My first blog has its own special place on my personal Wall of Shame. So does my second. And my third. I would normally abide by The Blogger's Ten Commandments here and link to these unmentionable pieces of writing, but the sin of transmitting ill copy would outweigh any holy karma I may receive.
I hopped on the bandwagon with my aforementioned blogs (or as I like to call them, "The Pitiful Preface") for a few different reasons. Though writing does fill me with geeky grammatical joy, it wasn't that feeling that first urged me to tackle the big B. For the most part, I felt pressured by the trends. It seems everyone and their pet rock writes a blog nowadays, and my being a communications major gave me all the more reason to feel like blogging was expected of me.
My first conquest took place on HubPages and the second and third on Wordpress. Both were short-lived. Just two months ago, I created The LC Studio blog as a spinoff to my Etsy shop and bought it a cozy little home with a white picket fence here at Blogger.
Now I'm writing about what I love not as a chore but as a hobby, and I'm reaping a world of benefits from it because of that. Though my blog is meta -- that is, I blog about blogging -- the digital deities aren't biased in to whom they reward their gumptious goodie baskets. If you haven't yet taken your hobby to the next level by starting a blog, here's what you're missing out on:
1: BLOGGING ACTS AS A HEALTHY CREATIVE OUTLET
I wore my imagination on my sleeve as a little girl, but to save t-shirts I confided in an ever-growing collection of journals as a safe harbor for my thoughts. Not only did scribbling between blank pages entertain me during bouts of debilitating boredom, like my older brother's baseball games, but it just so happens that all that Vitamin J probably boosted my health. Studies show that regular pen-to-paper therapy strengths the immune system, reduces stress and increases problem-solving cognitions.
Blogging, which first caught fire in the form of online diaries in the mid-1990s, also purports serious emotional and physical therapeutic value. Whether you write with the intent of personal catharsis or personal branding, keep at the keyboard: An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but a blog post a week keeps your health at its peak.
Blogging, which first caught fire in the form of online diaries in the mid-1990s, also purports serious emotional and physical therapeutic value. Whether you write with the intent of personal catharsis or personal branding, keep at the keyboard: An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but a blog post a week keeps your health at its peak.
2: BLOGGING TEACHES YOU TO MANAGE YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE
Successful blogging necessitates professionalism, tech-savviness and networking know-how. Pocketing these traits now allows you to cash them in later when your future boss comes peeping through the windows of your Facebook wall.
All your online endeavors, including your blog, contribute to your digital footprint -- a collection of data left behind that can be traced by almost anyone. With 95% of employers checking social media sites during their hiring processes, it's important that this footprint elicits several admirable traits, like those outlined in the infographic below.
All your online endeavors, including your blog, contribute to your digital footprint -- a collection of data left behind that can be traced by almost anyone. With 95% of employers checking social media sites during their hiring processes, it's important that this footprint elicits several admirable traits, like those outlined in the infographic below.
3: BLOGGING ACCENTUATES YOUR CREDIBILITY
Don't fall for that old idiom "those who can, do; those who can't, teach." You can't teach a craft that you haven't mastered (at least not very well), and so it goes with blogging. As Confucius said, "To know what you know and what you do not know; that is true knowledge." These multi-million dollar blogs didn't rise the top by generating inaccurate copy but by advancing as experts in their individual fields. Their credibility stems from careful attention to the relevant facts and a rejection of topics that mystify their image.
If you dream of gracing the world with your insight on the lives of munchkin cats, be the very best munchkin cat blogger on the web. Don't write about munchkin cats and calico cats and the best food for indoor cats and how to brush a cat's teeth and... Do you get my point? No one will take you seriously if you try to be a Jill-of-all-trades, and it'll be harder to solidify an audience that way. If you pour your heart into one topic, traffic will slip into your Munchkitty blog faster than its mascot slips across your kitchen floor.
Don't fall for that old idiom "those who can, do; those who can't, teach." You can't teach a craft that you haven't mastered (at least not very well), and so it goes with blogging. As Confucius said, "To know what you know and what you do not know; that is true knowledge." These multi-million dollar blogs didn't rise the top by generating inaccurate copy but by advancing as experts in their individual fields. Their credibility stems from careful attention to the relevant facts and a rejection of topics that mystify their image.
If you dream of gracing the world with your insight on the lives of munchkin cats, be the very best munchkin cat blogger on the web. Don't write about munchkin cats and calico cats and the best food for indoor cats and how to brush a cat's teeth and... Do you get my point? No one will take you seriously if you try to be a Jill-of-all-trades, and it'll be harder to solidify an audience that way. If you pour your heart into one topic, traffic will slip into your Munchkitty blog faster than its mascot slips across your kitchen floor.
4: BLOGGING EXPOSES YOU TO NEW THINGS
If you run a blog or are working on developing your personal brand, chances are you have a voracious appetite for information that will propel you toward success. I never would have trialed things like HootSuite or Google Analytics had it not been for my deep-seated desire to turn The LC Studio into more than just my little corner of the internet.
The transformation of your blog from an online word processor into a business tool will likely accompany a flirtationship with several different tools and programs, like post and e-mail automation, search engine optimization, analytics software and web and graphic design. In addition to sanctifying your online presence, these skillsets also mimic the requirements of today's up-and-coming jobs.
The transformation of your blog from an online word processor into a business tool will likely accompany a flirtationship with several different tools and programs, like post and e-mail automation, search engine optimization, analytics software and web and graphic design. In addition to sanctifying your online presence, these skillsets also mimic the requirements of today's up-and-coming jobs.
5: BLOGGING + BUSINESSWOMEN GO HAND-IN-HAND
While kindling a love affair with a keyboard can't quite compete with the early endeavors of famous entrepreneurs like Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs, bloggers and tech startup wizards are, at their core, one in the same. Both types of people value hard work, take risks and embrace leadership roles.
Our wondrous 21st century is the prime planetarium for fostering the growth of new businesses. Forbes.com reporter Elaine Pofeldt reported in 2012 that the number of adults involved in startups hit an all-time high since 1999, even despite the "sluggish economy" perpetuated by the economic recession in 2008. She accredits the increase to a change in the culture of the U.S. job market, writing, "The old rules, in which getting a traditional job was the smartest career route for many, don't apply as much anymore." Here's the cherry on top for bloggers: 69% of new businesses in the U.S. start at home, and with the internet housing over 150 million blogs and growing, there's a good chance yours will start there, too. Look at you, Little Miss Biz!
ARE YOU READY TO JUMP START YOUR JOURNEY AS A BLOGGER?
We live in a time privy to creative communication. It's easier than ever to connect. It's easier than ever to have your voice heard. You have something to say, so don't wait a second longer. Check out these top free blogging websites and start building your personal brand today.
What's holding you back from starting a blog? How can I help you start your personal brand online? Leave your comment below!
