Today, Henri Junttila lists six powerful reasons for anyone who hasn’t started blogging to get into the blogosphere as soon as possible. Want to write for us too?
During the short time I have been blogging seriously, it has quickly dawned on me how powerful blogging is when you put your heart and soul into it. The feedback you get is incredible. Maintaining a blog not only improves your writing, but it also completely transforms your life.
It’s a difficult beast to pin down. By having your own blog, you effectively increase your reach and let more people find out about who you truly are. Now, there are plenty of bloggers out there who seem to have no soul and no voice.
These are usually the people that are blogging for reasons other than following their passion. If you want to succeed, you have to follow your passion and be authentic. If you’re not, people will see right through you and go somewhere else. The reasons for blogging are many, but here are six of my favorites:
1. Confidence
When you blog, you have to put yourself out there and be authentic. No one wants to listen to you if you’re holding it all in. Blogging is about sharing who you are. I was afraid to do this at first, but then I just decided to let it all out.
The feedback has been surprising and overwhelming. Once you get more comfortable in your writing, you can start making videos, giving interviews or even talks. Who knows where it may lead? Are you beginning to see how blogging can improve your confidence? It’s all about taking small steps.
2. Connections
When you have a blog, like-minded people will naturally gravitate to you and strike up conversations. You have the ability to meet people you never would have met otherwise. Now, it will not happen automatically, you will have to promote your blog and build links.
As you connect with more and more people your reach expands and you’re naturally getting involved in all sorts of things. There is no predicting where life will take you, especially when you make connections and share value with others.
3. Opportunities
We’ve all heard about the bloggers that have gotten book deals, speaking gigs and even jobs. If you write a blog about what you love, then there is always a chance that it could happen to you. Make no mistake though, you have to be good at what you do.
The best way is to simply blog about a topic you’re passionate about. What would you blog about if money didn’t exist? That is a question that gets a blank stare from most people. Get clear on what you like to do and start doing it. You’ll be surprised at what can happen.
4. Clarity
As you write more and more, you will start to experience a sense of clarity. I’ve never been someone that keeps a journal, but when I started blogging and writing my thoughts and experiences down, something shifted within me.
There’s something about writing down your thoughts that gives you a sense of relief and peace. It’s almost as if you’re unloading your thoughts into the sheet of virtual paper inside your computer.
5. Self-Improvement
There is no doubt that someone who has been blogging seriously for several years has grown in several areas of their life. Blogging takes discipline, creativity, patience and strategy, just to name a few.
If you’re going after hardcore blogging fame, then you will definitely grow if you keep going. There will be times when you won’t feel like writing. There will be times when you will feel discouraged. There will be times when someone sent you a nasty e-mail and you just want to quit.
Getting through these challenges is what keeps us growing. Without any challenges, life would be boring and ultimately meaningless. Growth would stagnate and nothing would happen. Look at these negative experiences as growth opportunities.
6. Value
If you write about a topic you’re deeply passionate about and share your true feelings and experiences, you are automatically delivering value and great content to the world. There is always someone out there like you that can benefit from reading or connecting with you.
We are all inspired to write or talk about something. That inspiration happens for a reason. There’s someone on the other end wanting you to share. If you feel inspired to share something, just do it.
Is That Reason Enough?
There will never be a perfect opportunity to start blogging. Perfect circumstances do not exist, so if you’re on the edge trying to decide whether or not to go for it, start now! You never know where your blog may be in the next month, or even months if you just start now and put your heart into it.
Do you think these six reasons only are enough to get people into blogging? If you don’t have a blog, what kind of things do you want to hear to get you more pumped? If you do have a blog, what kind of things got you pumped to start it?
If you are interested in starting a new blog, you may be really interested in checking out Blogussion’s blogging guide, From Planning to Earning that has great information on learning about, setting up and earning from blogging.
71 Discussions
I agree completely with this post. Blogging has been very helpful to me in all of these areas
I first got interested in blogging by learning stuff about web development, and my blog has also been helpful in learning tons of new things.
Eric B.´s last blog ..Getting Started With Ruby on Rails
That’s true Eric. Through blogging, it will definitely help us in helping us to widen up our knowledge and skills.
For me, I have learnt a lot about WordPress through blogging initially and now, with the knowledge that I gained before, I have started blogging by focussing specifically about WordPress.
Blogging has also help me a lot in networking and interpersonal skills. Without blogging, I will definitely not at the place where I am at today.
Cheers!
I think the research one does while blogging is quite a learning experience.
