UPDATE 4/28/10: The contest has ended and winner has been chosen. Thanks to all who entered!You really can earn a living because of blogging. I don’t mean by getting paid per post or because of Google AdSense ads, but because blogging builds a platform for your life and career that allows you to reach your goals.
Here’s why blogging delivers:
- You establish yourself as an expert.
- You make your value apparent to your audience.
- You train yourself to GIVE each day, by sharing advice and information on the blog.
I’ve known people who have gotten book deals because of their blogs, who have built lucrative speaking careers because of their blog and who are now considered experts in their field, ALL because they chose to blog.
A few years ago I had a chance to meet Darren Rowse at an event in New York City. Darren is well-known as the man behind Problogger.net – a blog that shares tips to make your blog a success.
It was his first trip here, and I was amazed that after a week in town, he was stuck in midtown, and hadn’t been to areas such as Greenwich Village and SoHo. So my wife & I gave he, his wife, and their first son a tour of lower Manhattan.
It was such a nice day, and really proved to me what an incredible person Darren is.
I want to share that with you today. So I’m giving away a copy of a great book on blogging written by Darren and Chris Garrett. It’s the new edition of ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income which was just released today.
As a BONUS, I am throwing in a copy of Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. This bestseller helps you rethink how to manage your business and career in order to achieve your goals, instead of getting wrapped up in tasks that don’t deliver value.
As a DOUBLE BONUS, I’m also adding in a copy of Seth Godin’s book Linchpin.
So one person will win all three books, shipped to their door directly from Amazon, for free.
How do you enter? Simply leave a comment below answering the question:
If you already blog, just share why it’s important to you. If you are just starting out, just share one of your goals. If you don’t blog and don’t plan to, tell me why.
The rules:
- The contest is only open to people within the Continental U.S. (sorry about that, I do appreciate all of you though.)
- Please enter only once.
- Be sure to add your email address when entering the comment. Do this in the ’email’ field – it won’t be published live on the blog, but I will be able to see it so I can contact you if you’ve won.
I blog because it helps me focus. My enterprise blog (at times repurposed on my external blog) is a place for me to think about the big picture stuff: culture, corporate politics, honesty, appreciation, etc. I can be quite cynical and negative in 'real' life, but I have found a neo-hippie, peace-and-love voice through my blog, and that platform has become very important to me; it helps me focus, calm, center, rethink. I guess it's my virtual yoga-space (though the poses are, I guess, in metaphors).
I blog, when I blog, because it is among the most easily accessible outlets for personal creativity. I can reach my blog from home, from the office, from anywhere with cellphone service, etc.
I'm just starting out on in the Blogging arena, but I'm hoping to become successful at it! My goal is to create two blogsites, on personal and one related to business which become successful and at some point ranked fairly high in Google searches….and so it goes.
Great Post!
I have only nibbled a bit at blogging and haven't really gotten anything off the ground however, I am trying to fire up that pot as I type.
My goals in starting and working on a blog are:
1- hopefully teach someone something new, with the added bonus that I will learn something new at the same time
2- be forced to collect my thoughts in order to make myself a better thinker. I've also heard this clears the mind.
3- improve my writing skills
4- create a positive web presence
5- relax and have a little fun as I get to express myself
Thanks Dan.
I'm in publishing and I live in Birmingham, Alabama. Not New York. Not L.A.. Not Miami. So blogging about books and publishing is, often, the only way for me to participate in these “centers of the universe”. Plus, I give as much support to Birmingham's book and author scene. Our local indie shops and libraries need all the publicity they can get!
The book industry is in such a state of flux right now, that we are all better off, if more people join the conversation and solve problems together.
To me blogging is important to build my network and to set myself apart from others out there. (getting it setup now) I'm coming back to blogging after a hiatus of some years and want to do it right. My goal is take all the knowledge I have for my field of publishing and kick up and challenge some traditional thoughts and show some new ways to approach things and the passion I have for publishing.
My goal is to have my name floating around where people say, what the hell is he doing, interesting. Hopefully they don't just say what the hell is doing, he's crazy. (actually, that'd be fine too, nice challenge) I want to bring new thoughts and really make a change to aspects of publishing and help those that want to understand workflows, collection development and other areas understand it easier, simplify it.
