10 Amazing Benefits of Blogging (and 5 Bogus Claims)

According to Wikipedia, and that is the online authority, blogging has been around since just before the turn of the 21st century. In historical terms, that isn’t that long but for technology that’s an eternity.

Also, according to most published reports, there are over 150 million blogs in existence today.

With the rich history, and sheer quantity, why would you want to start your own blog – or continue to plug away with your existing blog?

Benefits of Blogging

There are many meaningful reasons why you should consider becoming a blogger. Let’s get into some of the benefits of blogging.

1. Blogging lets you explore and embrace your passions…on your own terms

One of the most beautiful aspects of blogging is the fact that you control what you blog about. You get to choose the topic. You get to choose the opinion. If you have a deep passion for ant farms, the internet and your fellow ant farm enthusiasts await.

2. Blogging allows you to become a participant in the digital age

Have you heard of the 1% rule? This rule refers to the fact that in the online world, roughly 99% of the people are simply consumers of what is on the Internet. The other 1% are actually content creators.

Having a blog allows you to get off the sideline and get in the game. You can now call yourself a participant instead of someone just consuming what others have to say.

3. Blogging increases your employment potential

When you become a blogger, you have no choice but to learn a lot. And, what you learn is still cutting edge technology that looks awesome on your resume.

Blogging is a skill that most people will not have (refer to the 1% rule above). By learning how to blog, publishing consistently valuable content, establishing a credible online presence, and building your personal brand, you are unquestionably in a better position than many of your job seeking competitors.

4. Blogging makes you a better writer

Practice makes perfect, right? The more you write the better you get at it. As your blog evolves and time goes by you will slowly start to realize that your writing skills have improved tremendously.

Blogging is a wonderful tool for improving your writing chops and for honing a particular skill that will benefit you in all areas of your life.

If you already have a blog, just take a look at some of your original blog posts. You’ll be surprised, and maybe a little bit embarrassed, at the difference in quality.

5. Blogging makes you start looking at things differently

Bloggers are constantly looking for angles and ways to use everyday experiences as topics for their blog. You are relentlessly searching for content, trying to discover that next post that your readers will enjoy.

You have no choice but to evolve into a more analytical and complex thinker. You no longer take things at face value. You inherently dissect and dig into topics at a deeper level.

Using your brain to actually think is a good thing.

6. Blogging improves your time management

Blogging takes time. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Given your hectic daily life, fitting a blog into your schedule can be a nightmare. Finding time to sit down and write something of value is a challenge. And writing the blog is only the first step in the process. You then have to market it.

As you mature with your blog, there’s no question you will become a master planner. You have no choice.

Implementing a content calendar will help you hit your pace with publishing, improve your time management skills, and boost your productivity.

7. Blogging opens the door to amazing things

Becoming a blogger, and in effect being a participant in the online space, allows you the opportunity to experience things you never thought you would.

There are bloggers who travel the world speaking, and get paid. There are bloggers who get products sent to them for free just so they can review them. There are bloggers that regularly appear on TV shows.

Get involved with blogging and embrace the wonderful opportunities that come your way.

8. You will meet incredible people when you are a blogger

Just as you will have incredible opportunities, you will also meet a phenomenal group of people. Your personal circles of influence and networks will expand not only in your local town or city but also across the globe.

There’s no telling where these new and profound relationships may take you. You might find a new job, a new mentor, or even a new spouse (it happens).

I’m amazed sometimes when I sit back and think about who I’m interacting with online and how our relationships were formed.

9. As a blogger, you have the opportunity to truly help others

Your opinion matters, maybe more than you think.

As a blogger, you have the unique opportunity to provide value to someone you don’t even know and who may live in a completely different country. Your reach is universal.

The value you provide may help someone through a difficult time in their life. It may give them the inspiration to take the leap on a major decision in their life.

You may help them solve a significant problem they have. Or you may simply provide them a much-needed escape from the monotony of daily life.

10. Bloggers learn…constantly

As a blogger, you are constantly learning. Whether it’s the latest plugin or technology for your blog or the hottest new method of content marketing, get ready to learn.

Blogging is not just about writing. You need to build an online platform and grow an audience.

In order to do this, you will have to learn new skills, tactics, and technologies. Talk to any blogger and I’m sure they will tell you that they have learned so much over the course of their blogging lifetime.

You will learn how to write better, how to create graphics, how to market, how to do SEO, how to engage on social media, how to build and foster an audience, how to create content….and the list goes on.

But, that’s the beauty of it too. Blogging will only become boring and stagnant if you choose to do nothing. Embrace new ways of doing things. Let the actual writing only be part of your overall journey.

Learn new skills, keep yourself fresh, and blogging will remain enjoyable.

But, it’s not all roses and fairy tales though.

Misconceptions about Blogging

Even with all of the wonderful things you hear about blogging, here are a few bogus claims you’ll hear in the industry.

It’s important you understand their context and realize they are simple hurdles to clear as you move forward.

1. Blogging will make you rich

Online marketers love to tell you how much money you can make as a blogger. They feed on your expectations in an attempt to line their pockets. Don’t believe the hype.

Sure, there is money to be made when you are a blogger, but don’t expect it to just come rolling in, especially in the beginning. Blogging takes time and significant effort to gain a sufficient foothold to even begin to make money.

Don’t go into blogging simply to get rich. You will be disappointed, or at least somewhat discouraged if you aren’t ready to put in the work necessary to make it happen.

All of the success stories you hear were built on top of years of grinding in the basement. Making money from your blog will take work. It can happen, but like anything in life, you have to work hard for it.

2. Blogging will make you famous

This is another misconception with blogging. Don’t expect to be the next Perez Hilton just because you start a blog.

What you will find is that most bloggers do not have a huge audience. They have small followings that tend to gravitate toward their message.

The good news is even a small tribe can be tremendously valuable.

Even those bloggers who are considered successful online may be completely unknown outside of their particular niche. Pat Flynn, for example, is hugely successful in the passive income and online business community. But, if you ask your friends if they have heard of him the answer will most likely be, “who?”

3. Blogging is easy

This is a huge fallacy. Blogging takes significant work. That is if you want to be successful at it.

Sure you could throw up a 200 word post every month and call blogging “easy”, but if you want to gain traction and have your message heard, it will take significant work.

Don’t ever let anyone tell you it’s easy or they have a method to make it so. Trust and believe that hard work lies ahead.

4. Blogging costs a lot of money

The barrier to entry for blogging has never been lower. You can literally start a blog in 10 minutes for less than the cost of a tank of gas.

There are a number of free tools out there that can set your blog up wonderfully. Free themes, free plugins, free graphics editors, free social sharing capabilities, etc.

You can go a long way spending little to no money online.

If you are serious about growing your blog though, you will need to invest.

That word, “invest”, is important. You are investing in yourself or in your business when you start to pay for products and services for your blog. It is an important distinction.

5. Blogging is outdated

At the beginning of the article you read about the long history of blogging and the sheer number of blogs in the industry today. But, even with that history, blogging remains the home base of your online platform.

It is the central location where you control everything.

Regardless of which new technology becomes hot, such as Periscope, podcasting, or blab, your blog remains your rock. It is what defines your online presence and personal brand. It is where people find you and learn about you and your opinions.

Never let anyone tell you that blogging is no longer important.

Setting out on a blogging journey can be exciting and scary at the same time. Understanding the benefits that await, while balancing the misconceptions, will put you in a better position for finding true success.