I have been writing on my own blog for more than 5 years now and have gone through drought times...
My blog receives between 200 and 300 daily visits (I can reach 500 If I write about the public job boards and used to be higher when I posted more than once per day), plus some followers via Google Reader who never show up on the web, etc. This is sometimes a burden and what started as a hobby, a place to gather and give shape to my ideas has become more than that. Some sales people are told by some of their clients: "Hey, you work with David? Tell him to keep it up! I read his blog!" It's good for the ego, but it's embarrassing sometimes. Not only clients read what I say in there but competitors, HR magazine journalists, some "gurus 2.0" and providers.
As a result of all this, haven't been talking openly on my blog for the last three years. I can't talk about what I do because I do not want our competitors to know even at what I am looking at. I cannot give my oppinion about products, jobboards, business models, etc. as I know probably people working at those companies will be reading me.
It was helpful for me when I was Account Manager at my Company. I was aware of trends even my best clients had never heard of. It was helpful for me to have a backup of knowledge. It's been even helpful to find a couple of jobs! And this last thing made me realize something interesting. As I can't spill my ideas over the brim freely, I am exploring new ways to tell my opinion on things. I have found what I know is interesting to other people and some are even willing to pay me for that.
You can read David's blog at http://www.davidmonreal.com/
