Why do you blog? You know, I’ve kind of broached this subject in the past but I came at it from different directions. First, in 2008 I asked the question Why Do You Write Your Blog, which was based on a couple of articles I’d read on the subject of using one’s blog to make money. The second, in 2010, was part of my Sunday Question blog series asking specifically Why Do You Blog, and in this case I was asking people what they were hoping to get out of their blogs, whether it was business or pleasure.
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Goodness, it’s been 4 years since I talked about this subject? Time to broach it again, but I’ll tell you why I’m doing it this time. If you’ve noticed, over the past couple of weeks I’ve put up some posts here that relate to business blogging. Although I talk about blogging often, specifically talking about blogging for business isn’t something I’ve spent lots of time on. Sure, I’ve talked on the subject of trying to make money blogging and why it’s more difficult than people think but that’s not quite the same topic.
In this vein, it’s talking about having some kind of business and using blogging to either help promote the business in some fashion, show expertise or actually using the blog as the business, not specifically a make money blog but making connections so you can sell product or services.
I’ve made no secret of the fact that I use my main business blog as a way to show my expertise on certain subjects and, hopefully, to get clients of some kind from it. I haven’t talked as much about this blog and how I work on using it for business but truthfully, one speaking engagement I got locally came mainly because of this blog. Nah, I didn’t get paid, and I didn’t even get a nibble for business, but it was still fun being seen in a professional light by some folks in my area, since more often than not I work out of town or my clients are out of town.
Over the next few months, I expect to have more articles on this blog about business blogging in the vein I was talking about above. However, I know that there are a lot of people who don’t see that type of thing as the reason for why they write their blogs. So, I’m throwing the question out there, asking what I asked in 2010 and seeing if some of the responses are different.
See, I think it’s an important question more for you than for me. The one thing I get asked over and over is how do I come up with so many ideas to write about, especially after I passed 1,500 posts back in March. One reason is because I have a passion for the topics I write about. The other reason is because I do market some of my writing services, I charge a pretty nice dollar, and I like to be able to show someone just how proficient I’ve been in my own space, and then possibly point them to other spaces. In the end, even though this is my “fun” blog, it’s also my portfolio of diverse topics; wouldn’t you agree?
This should be fun; let’s see what you have for me. 🙂
Hello Mitch
This is my first visit to your site and your blog is great. I blog because it is my passion. I have been blogging for 4 years now. I have made more than 40 blogs till now. I started as a passionate blogger and now I earn money by blogging so it has become my profession. I never though one can make blogging a profession. Thanks for writing this beautiful article.
Fer, it sounds more like you’re blogging to make money rather than the love for it. I mean, 40 blogs? lol And people think I’m crazy having 5 (for now…). Of course, if you have a creative mind and can handle all 40 blogs then good for you; it can take a great love of blogging to try to keep that many going.
hAHA That is what I said.
It has become my profession now. And all 40 blogs arent making me money but almost 20 blogs are generating good revenue. Most of them are micro niche and I have a team which takes care of them. I hardly work on 3-4 main blogs which generate most amount of money..
Hello Mitch,
You mean you have actually written more than 1500 posts way back in March?
You have indeed come a long way and it is a great hing getting to know you now intend focusing on business blogging on this blog.
As to why I blog? I just don’t know why, may be it has to be my love for writing in general.
Thanks for this.
Emmanuel, that’s 1,500 posts on just this blog; I’ve got over 3,800 in total across all my blogs. 🙂 Thanks for your blogging reason; the love to write works for me.
Hi,
I think many people have their reasons for blogging, and as you said, some do it for pleasure, some do it for business, and some do it for money. You say it has been four years since you talked about the subject huh? Well, you have surely been in the blogging business for some time now. I am a relatively new blogger and I started my website to share my knowledge and what I have learned in the past few years, that can hopefully benefit someone financially. Also, why not make money from it as well. I think even passionate bloggers should earn some revenue. Don’t you think?
Regards,
Lawrence
Lawrence, there’s never any problems with someone making money while helping others so no, I have no problem with it. And sharing information that can help others is always of benefit. One of my blogs is on financial issues also, with a concentration on helping people save money or think about money in new ways. So, we at least have that in common. 🙂
Hi Mitch,
It’s my first time to your blog. I’m looking forward to learning more from you on your perspective in business blogging.
