Karen Marie Shelton's Blog

When blogging first became all the rage on the Internet I resisted jumping into the fray. After all, I had been writing full blown articles for HairBoutique.com since Day One back in 1997.

I wasn't sold on why anyone should blog. I personally found blogs to be the lazy person's way to throw up some quick content, often pinched (in my humble opinion) from a well-established website that had worked hard to develop and deliver top notch content.

First Blog - Hollywood And Mane - 2006

In late summer of 2006 I started blogging for DailyCeleb.com under the blog heading of HollywoodAndMane. My assignment was to provide celebrity hairstyle insights for the visitors of DailyCeleb.com. I was shocked when I started to blog. I found the experience of blogging to be incredibly freeing.

In the past I would often suffer from the dreaded Analysis Paralysis when writing a full blown article involving lots of images, quotes and references. With blogging I was doing a much more abbreviated form of my traditional hair and beauty articles. Yes, I still was concerned about finding the best images, providing appropriate credits and quotes, but in a much more streamlined way.

The Hidden Dangers In Blogging

There were some dangers I encountered as I settled into blogging. While blogging offered me a lot of instant freedom to write, it also was filled with the temptation to develop sloppy habits with regard to my writing style. Part of the reason for the potential sloppiness was because blogging is so much more casual and conversational in tone.

Many of my traditional articles from HairBoutique.com have been syndicated for the past eight years by print magazines such as 101 Celebrity Hairstyles, Harris Publication Hair Books, MMI Short Cuts and related publications. Due to the fact that my writing was being republished by the print industry, it was important to do my very best job when writing and self-editing.

Instant Gratification of Blogging

However, blogging gave me such great joy because I was able to experience "instant gratification" for expressing the hundreds of hair and beauty related ideas that are constantly bursting in my brain. Honestly, I often worry about myself because I do have such a constant stream of hair related thoughts.

When the DailyCeleb.com blog was eventually removed, I suffered major withdrawal from blogging. I tried to transfer my newfound blog joy to the pages of HairBoutique.com but couldn't quite get the flow back until the very beginning of 2008. In fact, my New Year's Resolution for 2008 was to do a better job of blogging.

Making A Blogging Commitment

One day, I sat down to blog and the words flowed out of my fingertips. Now, my biggest challenge with blogging is being able to find the time to actually sit down and write. On any given day I usually have between 10-15 ideas for new blog content but as a busy CEO of HairBoutique.com, I am often tied up running the company. Truth be told, I would much rather be blogging then attending meetings.

Blogging has evolved into a secret pleasure for me. I often wake up in the wee hours of the morning chomping at the bit to blog. I also blog while watching TV, movies and even riding on planes, trains and in automobiles.

Who Should Blog?

Should everyone blog? I have no idea. I think it depends on if you have something worthwhile to talk about and can make a commitment to blogging on a consistent basis. I have a whole list of blogs I read religiously on a daily basis. Some of the blogs have to do with business, some with marketing and many are indirectly connected with my industry.

However, I will confess to being persistently annoyed by blogs which are basically a published regurgitation of pre-existing content from other websites or published information (and not just hair, beauty, fashion). One downside to blogging is the lack of Blogging Police other than the option to take formal legal actions which is time consuming and costly.

Yes I know that copying is the sincerest form of flattery. But what about when the act of being copied ultimately destroys your hard won Web rankings and makes all your dedicated work seem ineffective?

The way I strive to avoid being a "content whore" is to constantly try to find new and innovative information about the world of hair and beauty. Afterall, the last thing the Internet needs is some blogger talking about the same old hair and beauty topics ad nauseam. I don't know that I always accomplish my goals to provide a fresh view but I do absolutely try.

Why am I blogging about my blog?

I know, it might seem a little silly. At the end of every year I stop and do a post-mortem on HairBoutique.com and my performance as CEO.

Since one of my resolutions was to blog more consistently for 2008, I wanted to take the time to blog about my gratitude to everyone who has supported me over the past year in my blogging efforts by reading what I have to say, providing insightful feedback and offering me constant inspiration to do a better job.

I also want to thank my fabulous HairBoutique.com team who keeps the software running for me and supports me in my blogging efforts.

Happy New Years to all.