas in the post. Think about questions raised but not answered. There are no inerrant writers today, so a thoughtful reader will have something to add.

Respond: The ability to ‘talk back’ marks off the boundary blogosphere from the larger web. Once you’ve listened, it’s your turn to respond. It can be as simple as leaving a comment, or you can write a push back post on your own blog. 

3 Posts You Should Digest

To help you get started, I am suggesting the following three posts. They are some of the best from our Well Said feature. I’d love to see many of our readers commenting an linking back to these posts.

1. The Brain Drain from Culturality & Missiology
2. Prideful Pastors from Pastor and People
3. Truth is Beautiful from Kingdom People