I work with businesses and help them develop their online strategies. But, I always make it clear that if their business is a mess, if they don’t know what business they are really in, if they don’t know what problems they solve and who they solve them for; their business will always struggle. It doesn’t matter if it’s online or offline.
The hard truth is that if you don’t put the work into understanding your business your prospects won’t understand you or all you will do is talk about yourself and what you do and not relate it to them and how you can help them with their problems or needs.
I bookmarked your page and look forward to your articles!
I hope you have a great weekend.
~ Don Purdum
Thanks Don for your contribution. Truthfully, I agree that many people aren’t sure what their business is really about. Heck, I’ve been working for myself for 13 years and sometimes I’m still not sure. I’m working on consolidating some things over the next couple of months in helping my focus. Still, you didn’t indicate to us why you blog, though I certainly visited your site to see some of your articles. Good stuff!
For me blogging has evolved over the years. Firstly it started as a SEO tactic. Man, when I read those initial posts on my first blog I’m almost embarrassed. But hey, what did I know about blogging then and I’m sure I have evolved a lot since those early days.
I then developed a passion for blogging, especially once I learned that I could make money from it. Having said that I never made enough to leave my job and I never lied to my readers about how much money I was actually making.
Now that I have my niche blogs I’m hoping that perhaps in time I will make enough money to be self sufficient.
Pete, when I look at most of the early articles on my business blog I realize I didn’t have a full understanding of the process either. Yet, I feel I needed to work my way through that so I would eventually reach where I am now. I’m with you about the money and blogs thing. I’ve made almost no money online via blogging, but if you remember way back when, we both used to post our earnings and how we were making money online. We weren’t the only ones but we at least showed that money could be made, even if it wasn’t livable. But we both wrote about so much more; I love that part.
Damien, I could write for a living if it paid better. I like the writing part but hate the marketing part; who doesn’t hate the marketing part? lol I think you just like to share, and that’s perfectly fine; that’s what much of this blog is about.
Hi,
Blogging is something that I started by accident. My girlfriend broke up with me and I felt the need to pass my story and relieve stress.
I found it hard to maintain a dairy, so I started writing online and then it helped me a lot.
Now, I write to share my knowledge and my creativity. My aim is to grow my blog to a level that online community knows me.
That’s a good ideal Rohan. I’m also working on that one.
I started to blog because it helped pass some time, which I have plenty of since my retirement. It then took a life of its own when I started to get noticed and people started leaving comments. My going to their blogs in turn expanded my circle of blogger friends and I cannot now think of not being touch with all my readers regularly through my blogs. In fact some of them insist that they can get to the waking stage only if they get my daily blog along with all their other daily morning emails! I love that kind of being needed!
Thanks for what you said Rummuser. Yup, it’s great meeting an online community of people who’ll actually interact with you. And it’s nice having a place where, if you interact with them, you can share and read stories and have a good time, and sometimes meet these folks in person.
“Using blogging to either help promote the business in some fashion, show expertise or actually using the blog as the business, not specifically a make money blog but making connections so you can sell product or services.”
I love this part of your blog Mitch.
Blogging for me is a place where I make connections so I can sell product or services. The result is fine for me.
I blog because I have a reason, to not just sell, but to inspire and help and to share my knowledge with people.
Nevertheless, at first I blog because I wanted to publish my poems and art works online but something has changed.
That’s a nice sentiment Metz. I’m not big on poems but I do love artwork. You’ve never shared your own blog link, always kingged; what’s yours?
Nice post
Although blogging is not any new topic but is quiet essential one to talk about. Many people have blogs that they manage and optimize. In the last few years it has increased to a new height.
There are many reasons for people blogging.Some are for expressing their thoughts, for providing information , for promoting their own business, affiliate marketing or the most obvious reason is for making money.It has been a great way for making an extra source for income. This is a very great way for promoting own or others business.
Thank you for sharing.
Interesting response Sagar, but you didn’t answer why you blog.
I write about gadgets and games and the simple and best reason behind my blogging is that I love creative fields. The success of blog is that gives me motivation and I want to set up my name as some other big bloggers like Neil Patel, Amit Agarwal and Gaganpreet Singh.
Not a bad thing to shoot for Sarah.