These days, it feels like everyone and their mother is a blogger. I started way back in 2013, and blogging as an industry has changed a lot since then and there are so many more bloggers than there were in 2013. In fact, there are more than 440 million blogs in the world (including Tumblrs) (x). If you’re thinking about joining that number, you might feel a little intimidated and unsure if it’s really worth starting your own. So if you’re on the fence, today I’m talking about 6 reasons why you should start blogging and 1 reason why you shouldn’t. I hope this helps you decide!
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Kate the (Almost) Great!
6 Reasons Why You Should Start Blogging
If you have a business – In 2018, you need a blog for your business. I don’t mean that you have to create a separate site from your business website; that would actually defeat the purpose. (But if your business doesn’t already have a website, you should really get on that!) But having a blog for your business can help you connect with your clients. You don’t need to write posts every week or how frequently bloggers – ie ones like me who don’t have a separate business – do, but a couple times a month is ideal. If you’re wondering what you should blog about, some ideas are behind the scenes, your opinions on things related to your business – such as best cameras if you’re a photographer, current trends in your field, etc. – or even a day in the life. Posting about things like this can hep connect with your clients, like I mentioned, but it can also help humanize your business.
If you’re looking for a creative outlet – This is why I started my blog! I’ve been a writer for as long as I could write words, and when I graduated from college, I needed a creative outlet. This blog is a great way for me to write every day and have some accountability. And you don’t need to want a writing creative outlet to blog! If you read a variety of blogs, you might know that some feature more pictures than words and vice versa. If you love fashion but don’t like to write, you might start a fashion blog that features outfits and pictures with only a few words to talk about the outfit. There are a variety of ways to finagle blogging to be your preferred creative outlet, and the great thing about blogging is that there aren’t any set rules about what your blog has to be like. Find what works best for you!
If you want to build your online presence/establish yourself as an expert – Blogging is also super helpful if you want to establish yourself as an expert – or at least someone who knows some stuff – in a field of some kind. It’s a space where you can write about what you consider yourself an expert in, and it’s your own space, so you won’t have to worry about an editor or someone deciding not to post your piece. Social media can be helpful for this, but it can be really hard to separate yourself from others. And I know what you’re thinking: “But Kate, there are 440 million blogs. How can I separate myself on a blog and not social media?” Unless you post only about the field in question on your social media and you get lucky, it’ll be hard to find your stuff. With a blog, you can use your blog and your social media to establish yourself, especially if you use search engine optimization in your posts. This blog has helped establish me as a patient expert when it comes to arthritis as I have nearly 200 blog posts about health in general and nearly 50 about arthritis specifically, as well as talking about it on my social media. I’ve attended conferences at no expense, served on a patient advisory board, and more due to this blog.
If you want to build your freelance writing background – Blogging is super great if you want to practice skills helpful for freelance writing. This is because you need to be able to write about specific topics to write in a freelancing manner. I know, I know, that’s very vague. But think about it this way: for every blog post, you take a topic and have to crank out a minimum number of words that are compelling, interesting, and ideally also helpful. Blogging is a great way to stretch your brain to practice these skills. And if you work on sponsored blog posts, you’re doing freelance work but without the added stress of an editor (although the company you work with may ask you to change things). Before I started grad school, I did some freelance work through Blogmutt, among other similar sites, and wouldn’t have been able to do that if I didn’t already have blogging experience. I wrote a bit about what I learned from website copywriting if you’re interested.
How to promote your blog posts
If you love writing or photography – I’ve talked about this off and on in this post, but it really deserves its own section. If you love one or more of the elements that are essential in blogging (writing and photography), then it’s a good idea to start a blog. I started this blog because I was bored, love writing, and wanted a creative outlet with some sort of accountability. A blog was perfect for me because it was (and is) a way to keep myself writing every day, or at least most days, which has definitely made me a better writer overall.
If you love fashion, beauty, saving money, parenting, health, etc. – Similarly, if you really love a certain topic, making a blog about it can be really fun. There are blogs for all sorts of niches, so if you think that there’s no audience for something that you enjoy talking about, you’re probably wrong. And if your interest is really niche, even better because you won’t have to compete so much for traffic! It’s definitely worth making the plunge. I love that I have this space to talk about the things I enjoy or know a lot about, and I’m so grateful for it.
12 blog traffic boosting tools to try
1 Reason Why You Shouldn’t Start Blogging
If you want to make money – Yes, you can make money blogging. But that shouldn’t be the reason why you start blogging because a) it can take a long time before you make a profit and b) you’ll put in a lot of work. Like, way too much work to do something you don’t enjoy or barely enjoy. I love doing this blog, and it’s awesome that I make a profit because hello student loans. But I put in a lot of work for plenty of things that don’t bring in money, and if I didn’t love blogging, it wouldn’t be worth it.
Thinking about Starting a Blog?
Check out my resources page to see what I use to run this blog. Here’s the short version of that page:
Domain: Register.com – I’ve used Register.com for years and have had great experiences with them in general as well as their customer service. For only $9.99 you can register your domain name plus email at Register.com!
Hosting: WebHostingHub.com – I’m so pleased with them, and I’m surprised because it isn’t talked about a lot. But their service has been great and I can’t recommend them enough.
Finances: Quickbooks Self-Employed – This has really helped me keep track of all of the financial details of running a blog. It is linked with my PayPal account so anything that goes through there automatically logs in, and you can also connect your bank accounts.
Do you have any questions about starting a blog? Comment them below and I’ll try to answer them the best that I can!
Like this post? Check out:
How To Use Pinterest for Blog Traffic, How To Use SEO To Stand Out + Free SEO Checklist, How To Optimize Your Social Media Platforms as a Blogger, Grammar Tips for Blog Writing, Why Social Media Matters for Bloggers (And How To Grow Yours!)
Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.
[…] 6 Reasons Why You Should Try Blogging […]