I would like to become an expert blogger in my industry, however my knowledge of blogging is limited. I became intimidated upon the creation of an account so I stop and have not returned. I also am concern that my computer would become open to virus.
One month ago, I quit my full-time corporate job with the intention of finding a more fulfilling career. I like the idea of becoming a professional blogger, because I think it can provide an excellent opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to society and to help people. I have an M.A. in Journalism and for a while now, I have felt the need to return to my passion of writing.
I feel that blogging is a venue that has potential advantages over other types of careers that involve writing. Blogging offers an avenue for self-expression and information sharing that can easily reach an audience, yet can transcend standards or restrictions often imposed on content by mainstream sites or corporations. If the blogger owns their own content, it allows them true freedom to say what they want to say without the risk of violating restrictions placed by employers or advertising sponsors.
My goal as a professional blogger would be to share information and ideas that may be helpful to the public, despite the fact that this information may be controversial. My goal is to present ideas that would inspire people to improve their lives by encouraging them to think for themselves, as well as to think outside the box more often.
Great post and love your three points on why blogging delivers. Sharing your experience with meeting Mr. Rowse, showing him and his family some of the sites only further humanizes both you and him in this virtual world we all spend a lot of time and trust.
I started blogging as a means to keep family updated. I've let that slide as I have been learning more and more about blogging for business using the social media feelers to provide value to the community. It takes a lot of planning; however, in the end, you've just gotta do it or it'll never get done.
These are all great resources and congrats to the winner. Rework has been on my short list to get as I am currently reading another great entrepreneurial new release. Problogger and Seth Godin already givens for must reads as well. Great give-a-way package.
Have a great day!
Um… greatest contest EVER and I totally want to win (and by “totally” I mean: really, a lot).
My answer: I blog for a number of reasons. I started blogging because I wanted a job in publishing and wanted to establish myself as an expert and get my name out there in the publishing world. It worked. So then I was stuck about what to blog about and why. I knew I liked it so I kept blogging, this time about life after college. But then I quit my job and I didn't have the typical life anymore, so I started blogging about social media because those posts got the most comments. Essentially I was whoring myself out. When I realized that I started blogging AGAIN about life after college, but this time from the point of view of a struggling young freelancer and new entrepreneur. Which is where I am now. I continue to do it because it's fun and I think I'm a bit of a narcissist because I still totally get off on comments. But I also blog because so many kids I graduated with are going through a Quarterlife Crisis and I think I'm their go-to person for advice. So I blog about said advice and the thing that gets me going more than comments are emails from people my age who say I helped them land a job/figure out their shit/get on Twitter/whatever.
Long and convoluted answer, I know. But you asked…. 😉
I blog for various reasons. One blog is personal, one is a shared blog for a group of friends to discuss recipes, and one is more business related.
I blog for various reasons. I have a personal blog for ranting or creating or whatever comes into my mind. I have a business blog that I am just starting to use to promote myself. I also share a blog with several friends for recipes and advice…
Why do I blog? For the same reason I travel. Because I must.
Really, blogging is just an alternative to sitting in coffee shop mumbling and hoping that some semi-attractive person overhears, is semi-interested in what I am saying, and accidentally glances over at the wrong time, thus getting captured in my web of confluence.
I'm from Canada so I can't enter but I thought I'd comment anyway 🙂
I blog because I can't *not* blog. I am completely enamoured with my subject and blogging provides an excellent opportunity for continued learning, community building… and just general wicked fun 😉
I blog for few reasons, become a better writer, share information, give my opinion, for business and because since I was a little kid I wanted to be like Darren (FYI: I'm joking). I started blogging about linux just to help everyone, now I do it for all the reasons that I had mentioned
Honestly, I blog because I hope to make good money from it one day. Woot.
