There are many different types of bloggers, all with different agendas and motivation. In order to get the most from blogging it is important to understand why you are blogging. Without a clear understanding of why you need a blog it’s impossible to develop goals and guidelines to meet your blogging objective. It can also help to understand why other bloggers may be blogging. Here are a few reasons to blog:
Political or Religious Blogs
Table of Contents
- Political or Religious Blogs
- Family or Social Connections
- Personal Journals
- Quick Sites for Online Profit
- Developing Your Expertise
- Business and Brand Building
- Customer Support and List Building
- SEO and Search Traffic
- The Ease of Blog -vs. Static Websites
- The First Step
- So why are you blogging? (Poll)
- Your Input?
The blog format can be ideal for spreading messages, issuing statements and expressing opinions for issues that benefit from reader interaction. Blogging is perfect for getting political statements out or spreading human rights awareness. Religious groups find the blog format great for generating interest, encouraging interaction and even sharing on social sites.
Family or Social Connections
Blogging can fill a void that social sites leave when you want to share more detail with things like weight loss or upcoming events. Virtually any interest you can fathom can be found on blogs.
Personal Journals
Blogs are an easy solution for an online journal or diary. Sharing thoughts, ideas and travels are a breeze with your own blog. Documenting difficult or satisfying experiences, whether for you or to share with others, can be managed with ease on a blog.
Quick Sites for Online Profit
There is thousands of blogs setup entirely for profit. There are AdSense blogs, niche blogs, blogs designed to sell a single product or product bundles. There are list building blogs, affiliate blogs and more. Blogs can be setup fast, automated and set loose as an income generator. We see these online profit blogs everywhere and I believe it’s just the beginning.
Developing Your Expertise
Blogging can help you build a fantastic reputation and even be recognized as an expert in almost any field. We see bloggers on news interviews and hear radio shows speaking with bloggers to get expert opinions on the subject at hand. Bloggers gain popularity, employment and even new clientele by blogging as an expert.
Business and Brand Building
Thousands of businesses of every size have discovered the benefits of building brands by blogging. Whether the brand is your personal name, your corporate identity or the next big product launch blogging can handle it.
Customer Support and List Building
Every business understands the importance of customer support, interaction and development. Blogging is a relatively easy tool for meeting those needs. Blogs encourage customer engagement and can aide in building data and an email list. Displaying FAQs and product testimonials are simple matters with blogging tools. Contact and HelpDesk plugins help with customer support.
SEO and Search Traffic
Search engines love blogs and using the blog format can help bring in search engine traffic. Blogging makes it easy to build back links by participating on other relevant blogs, submitting to blog directories and blog post rating sites. A multitude of themes, plugins and tutorials help even the most novice blogger with search engine optimization.
The Ease of Blog -vs. Static Websites
Many website have moved to blogs simply for the ease of updating and maintaining content and structure. Free and premium blog themes can make the simplest blogs look like professionally designed websites. The learning curve is minimal with blog formats and very little HTML or script understanding is required. Another advantage that blogs have over static sites is the ability to regularly backup content and databases.
The First Step
I’m sure I’ve missed other reasons to blog but you get the idea. The first step is to understand exactly why you are blogging. Once you have that figured that out it’s simply a matter of putting together an outline that will help that happen. I will be coving that aspect of blogging very soon in order to help you develop clear guidelines and goals.
So why are you blogging? (Poll)
Your Input?
Are you running multiple blogs with different agendas? I’d love to hear your input below.
About Brian D. Hawkins
Really, no comments yet? Or maybe they’re being moderated; we’ll know soon enough.
I blog because I do. That’s a lousy answer but it’s pretty much the truth. I started out blogging back before that’s what it was called. It was more of a journaling thing in the past, before I decided to step it up some. I created a business blog because I’d read about how it could help one’s website. I created my next blog because I wanted a place where I could write about whatever I wanted to write about. The other three,… on and on. I just blog. Now, it would be nice if all of them generated money but only one does, and that’s through advertising. That’s just how life goes sometimes. But I blog because it’s in me to do it; plain and simple.
I know, right? A fine post like this should have bloggers flocking from every corner of the world to share their input. lol Actually I got caught up in designing my first infographic and haven’t properly promoted the post.
That’s actually a great answer Mitch. I mean, it doesn’t get any more honest than that. You are great at blogging, I’ve known that for a long time. Great at blogging causes interest or interest causes great at blogging? (Chicken and the egg).
I hope you don’t mind me analyzing from a distance: I think you fall into that group of people that are great at writing, communication and socializing. If you are gifted with all of the necessary skills of blogging it stands to reason you would be drawn to it. With the little I know of your background blogging seems like the perfect fit.
Interesting poll here. I would say it is hard (at least for me) to narrow it down to a single reason. I like the ease of blogging over HTML (though I am comfortable uploading to static sites too). I blog for branding purposes. I blog because I like to help others. I blog because I would like to make some money. I blog to develop myself as an authority.
All of these reasons are prominent in my (and perhaps many others minds.
It is interesting to try to think “why” you do something like blogging, though/
Thanks Steve, it is a tough question but an important one I think. No need to narrow it down to one reason however, the poll accepts multiple answers. 😉
Hi Brian, what happened to “I blog for fun”? I guess I was supposed to pick “other” and say that in the comment, but too late. I picked “reputation and expertise”. I enjoy the social aspects too. Maybe I’m just confused and should have said “all of the above” LOL!
Thanks for the poll Brian. 🙂
Hi Ileane, Fun is a bi-product of being great at what you do and I’ve known for a long time you are a great blogger. I’m not at all surprised that you enjoy it.
