I started blogging regularly six months ago and it has truly changed my life for the better. My social calendar is full, I feel like I have a real place in the blogging community, and most importantly, I’m having fun. If you’re thinking about starting a blog but are not sure, here’s why starting a blog could change your life.
1. You’ll make new friends
It gets harder to make meaningful friendships as we grow older and we no longer have the consistency of a school environment to grow relationships. Luckily, the blogging community is full of lovely people ready to welcome you into their group. Once you start blogging, you already have a hobby in common with hundreds of others; and by visiting other blogs you can find people who share your secret love for existential literature or dancing around in your underwear to Beyonce (although that last one is all of us, ammiright?).
Most of the bloggers I have met, whether in person or online, have been really nice people and the community is very welcoming as a whole.
2. You’ll learn things about yourself
Before I started blogging, I had no idea that I could truly engage people through my writing. I didn’t know that there were plenty of other young women out there who felt as lost as I did, or that there were so many of us who wanted to peek into each others’ make up bags and talk about how hard it is to get a job you love these days.
Your confidence will grow, and you’ll have the chance to do things you never thought you could, whether that be write about a personal subject, attend blogging events or to interview someone you look up to.
3. It’s a great hobby
Before I started blogging, I was always thinking about needing a hobby. I wanted to do something creative in my spare time that could become my ‘thing’. I bought a painting set but never got round to opening it; I signed up for guitar lessons but then I missed the bus and never went again. It wasn’t going very well.
Then I found blogging. Blogging is such an exciting hobby to have; it can be done from home, it’s free and you can be as creative as you like. You can also blog about anything you like, whether that’s movies, beauty reviews, mental health or your family.
You can start out blogging for free on sites such as WordPress or Blogger, or you can pay for your own domain name and have your very own dot com. Those who are particularly creative can play around with theme designs and headers; and social media savvy bloggers can have fun building their brand online.
4. You’ll become a better writer
The key to getting better at something is practice, and blogging enables you to practice your written communication skills. You’ll get better naturally as time goes on, and you’ll find your voice.
5. You could make money
Now, if you are going into blogging purely to make money then blogging is not for you. There are opportunities to make money from blogging, but it should not be your biggest priority. Making money from your hobby is a nice added bonus though.
6. It could even land you a new career
Not only is blogging a great hobby, but many bloggers have made a career out of it and now blog full time. This is not easy, though, and many bloggers who do it for a living have to supplement their income in other ways.
If you don’t fancy blogging full time, your blog could still land you a new career whether it’s in copywriting, social media, SEO, fashion or working in beauty. Your blog is a public medium for you to showcase your skills, and as you learn, you’ll gain new skills that could land you the job of your dreams. Many bidding journalists studying at university choose to blog in their spare time, gaining experience and getting their name out there; giving them an advantage when it comes to applying for their first, ever so competitive, entry-level role.
I recently wrote an article on how blogging can help you get a job in marketing and PR at A Literary Cocktail.
Blogging is an ever-growing industry and as print media diminishes, blogging will only become more popular. What are you waiting for? Sign up, start writing and change your life!