I started blogging several years ago simply because I was offered a position as a “paid contributor” (yeah, when networks actually paid base + traffic commission). Following that experience, I learned the benefits of traffic, that resulted from my blogging. So, instead of writing spammy articles, I can put up a few posts every month and that results in great amounts of traffic…
For me, blogging helps me reach my target audience and sell things to them without shoving my products down their throats. Blogs help my readers get to know me on a personal level, which creates a level of trust 🙂
I'm preparing to blog! I've been doing my research, working with a designer setting up an optimal site for what I hope to accomplish, and have learned much by following Darren and Chris. I know what my passion is and I know there's information I want to share and have expertise in. I am excited about blogging and love the time, energy, and creativity other bloggers put in to their blogs. I'm going to blog with integrity, give it 100%, see where it takes me.
I blog for a lot of reasons. First, I like what I do and enjoy teaching others about how to succeed at it as well. Secondly, I love new technology. I am really excited about internet marketing, online media, and social media, and blogging has really helped me learn how to manage the internet as a tool for making money, building communities, and making a difference.
I think if I had to sum it up in one thought, I would say that I blog because I like to make a difference and have my thoughts recognized.
There are a number of reasons I blog. But to be honest I think the number one reason I do it is to become financially free. The best way to do this is help people reach their goals and yours will be met too. I do not have a large reach yet but it is nice when someone says thanks because I have made a positive difference in their life.
Blogging helps me clear my mind, helps to get whatever is floating around upstairs 'out' where I can see it. Most of what I purge onto my blog is either idea's, frustrations or curiosities but I can usually use most of it in some creative way either through art or short stories. Blogging has been good for me that way.
I started blogging as an outlet for my personal life but have started moving into a more tips related way of blogging. I currently blog on blogging and relationships with recipes and some other hodgepodge two days a week. I will also start adding how to posts which will cover everything from Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools to free programs I use.
My main goal in blogging for now is to build an income stream so that if/when I become I parent I can realize my dream of being a stay at home mom while still providing income for my family. Its a luxury few in my family have had but one I want badly.
I will be going full force on this ambition starting mid June (having to wait to gather a bit to make a minor investment) and already have ideas for info products I can sell as well as a few freebies to build that all important list. As part of going full force, I will be saving to finance participation in learning courses and products offered by various reputable bloggers in the near future. Getting Darren's book in a give away would just be the icing on my cake, then the extras.. *smiles* Yup, it would help me get started on going full force just a bit sooner which is always nice!
Awesome give away! Thanks for allowing me to participate. Best of luck to all who are and will enter!
Gurl
I blog to share my personal experiences with wine with other wine lovers or those looking to learn more about it. It is a great platform to have a conversation about various topics and meet new people who share similar interests.
After several attempts at random blogging, I'm following your advice and going niche. I just bought the domain name and know that by delivering a niche product, I'm likely to have a strong following. That is, if I smile nicely and am interesting. The site name is bought, the designer is chosen as I'm useless with code and will learn the ins and outs of WordPress myself to maintain the site and I'm building content right now. I'm hoping the site will capture the attention of a specialized audience – and the one I intended to draw in.
I am just starting a blog because I am trying to both build my reputation as a social media expert for a new start-up company that I am about to join, but also because I want to share my perspective on social media with a bit of “flair”. I look for the interesting connections between life and this relatively new phenomemon of social media. Imagine if this level of engagement existed 20 years ago, let alone a hundred years ago? It's not so much about the natural historical technological progression of things, but moreso the incredible impact it has on shaping history. Really mind-boggling stuff! This is what keeps me up at night 🙂
My blog is new and primitive, and I still need to figure out the basic configuration and design. Blogspot is kind of limiting and WordPress is too techy. I have one there as well. The design and format stinks, and I'm still trying to figure out how to organize and manage the content. I hope this helps!
https://abroomall.wordpress.com/
I blog because I love it!
I have two blogs, my general blog http://www.boynamedtracy.com I do to get stuff off my chest and hopefully it will make someone think or smile or both.
My other blog is to help people take control of their health and wellness. I lost over 100lbs several years ago and would love to help people do the same. http://www.fitboynamedtracy.com
I blog about the work I am doing – creating images and written interpretations for all 64 Hexagrams of the I Ching. I Blog so I can reach people all over the world in the areas of my interest and expertise whether my creations are published in traditional means or not.
