Why my affair with LinkedIn Pulse is over

I confess – I’ve neglected my WordPress blog and been flirting with LinkedIn Pulse. It’s been seductive but unsatisfying and I’m drawing the experiment to a close.

I’ve written a bunch of blogs on LinkedIn because  I felt I’d outgrown this blog as my personal and professional goals  have evolved. I got sucked into the marketing and wanted to explore the new next best thing. I thought it would be a good transition from personal blogging to building a blog for my coaching business – Think Feel ACT. [Please note my website isn’t live yet but watch this space]. But I was wrong and I realise now that this is not the right pathway for me.

LinkedIn vs WordPress

Blogging on LinkedIn feels like an exercise in grabbing attention wherever and however you can. There are too many voices competing for attention. There are too many wildly over-the-top and too-good-to-be-true claims for how to solve the problems of “Life, The Universe and Everything”. It’s over-sensational, over-hyped and overwhelming. Everything feels like a sales pitch. Somehow or other it ends up feeling like I’m endlessly pumping for clients and work – and that feels soul destroying.

So I’ve been spiralling back towards SnapConnectInspire – my old and trusted WordPress blog. Writing to you right now feels like having a thoughtful conversation with friends over a quiet drink. There’s not so much fanfare but I can be honest, thoughtful, authentic and vulnerable – without also having to be sensational – and without a hidden agenda of converting you to become a client. It means we can connect without the pressure. I like that.

Blogging is not only about selling

I have nothing against raising my profile through blogging. After all I do need to market my blog or I won’t have any readers (something writers hate). But the harder sell atmosphere of LinkedIn somehow unintentionally affects the conversation I want to have. On LinkedIn the unwritten assumption is each blog is touting for clients and attention. But that is not what I’m about – or why I write.

I write and I blog because I love words. I love sharing my ideas through writing. I love the idea of having a conversation about the things that matter to me – and the things that matter to you. I love playing with language – and how to use it to inspire and motivate you (and me) to become better – and do better. I love the process of writing and seeing how ideas evolve and change. It’s about taking pleasure with the art and craft of words. I write because I love the process of creating – not because I want to sell you anything.

If people are inspired by words and want to connect with me professionally on that basis – all good. I’m happy to chat about how I can help you grow. But that is not my primary intent when I write. And that’s a subtle – but critically important difference. So I will still post my blog to LinkedIn in an effort to expand my readership and invite new people to the conversation. But writing it here allows me to connect with my primary purpose- and that feels much more authentically aligned with my values.

Spiralling forwards

So whilst I have spiralled towards the personal approach of WordPress – I don’t really like the idea of going backwards at all. So I may be back in WordPress territory – but this time around I have a different vantage point and a different approach. So I prefer to say I have spiralled forwards and now have a fresh idea for the future.

So here’s the new idea – bring this whole blog over and incorporate it into a new blog that I will start once my website is live (aiming for mid-late Jan 2016). This feels right for me – after all my whole business direction has grown out of the nights and personal development that I’ve shared a lot of in this blog.

I’m working out with my web designer exactly how to do that in an authentic way – so I can keep the flavour of what I have built here – and expand it in an authentic way in line with own personal and professional growth. I don’t know yet exactly how it will look – but I invite you all to join me on this new journey.

Over to you

So I want to say thank you to you – my readers. Thanks so much for taking the time to read my words.

And as always I’m eager to hear your side of the conversation – so please let me know your thoughts about the type of blogging  you prefer to write or read and why.

Looking forward to hearing from you…

PS: I will addsome more posts soon republishing all the Linked In blogs here – stay tuned 😉 

 

• Posted in: Personal Development
• Tagged: Personal Development