This is the 1,649th post on this blog since the middle of December 2007. There are 14 articles here written by other people, which means I’ve written a ton. On my business blog I’ve written around 1,230 articles to this point in 10 1/2 years. I’ve written tons of articles on my other blogs, and for other people’s blogs.
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Why am I telling you this? I run into people all the time who tell me they don’t know what to say or what to blog about? I run into tons more blogs where people either write articles infrequently or have decided to bail, leaving their blogs in the vapid miasma of blogging perfidy; go ahead, look that up. lol
I’m going to own up to something here, which isn’t much of an admission. Even with all these articles, I don’t consider myself a successful blogger. For all the articles I’ve written, I can’t say that I’ve had a successful blog yet. I’m certainly not on many lists (other than Troy Swezey’s 15 men who blog that you should be following post; thanks Troy!) but I’ve met some intriguing people, even some famous people. I’ve had the opportunity to meet people all over the world. And I’ve even made a little bit of money… though not from blogging.
I’ve made money from writing; that’s a different story. Here and there, you might be able to get people to pay you for your writing, if you have some skills. That’s not such a bad thing; there are a lot of bloggers who are viewed favorably who actually make money writing rather than blogging… no matter what they might try to convince you of. They even tell you that, but many people seem to miss it.
So, here are 9 reasons why you should keep writing your blog, or writing in general; you already know what #1 is going to be:
1. You might be asked to write some someone else and make money from it.
Think of your blog as a full body of work that’s indicative of your skill as a writer. If you view it that way, you’ll treat your blog with respect, no matter the niche. As I said earlier, I’ve not only written for myself, but I’ve written for others. I wrote the articles for a wedding blog for over 2 years. I wrote for a chiropractor, a travel website, a legal site and a debt consolidation site along with others. Some of the pay was better than the rest but it wasn’t bad; I was able to live off it between consulting gigs.
2. You’ll always get better.
There’s no way one can write for years and not get better at it. I look back on most of my early blog posts on my business blog and sometimes cringe. I had a gem here and there but in general, it took me a few years to figure out my style, even though I’d been writing a newsletter before that.
3. You can gain publicity.
Even if your blog doesn’t get a lot of comments, you can bet there are people who know who you are. If you set up a way to track stats you’ll see them. If you set up a way for people to subscribe to your RSS feed or a mailing list, you’ll see them. If it’s just a few people but those few are enamored, they’ll share your stuff with their audience and it’ll help you grow yours.
4. You can make connections.
This blog has helped me make some interesting connections over the years. Not only have a few well known internet folks stopped by, but blogging helped me get the chance to help a bit time author edit his book, which ended up having my name in the book and me getting an autographed copy. It even helped me get my business blog added to a section of his very popular website; sweet!
5. You get to show your expertise in many areas.
You not only get to show your writing skill but you get to show people what you know or at least how you think, which sometimes is the same thing. The reason I have 5 blogs is because I have a good number of interests but they don’t all fit on one blog. I could do that but search engines would freak out trying to figure out what I do.
6. Writing a lot shows how prolific you can be.
I have nearly 5,000 articles online and lots in magazines. I’ve been able to write two books, one of them a compilation of articles from newsletters and my business blog, an ebook, and I’ve created some other informational products. I’ve been included in a few books here and there also; if I hadn’t been writing so much none of these things would have happened.
7. Writing is cathartic.
I’ve had some of my best rants come alive because I’ve been allowed to write. The thing is, if you’re really angry and write about it, you’ll start to feel better. If you’re depressed and write about it you’ll start to feel better. If you have an idea that needs fleshing out and you write about it you’ll feel better. The only people who usually feel bad about writing are students; think about that. 🙂
8. You never know whether your next article, blog post or book could be the one to make you a superstar.
One thing all the big time writers tell you is that they felt compelled to write, no matter what else they were doing, no matter their circumstances, and no matter how many times they got beaten down by someone trying to tell them they weren’t any good. J K Rowling, Stephen King, Janet Evanovich, Tom Clancy, John Grisham… the list goes on and on. You never know if you’ll end up on someone’s radar for something you’ve written; how cool would that be?
9. Oh yeah; you just might make some money off it all.
I already mentioned getting writing offers because of writing on my blogs. I got a couple of speaking engagements as well, one a big time keynote presentation in Arlington, VA some years ago. I’ve sold a few things off this blog, and my finance blog has had advertising on it in the past. I’m not close to being the paragon of making money by blogging but there are a lot of folks who have figured it out; you know who they are so I don’t need to mention any names.
The thing is, most of those folks made their real money outside of the blog; I mentioned Chris Brogan a couple of weeks ago who, though he’s also a blogger, has been able to write a few blogs, been asked to speak at conferences, and has even been highlighted as an expert in many other places, some of which have paid him pretty well.
Will this happen to you? Who knows. What I do know is that if you don’t write, it certainly won’t happen for you. Go on, give it a shot! 🙂
I write for two main reasons.
One, I want to become a better writer. The best way to get better is practice, practice, practice.
Two, my writing gives prospective clients a look see into who I am. My personality if you will.
If anything else comes from my writing, that’s icing on the cake.