Blogging has enabled me to express my thoughts and share it with others; to be more open-minded and more importanly to create a cimmunity of people. Its a good feeling!
For Bloggers Who want to Stop Writers’ Block
Think about the global consequences of open information exchange.
Where people everywhere can dig into the facts, and publish those facts.
It’s really incredible.
Dave Doolin | Website In A Weekend´s last blog ..5 Easy Tips for Managing 100s of RSS Feeds
Yeah man blogging also helps you increase your typing speed and helps to improve English.
Dinesh´s last blog ..Giving Away Ninja Affiliate Plugin This New Year
4 months ago I’ve written a post called 22 Reasons for You to Blog, and I think you’ve summed up almost all of my reasons. LOL.
Those are indeed very powerful reasons to blog and I agree with you because I’ve experienced those reasons. Tweeted this to my followers!
Genuine points, an inspirational article. Great Work!
First, this is a very good article overall.
But these are not good reasons for everyone.
They may be good reasons for some people, but not for everyone.
Case in point: last night I had a long discussion with a musician who wants to increase her bookings. But she is not technically adept, and she is shy. Also, she is doing fairly well right now.
She asked many questions. Here’s one of them: “Exactly how do I use a blog to make money?”
After I went through the standard litany (above), she still didn’t get it: “I still don’t how it makes me money.”
And I realized two things. One, I had no idea how to answer her question, and two, that there is a VERY large market out there that will NOT move into “blogging” until someone demonstrates ROI. Period.
This very talented woman does not want to “be on the internet.” She wants to play and compose. However, she also realizes she is going to have to have some sort of website. Can I sell her on the concept? Hard to say. I suspect my best strategy is let her sell herself.
Again, good article, but beware the echo chamber!
Dave Doolin | Website In A Weekend´s last blog ..Be a Guest Author on Website In A Weekend
I completely agree that these points are not for everyone and I thought about that while I wrote this article, but decided not to include it because the writing can get loopy fast when you try to take in all the possible scenarios.
I’ve met plenty of people who have no clue how to proceed. I guess what these people need are someone who takes care of the whole blogging aspect for them, but that again can open a door for bad “webmasters” to take the helm, since they really do not know what is good and what is not.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Dave!
You did a great job limiting the scope.
There’s a huge market opportunity out there for people like my musician friend. Really, I don’t want her to have to learn all about web stuff. I want her to play her piano beautifully, because that’s her passion.
Where’s the “meet in the middle?”
I have no idea.
My next step is persuading her to at least get her own domain name (real estate, right?). If she takes that step, then create a wordpress.com account.
Thanks for responding, Henri. This discussion needs to start, very badly.
Dave Doolin | Website In A Weekend´s last blog ..7 Tips for Producing Snackable, Factual Content
It sounds to me like a static site for promoting her music in different ways might be a better start then a blog. Once she learns a bit, and figures out that writing might be beneficial in multiple ways, she can move to a blog platform.
Dennis Edell´s last blog ..The Final “Official” Post For DSWM!
Dennis, that’s the direction I’m heading, but I have to teach her the difference first, and why it matters.
I’m doing the same with a different client, thus the articles on static versus dynamic websites last week on Website In A Weekend. I have one more remaining in that series.
Dave Doolin | Website In A Weekend´s last blog ..Is Your Blog Dead As A Doornail? Let’s Talk…
Maybe blogging isn’t for everyone.
For Bloggers Who want to Stop Writers’ Block
Strangely, I think that anyone in a service or entertainment industry should have a blog or something like a blog, even if they only update it once a month. It’s such an obviously good way to connect with an audience.
Dave Doolin | Website In A Weekend´s last blog ..5 Easy Tips for Managing 100s of RSS Feeds
What? It’s not just for fame and money?
Seriously though, my first experience in blogging was to help get customers for my fence contracting business, in less than three months I was on top of the SERP’s for all my local terms. The competition never caught on to WHY I was on top, and some of them spent big $$ trying to catch me!
I didn’t get many comments on that site because, let’s face it, fence is boring (I sold that company recently) but since starting a blog last week I had been thinking about for 6mos I have gotten more comments than I would get on my fence site in a year! Many more people like the interaction and community of this topic.
Anyway, another reason I would add is blog for business…. worked for me.
Keith @ Business3.0´s last blog ..7 Articles You Must Read!
No arguments from me! Blogging is a nice little thing that can be used for so many things. Quite remarkable and awesome it is. I’ve been running a few blogs on other topics and have run into the same comment conundrum on topics that just aren’t that interesting.
