Why did you start [your blog]?

Today’s Daily Post title is Why did you start [your blog] ?

That is a great question. When I starting writing my blogs in the fall of 2006 I went about it in all the wrong ways. I started by publishing on content mill sites, such as Examiner, Your Hub, Newsvine and others and soon found out that it really did nothing for my readers.

Then the economy hit the bottom of the proverbial tank and I had to act quickly. I could no longer afford to pay 1500 bucks a month to the Yellow Page Mafia and I had to find a way to market myself and my business in a medium that I was very familiar with. The Internet.

While I was sort of slow to jump on to the Twit-facing You-tubbing band-wagon I soon found out it was going to be the lifeblood of my business.

I can remember it like it was yesterday. It was the Friday before Thanksgiving 2008 and my wife, Michele, and I attended a seminar put on by my local Chamber of Commerce. It stressed the importance of social media in today’s business world and I immediately went home and set up all of my twitter accounts, Facebook and blogs.

Before I knew it I had six blog accounts and a growing twitter following. But things didn’t really start to kick into high gear until I started my online radio show [then called The Dog Doctor Radio Show, now called Dog Works Radio] in January 2009. My following on Facebook went through the roof!

I was often bombarded with friend requests, sometimes a 100 at a time after each radio show. So much so that I have reached the limit of friends that the Facebook Gods say that I can have, just shy of 4720.

My radio show became my weekly blog if you will, and we covered all of the topics of the day in the world of dogs. We have had many great guests on the show, everything from best selling authors to a dog that was running for mayor [for real, I am not making this up].

My Rabid Readers

In August when I moved to Alaska I changed my blogging focus a bit. I started a segment that I call; The Future Home of Iditarod Dreams and it follows my exploits and mis-adventures of preparing for and running the Last Great Race. I have had a tremendous amount of support from my readers, which I affectionately call my rabid readers, and I have learned so much from them already.

So to answer the question: Why did I start? I did it for myriad reasons; to increase business, to entertain my audience, to show my clients and customers that I am a real person and not just a business, to showcase my opinions and to share my ideas.

So its not why I started but how I continue to evolve that makes this journey of blogging and social media so exciting to me and my rabid readers. I am just glad you are along for the ride!

Robert Forto | Team Ineka | Alaska Dog Works | Mushing Radio | Dog Works Radio | Denver Dog Works

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Dr. Robert Forto is a musher training for his first Iditarod under the Team Ineka banner and the host of the popular radio shows, Mush! You Huskies and Dog Works Radio Shows