If you have been weighing up the reasons to start your own blog but are coming up short for answers, this post is a good place to start.
We currently find ourselves in a crazy time with COVID-19 – all that is meaning for us in the world we’re living in, the effect on our lives this coming year and the unforeseeable changes for many years to come.
With so many people impacted, the economy damaged and a completely new set of circumstances and challenges we all have to face.
For many, 2020 was filled with fear, uncertainty and a sense of overwhelm and paralysis.
Right now, the world needs hope, positivity and practical solutions to new and emerging problems.
We need places where we can come together, and where community and belonging can happen.
Particularly in this time where physically people are physically isolated, the world needs virtual spaces and safe spaces where they can find that belonging.
A blog gives you that platform to host your content and build a community, to make the world a better place.
The world needs YOU!
Why Should You Start a Blog?
It depends, why make a blog in the first place?
Do you want to make money, have a blog for your business, or are you doing it just for the pleasure of writing or journaling for yourself?
I have key points to cover below, but I specialize in helping people who are trying to go down the money-making or business route in learning why you should start a blog, and how to do it the right way.
That’s why I’ve created this 10k+ Words Ultimate Guide to Starting Your Own Blog, all by yourself, with every important information you need.
From a career point of view, I want to reassure people reading this that blogging can be an extraordinarily good option from a creative and a financial standpoint in an economy where the workforce is changing all the time due to things like artificial intelligence, robotics, and globalization.
Blogging is a very entrepreneurial career and the fact that you’re interested in it shows that you appreciate this new medium (whether it’s video blogging, written content, etc.) and have recognized that it has some potential.
If you start a blog at whatever age that becomes appropriate, you are going to learn so many incredible skills that can be applied to a multitude of different jobs which you might move on to once you become bored with blogging or recognize a different opportunity.
On any one day a blogger might do the following:
Network with other bloggers or the media, write long-form content that helps people, set up servers and email accounts, install plugins or software, write some code to add a new feature, tinker with design and branding elements, manage social media accounts, experiment with advertising and marketing, solve problems with website downtime, deal with intruders and security… the list goes on.
But if you take a careful look at all of those tasks you’ll see how many different careers out in the “real world” can be formed off the basis of those skills.
I have so many friends who have gone from “blogger with good social media presence” to “social media manager at X brand” which is an exciting path many would like to follow.
For parents, it is vital to understand how volatile the workforce is, and how quickly jobs are changing.
By one popular estimate, 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist. – World Economic Forum
One report suggests that 65% of children who are at primary school today will be working in jobs that don’t exist yet using technologies that haven’t been invented.
That means that, for two thirds of kids at school today, their schooling years are about learning skills and critical thinking patterns and creative abilities and disciplines that they can then apply to a career that they are totally unfamiliar with.
And that is why I think it is fantastic that any teenager should express some interest in blogging.
1. Your Blog Can Make You Serious Money
A blog is your special place on the internet that you own and which you can build into a business.
One of the reasons for starting a blog is that it can be financially profitable. Yes, blogs built to make money, make a shit ton of money!
I’m not saying every blog will be profitable. But many bloggers have grown income streams from their blogging, both directly and indirectly.
I’m amazed at how my blogs have provided an income for me and my family over the years.
Not every blogger who sets out to make money blogging reaches a full-time level. But it is possible to build a significant income from blogging.
Blogs allow you to:
- grow your profile
- be found via search engines and social media
- (most importantly) build your brand, credibility, authority, and trust with potential clients
And I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen bloggers use their blog’s profile to land more traditional employment. (In these cases, their blog became their resume.)
The other aspect of growing profit from a blog is it can also become an asset you can potentially sell at some point.
2. Improve Other People’s Lives
One of the big benefits of blogging is the potential to make the world we live in a better place. And while not all blogs do this, many do in their own small way.
When you have a blog, you actually have a voice. This means you can spread out all the things you like or don’t like. And those things can help you to change the world.
You have probably seen some blog articles or posts that have gone viral through Twitter and/or Facebook. Once they do that, they will get a lot of attention.
Here’s an example story about how two young girls launched a blog post that helped to change their school conditions. For your information, they were only 9 and 13 at that time.
My blogs are about fashion, sports, tech, and blogging. They’re not topics that will make a major difference on a global scale.
But I know that after publishing content every day for 6 years my blogs have made a difference in the lives of many.
I have inspired and influenced people to start their own blogs, create value, and make money as they do so. I have received several positive comments on my blogs on how well-detailed and value-adding my contents are.
Blogging can change your life as a blogger in many ways. But the experience is even more meaningful and rewarding when you realize it can be also used to inspire, educate, and give others a sense of belonging.
It also provides lots of opportunities to shine the light and lend your voice to other worthwhile causes. For example
Having a clear and compelling purpose for your blogging will sustain you and your audience through the hard times.
3. Blogging Is Not So Difficult
Yep. Blogging is actually really really easy. The hardest part (and it isn’t really that hard) is setting it up, but I’ve fully explained it in my guide here. If you are able to write emails, then you are also able to run a blog.
With WordPress, you don’t have to deal with any website creation or HTML that is time-consuming and boring.
The only thing you need to do is customize your blog with themes, add some cool plugins and write content. Once you get the grip of it, you will know exactly what to do.
4. Build Community
By building a community around your blog you are not only creating something beneficial for others, but for yourself too.
As I look back over the almost 7 years I’ve been blogging, many of the highlights have been about the people I’ve had the opportunity to meet and interact with.