I have been blogging for four years but I have never really tried to make a profit or build a business around it (although I have read Darren's book Problogger). I blog because I want to make a difference. I write about conservation and communication, perception, change and how social media is changing the dynamic of how we approach social causes. It fascinates me so much I am even writing my thesis on it. So in a way I blog because I want to learn, and then to give back, to hopefully leave the world a little better than when I found it.
As a young professional in the nonprofit sector, I began to blog to position myself as an emerging leader in the field. Through posting about critical issues, I demonstrate my awareness of key concepts. By sharing the latest news, I show that I know the most recent information. In telling stories about local events, I explain how I am involved in my local communty.
I view blogging as an important component of my total professional development plan. I coordinate my blogsite with LinkedIn, Twitter, and other vehicles to communicate with others about the nonprofit sector. I also integrate my online and offline efforts.
You can check out my blog at: http://jessicajourney.wordpress.com
My motivations and intentions for blogging are highlighted in a colleague's blog post: http://www.rosettathurman.com/2009/12/shine-whi…
Thanks for this opportunity to share!
I blog because I want to. I don't get to do all that I'm capable of doing at work, so the blog is an outlet for my creativity and passion and a chance to share ideas with people who visit and comment or talk to me about my post. (And I swear, I don't usually write sentences that run on like that!)
Good luck to all! And thanks to you for your spirit of sharing. You might find a few of us later doing the same thing.
I blog because I like to keep my followers updated. I make jewelry, and I like to extend my artist's comments through my blog, and go more in-depth to the story I'm trying to tell. Sometimes, I use it to introduce a completely new series of jewelry; so it works out. Last thing I use it for is to give advice to my followers, and answer their F.A.Q.s. To me it's fun. My soul is a writer, so it's never a question of what to write, always …. when to write. (:
Thanks for the opportunity.
I was out of work and didn't know what direction to take my career in.I turned to blogging as a way to connect with others and share the things that interested me. Although I only built a moderate audience it helped me build my self confidence. I realized that Freelance Content Writing was a way to earn money by already doing what I love, Blogging about the things I liked. I started my personal Blog in October 2009 and I've been getting paid for creating content since January 2010. I'm now starting up a Social Media Strategy Consulting Business, a skill I learned as I was marketing my own content. Blogging lead me to a career I love and that I'm passionate about.
I'm new to blogging and just wanted a challenge. I also want to share my thoughts and knowledge that I have about my niche. It's also fun to learn all of the tips and tricks from people that have been blogging for a while. I love the community feel you get when blogging as well.
I blog to:
share my passion for inspirational quotes and videos by and for the baby boomer generation.
uplift and inspire a baby boomer thru my blog
share and provide answers to some of our problems
have fun
Thanks for letting me share….
Boomer54 Mark
I blog because I love wine and food and wish to share that passion with others. When I was in wine retail, I loved nothing more than the thank yous from customers who enjoyed a bottle I had recommended to them. While being unemployed, it has also given me something to feed my soul while looking for a job. My favorite thing is the new friends I've made because of my blog.
I blog to educate and inspire my readers about caregiving and eldercare, as well as to be an advocate for “Golden Oldies,” which is my name for senior citizens.
Hope I win these books! Thanks for the opportunity!
I've only been out of high school for a few years now and I still have no clue what I want to do with my life. So far, blogging has been a way for me to explore various things that interest me and share those experiences with others. I'm trying to hone in on what it is I really want to make a career out of, and my blog is like the Captain's Log of that journey.
… Ha, I think I finally have a tagline for my blog!
Why Do I Blog? My up- coming blog comes out of necessity. It is out of necessity so my clients (I own a real estate company) can see that I’m more than just a REALTOR. I will be able to show them indirectly that when I’m relating to them on a human level it is not just hogwash so I can get the deal. They will also be able to see that although this blog will be the personal side of me it will be presented in a professional way as I do everything. Of course they will see my entrepreneurial spirit show on my personal blog as it does when I’m buying and selling real estate because that’s just who I am and it’s not an act. My hope is to also get this introverted monkey off my back once and for all as I put myself out there for all to experience. In a nutshell, why Do I Blog? To show that Tellis Coleman is a person of multiple dimensions, with multiple passions. Sometimes I’m so engulfed in business life that people only get a chance to see one side. I blog so all of my personalities can be released. It’s getting crowded in here.