It’s always more fun when you get to interact and talk with your readers. At least that I was I think. Thanks for stopping by, Keith!
Henri´s last blog ..How Money Can Make You Happier (But Only If Used in the Right Way)
I have to agree that every website should have a blog. It’s not only a great way to connect with users of the site, it also can build a fanbase and a large collection of RSS Subscribers, Twitter Followers, etc… Plus it’s the easiest way to update what’s going on with your website, business, or any other online presence.
Everyone company, website or whatever it may be should definitely have a blog. I think it’s fun to read any blog as long as it is personal and nicely written. And let’s not forget about the fan base and easy to keep updated aspects.
All good points. 1 and 2 resonate the most with me. Thinking you know enough about a subject to start a blog is one thing, but having the confidence to make it succeed is another. When you start getting positive feedback from others, the confidence quickly builds as you realize you are providing value to others. This is a huge help in finding your own voice, which almost certainly leads to more subscribers.
The connections made from blogging and participating in others’ blogs is huge. I never really thought about it, but there is a definite community here. And making new connections with others has become an almost daily occurrence.
Chad @ Tech201´s last blog ..Merry Christmas, Now Fix My Computer!
That is what happened to me. My blog is just a baby, but I’ve received a lot of good feedback and it has boosted my confidence in my own voice and writing style. Simply put, blogging is awesome
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This comment really hits home…”What would you blog about if money didn’t exist?” I started blogging 9 months ago when I lost my job and it has been a lifesaver for me and also a great way to keep my skills up. Thank you for an insightful article.
Your blog looks wonderful, Angie. It’s amazing how the internet has grown and how it continues to grow with the help of people all around the world. I have no doubt that we are just seeing the beginning of what is possible
Couldn’t agree more with you Henri, in my case I love travelling and the internet. Therefore I mixed the two to launch a travel and tourism blog. Through my blog I’ve travelled my country South Africa extensively. Building up to the FIFA Draw I was approach by the host city to cover the draw on a tourism perspective….unfortunately I did not land the gig (I guess my rates scared them). I attended an annual tourism exhibition where I blogged about an awards ceremony which I criticised for being narrow minded…as a result of that blog post I was invited to be a judge of the same awards that I blogged about. I’ve just been approached for a short-term assignment by an international sustainable tourism company doing some work in South Africa to help them with generating content for their blog….all this is as a result of blogging passionately about tourism here in South Africa.
The problem with new bloggers is to expect a killing from day one, without having built a reputation. Right now I’m about to relaunch my blog to expand my horizons to cover the entire African continent on tourism.
Muzi Mohale | AlreadyInspired.com´s last blog ..Nathan Hangen and Mike CJ, launches Beyond Blogging (free report)
Wow, sounds like you’re doing great already, Muzi! You absolutely cannot predit where blogging may take you when you follow your passion. Sounds like you have balls too criticizing your first awards ceremony (if it was your first). Nicely done!
Nice post Henri…
I am only about two weeks in on blogging and can already see many of these thigns forming…Already have some connections, opportunities already have called, I am starting to see more clarity in things. However #1 is what I definitely need to work on and improve….Thanks for opening my eyes to that because I feel I am holding back some.
Tanner @ Life Destiny´s last blog ..Simple Fact on How to Lose Weight
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Tanner!
The more you are able to be yourself in your writing, the more you will attract the right kind of people and fans. If you try to please everyone, no one will feel like you are talking to them, but when you are yourself a special group will think “he’s talking to me, it’s like he knows me” and that’s what you want!
The Points in article are awesome Khudos for these tips. I like social networking because social networking brings world in our computers. and Blogging make use to share our knowledge & feeling with people around the world
I completely agree, Gurpreet. You have an awesome name by the way! Social networking has allowed us to make connections all over the world and connect with people like us.
Hi Henri,
Lately I’ve seen your Gravatar pic all over the place. You’re a commenting machine. I think it’s great that you’re putting so much energy into your passion of blogging. Keep up the great work!
Gordie´s last blog ..On Balancing Realism And Enthusiasm.
Hey Gordie!
It’s easy to comment when your goal is to connect and help as many people as possible in the coming year. I’m doing what I love and it feels great. I’m enjoying the connections you get from blogging, sharing and helping. It’s an awesome community out there!
When I first started commenting, it was hard to figure out what to say.
Now, it’s much easier for just those reasons: helping people and connecting!
Dave Doolin | Website In A Weekend´s last blog ..Is Your Blog Dead As A Doornail? Let’s Talk…
Excellent insights. Completely affirms my very thoughts on the topic!