Mitch, I’m grateful you planted the seed for me to begin. Thanks.
I’m glad you started writing also Steve. I don’t comment on everything (like your assessments post) but I do read and comment when I feel I have something to contribute… no matter how goofy it may be. 🙂 But you’re writing quality stuff, so I hope more people will check it out.
Exactly Manish. So many people quit way too early, and I hope I can convince more of them to stick with it.
making relations is the first thing i write
and ofcourse making little money on writing also
thanks for sharing the post
It’s what I do lol
I like your words, Mitch Mitchell, about written goals. They are really very important as we can concentrate on them, and it becomes easier to achieve them.
It is very inspirational.
I’ve enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the comment. As long as one is writing, the possibilities are endless.
Thank you #Mitch sir for your reply.
We have to really keep focus on our writing because peoples need quality and we need quantity(traffic). I think good written content always gives traffic than seo, I am giving first place to quality and second to seo. To become a famous blogger.
Okay, I confess that I have been one of those people who write on and off. I would start something and then give up on it. I have left a few blogs in “the vapid miasma of blogging perfidy.” I didn’t have to look it up. (I did have to look up the meaning of a couple of words though) lol.
You have inspired me start writing again. My mind is giving me all kinds of excuses to euphimistically present as challenges I face.
But I am not going to do that.
You’ll see when my next blog post goes up.
Thanks for being such a pest. lol. Between you and Holly I can’t get away from it. You two are just the kick in the pants I need.
You’re killing me Rasheed! You have been an intermittent writer and I hope you write more often. Course, even I can’t keep up with Holly’s writing proficiency; then again, I work for myself. lol
The main reason I need to keep on writing is to complete all of the article and drafts I started. Like you said, it would be nice to get paid for all of them.
Writing is also therapeutic because journaling keeps me focused on my journey. I have a general journal and success journal.
Lastly, it helps me to think clearly so I won’t sound like the prophet you told me check out. LOL!
LOL! There’s a guy who really needs an outlet; seems 140 characters just won’t do for him. At least you’ve mastered the gift of setting up drafts; I’m not as good as I need to be, but luckily when I’m ready to write, I can get it done. I love the therapeutic part; as long as it keeps me out of trouble.
Hi Mitch sir,
I had been waiting for your next article for a short while. Thank you for writing this for us. I think writing is simply a practice, we should keep on writing, no matter we are getting money from it or not. I agree with your all points that writing articles on regular basis can leave great opportunity for us. I have been doing blogging for a couple of months and honestly I haven’t earned a single $ from it yet but that is not really matters as I am keep on writing to provide some informative articles. It is a good practice for me as well. And where money is concerned, lets wait for that moment to come.
Regards,
Mohit
Glad to have something you can sink your teeth into Mohit. Oh yeah, a couple of months isn’t nearly enough time to make your way into the world’s conscience. Just keep going and the sky’s the limit!
Yes Mitch sir,
We have to keep focus on our writing because good quality written content gives us good traffic, fame as well as decent money too. We have to keep complete focus on our writing factor to be a successful blogger. So moral is content is king be focussed on writing reach content for your blog.
Cheers,
Rahul
True Rahul, although it’s not only about blog writing. As I said, you might be able to turn it into a profit machine of some kind, which never depresses anyone.
Ohh yes sir,
Profit Machine is the best word for it anyways thanks for reply
Cheers,
Blogger Rahul
Wait! There has to be a reason? I’ve been writing since the day I got a box a crayons. LOL
Seriously, though, you hit some interesting reasons. My favorite is not listed (probably because you are speaking to bloggers): I write because I love to make up stories.
Cheers,
Mitch
Hey Mitch! True, in general I was talking to bloggers, but I also hoped to spread across the spectrum in discussing writing in general. Thing is, if people aren’t writing blogs or haven’t really written their blogs, many of them probably aren’t writing anything else either. I know it’s not true across the board but I think we’ve talked about it previously (maybe it was someone else) about how a blog can help a writer promote their writing and books. In any case, if someone wants to write… write!
Hi Mitch,
I just amazed about the number of articles you published during the last 10 years.
I wish to achieve the same as you but it’s all God’s grace.
And these 9 points you shared are really useful and thanks for shared this post with all.
As you are one of the successful blogger, keep do this same job which inspire a lot for newbies including me..
Again thanks for your all posts and keep up the good work.
Hi Mitch,
We are here writing articles on blog post and gaining popularity day by day. actually if you see in other way we can also earning with our passion because if you write article on daily bases and provide quality for readers and i am sure some people will hire you and pay you good income also.
And here you have shared profits of daily writing it’s really amazing .
Thanks 🙂
Actually, we hope to gain popularity every day, but at the very least we gain perspective, knowledge, and a style of writing we can live with.
Hi Mitch,
This is a good reason to continue to write. Although my main objective is to make income out of it but I do hope that my writing skill will improve in the future time. Writing need passion so when you feel like quitting, think about why you start.
That’s a good way to think; just write 🙂
Wow, Mitch. You’re one prolific blogger! Keep up the good work. You’ve inspired me to ramp up my productivity!
That’s one of my intentions Terri! I’m waiting for another story like your New Years tale. 🙂