Can’t believe it’s been nearly months since I left ASU, and hung out my own shingle, PublicRadius.

But it’s been two wonderful months. I have been travelling, blogging a lot, conducting interviews, and managing (monitoring) Twitter feeds etc, apart from writing for two magazines.

As a result, I’ve been neglecting my blog here at Hoipolloi Report. But what has really amazed me is that when I occasionally glance at my page visits , traffic is up — sometimes inexplicably rising.

But from this weekend I plan to integrate the blog a lot more into my client work. So many great stories have been put on hold. But it has been worth it. So here are some random thoughts about this mini anniversary:

• I often refer to a blog as the ‘center of gravity’ of traditional and digital communications –and this extends into media relations, reputation building, and managing relationships. It’s certainly been my starter kit in all these areas as I take Public Radius forward.

• A blog teaches me about how to tell complex, many-sided stories in a people-friendly way, while being search-engine friendly as well.
• Working in the digital space opens your eyes to the value of face-to-face communication. Yes I conduct business via Skype video conferencing, and interact with my LinkedIn and Facebook contacts. But nothing beats a great brainstorm on a napkin, seated in coffee shop (where I am writing this).
• People don’t care about the tools. We tend to talk too much about Twitter workarounds and Facebook apps, when what people (and businesses) really care about are conversations. When electricity was first invented, I suspect people blabbered about plugs and light switches until someone told them to shut up.
• Photography and Podcasting somehow complete the circle of storytelling, branding and reputation building. Both let you observe, record, and capture nuances that often get lost. I covered a conference last weekend using both. My camera bag was heavy, but my ‘stories’ are are that much more colorful.