I believe I'm more of a micro-blogger at present, and would like to/need to make a living out of it. I have several blogs, and no clear direction, just a vague idea of what I'd like for all.
I'm not the best writer, and not very patient when it comes to writing.
One of my blogs is more of a business blog, it's actually my freelance website (I guess). The other is more related to what I think or feel about things – an opinion blog of sorts. Another is my photo-blog, but it's taking time to go live, I'm not very keen with WordPress, and still having a bit of a learning curve with the Thesis Theme. Last is my health, beauty, and fashion blog. But there are so many blogs related to health, beauty, and fashion, I sometimes wonder why I bother. At least that's what certain members of my family are always reminding me of. Probably the main reason I don't put much into my blogs, but I'd love to continue moving forward. I just need a how-to of sorts, and more time.
So yes, the books would hopefully prove helpful. 🙂
As a graduating law student, I have experienced the negative effects that the American economy has had on the legal job market. I along with hundreds of other graduating law students expected employment after graduation but have had no luck securing a job. While many of these students complain and point the finger as to why they don't have a job, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I started my blog http://www.taxdocket.com a few months ago. I became very interested in this area of the law in law school and began posting information about changes in the law, tax law cases, as well as entertaining posts such as “Tax Tracks” (I post songs that have tax in the name or are about money) and “Celebrity Tax News.” The goal of my site is to keep tax professionals and law students abreast of tax law matters as well as get those not interested in the area intrigued. I also believe that Tax Docket will a great talking point in future interviews as well as a great marketing tool in my career as an attorney.
I blog in order to share pressing social issues with my community. I live in a small rural town in the “Bible Belt” and many citizens aren't concerned with the world around them. As an AmeriCorps VISTA member, I feel that blogging is a simple tool to help raise awareness, not only about my term of service/host organization, but also about issues that have a lot of stigma surrounding them, such as mental health. My blogs are great ways of giving my community tiny windows to the world with plenty of resources and ideas of how to get involved to make a change.
I blog at my personal blog because writing helps me process life and a blog format enables me to keep notes of things I want to remember and would otherwise lose in my mass of digital files that I call my computer.
I am starting a second blog because of my voice. I have a unique perspective within the natural health niche (particularly as it relates to pregnancy and birth), which is both passionate and centrist, and rooted in science. I can help people. I already have a site where I have done so, but taking what I've learned from that experience over the past 8 years, I want to expand its base and make it both more interactive and usable for visitors and also make it easier for me to keep up with.
I have a personal blog, and I also ghost-blog for businesses. Personally, I express myself, talk about new things I've learned, where I've traveled, and new ideas that amaze or confuse me. Professionally, I share news about the companies I write for, and news items of interest to their customers.
However, I realize that the core reason I blog is the same in both cases: I blog to build a community. I want my friends (and some soon-to-be friends who wander in through the blog) to discuss the things I'm thinking about, enlighten me, and let me get to know them. I want customers to think, discuss, and come together as a community around my clients' ideas. I blog to bring people together.
I blog because I write and I write because I must. I write as a blogger to connect, because I really don't want to be the only member of my community or my audience. Before blogging I was a writer who published in literary journals and such. I was also a champion letter writer. The best recipient for a letter writer looking for connection is a correspondant who gives as good as they get. No fun in writing a hilarious 3 pager to someone who pens back: “thanks–that was funny!”
Sometimes blogging is like that.
Sometimes it's like that and sometimes it's an interactive lovefest where you can make money and feel good and have great hair all on the same day.
I enjoy and understand the connection/lovefest/writing part of it; I'm learnng about the biz side of blogging little by little. As a culture, it's like the rest of life, peopled with patron saints, clownasses, divas, wunderkinds, slackers, boyscouts, freaks, hackers, and luddites. It's a fresh-air bazaar and a creepy metropolis. It's what you make it.
