As someone new to blogging and someone who loves it...........I've been asking myself that question for awhile.

Is this a fad or is it here to stay ?

I've been pushing it in my office for several months. A few started one, very few really are into it. Since I always liked writing it feels right to me. Mary McKnight ( I think ) says it is important to find our voice. Meaning who are we. I was reading a blog about a year ago that was started my old aquaintences from college. We had all been in a Christian group together..........gone our separate ways and the blog sorta brought us all  back together again.It was fun............for awhile.........then I got into real estate blogging. In the blog with my past college friends the personalities really came through.

Since this is a blog about real estate in Ann Arbor, I've be a little double-minded, do I want my audience to be other realtors, lenders and industry people ? or do I want my audience to be for the people in cyber space planning a move to Ann Arbor, MI or Washtenaw County ? I like the added value of higher SEO ranking.

Dave Kesel, is referred to in the book What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting, says it is a "fad" that people are just too busy with their lives and families to ever really have time for it. Activerain blogging community is up to 20,328 and right now there are 800 on line. That is alot of people and most people are not even familiar with web2.0 which is all about social networking and relationships. My daughter, who is 27 and a Buyer Agent on my TEAM, just wrote her first offer from her My Space. For years I have seen my children ( all 5 of them) fight over the computer and you gets to be on line to chat with friends. I never really GOT IT, until recently. I'm from the generation that you got your own phone number when you turned 16 and talked all night.

Yep showing my age !  Actually my dad was a business man and no one could reach him at night so this was their solution... to get me a phone line. Gosh, I would stay up all hours of the night talking to girlfriends and a few boy friends. I was at a Women's Council of Realtors meeting a few weeks ago and one very successful lender said he thought blogs gave out inaccurate information and it was a waste of time. I just laughed ! I really don't blog for accurate stuff, just to hear other people's thoughts and feelings on a topic.

I blog because it is fun ! I like the community of bloggers in real estate. I am learning so much technology. Since it is so new............everyone is still learning together, sharing information and no one really knows where is is going to end up down the road. It is exciting like in the days of getting your first computer and having all that knowledge at your finger tips. So basically, I'm still trying to find "my voice" and enjoying every minute of it.

Our of curiosity,  how many people are doing this for :

1) Social relationships, community

2) Search Engine Optimization

3) Like me want it all !!

4) Other reasons, please elaborate.