I started out blogging just for fun as well as to provide resources to both seasoned and newbie bloggers. It’s been a fun journey to the point now where I want to extend my resources to those who need it.
Hi David, That’s a great reason to blog, to expand our reach and influence. In fact is sounds like a great tag line for my blog. lol
Nice blog BTW, I just subscribed.
Hi Brian,
Polling is interesting, I’ve participated there.
Blog for me is very important to build yourself a reputation. Quality and informative blog that would be very helpful to my reputation. In addition I also create a blog for business purposes (and such affiliates) course to supplement their income.
Greetings from friends in Indonesia.
That’s great Velli, I’m sure most of us have multiple reasons to blog. I appreciate you taking the time to take the poll and comment.
I use blogging as a great tool to promote the business and branding. My aim is to create credibility and to show as an expert in my industry.
Thatâs a great reason Tessa, I love business. Great looking site by the way. 🙂
I would fall into the brand building category for my work blogging activities. For my personal blog, it’s more of a passion and building awareness about the specific issue I blog about. I find that it’s easier to write about something you are passionate about!
Absolutely Tracy, All the keyword research in the World won’t make you a better blogger but passion certainly will.
I blog for my personal satisfaction and this passion can help me earn without hassle.
Thanks Donah
Hi, Brian,
My main reasons for blogging are making money and having fun. I am sincere about it, it is simple as that.:) After these reasons, everything else comes…I also like to comment and exchange ideas, and thus bring traffic to blogs of other bloggers as well as for myself.
I may not be writing posts, but the idea of the blog we are having is to help others get discounts, promos and good deals-and who wouldn’t like to get things for free or on sales from time to time?
Hi Kristina, there’s nothing wrong with making money and having fun. There’s also nothing wrong with using the blog format for products, affiliate sales or whatever; you’re still a blogger. 🙂
Hi,
I’m blogging to see why will I continue to blog :). This is a great way to do what I like the most – to exchange ideas and have my brain chew on something else than my everyday routine job. It is also a great way to have extra income.
However, I’m still to figure out why is this keeping me for so long.
Sounds great to me Ana, it beats watching TV waking minute of the day.
Hey Brian, I chose other because I honestly blog for the love of it. That isn’t why I originally started blogging but that’s why I do it now. Sure there will be a lot of people out there that say I’m crapping on and that I’m really doing it for the money. But quite honestly I would make so much more if I were to use my time other than blogging.
I must admit though that a lot of the fun and satisfaction does come from those times when I do make money blogging but that’s not why I do it, that’s just one of the fringe benefits.
I completely understand Sire, I can tell from your posts and comments that you are sincere and passionate about blogging. A lot of thought goes into those posts, not just a bunch of keywords and affiliate links.
I’m blogging to reach out to my customers and motivates my employees at the same time. Blogging is a great way to let my potential customers know what they will get if they ever purchase my product. It gives me a higher chance of getting a sale and also reminds my employee about the updates of my company. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone.
Hi Jarrod, reaching out to customers is a fantastic use of blogging. Thanks for the comment.
Personally, I blog because I want an online journal. But I think businesses should incorporate a blog page in their website design. It makes them more “human” so to speak instead of some cold corporate entity.
I agree Katy, the blog format, if designed properly, give the best of both worlds; a business website and a blog.
I don’t know but I think online profit encompasses some of the other choices but that’s just me.
In my personal blog, my reason is to express myself. Being a part of the wired world, I know that my sentiments can reach more people through a blog than picketing or something like that.
It really does Noel. I thought I had that covered but “Quick Sites for Online Profit” doesn’t really go deep enough. Without profit there’s no business.
Great understanding of your personal blog, that’s really what this post is all about; understanding exactly why we blog.
People may not realize it but CommentLuv Premium is a great marketing tool. Partly because it encourages people to promote your post but mainly because it allows you to pick from 5 extra posts or pages, especially if these are product or squeeze pages.
Both features are very powerful Nicole, I add my newsletter page a lot when commenting on other blogs.
I blog as a way to give back. Of course, theres the other side of me thats also looking for a small side income, but making really good money on a blog takes a lot of work and a lot of time. Expecting to make a full time salary is very ambitious and requires a lot of business know-how and planning. Right now I blog because Iâve learned so much from other blogs and wanted to give back in my own way. I also find so much cool stuff around the internet and learn something new everyday, so I want a way to share that, beyond just social networking.
This was a great answer so I let it go but please use your name in the future. You can still use the keywords once you have had 3 approved comments but we still need a name as well.
I would use it to share my experiences mostly with my extended family who lives around the world.
Blogging is addicting for some, but needs to be “viral” for others. With the number of times per year that Google changes their page range algorithm, it is essential for businesses to blog to keep their SEO “flowing.”
Blogging is the most powerful tool to get more traffic , even if a blogger is not a SEO worker, this blogging helping him keep their site in a particular position in major SE and also deriving more traffic for their site.
Blogging for traffic is actually a great answer. A lot of small businesses setup a blog on their site to not only keep their customers informed but to get more relevant content indexed.
Hi Brian,
Ventured into blogging to follow a dream,
A mix of social connections and sharing my views,
If its profitable, that will be another dream !
Foolow that dream Sooreneccs, nice answer.
Thanks, Brian!
Turning dreams into reality,
Put the zeal into our purpose,
Makes the zest for life,
Zenith, when we achieve it!
Right, Brian? (Have to ask successful guys like you!)