Your communications pro — in-house, agency or freelance — is right: You need a blog.

We’ll get into the reasons why a little farther down the page, but for now, do me a favor: Take whatever vision you have of a blog and bury it for a moment. Scratch the slate clean, and allow me to paint a picture that might be quite different than the one that comes to your mind when you hear the term.

Yesterday, I met with a small group of retired executives who volunteered their expertise and advice, wanting nothing more than to help a small-business owner succeed. (Learn more about SCORE.) 

On Sundays, volunteers greet me at my church door, hand out bulletins, teach my family Sunday-school lessons, purchase and prepare snacks for all in attendance and so much more. (Learn more about Calvary Chapel of Danville.)

On Mondays and Tuesdays this past school year, I met with about 100 other women who were volunteering a significant portion of our weeks to helping other women study the Bible. (Learn more about Bible Study Fellowship.)

Chances are, you've crossed paths with a volunteer or two in your past week, too.

[ This article is part 2 of our Content Marketing Basics Class series. Learn what content marketing is and how it works in part 1 of the series: Content Marketing 101: Understanding this modern marketing tactic ]

Sometimes trying to break through an extremely noisy digital world and get noticed by the people who matter can feel like walking through Disney World on spring break, desperately searching for your lost child with a common name. 

“Michael! Michael! Can you hear me? Where are you?”

She hops on her tricycle as a toddler, gets the hang of it and enjoys herself for a little while.

When riding the tricycle becomes second nature — maybe even a little boring — she eagerly seeks something more challenging. It’s time for a “real” bike. She leans on training wheels at first, so she won’t fall flat as she struggles to learn the delicate balance she needs in order to keep moving. She’s not ready for hills and curves, but she’s enjoying the wind in her hair and the fresh air in her face. She enjoys herself for a little while more.

For best results, hire a photojournalist instead.

[Hover over images (touch and hold on mobile devices) for notes about the photos, including the photographer's technical and mental requirements that were involved in capturing them. Note the differences between portrait photography and event photography.]

What's the first word that comes to your mind when you think about photographers? More than likely, it probably has something to do with portraits — weddings, family photos for Christmas cards, school photos.

And because this is the common response, it's natural for someone to instinctively reach out to a portrait photographer when she needs someone to photograph an event.

But that's not the best plan.