Why should I start a blog? Isn’t blogging dead? I should have started mine years ago, isn’t it too late now? And even if I did, how would I make mine stand out and make a difference?
Let me tell you right now that blogging is definitely not dead and it’s never too late to start a blog. When I started Design Your Own Blog back in 2013, I also thought it was too late for me. And that was back then! Despite my hesitations, I started one anyway. And I had no idea how much it would impact my life. Read on to learn more about how it has and learn why you should start thinking about starting a blog and just go ahead and do it already.
background image courtesy of Styled Stock Society*
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links (denoted by a *) which means that I may receive a small commission should you choose to make a purchase with my link. I appreciate your support and will never recommend products I do not stand by myself.
First, Who Should Start a Blog?
In short, YOU should start a blog. Your mother, your brother-in-law, your son and your best friend should all start a blog!
Really! I truly believe that everyone should start one and here are my reasons why.
Why Should You Start a Blog?
It’s Fun!
Blogging is fun. You get your own little space on the web where you can do or say whatever you want. You get to share, vent, collect your thoughts, opinions, whatever you want to do, you can do it on your blog. There are no rules!
Maybe you just want to keep friends and family up to date on what’s happening in your life. Or maybe you just like to write. Blogging is the perfect place to practice your writing skills.
To Inspire or Help Others
We all love to give advice and recommendations to our friends and family. When you’re passionate about something in your life, you want to share it. When you learn something new and exciting, you want to shout it to everyone in a way that’s unique to you. Blogging is the perfect way to share your knowledge and skills with more people.
To Be Part of a Community & Make Friends
When you start sharing your passions or skills with the world, you soon find others who share those same passions and interests. Common interests are what make up a community and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you begin to make friends when you start connecting with those people in your community. I’ve made many friends through blogging and you will too!
To Get Better at “Your Thing”
When you blog about what you love, you are teaching others. And many people don’t realize this, but when you teach, you actually get better at your own craft or topic.
When you are teaching something you know that is new to others, to get in their mind set, you have to go back to the beginning. This forces you to go back and further develop your own foundational skills and knowledge. Thus, you wind up doing a lot of research on your subject and as a result learn a lot more.
To Nurture a Hobby or Creative Outlet That’s All Your Own
We all need creative outlets, but when we get stuck in the daily rut and routine, it’s difficult to ignore this need. If you want to start a new hobby, a blog is a great place to document your learning process as well as archive what you create.
To Build a Business & Make Money
Blogging is a great way to grow your business or career. When you blog regularly about topics related to your business or career, you increase your chances of getting found on Google.
As I mentioned above, your own skills improve, thus making you better at what you do and more marketable. Blogging also creates more opportunities for you by showing potential customers or employers that you are keeping a finger on the pulse of your industry.
To Challenge Yourself
Blogging can help you become a better writer because it is the perfect place to practice your writing skills. You’ll also learn tons of other valuable skills such as marketing, networking, breaking out of your shell, sales, etc. There really is no limit as to what you can do with a blog.
Lastly, Blogging is Cheap and Easy!
You don’t need fancy equipment to get started, all you need is a computer and an internet connection to start a blog. Click here to start a blog now.
Blogging is about trust. You don’t sell ads on your blog (rarely), you don’t get the big book deal (rarely), but you do build trust and this leads to opportunities.
– James Altucher
Why I Started My Blog
When I started my first blog, I too thought I was too late. So why did I start one? Well at the time, I was a full time web designer and a brand new mom. So first and foremost, I wanted to be home with my newborn son.
Second, I was burnt out on my job. I was bored, tired of the commute and the lack of windows near my desk.
And third, I longed to work on fun, colorful, feminine designs. For years, I had been working on boring in-house corporate designs and I was tired of working with too many cooks in the kitchen: marketing, developers and managers all wanted to have their say in how our websites should be designed. I needed a creative outlet where no one would tell me how a website should look despite my knowing better.
So I started Design Your Own Blog and it’s been one fun ride! Oh it’s been a lot of work, but it has all been worth it and so fulfilling! Without it, I would never have quit my job and moved to Costa Rica!
How Do I Make My Blog Succeed?
Now that you know why you should start a blog, how do you give yourself the best chances to succeeding at blogging?
They say that 92% of all blogs will fail, just like 92% of all businesses will fail. But don’t let those numbers keep you from starting. You just have to know how to blog and how to make yours stand out from the rest. That’s how you join the 8% that keep on keepin’ on.
This guide is all about helping you succeed and get started the right way with your new blog!
So Are You Ready to Start a Blog Yet?
A year from now, you will have wished you did it today.
What’s the Biggest Secret to Making a Blog Successful?
Just start! No more excuses, I’ll even help you get started! Here’s your first assignment:
- Grab a notebook and pencil (or your favorite note-taking app like Evernote* and start by listing all the reasons YOU want to start a blog.
- Next, narrow that list down to the top three reasons that are unique to your situation and goals for the future.
- Now, write those three reasons down and put them up somewhere near your computer. This will help you stay focused as well as help you create a vision for your blog, which is what we’ll discuss in the next step.
Next Step: Find Your Blog Niche and Vision
Or skip ahead and START YOUR NEW BLOG NOW
Now tell me… what are YOUR reasons for starting a blog?
Useful article. It will help to be motivated. Best of luck.
Very good article. I like it.
I thought that you should forego getting a blog because the times call for social media profiles and Youtube videos. But I guess it is still useful if used correctly.
Very true Ivan, thanks for sharing.
I found the information very interesting, thank you.
While you are creating content, you might as well get leverage out of it and put it in as many places as possible (YouTube, Instagram, etc).
Hi Marianne,
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