If you’ve been thinking about starting a blog, I encourage you to jump in with both feet! By starting now, you can immediately sharpen your skills and reap the numerous benefits. Blogging only takes a little time and energy, while opening doors to many new experiences and opportunities. Don’t be afraid to give it a shot!
In this article, I’ll cover four reasons for you to go write and publish your first blog post today. There’s no reason to wait any longer, so let’s get started!
1. Blogging is Plain Fun!
Not everything we do in life needs to have an end goal. Blowing off steam, thinking creatively, and trying something new are virtues in and of themselves. While blogging often comes along with awesome side effects, it’s able to stand alone as its own reward.
Like any art form or creative practice, there are many ‘rules’ for obtaining certain results while blogging. However, sometimes it’s better to just have fun! Here are a few ways you can have a great time blogging:
- Following daily writing prompts to help unlock your creativity.
- Take silly selfies to include in your posts for a personal touch.
- Write using a personal tone of voice so the reader feels like you are connecting with them.
If you think blogging is boring, it will likely show in your writing. Don’t be afraid to cut loose!
2. You Can Create a Community of Likeminded People
Blogging is rarely a ‘lone-wolf’ activity. Your blog can stimulate a new community through your comments section, and you can also achieve this via social media. While there are many best practices for building a thriving blog, even if people only discuss one piece, that’s a success! Every post that causes someone to think adds something worthwhile, and helps you to build a community around your work. They act as a network and support group, both of which are a bonus for your personal and professional life.
Unless you’re already a celebrity, it is unlikely people will find themselves drawn to you for simply existing. To start building up a community, you’ll want to focus on one or two specific passions in your blog. Offering valuable content on a consistent set of topics means people can better identify with you and your writing.
Here is the three step formula to writing a blog that can foster a strong community:
- Choose a specific group of people (or person) you want to write for.
- Pick one or two general topics that resonate with you and your target group of people.
- Publish content about your main topic that’s valuable for the group of people you’d like to connect with.
It’s a simple formula, though challenging to put into practice. However, the benefits are well worth the effort.
3. You Can Make Money (and Maybe Even Quit Your Job)
Not only can blogging be a thrilling hobby that helps you build a community around your passions, but you can also get paid for it! For example, you could land a paid gig, or even get sponsors if it becomes popular enough. Even aside from blogging professionally, I’ve found numerous clients and business partners through my writing. It’s earned me thousands of dollars (both directly and indirectly) over the years – even though it’s always been a side project.
There are various income streams available through blogging. I can attest to this from my own experience that led to business partnerships, developed products, and becoming a paid professional blogger – all based on my own efforts.
The first step is to learn more about what it takes to get paid to blog, and taking a course written by an expert in the field will help you immensely. After that, it’s a matter of finding paid blogging work, and using a suitable and relevant job board is a must.
4. Starting a Blog Is a Super Cheap and Easy Hobby
The required cost for starting and keeping a blog initially is minimal. While (of course), you could pour thousands of dollars into building a fancy website, a blog doesn’t have to be expensive at all. To get started, all you’ll need is a domain and suitable hosting.
Depending on the options you decide on, you could potentially spend the same per month as you would on a latte or two from the coffee shop! It’s worth noting that you could also begin to blog for no upfront cost, but we don’t recommend this as you sacrifice freedom and customizability.
What’s more, if you managed to get online and read this article, you (probably) have enough technical savvy to start a blog. Writing a blog post in WordPress is about as difficult as opening up a word processor and writing an essay. There will be a few differences, but the technical skill required is similar.
Getting started is simple: you’ll firstly need to choose and buy a domain and hosting from a trusted source. As for the platform you use to publish your website, I recommend using WordPress. It’s easy to install, completely free, and given its current online dominance, many hosts cater to the platform.
WordPress is also completely customizable through themes and plugins. This enables you to build blog to your exact requirements, rather than relying on an inflexible template you’re not happy with. If this all sounds overwhelming, there are plenty of experts on hand to help you for no extra outlay.
Conclusion
Blogging is a rewarding activity with potentially lucrative benefits. It’s unbelievably easy to get started, no matter what skill level you’re at. What’s more, the barrier for entry is low, so there’s really nothing to stop you from beginning your journey today!
If you’ve been thinking about blogging, I encourage you to give it a shot. In this piece we’ve covered four reasons to do so:
- Blogging is plain fun!
- You can create a community of likeminded people.
- You can make money, and maybe even quit your job.
- It’s a super cheap and easy hobby.
What questions do you have about starting your own blog today? Let me know in the comments section below!
Image credits: Roman Bozhko.