~Maura Alia Badji, aka MoxieBee
http://www.themoxiebee.com
I blog because it keeps me curious. I am a pediatric occupational therapist working with kids who have various types of developmental disabilities. It is often easy to fall into a routine without staying abreast of new developments in the fields we work in. Blogging makes me look. Blogging makes me ask questions. Blogging makes me realize things when working with children. Blogging makes me look for answers until I find them.
I don't want to get comfortable; I'd rather be curious.
I know my life purpose to be to use my communication skills and my ability to inspire to contribute to the growth of other people. The life coaching that I provide to my clients is an expression of that purpose. My blog also is another expression for why I exist. If one of my posts helps someone improve apart of their life for that day, week, or year I am fulfilled. It gives me a personal satisfaction to get an email, comment, or phone call about how my blog has positively impacted someone. My blog is how I provide service to my community. I feel that this is the kind of service that I was born to do.
I have always love to write. It was a way to release emotions that I kept inside to avoid having the “real me” out in the open. I am about to start blogging book reviews. (Yes, I was the geek who loved to do book reports ha!) I have just started to blog about my life and journey that it takes me on. I really feel the pull to keep at this full time. Writing what I think or feel to not only have my own release, but offer encourgement to someone else. If anything I say can offer insight to someone else, then I am satisfied! That is what it is all about for me! Helping others will help ourselves!
I blog because I'm passionate about it; addicted too! It gives me a creative outlet, and it's part of my 'daily bread'!
I blog because I'm a writer. It's really that simple. I enjoy piecing together ideas and the process of having my rear in that seat. As a bonus, I hope that potential clients will see my work and trust me enough to write for their businesses.
I blog my family. Sometimes the current one. Sometimes the one from my childhood. But most especially, I blog the family I never met. As a genealogist and family historian, finding their family stories is my goal, and my hope is that once I find them and their story, they'll never be forgotten. Furthermore, the more I find out about my ancestors, the more I found out about myself. And that's always a good thing. [Well, almost always. =)]
~Caroline
Family Stories
I blog because I have something different to say and other people are interested. Because I am committed, blogging is one of the main drivers that keeps me current, learning and communicating outside of my comfort zone, always striving for the next skill level or big idea.
Thanks for your question, Dan. I'm in Australia, so outside of the competition, but your post drew me in.
H 🙂
I am just starting out, and will be launching my blog in the coming weeks. I plan to blog because I welcome the opportunity to share my own experiences with the world, to connect with complete strangers and turn those chance meetings into mutually beneficial business and personal relationships. I love the idea of creating something out of nothing…I'm not a businessperson by any means, but I plan to make blogging a success. I've set a personal goal of earning $3,000 a month online, of which I hope blogging will be a key part.
I started earning money online only a few months ago, but already see so much potential that I find myself eager to share everything I've learned with those people right behind me on the learning curve. Not only that, thanks to tips from people like Darren Rowse, David Risley, Jeremy Schoemaker, John Chow, etc. I've gotten a whole new education on blogging and online business in general – and I'm really eager to put those lessons into practice.
Winning this contest would give me even more valuable information to spin into personal gold. Thanks for running it, and good luck to all the entrants!
Hi Pro!
We blog so that we can be real to our members. As founders of a Christian matchmaking website, we never wanted to be a cold, hard computer program. So, we offer inside scoops on such things as:
1) inside scoop at the office
2) common questions, complaints from members
3) recaps of singles chats held on the site (for those who couldn't attend)
4) giving our expert advice and that of our relationship experts
5) highlighting some members
We are just now entering in the video blog scene and could use some wisdom on what are the best places to be, how many blogs should we maintain, etc. I appreciate your friendship on Twitter (although I must confess I'm a much bigger fan of Facebook!) Thanks for helping us. I truly love to write and feel this is a great, short outlet for my sometimes quirky humor!
Like many people in the late 90s, I started documenting the mundane everyday happenings of my life because I enjoyed writing and it was my way of journaling. As time has gone on I've become much more interested in sharing my thoughts with others. It is really just an outlet for me – a way to sharpen my thoughts on different topics. It also keeps me in the habit of doing something every day.
