Why Create a Blog? 10 (and a half) Reasons

For me and millions of others, blogging has been a way to express ourselves, our ideas, and our passions with others. It’s part of our human nature to want to share and communicate with others, and blogging is one of the best (and cheapest and most efficient) ways of doing that.

I’m guessing that you’re like the rest of us — you like talking to friends and family, work colleagues, people with interests like yours. Now imagine reaching out and having a conversation with like-minded people right around the globe – that’s what blogging is about.

A blog is a regular conversation with readers.

The great thing about the Internet is that there are readers out there for whatever you want to blog about. Whether your passionate about narrow field of , say, the habits of Eyelash Palm-pitvipers, or a wider field, such as leading a life of simplicity and creating good habits (like I’ve chosen for Zen Habits), there is an audience out there waiting for you. Especially if you learn to write well-crafted and useful posts.

Here are ten (and a half) reasons why you might want to start a blog:

1. Express yourself

Blogging is a great way to express yourself. Maybe you want to express your ideas, or share your passion. Or maybe you want to share your creations, in the form of writing, photos, videos, music, or other. It may well be that in your day -to-day life you lack opportunities for self-expression. I know I did before I started Zen Habits. A blog offers you the opportunity to develop and express your true self.

2. Become an authority

Each one of us knows is knowledgeable about something. Maybe you know something about cleaning a home efficiently, or about Astronomy. Or what about cooking, car maintenance, or window-box gardening? The list is endless. If you want to start a blog there is one key question that you need to ask yourself:

What are you passionate about?

If you create and maintain a blog about the topic you are passionate about, you will in time be perceived as an authority in your field. That’s why many people start a blog in order to get recognition, or in order to enhance their reputation.

3. Make your hobby into a career

Most of us live a life that is compartmentalized. On one hand is work – where we tend to spend most of our time. And then there is leisure time where we pursue hobbies or activities that we enjoy. Most of us find leisure-time activities more fun and more fulfilling than work. And the only reason we keep on working is because we need the income.

But what if you could turn your hobby into an income?

This is what happened to me. I’ve made my passion for writing about the simple life into a full-time career. This means I never have to ‘go to work’ again – because my activity doesn’t feel like work.

4. Share your know-how and experience

The Internet is often the first place people go to in order to learn a new skill If you think about your hobby or your are of passion, I’m sure you can appreciate the skills you’ve had to learn and the knowledge you’ve had to acquire. Sometimes we take for granted what we know. But a beginner would be grateful to learn what you know.

5. Network with others

If you create and maintain a blog, in time people with the same interest will gather as readers. Building such a network can open many new doors for you. It can lead to interesting job opportunities, expand your knowledge, and lead to lasting friendships.

6. Create a community

Once you’ve established a blog , with a thriving readership, you can also add a discussion forum to it. This can either be an open forum, or a paid membership community. This is a great way to add value to your blog.

7. Become a professional writer

Before blogs appeared, becoming a professional writer was a difficult process. You either had to become a journalist and be hired by a paper, freelance for magazines, or find an agent and a publisher in order to get a book contract.

These days, writing a blog presents an easy way to become a professional writer. The first step is to start your own blog and hone your writing skills by creating regular posts, the next on is to start guest posting or freelancing for other blogs, and finally – when your blog’s subscriber count reaches a certain size, publishers are likely to approach you for book deals. For example, I was approached by a publisher when Zen Habits reached about 20,000 subscribers and was contracted to write my (now best-selling) print book, “The Power of Less”.

8. Make Money

Making money on the Internet is not just a process of creating a website and then hoping that people will find it. A much better way is to create your target audience, and then sell products that they really want. A good example is Darren Rowse’s photography blog Digital Photography School. He started out posting useful information and tips for photographers. Now it creates a full-time income for him because he has build authority, and his readers trust his recommendations. Whatever products he promotes, they sell well.

Here are strategies to make money through blogging:

• Sell create digital products, such as ebooks, courses, etc.;
• Become an affiliate and sell products for others (the commission for affiliate sales is often around 50%);
• Run training courses;
• Produce and sell products;
• Offer consultant services;
• Run paid ads.

The financial investment necessary in order to start such an online business is minimal. For a miminal cost of less than $80 a year for hosting costs and domain ownership, you can start to build your own business.

9. Showcase a product, project or company

Some blogs are built around products. For example, software developers like Thesis, or Apture started their blog in order to highlight new developments, or offer tips on how to use a product. A blog is also a classic way for music bands to create a solid fan base.

• 10. Be part of a movement that’s changing the world

As a blogger you are part of a quiet revolution. Blogs have taken the power from traditional publishers, and given it to ordinary people – like you and me. You are now free to create something that gives you recognition, and can provide an income. All you need is determination, a long-term plan, ongoing regular content creation – and know-how.

10 (and ½). Have fun

Blogging is fun. I love writing posts and interacting with my readers. It’s highly satisfying to create something that reflects who you are, and gives others pleasure.

If creating a blog is such a great idea, why doesn’t everyone do it?

I think one of the barriers is that it’s quite confusing to the beginner who wants to get started. In order to create a blog that really has a future, you need to know what you’re doing and most people want to set up their blog correctly, right from the start.

There are actually some great ways to ease yourself into blogging and I’ll tell you about them in my next email. However, if you want to create a blog with a bright future, take a look at our A-List Blogging Bootcamp which runs from 13-17 February, called How to Create a Blog that Rocks. It’s aimed at those who would like to learn step-by-step how to create a successful blog.

On our first Bootcamp we had a blast. You see some of the enthusiastic comments by participants in the sidebar.

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These articles follow on from this one:

How to Create a Blog in 19 Minutes or less

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