Why Do You Blog?: 6 Good Reasons to Write

This post was submitted by Tom Kephart from New Tech Heroes.

Why do you blog?

Or, if you're not blogging yet, but have stopped by Raivyn's site to find out how to get started, what's driving you to consider writing online?

While there have been millions of blogs started worldwide, only a small percentage are active on a daily basis (Technorati records 1.6 million posts per day, while there are over 112 million blogs in its database). So while it seems the party's already underway, there's still plenty of room for you!

Here are a few of the reasons people start blogging. You may recognize one of them as your own motivation to blog, and others may give you some ideas about opportunities that you didn't know about:

Microcelebrity - We all want to be famous... don't we? We don't really watch MTV because we care about the music on TRL anymore, or The Style Network because we're wondering what Eva Longoria's wearing. We want to be part of the glamour and the excitement of celebrity. In the December 2007 issue of Wired, columnist Clive Thompson defines microcelebrity as "the phenomenon of being extremely well known not to millions but to a small group - a thousand people, or maybe only a few dozen." Blogging gives everyone the chance to build a small but devoted following and become a microcelebrity.

Accessibility - A relative to microcelebrity. Accessibility means people can find you much easier online because you're a blogger. You show up in search engines more often, especially if you have an uncommon name. Bloggers find the online visibility of writing their blog helps them in the job market, or creates additional business opportunities for their companies. If you're a writer looking for work, your blog is a constantly updated online portfolio that's a great way to demonstrate your ability and style to prospective employers. Bloggers who start today are still part of the early adopters, and there will be benefits to that distinction down the road, as there has been with most new technologies.

Enforced writing discipline - I've talked (online, of course) with bloggers who started because they wanted to do something that would force them to write on a regular basis. Some are journalists who are used to writing on deadline and want to create a similar situation with their personal writing, but some are just people who felt they had the potential to be good writers, if they just had a reason to write regularly. Blogging gives them that reason.

Controlling the virtual conversation - Blogs, social networking applications like MySpace and Facebook, and do-it-yourself media sites like YouTube have increased the chance that somebody's not only talking about you right now... they're doing it online with everybody watching. Demanding that others take down comments about you won't work. You need to control the conversation by participating in it yourself. A blog is a great way to let people know your side of the story.

Freedom of speech/Shrinking the world - Many bloggers write because of their commitment to a social or political cause. When only governments and those who could afford a printing press or radio or TV station had access to the media, the voices of the minority were harder to find. Now blogging - especially with the use of free, turnkey blog platforms like Blogger, Wordpress, Vox and others - gives these voices a worldwide platform to speak to. And what a small world it's becoming! Twenty years ago, I would spend hours every night listening to shortwave radio stations from all over the globe to hear the news "as it happened" from the world's capitals. It seemed very exotic at the time. Now we get that news instantly online, and we can chat in real time with people from nearly every country. Bloggers are shrinking the world every day by reaching out and making connections which were difficult, if not impossible, before the worldwide virtual conversation began.

Money - I mention money last, because it's the hardest thing to come by for a new blogger who's hoping to monetize their blog. There are plenty of places to learn how to try to make money as a blogger - and it can be done, but it takes incredible dedication and hard work - so I won't touch on that here. Actually, if you're looking for great ideas on how to improve your blog and make it more likely to be a financial success for you, you're in the right place. Raivyn's blog has been very helpful to me in the few months I've been writing online, and I recommend you subscribe to her blog if you haven't already. There isn't any shortcut to financial success with a blog, though; you have to be able to produce great content and do it regularly to have any chance of making money. Your readers - and Google - love fresh content. Be sure to give it to them.

Not every blogger will become rich and famous, very few do. Not every blogger is an outstanding writer or a hard-charging business mogul, and that's okay, too. The virtual conversation is better when every voice has the chance to be heard. There are as many reasons to blog as there are individuals. What's your reason?

>> Looking for a blogging gig? Please consider writing for IGTB.

Comments

[Stacey]

I was amazed when I read the line

"The virtual conversation is better when every voice has the chance to be heard."

That is why we blog, we believe everyone should have a chance for their voice to be heard. Our blog is interactive, we encourage guests to sign up and write posts of their own. We do not edit anyone, we believe every opinion counts.

Thank you for such a great article.

[Raivyn]

Hi Stacey, and thanks for stopping in and sharing your thoughts. I must agree- every opinion does count, and that's part of the reason I have asked for guest bloggers like Tom to write a post (or two) for IGTB.. to hear (and share) a different voice every now and then, and others' thoughts about blogging-related topics. A public opinion is valuable, often more than that of just one person.

[Houseonahill.org]

Thanks for this commentary. My reasons for blogging are far more simple. I blog because it is cathartic. It is therapeutic. AND as you alluded to, it is a place where you can voice social concerns, network and get feedback that is unbiased.

This is a great post because it has given me a perspective that I had not yet considered. ~ Enjoy the day!

[Hye]

Honestly, at first I thought blogging is only about making money. I thought I can make big money too in the Internet.. but I was wrong (sob)... just kidding. I am making a fair money, but not as what I expected. You are right about successful blogging requires dedication and hard work.