I find the more I blog the more I enjoy it. I can express myself and provide useful information to others.
Like many people in the late 90s, I started documenting the mundane everyday happenings of my life because I enjoyed writing and it was my way of journaling. As time has gone on I've become much more interested in sharing my thoughts with others. It is really just an outlet for me – a way to sharpen my thoughts on different topics. It also keeps me in the habit of doing something every day.
I blog because it helps me learn new things, it helps me to teach others and last but not least, it helps me learn new things about myself.
My colleague Dr. Ellen Weber began writing a blog and sharing strategies from brain research to help others use more brain to their benefit, whether in work or life. She kept telling me how much fun it was and shared comments received from others. I decided to give it a try myself and started the blog, Brain Based Biz. I made friends on the Internet all over the world, learned much more about how to write, how to blog and even infuse SEO and so many other skills that I am a winner.
I started blogging 5 years ago because I wanted to talk about my subject (Shakespeare appreciation for everyone, without being “for dummies”) but being a computer geek and not an academic, I didn't have any “real world” voice to do it. So I took to the net. Fast forward to today, a few thousand posts and many hundreds of followers later, and I couldn't be happier. Well, that's not true, I could be making a living doing it! But that's why we hang out on places like Problogger, right? To learn how to kick it to that next level?
I just started blogging a couple of months ago. Our blog is separate from our e-commerce site. It is an informational blog. I have links with in a blog to our e-commerce site. In the past month or so I've seen the products that I link in our blog go up in the search engines. Our goals are to provide readers with valuable information and also help our e-commerce site.
Dan, I blog for myself and I hope that along the way I will make connections and learn some new ideas. I am a senior sales executive for a multi-national company and understanding blogging and social media is critical to my business. I also use the experience in my industry keynotes and to help partners develop their own online reputations.
Why do I blog? I don't know for sure. I do know it is for many of the reasons stated here in these comments, but I do not have a one singular reason that I blog. If I was tied down and forced to answer this question with one reason that I blog I would have to say it's the people. Despite being behind this screen and typing away at the keyboard it is a way to reach out and communicate with all walks of life, a true venue for the purpose of expressing ideas and discussing them with people you would not otherwise have the opportunity to discuss.
The opportunity to have a bully pulpit. One little space that you can control what is said, one podium that is guaranteed mine to say what I want to say, to discuss what I want to discuss, and to invite others of like or dislike mind to come and talk about topics of interest. Its about the people, its about communication and the discussion of ideas, and of course it is about me as a human being. It's all about the people.
I blog because I have some niche technical expertise that is sought after but still not popular, if that makes any sense. I have had a couple of organizations approach me to blog under their umbrella exclusively, but I have refused. It is important for me to retain impartiality in what I discuss, for both my own sense of integrity and business development purposes.
I blog because I am driven to express myself about my multiple passions. They're pretty diverse, and NONE of them are what I actually do for money, for a living. It's funny that you asked this question just now because I only recently blogged about having a “survival career” and indulging in passions for learning, performing, writing, photography, pop culture and travel/leisure activities on the side. Blogging gives me the venue to express the meaningful in my life, which surpasses survival activities. Thanks for providing the contest, and also for providing such a thought-provoking question!
Erin
I started blogging regularly a little over a year ago. My first contributions were to a blog that covers topics in Student Affairs in Higher Education (http://www.thesabloggers.org). I was approaching 15 years working in the field, and had arrived at a point where my current job just wasn't lighting me up anymore. A staff member in my area became a contributor, and seeing him put himself out there and share his thoughts really was a great example to me. I have always been a writer, but one thing I really missed in my work was the ability to write reflectively and to share my passions and interests. The writing I was able to do was always either practical (responding to problems, writing reports, coming up with marketing pieces for programs we were doing) and I did enjoy it, but seeing him take a leap into the fray of the blogosphere gave me the courage to give it a try.
