I’m a sub-p ar writer, and the weird thing is that I’m fully aware of it. I don’t have the natural wit or mastery over the English language that you’d think would be a prerequisite for any aspiring blogger. What’s more I chronically include typos and errors in my posts…so why do I persist with blogging?
There are a large number of reasons for my persistence, but they can be classified into two broad themes:
- Business Reasons
- Personal Reasons
Business Reasons For Blogging
- SEO – Now that we’ve turned iThnk into a business – the key word optimisation and inbound links that come from blogging can’t be ignored.
- Promotion – Writing semi entertaining or insightful content that might just get retweeted and shared could result in business growth – in fact this is how we got our first contract.
- To Be Respected – People who blog tend to aspire to be seen as thought leaders – I’m not so phased about being the next Seth Godin but I do love it when someone recognises the hard work and thought that I’ve put into a post (believe me when I say blogging is hard work!).
Personal Reasons For Blogging
- Making Connections – Through bloggingand twitter I’ve met some great people who I enjoy cyber stalking to see what they’re up to, I’m also often challenged by some of the readers of iThnk which brings me to my next point….
- Expanding My Thnking– Blogging helps me develop my thought process and expand on ideas that deserve a bit more time and attention. Half of the things I write about start off very simple and end up in places I never intended. Sometimes this is great, other times it can be a little frustrating…but it’s always worth it.
- Forcing me to up-skill- Even though I’m never gunna win a Pulitzer, I’m quite passionate about blogging and as with any sort of passion you tend to unwittingly up-skill yourself. In my case I’m getting better with image editing/design and also using the the back end of WordPress to it’s full potential.
- It Adds Structure To My Life – Blogging forces you to sit down and dig deep on a regular basis (in my case once or twice a week). Sometimes this is a chore, sometimes it’s fun and sometimes it’s a bit like meditation.
- Exploring New Conversations – Because of my efforts in blogging I’m also forced to enter conversations that I otherwise wouldn’t have dreamed of entering. I’ve had to look into design forums, WordPress forums, and I’ve even stumbled into the odd artistic convo. I love the serendipitous feeling of stumbling into something that resonates with me on a level I never could have anticipated.
There are probably a hundred and one reasons why I shouldn’t blog….I have a career and business to focus on, or I’m too young to have an opinion of value etc.
But the thing about my journey with blogging thus far is that I’m having fun.
If no one ever reads another post I write and I see no more opportunity come from blogging I’ll probably keep at it because it’s now an important part of my life.
How has blogging effected your life?
If you’re a sub par blogger or if your a pro I’d love to hear about the motivations behind your blogging/blog reading? What does it add to your life?