I started my first blog a little over three years ago. Since that time I have been blogging about four or five times a week. It has been a great learning experience, and a source of personal and professional growth. It has also done many great things for my business, and has opened up a number of career opportunities that wouldn’t have otherwise been there for me. In this article Here are 12 reasons why everyone should start a blog.
1. Blogging is challenging, and challenges are good
Anyone who thinks that blogging isn’t challenging hasn’t really done it. It is a challenge to sit down and write, and to do that consistently. It is a challenge to put your ideas out there, but you shouldn’t be scared of it. You should embrace it because it makes you grow, and by growing you become more complex as an individual. It is a challenge that you can handle, and handling challenges can make you happy.
2. Learn new things
Handling challenges and becoming more complex makes people happy–so does learning. When people learn, they grow, and feel fulfilled. Blogging is a learning experience. You learn how to write. You learn how to access social media to spread your message. You learn the difference between a catchy title and a dull one. More importantly, through your writing, you can learn a lot about yourself. All of these things can increase your happiness.
3. Make a difference in the lives of others
Don’t think that your voice doesn’t matter. It does, and what you have to say will have a positive impact on others. The first time that someone reached out to me to say that they consistently read my blog, and that what I wrote helped them, was a very meaningful moment. I realized then that I could make a difference in people’s lives. It made me feel great, and it motivated me to keep writing.
4. Become an expert at something
A blog allows you to develop your thoughts around a particular idea or topic.This will lead to learning more about that topic and networking with others in that field. If you are consistent in our approach you will find that, over time, you will learn quite a bit about that topic. This can build into a unique expertise, which can lead to new business and career opportunities. I have experienced this in my career as well.
5. Build your online brand
Blogging is a great way to build an “online brand”. Why does that matter? It matters if you want to keep the door open for continual business and career opportunities. I have had many people contact me over the years on topics such as marketing, sales, and leadership development for consulting opportunities, speaking engagements and other interesting business endeavors. These are some of the topics that I most frequently write on. One of the best ways to create, and control, your brand, is to frequently write on topics that you wish to be known for.
6. Expose your ideas to a larger network
When you blog, and include social sharing options on your blog posts, you have the opportunity to expand your sphere of influence to a much larger network. The key here is to write consistent, high quality content that people find interesting and want to share. Sound daunting? It’s not if you start with what interests you. You are more likely to put thought and effort into topics that are of interest to you, and the great thing is that there really are no rules. Anything that is interesting to you is interesting to someone else out there, and that person will share your content with his or her network.
7. Create new opportunities for yourself and your business
When you become known for a certain topic, you could get picked up by the search engines, and people who are looking for expertise in that area will eventually reach out to you. This will result in new and interesting career and business opportunities that wouldn’t have otherwise been possibilities.
8. Have new and interesting experiences
New experiences are fun, and they help to break routine and make life more interesting. Blogging is a great way to have new and interesting experiences. It may be as simple as learning the platform, or having a unique conversation with a follower of your blog. It also may be something like doing a guest post on someone else’s blog, or writing on a topic that requires a little “field work” or research. Make it fun. The more you do, the more likely it is that you’ll stick with that activity.
9. Meet new and interesting people
Making new friends is a positive and enjoyable experience. Blogging on topics that interest you will allow you to network and create relationships with people who are interested in similar things. You will also likely connect with other bloggers. Learning about different people, and their unique experiences, can be enjoyable.
10. Document your life in an empowering way
A blog doesn’t have to be a journal, but it can be if you want. There are really no rules. You can blog about a topic of interest, your random thoughts, or about your personal experiences. My blog is all of the above. When we include personal experiences, our blog becomes a documentary about our lives. It is a great way to record experiences that we can look back on to learn from and reminisce, and share with our loved ones.
11. Confront your fears
For some people, taking a side, having an opinion, and voicing that opinion online is simple, perhaps even natural. For others it is, at first, a terrifying prospect. If you fall into the latter category, it can be empowering to overcome this fear. What is the worst thing that could happen by blogging? Someone disagrees with your opinion? Big deal. You can handle that. In fact it’s a really good thing for your opinion to be challenged from time to time, as it causes you to analyze it to make sure it is sound.
12. Find your authentic voice
Blogging (and writing in general) has been perhaps the most effective means that I have discovered to find and develop my authentic voice. Writing is like art. You start with a blank canvas. Everything that comes after that is coming from an authentic place. With blogging especially, you are free to write on any topic that you choose. It isn’t like school, where you are confined to the terms of a teacher’s direction (and subject to his or her interpretation). When you blog you are free to discover who you are, what you have to say, what interests you, and how you can add value through your words. This is the process of empowerment.