My contributions to the blog were often about careers in student affairs. I've always had a passion for helping others, especially student staff and student leaders, in their career explorations. I'd been thinking for several years about becoming a life and career coach, and specializing in work with college students and people who work in higher ed. Writing about it gave me opportunities to think through my own career issues in ways I had not before. I started my own blogs on life and careers in higher ed, got certified as a coach, and left a stable job with good benefits, to move closer to my extended family, and start my own business.
Blogging (and involvement in Twitter) have helped me connect with new people, learn new ways of thinking, and broaden my perspectives. But more importantly, these reconnected me to my passions, and reinforced in me a sense of purpose. On some levels, I am still struggling to figure out how to use blogs and social networking to best reflect who I am, what I do, and who I hope to be. But I am not struggling to connect to my passions and my sense of purpose. I'm living them out in new and different ways, and enjoying the ride.
So far I am a consumer of blogs. The reader on the other side who enjoys taking advantage of the free information and advice you can get from reading them. I have several blogs bookmarked on topics that interest me. I value the fact that the subjects are live and current. I can also converse with the writer and ask more questions or just leave my 2 cts worth about my experience on the topic. I may turn into a blogger one day, that would be fun to learn more about how to start one up.
I have been blogging for a couple of years, but in earnest since January 1 of this year. Why? I do love to write but more than that it allows me, an average person, to build a community around what I'm passionate about. And, community is so important to all of us as we stretch ourselves and reach for goals. Who doesn't want or need a group of like minded people listening and offering hope, encouragement and motivation?! The great thing about blogging is that the communication is two way, and I just LOVE that.
I don't blog yet – but I am planning to take the plunge soon. I'm quite excited about it actually. I read your blog regularly and have gained many valuable tips. Thank you!
I started blogging to chronicle my quest to lose 50 pounds. Once I had shed the weight, I realized how powerful connecting online could be. It's a great creative outlet, as well. It helped me professionally, too; I'm now working with major consumer magazines on their social media strategy because of the skills I taught myself.
I blog because I love to write! It's also really satisfying to blog about something I'm passionate about, or something that's bothering me, and see that readers feel the same way. It reminds me that I'm not crazy.
I defintely agree that blogging opens up a lot of other earning opportunities. Consulting, authoring, etc
I blog because I love to write and I want to share that love with the world.
I blog because I think I can help others.
I blog because I believe when I write I find my voice. Sometimes I don't know what I think until I write it. 😉
I blog because I love connecting. That may sound like a pat answer, but it's the truth.
When I was a kid, I wrote in spiral notebooks and on legal pads, imagining some faceless future teenager reading all my words and knowing that she wasn't alone. We're talking pages upon pages of “nobody understands me”, angst-ridden drivel; but I wrote it with unbelievable passion.
Now, as an adult, I still find myself writing to the nebulous reader in the ether. Depending on which outlet I'm logged into at the time, it may be another fellow writer who needs tips on how to get published, a parents who can't get his toddler to sleep and needs a few tricks, or someone with more experience than I who is mysteriously floating out there somewhere and will stumble onto (and answer) my latest question.
Amazingly enough, the Internet has made all these people real. When I talk into the huge, echo-y blogosphere at large, suddenly, words come back. Each of those people really exists, in a house in Detroit or a skyscraper in Japan–who knows?–but they EXIST.
Blogging gives us the chance, for the first time in human history, to bridge connections with those we are the most like, regardless of geographical location, industry limitations, or social strata. No longer to I have to hang out in a library or coffee shop to meet a fellow writer, though of course I still do that for fun, too; but now there are writing communities instantly accessible for every imaginable genre, starting level, and tone.
The Internet is the magic porthole that my teenage self long wished for, and blogging is the key.
THAT's why I blog. 😉
I blog to provide web users with information and images that they are already looking for and would potentially consider paying for somewhere down the line.
I blog because I want to change Nursing Education, just a little bit, to include an active awareness of the health issues involved in nuclear materials and nuclear waste if they’re not properly cared for. I’ve taken some time away from blogging to research, but have kept up my networking and with changes/developments in Nursing Education worldwide, through FB, Twitter, LJ, and various blogs belonging to, among others, Boards of Registered Nursing in many states (and a few other countries!), nursing school programs, and nursing magazines.