I’m glad you liked it. Sometimes we already know what is true, but we need that extra bit of confirmation to instill confidence to keep on going!
Blogging is one such platform where we can use our creativity, we can expand our knowledge by blogging. I also recommend that people who want to like to stay online want to do something special by online then blogging is one best source fro them.
Blogging is not only for money. Just we have burst our creativity and let people bring attention into our blog, once our blog drive lots of traffic and attention we can then really enjoy our blogging life.
chandan´s last blog ..How google recommend to build link
Blogging is an excellent tool for your creativity indeed! You’re right Chandan, it’s not about money and it shouldn’t be. Even if you want to make money blogging you first have to find your passion and care about your readers.
What an interesting post.
We always talk about things to do for our blogs, but I don’t think many of us really dealt with why you should blog. During my blogging experience, I have gone through a lot of self-improvement because as a blogger, you want to present a complete and meaningful post to your readers. This requires you to go ahead and do the dirty work of finding information and although you may present just a small portion of what you read through, personally, you learn so much.
Regarding your last statement on if these are enough reasons to pull people into blogging, to be honest, I’m not sure. As much as I like blogging and want to recommend blogging to people, many people seem to not think it is worth the time.
I guess they will never know how awesome the blogosphere is from the outside…
Static´s last blog ..5 Reasons I’m Not Going vBulletin 4.0 For Now
Yeah, I think most people aren’t ready or don’t really care, but in my mind it isn’t about trying to convert “most people”. If I can persuade one person to try blogging, it may change their life for the better. There will probably be someone years from now reading this post and these comments. The universe is pretty cool like that. Thanks for stopping by!
what i get from my these day blogging is self improvement. My writing skill is improve, and now my English also in improving. Next step, may be my earn will be improve.
Dana @ LetUpdate´s last blog ..Re-Brand The Blog
It will most likely if you keep at it and keep learning.
That’s definately true!
Back in the days, at school, when our teachers used to ask us to write a paragraph, we used to moan. But now with blogging, we view writing on a whole new level! Maybe its just so interactive and the freedom it allows us to express ourselves.
For Bloggers Who want to Stop Writers’ Block
You are right, I agree with you. Different people have different choice. I have worked various fields from past 5 year but in that platform just in few months. I used blog for self improvement and I get the chance to teach online follower. I was able to earn minimum $500/pm
We all have an unlimited amount of choices, sounds awesome that you’re already teaching someone in such a short period of time. Keep on rocking!
Why does one have to think about money when blogging. How can you put passion into the subject when you are thinking about the money – unless you are passionate about money.
Do we have to blog for money? How about just for the love of it. I am a very spiritual person and sometimes something inspires me and words just flow out. I write it all down and money has nothing to do with it. I just want to express my thoughts and feelings. My point is, do I have to think of SEO, back links, products, keywords ..etc at the moment of inspiration?
I agree on the point that it brings like-minded people together. That is good so that they can share and learn and benefit others.
For Bloggers Who want to Stop Writers’ Block
No you do not have to think about anything if you do not want to. If you feel like you just want to express and share then that is exactly what you should do, Nezine.
I always emphasize that we should listen to our own feelings, because others can only tell us so much. In the end, we have to listen to ourselves and find our own path. It sounds like you already know what you want and that’s excellent.
I really appreciate you stopping by, Nezine. All of these comments are awesome!
Henri´s last blog ..How Money Can Make You Happier (But Only If Used in the Right Way)
Yes I agree with you, Henri.
I also agree that these comments are awesome – that’s because your articles inspire your visitors!
For Bloggers Who want to Stop Writers’ Block
Nezine – you don’t have to think about any of that SEO, backlinks, none of it…
But… if you think about building your skill set in a very simple way, handling the basics becomes a small part of your creative process.
Learning – and executing on – these simple skills makes your creative work an investment as well as a creation.
Dave Doolin | Website In A Weekend´s last blog ..Is Your Blog Dead As A Doornail? Let’s Talk…
Thanks Dave, I get what you mean.
For Bloggers Who want to Stop Writers’ Block
Grea post, haven’t been on this blog for a long time know, but now that I have a bit of free time to start blogging again, it’s always great to read this blog.
I alos think that blogging will benefit everyone. We have many things open up like new oppertunities and we get to network and build new connections. Not to forget that blogging is also addictive and fun. I think knowing that people read your content is a great way to get inspired to write more and continue writing.
Great post.
