If you have any doubts about the power of blogging and social media please read on. And if you’re already aware of the benefits of blogging, read on anyway for further proof! You see, my blogging has reaped the very great benefit (to me) of becoming a Planet X sponsored athlete.

The background to blogging power

I write for a living and while I spent the first 18 years of my career focused on the printed press, in the last four or five years the emphasis has shifted to on-line journalism. Today I run my own business writing on-line, blogging for myself and for other companies and editing/writing website copy (as well as a few remaining bits and pieces of newspaper and magazine writing). I have also learned the art (I hope it comes across as an art) of social media promotion, both of my own work and for other businesses. I love Facebook and Twitter and see the major business benefits of LinkedIn and Pinterst.

A couple of weeks ago I began to see for myself how powerful social media can be for my own business and life.

My first work-love is outdoors and fitness

I write as much as I can about the great outdoors and all things fitness related. Over some seven or eight years I have built up a good following on this blog and I write for other outdoors websites. I write mainly about the topics that interest or please me and rarely follow a strict agenda. My blog is my guilty pleasure.

A fortnight or so ago I wrote a blog about the countdown to my first triathlon world qualifier event. The photo was of my second-hand Planet X bike in a striking shade of pink.

I posted the blog on Facebook and a few hours later I received a message through LinkedIn (my FB messages go to Twitter and LinkedIn automatically). A business contact who I had got to know through an outdoors retailer still follows my postings and spotted the Planet X bike. He now works for Planet X. He asked me if I fancied writing for Planet X because he thought my blogs and race reports would be a good fit for their brand.

I told him I’d love to but that I would expect to be paid – or maybe gain through a discount on one of their lovely time trail bikes. I’d had my eye on a TT bike but couldn’t justify the cost for such a specific style of bike. (I had come across the well-priced TT bikes on the Planet X site through a search engine. Many search engines search based on blog content. Planet X have a regularly updated blog. See how this is all working out?!)

After a few messages he suggested that I contact his boss at Planet X and put forward some kind of deal/proposal. Just a few days later I was asked if I’d like to become a sponsored athlete for Planet X. This is not, I hasten to point out, because of my athletic prowess. Most sponsored athletes are amazingly talented. I am average and amateur. My sponsorship deal is based on my writing ability (and my passion for going outdoors and trying new events and sports).

Planet X are keen to have well-written blogs and race reports on the website. They want to spread the word about their bikes to ordinary people – especially triathletes – and they already know the power of social media and blogging. Because my contact thinks I can write well they have invited me to become a sponsored athlete.

A good-match and a great deal

So Planet X will loan me a time trial bike of my dreams, as well as race kit. In return I will write regular reports about races I choose to do, kit reviews and just general blogging about cycling. I am delighted with this deal and I know that without social media and blogging this would never have happened to an ordinary amateur athlete.

My blog acts as a showcase for my writing ability (it has already gained me a lot of work) and social media has aided the promotion of my writing business.

If anyone still needs to be convinced about the merits of blogging and social media networking for their business please do give me a call to discuss further!