Billion Reasons Why You Should Start a Blog
Make money blogging or use your blog to get a job. Discover a world of online business opportunities. Become a writer, inspire others and let blogging change you for the better. Blogs are the new black and they’re here to stay: it’s high time you started one of your own.
For my dear friend Carly
Three years ago I didn’t even know what a blog looked like, but I was sure I didn’t want one. Today, I own two blogs and the only thing I regret is not starting a blog earlier than I did.
During three years of blogging, I developed a more valuable skill set than during the 5 years of my studies at university (and the whole of my life, for that matter).
Each day, I am becoming more knowledgeable in topics that will only prove more important as the world goes further online.
My adventure into blogging led me to teach myself how to use HTML, WordPress, Photoshop, Google AdSense and Google Analytics.
I learned how to take pictures and write better. I also learned a great deal about SEO, online marketing and social media management.
Furthermore, working on my blogs allows me to be creative at all times: from editing pictures and researching blog post topics to cooking up interesting collaborations and thinking of inspiring ways to share my life and ideas on social networks.
And, that’s not all.
Getting into the business side of blogging (and learning about other online businesses) gave me the confidence to start working for myself.
It got me to understand that I can choose what I want to do for a living and that I can do anything I set my mind to. (Related reading: Entrepreneur for a Month)
Moreover, as if all this wasn’t enough, my blog is also inspiring people around the world to start a better life.
Having a blog changed my life. I am happier than I’ve ever been. I want you to experience the same and hope that one of these reasons will convince you to start blogging today.
1. Use your blog to get a job
Blogs are great for showing off your skills, experience and professional knowledge. They’re the new resumes that allow your future employers to see in a blink of a scroll what you’re capable of.
Even if you are seeking to change careers and/or don’t have much work experience, having a well-written blog about topics relevant to the job that you’re pursuing, will increase your chances of getting it.
Sidenote: If you’re a student, you might think that this point doesn’t apply to you–but it does. Having a blog can help you land an internship or your first job.
Don’t worry much about what to write about. Start blogging about what is important to you now. Your future employers don’t care about the topic of your blog.
What they do care about and know is that having a blog made you develop a range of skills, like writing and researching, and that you had to learn about different other topics, like SEO and social media management. That’s what’s important to them.
Furthermore, may you become any good at blogging and an authority on your blog topic, an internship (or even a job) could prove unnecessary.
2. Make money blogging
Once you have an audience, there are plenty of ways to generate income from blogging. Sabrina Iovino, founder of travel blog JustOneWayTicket.com, was able to start making $2,000/month after just one year of blogging.
In the article, Make Money Blogging, Sabrina shares 8 examples of how to make money with a blog, including: selling your ebooks and merchandise, promoting other services and products, offering consultancy services in your field of expertise, and more.
Sidenote: Remember that making money (or becoming successful) in the online world is as hard as in the offline one. Before you can start bringing in the cash, you need to develop your expertise (something Sabrina had been doing long before launching her blog). This is hard work and takes time.
3. Discover a new world of business opportunities
Start blogging and you’ll finally understand how Jill and Jack were able to quit their office jobs last year and can nowadays work from the Caribbeans.
There’s a whole world out there with an abundance of business opportunities for everyone. It’s right in front of our noses and yet we know so little about it.
Only a small percentage of people are tapping into the great wonders of the online world, uncovering new business opportunities and future realities.
Of all Internet businesses, starting a blog is one that requires the least technical knowledge and comes with no financial risk whatsoever.
Having a blog is your easy ticket in; an investment in an everlasting trend and a fun way to introduce yourself to other online business opportunities.
4. Have a go at being a writer
To write something seems to be on everyone’s bucket list. Most of us, however, are taught to believe that we’re either born a writer or not. (Related Reading: Create Your Own Luck with a Bucket List)
This a false belief. In writing, and everything else, though talent helps, it has never been a precondition to success.
I don’t care how bad you think your writing was in school. Writing is a practice that we all can master, and the more you write, the better you get. (Book tip: Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott)
Need a published book to feel like a real writer? No problem.
As you become an expert on your blog topic and a better writer, nothing is stopping you from self-publishing an ebook with your most popular blog posts, for example. This is something many bloggers do and it’s easier than ever.
Furthermore, if you’re looking to write a novel or other literary work, why not use your blog as a platform? With a blog, you don’t need a publisher and you’ll have the world as your audience at your fingertips.
Think about the possibilities.
How cool would it be to use your blog to post one chapter of your story a week? Then, once you hit The End, you simply bundle these weekly chapters into an ebook and self-publish it.
Seriously, the possibilities are infinite. Start a blog and become the writer you always wanted to be.
5. Help and inspire people around the world
I started The Spin-Off Project thinking that if I would manage to inspire one person for the better, it would be worth all the time that I put into the blog.
It was within a month of being online that I received my first big thank you email. I was awestruck.
Someone who I didn’t know had connected with my project and my ideas. So strongly, that my written words sparked an important change in his life.
Being able to help and inspire people all over the world is one of the most majestic things that blogging can bring you and one which I badly wish for you to experience.
Whether your blog is about fashion or self-development, whether you show people how to look good, or how to feel good, you’re bound to help and inspire them. It’s the most important thing you’ll ever do in your life.
The best thing about this is that some of your visitors will share their unique knowledge, inspiring you in return. While many will say something nice which will help you through the tough days.
6. Become less ignorant
As a blogger, you want to share high-quality content with your readers. As such, every time you want to write a new blog post, you’re likely to browse the net or read a book to find out what other people have said on the subject before you.
This research phase is my favorite thing in the process of blogging. I get to use my brain and discover new information, getting a little smarter with every post that I write.
Furthermore, reading about topics I wish to write about, often results in me discovering how infinitely ignorant I am on certain subjects.
It’s an experience that challenges my beliefs and helps me to become a more humble and nicer person in the process.
7. Mind yourself
Blogging isn’t about blurting out every thought that comes to mind. On the contrary, when writing blog posts, you’re trying to write down your thoughts in a presentable manner.
It’s this process of trying to write in a presentable manner (not stream-of-consciousness writing) that helps us get a better understanding of ourselves and our outlook on life.
Furthermore, looking back at past blog posts is like looking at your emotional state of being in the mirror.
When I started writing about my 7th spin-off, I realized that my articles so far sounded angry and judgemental compared to my newer writings.
I decided to stop blogging for The Spin-Off Project for a while so that I could recalibrate. I then went on to edit all of my old posts, incorporating everything I learned so far and writing like the person I am now.
This process was life-changing and crazy therapeutic.
8 – billion. The stars will look brighter
Start a blog and you’ll know what I mean.
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Tell me what you think. Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (links match discussion pages for this post) and let me know: What would you like to blog about? If you’re already a blogger, what do you like most about blogging? Also, feel free to share a link to your blog.
BOOK TIP
The insights that I gained through blogging were paramount to my self-development and growth. So was reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. It’s a life-altering must-read.