Teen Blogger´s last blog ..4 Incredible Tips On How To Improve Your Blog
Glad you decided to stop by just in time to read my post
. It is addictive indeed. I am sure my early enthusiasm will go down after awhile though, that is when you need some discipline to keep at it until get your next spurt of motivation. That usually happens when you see visitors coming, commenting and your subscriber count increasing, or even selling your own products.
I’ve made many connections and great friends all around the country through blogging. I’ve even had to the opportunity to meet several blogging friends when out traveling. It’s funny to meet someone in person for the first time and feel like you already know so much about them! Blogging is a fantastic way to build a community of like minded people.
Jeff Moser´s last blog ..Snowy Trek to Silver City
I haven’t met a blogger face to face yet. Some day I will and it’s probably going to be awesome!
Yes. I absolutely agree with you that after i started blogging, i got a lot of knowledge about cancer now. Thanks for sharing! I know what and why i’m doing now!
Kok Siong Chen´s last blog ..Autosomal Aneuploidy – Cytogenetic Abnormalities
I dont know what I would do without my blog, Whenever I have nothing to do I just jump onto my blog and speck my mind and have a chat to others like myself.
I recommend it to everyone.
Check out my blog http://www.youngbusinessnetwork.com.au
Luke
Luke Ahearn´s last blog ..How to Get Free One Way Backlinks Virally
Ya true, A nice article.
These are all great reasons to have a blog and, as you sum up in your 6 points, a blog is great for many things including self-improvement. Not only can it help you in the online world, it will always help you in the outside world as you demonstrate your passion, and expertise, in written forum.
Richard@How To Videos´s last blog ..How To Make Money On eBay
Yes sir! A blog is an asset that is almost essential in today’s world, especially if you’re looking for a job!
Henri´s last blog ..Guest Post Roundup #1: Passion, Letting Go and Health
There are lot of of wannabe bloggers who blog with the wrong motivation. Consequently, they fail. I believe the one must have passion about a particular thing before he/she can express it via blog. The passion that we have is the one we are good at, and will bring the best in us.
I have been blogging for five months and I have gained understanding about its true nature. Aside from benefits I have gained, it took me deeper into myself and discovered my hidden capacities. It’s my childhood dream to be a writer. Now I am.
Heya Walter! It’s disheartening to look at the blog statistics when they say that 95% (or 99% whatever the number is) of bloggers fail. But that doesn’t take into account that almost all of these are not following their passion, being consistent and following their passion.
The internet is powerful, because it allows you to be able to do what you love. I think it’s awesome that you’re following yours and realizing your childhood dream!
I’m new to blogging and these reasons make me want to do it even more! I agree especially with your reasons that it build confidence and connections on the internet which I think is really important these days as we enter a new decade where everything will be computerised!
James @ Mobile Phones with Free Laptop´s last blog ..Mobile Phone Free Laptop
Cool! A lot of the benefits of blogging aren’t realized until awhile after you’ve begun. Many bloggers start and give up just when they’re about to explode it growth. These are of course the bloggers who are doing it right but lack patience.
Henri´s last blog ..Guest Post Roundup #1: Passion, Letting Go and Health
Reason number 7: Blogging is cool. Non-bloggers are not cool
Tony´s last blog ..“Hey, where’s my refund?” The Nine Worst iPhone Applications Ever Made
Indeed
We should thank you for hosting such a terrific blog. Your site is not just informative but also very artistic too. There normally are a limited number of professionals who can think to create technical content that creatively. All of us keep searching for content with regard to a subject like this. I went over many blogs to acquire information about this.I will check back often. And also happy new year!!!!
Blogussion does indeed rock. Alex and the crew do a great job!
Henri´s last blog ..How to Manifest Synchronicity
What an interesting post Henri. I always learn a lot from this blog and really appreciate it! I wish you a Happy New Year. Regards, Martin
Thanks a lot, Martin! Have a good New Year!
Great points, you can even discover more new things about myself while blogging. Blogging has strengthened a lot of my interests especially if its your hobby, you should blog about it! Blogging should be fun!
Link Exchange Forum´s last blog ..hi guys
You have an awesome name by the way! Social networking has allowed us to make connections all over the world and connect with people like us. Keep sharing the good work.
I do work on my blog for students and tutors which is meant to help them with connections and resources. Check out MyPrivateTutor Blog
for any help.
I maintain my blog because I want my readers to feed on my experiences. I provide Educational Tips to students and tutors.
sanatblogger´s last blog ..Basic Responsibility and Study Strategy of Tutoring
This is true and I think everyone must have a blog
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