Chris Garrett at Performancing has posted his take on the pros and cons of joining a blog network. In brief…

The positives include… the social benefits of belonging to a group, access to shared knowledge, exposure to more advertising opportunities, and the potential of picking up a regular salary

Negatives… the social downsides of belonging to a group, giving up control, deadlines, and bosses.

All great points. From a short-term point of view. But what about in terms of a blogging career? What can joining a network offer you if that’s your game plan?

I see it like this. Joining a network doesn’t just offer you the short term benefits like increased revenue, membership of a private forum, etc. As part of a network, you’ll also get to find out what goes on behind the scenes in that kind of operation. You’ll probably take part in discussions about marketing a network, as opposed to an individual blog. You might get a say in what software the network uses. You might get to train and mentor new bloggers. And you could find yourself with quite a lot of responsibility.

And, if 2 or 3 years down the line, whether you’re approaching clients, investors or other networks with business ideas of your own, or whether you’re applying for a senior blog network management role, you’ll already have the kind of experience they’re looking for under your belt.

So stop thinking ’short term’ when it comes to a blogging career. You wouldn’t base a traditional career move solely on immediate benefits like free lunches, or membership of a sports club, would you?

Blogging careers - just like traditional careers - are something you need to plan for in the long term. So before you decide to join a network, think about what else that network can really offer you…