Like a good neighbor

“Give your face something to smile about.” That’s an old jingle written by Barry Manilow for Trident gum. (Still my favorite gum, but that’s another story.) Those who know me know the Barry is a revered man in my heart.

He got his start writing, arranging, and/or singing commercials. “Like a good neighbor, Statefarm is there.” “You deserve a break today so get up and get away to McDonald’s.” “I am stuck on Band-Aid and Band-Aid’s stuck on me. Cause they hold on tight in the bathtub and they cling bended knee…”

I haven’t eaten KFC in years but I still know the tune. “Get a bucket of chicken, finger lickin’ good, have a barrel of fun, good bye ho-hum.” Mr. Manilow’s melodies had to be catchy. Some are still around today, more than three decades later. Barry got five hundred bucks for Statefarm’s theme and no royalties. But he got his start.

We all have to start somewhere.

For me, it was my weekly newspaper column. Still going strong since May 2001. I run into people at speaking engagements who say they have a column from years ago still tacked to their fridge. Something that inspired. That makes my day.

Not every column is fridge worthy, but week in and week out, I write a column. And I write this weekly newsletter. I write lots of other things. What about you?

Today, it’s easy to get started. Do you blog? Do you write a newsletter or ezine? What about Facebook posts?

Many people journal, but they never express publicly. If you want to build a platform, you have to put yourself out there.

That’s the bottom line. Some people have no fear (or no shame) and will say anything, anywhere. That’s not who I’m talking about or talking to.

I’m talking about you. If you want to express in writing, you have to start somewhere. A letter to the editor is good. Your local paper or a magazine you love is a great place to share your feedback on a recent topic. It’s good practice for you. You have a point of view. You have something to say. Say it.

If you want to build an audience, or simply get in the habit of writing regularly and yes, putting yourself out there, start a blog. Writing gives you clarity on what you think and feel. Sometimes you hit the mark, sometimes you don’t. Either way, the earth still keeps spinning.

Blogging is common:

Snithchim.com stated that as of April 2013:

Tumblr.com has over 101.7 Million blogs

WordPress.com has over 63 Million blogs

Livejournal 62.6 million blogs

Weebly over 12 million blogs

Blogster has over 582,754 blogs

If you are a business owner or an entrepreneur, do you have a free report or short ebook available on your website? That’s a great place to put your message out there and let people know what you are all about.

If you are hesitant or feeling shy, drop me a line. If you are ready, get to it! The more you do anything, the easier it gets. The better you get. The Barry has come a long from writing jingles, and like a good neighbor, he’s still there. Get a conversation going with your people. Write from your heart. You won’t regret it.