Blogging 101: Why Should I Blog?

So You Want to Be a Blogger?

If you are considering or have already begun the process of creating a blog, CONGRATULATIONS! I love blogs, bloggers, and blogging personally! Heck, I must love it if I have been doing it since 2008! Blogging isn’t exactly what it used to be back then, today, it’s a much more serious and competitive environment than it was when I began, but that really shouldn’t deter you from following your passion and giving it a try! So, that is where I come in! I have picked up a few tips and tricks along the way that I thought I would share with any of you who are interesting in (a) starting a blog; (b) improving your own blog; or (c) learning more about blogs and how they work! Unfortunately, what I cannot tell you is the magic secret to becoming a professional blogger, because, heck, I am still trying to figure that one out (spoiler, I don’t think there is any quick or sure-fire way to become a full-time pro blogger) but, I can give you some tips that I find work for many of the professional bloggers out there! Sound good? Great! Then let’s get started!

In order to dispense all my blogger knowledge to you in easy to understand and bite sized pieces, I have decided it best to make this a 10 part series that will publish every Monday starting today! In addition to that, I am hoping to post some little extra’s throughout the week that may supplement that week’s post or just be helpful for anyone who wants to blog, so make sure you check back to my blog everyday to see what other goodies I have for you on the subject! Follow me on Bloglovin to make keeping up with my feed easy for you!

Now, since I know many of you will want to keep up with this series, I am also going to list out each of the 10 lessons here in this post so that you can bookmark this post specifically, and each week that I post a new entry I am going to link it in this post so you can use this as a reference to keep track of everything I have published! The 10 lessons are:

1. Why Should I Blog?
2. Choosing a Platform & Identity
3. Content is King
4. Organization Tips for Bloggers
5. Software & Hardware Basics
6. Advanced Software & Hardware
7. Social Media
8. Photography 101
9. Networking
10. Monetizing your Blog

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Why Should I Blog?

If you are reading this, I can only assume that you are either one of my regular readers or you have been searching online looking for information on blogging! If you identify with the latter, you most likely have been thinking about starting a blog or have done so, and hopefully I can help you find some sort of inspiration or direction if you want it! Blogs are a wonderful form of media that many people enjoy both writing and reading. What you may not know is that the history of blogs is actually rooted in a very simple notion. The word blog itself actually stands for web log, in other words, blogs were initially created to be places where people basically kept or shared information. That’s it! The earliest blogs were really more like online journals, where people would just write diary style entries about whatever they wanted. Today, blogs are usually a little more complex, with the most popular blogs actually diving into specific topics or niches and posts are often filled with pictures and videos to supplement the written content. But let’s go back to the concept of the web log as a place for people to simply chronicle their lives and/or interests. Blogs are a wonderful form of expression. For many they are a creative outlet or hobby that allows them to impart their knowledge, expertise or opinions on the internet. Although many blogs are ran as hobbies, others are ran as or to support businesses, helping people develop skills and network with customers, clients or colleagues.

Now, I understand the hesitation that some people have for starting a blog. I know there are so many blogs out there that it may seem like such a saturated market, and of course, having your thoughts and opinions out there on the internet is something of a daunting thought. You have to remember, though, that your blog can be whatever you want it to be and you can talk about or not talk about anything you want. Don’t let the number of blogs out there in the world discourage you from sharing your unique point of view and interests with others. I for one read many blogs and am always on the lookout for new, interesting ones to read, so the more the merrier in my opinion!

So, should you start a blog? That part’s up to you, but I can give you a few words of advice as someone who has been blogging for nearly six years now. I suggest that if you want to start a blog, you figure out what you want to blog about and how you are going to express yourself, either by written posts alone, or with the support of images and video content to best express your message to the internet. I suggest you keep a regular and consistent schedule for your posts, so if you start, make sure you are committed enough to see your blog through. Finally, I suggest that if you start a blog that you fill it with posts that you love and things you are interested in. Write posts that you would want to read and discuss things that you love with a passion! Above all else, have fun with your blog and it will shine through! Whatever happens with it, whether you develop a small, intimate following or become the next million page view success story, as long as you had fun in the process and stayed true to yourself and your interests, you will regret nothing!

It’s really as simple as that! So start thinking about your interests and passions and if you would want to turn those into a topic for a blog. Next week I am going to dive into some of the more technical aspects of starting a blog so that you can get your ideas up and running in no time!

If you have started a blog recently or are planning to start one in the near future, please leave me a comment below telling me all about your blog and even leave a link if you can! I love discovering new blogs and yours could very well become my next must read!