I just read a blog post about how more and more people are leaving ‘macro-blogging’ for ‘micro-blogging’.

It’s prompted me to write a post about why I blog. I’ve only been blogging for about a year and indeed this blog has only existed since October 2009. My unique visitors are still only just in double figures. It makes me think about that famous quote about blogging:

Never before have so many written so much to be read by so few.

This would be the objection of a lot of people. I’ve sometimes wondered whether it’s a rather vain thing to engage in. It does indulge my ‘look at me’ syndrome a bit!

The point I want to make here is:

The fact that very few people read this matters very little.

The reasons I maintain this blog are as follows:

1. I use it as a space to reflect on my work and on what I’m learning. I find it a great place to record conversations, ideas, notes from conferences (where in other circumstances I would forget or it would go in one of my many notebooks never to be read again).
2. I use it as a space to share learning with colleagues. For example I can say ‘you asked me to cascade some information from that conference I went to – here are my reflections’.
3. Not only can I share these thoughts with colleagues in my organisation – I can share them with my networks online – LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Ning sites etc I’m a member of.
4. Ok, I admit it, it’s partly shameless self-promotion as well – but that’s only a small part of it!

I’ve found blogging such a great way to reflect on my work and for me, it is the most effective way to continue to learn and share that learning with others and in turn to learn from others who comment.

It’s my best CPD tool.

Thanks for reading!