Years of creating useful content, growing your brand, building an audience, and establishing trust with that audience opens the door for many friendships, collaborations, and other opportunities.
You never quite know where these relationships might lead you. Some may lead to financially rewarding opportunities.
But more often than not it leads to lasting friendships and a real sense of belonging in dynamic and supportive communities.
5. Blogging Can Help You Grow Your Business Big Time
As well as making money directly from your blog, you can also use the traffic your blog brings to promote your existing business or to sell your own services as a freelancer, coach, speaker, etc.
Does your company or small business have a blog? If not, then you are missing a lot of it. Blogs can impart a lot of things about your company.
For example, your potential clients can read interesting stories about your company’s success, ideas, strategies, and even new products that might turn them into regular paying customers.
That’s a huge opportunity that lot a of small and big firms are not using.
Furthermore, companies who blog have 97% more inbound links (which means more traffic and visitors).
6. Self-Improvement and Personal Development
Blogging makes you a better person.
While blogging unexpectedly became the basis for my business and has opened up amazing opportunities for me to earn an income, one of the biggest benefits to getting into this space is the same reason I got into it.
Blogging has given me a place to express myself.
Something very powerful happens when you get into the habit of ordering and writing down your thoughts, ideas, stories and opinions.
People have been doing this for centuries in private diaries and journals. But to put some of these things into a public forum for others to interact with has been a very positive experience.
Having a place to express myself has given me many personal benefits. In researching and writing thousands of articles over the years I have:
- Learned so much about the topics I write about
- Identified, sharpened, and deepened my ideas and opinions
- Refined my voice
- Grown my writing and communication skills
- Built discipline
- Found a creative outlet
- Confronted fears and doubts and grown in confidence.
7. You Don’t Need A Degree or Prior Knowledge
There’s no master’s degree in blogging (that I know of) which means you don’t need a specific type of degree to be a blogger.
Sure, having training is always nice, but it’s not required. In fact, blogging is so accessible that many schools and colleges are blogging in the classroom to better teach their students and give them hands-on experience.
8. Blogging Can Help you Get Published!
Are you an aspiring writer? With a blog you can promote your work and get people to see it.
You can also self-publish your book and market it through your blog to get sales. Either way, people see your work and some of those people could be publishers.
9. You’ll Get Paid to Speak at Conferences
Many successful bloggers speak publicly at conferences or group meetings on the intricacies of their craft.
Once you get your blog off the ground, someone may take notice and invite you to speak on the subject you’ve proven yourself to be an expert on.
Of course, you’ll also get paid which is nice. This has happened to me quite a few times; I give my expert knowledge at gatherings, and got paid.
10. It Opens Doors for Consulting Positions
Bloggers are essentially consultants, providing advice and actionable tips for people in their audience.
Take a look at Neil Patel for example, his blog has landed him consulting jobs with huge companies like Yahoo, Microsoft, Amazon, Ebay, and others.
At times he was paid up to $5,000 per hour for his services.
11. Blogging Opens Doors for Freelance Work
The key to landing freelance gigs is having quality writing samples. What better way to produce such samples than by working on your blog!
Using your blog as a place where people can see your credibility and expertise allows you to reach new clients and prove that you have what it takes.
There are freelance writers with their own blogs out there making six figures each year, all while working from home and spending time with their families.
Writing is just one skill, what about web design, graphics design, coding, app design, etc?
For example, I make a side income from my web design services, where I help clients build their blogs or company website – all thanks to my blog!
12. It Allows You to Be Your Own Boss
Blogging allows you to be your own boss, work the hours you want to work and call the shots.
You can make all the decisions about what you will write, how you will grow your blog, how much time per week you’ll dedicate to your blog, and how you will monetize your blog.
You have no boss or editor breathing down your neck and the freedom to work the way you want to work.
13. Blogging Can Become Your Hobby
If you have too much free time and you are constantly browsing on the Web then you should really consider starting a blog.
You will soon get addicted to it (in a good way) and you will start learning a lot of things. So if you are bored right now then what are you waiting for? You will get a lot of good and new experiences, there is nothing to lose.
This list could go on. But the bottom line is I’m much better as a person for having a blog.
Some Interesting Facts About Blogging
- Did you know that over 4.7 million people read blog posts every single day?
- There are approximately 130 million active blog readers in the US right now.
- 90% of companies who blog daily have acquired at least one customer (probably much more) through blogging.
- 80% of the US online consumers trust the information they get from blogs.
- 61% of US online consumers have made a purchase based on recommendations from a blog.
- Blogging is most popular in the age group of 20 – 35-year-old. It’s over 50% of the total blogging population.
- Blogging is not dead! Blogging has grown by 12% since 2015. Blogging isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
- Blogging businesses experience 126% higher lead growth than non-blogging businesses.
- Building a blog in 2021 costs less than you might think!
Check out 35 more blogging statistics to help you blog smarter this year.
Should YOU start a Blog In 2021?
Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question for you. But I can say that, on a personal level, starting a blog was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done.
Blogging changed the trajectory of my life in many ways.
- It helped me grow and develop on a personal level.
- It helped me start and grow a business that has given my family a steady income that frees me from a 9 to 5 job, as I enjoy total freedom on the side.
- It opened opportunities for the community, friendship, and collaborations with wonderful people.
- It gave me ways to do something meaningful that in small ways allows me to make a difference for others.
I hope this inspires you to start your own blog this year.
Leave a Reply