Today, we find ourselves in a crazy moment with COVID-19 – everything it means to us in the world we live in, the effect on our lives in this coming year, and the unpredictable changes for many years to come. With so many people impacted, the economy was hurt and a completely new set of circumstances and challenges that we all have to face.
Right now, the world requires hope, positivity, and workable solutions to new and emerging problems.
We need places where we can get together and where community and belonging can happen. Particularly at this time when people are physically isolated, the world needs virtual spaces and safe spaces where they can find that belonging.
The world needs YOU.
And you need a blog to provide the platform and foundation for your content and your community – to make the world a better place.
Why should you start a blog?
1. Improve other people’s lives
One of the great benefits of blogs is the potential to make the world we live in a better place. And while not all blogs do this, many do it in their way.
My blogs are about photography and blogs. These are not topics that will make a big difference on a global scale. But I know that after posting content every day for 15 years, my blogs have made a difference in the lives of many.
A few years ago I shared a post here on ProBlogger about how a person came to me recently at a conference and credited ProBlogger for saving his marriage. And others shared how they would build meaningful businesses by finding things we publish.
Blogging can replace your life as a blogger in many ways. But the experience is even more meaningful and rewarding when you realize that it can also be used to inspire, educate, and give others a sense of belonging.
It also offers many opportunities to enlighten and lend your voice to other important causes. One of my blog highlights came when I had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania and see the work of an amazing organization that works with people with disabilities in that country.
Being able to use my blogs to give voice to this noble cause was an incredible opportunity.
In ProBlogger’s definitive Guide to starting a blog course, we delve deeper into the topic of motivation and discover your ‘WHY’. Having a clear and attractive purpose for your blog will sustain you and your audience during tough times.
2. Build a community
Isolation brought to mind the fact that we humans are social creatures. We need the community to support us, just as a blog needs a community to support it. By building a community around your blog, you are not only creating something beneficial for others but also yourself.
As I look back on the nearly 20 years I have been blogging, many of the highlights were about the people I had the opportunity to meet and interact with. Years of creating useful content, developing your brand, building an audience, and building trust with that audience open the door to many friendships, collaborations, and other opportunities.
You never quite know where these relationships can take you. Some can lead to financially rewarding opportunities. But, most of the time, it leads to lasting friendships and a real sense of belonging to dynamic and supportive communities.
3. Earn money
A blog is your special place on the Internet that you own and that you can turn into a business. One of the reasons I am presenting for starting a blog is that it can be financially profitable.
I’m not saying that every blog will be profitable. But many bloggers have increased revenue streams from their blogs, both directly and indirectly.
I am impressed with how blogs have provided an income for my family over the years. Not every blogger who sets out to make money from blogs reaches a full-time level. But it is possible to build significant revenue with blogs.
Further reading: Can You Make Money Blogging?
In addition to making money directly from your blog, you can also use the profile that a blog can bring to promote your existing business or sell your services as a freelancer, coach, speaker, etc.
Blogs allow you to:
increase your profile
be found through search engines and social media
(most importantly) build your brand, credibility, authority, and trust with potential customers
And I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen bloggers use their blog’s profile to get a more traditional job. (In those cases, their blog has become their curriculum.)
Note: I explore the reasons why companies should start blogging in this podcast.
The other aspect of increasing a blog’s profit is that it can also become an asset that you can sell at some point.
4. Self-improvement and personal development
Although the blog unexpectedly became the basis of my business and opened up incredible opportunities for me to earn an income, one of the biggest benefits of entering this space is the same reason I joined.
The blog gave me a place to express myself.
Something very powerful happens when you get into the habit of ordering and writing your thoughts, ideas, stories, and opinions. People have been doing this for centuries in private journals and periodicals. But putting some of these things on a public forum for other people to interact with has been a very positive experience for me.
Having a place to express myself has brought many personal benefits. In studying and writing thousands of things over the years, I have:
I learned a lot about the topics I write about
I identified, sharpened, and deepened my ideas and opinions
Refined my voice
I developed my writing and communication skills
Built discipline
Found a creative outlet
He faced fears and doubts and grew in confidence.
This list can continue. But the result is that I am much better as a person for having a blog.
Should YOU start a blog in 2021?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer that question for you. But I can say that, on a personal level, starting a blog was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done.
The blog changed my life trajectory in several ways.
It helped me to grow and develop on a personal level.
This helped me start and grow a business that gave our family an income we never expected to have.
It opened up opportunities for the community, friendship, and collaborations with wonderful people.
It gave me ways to do something meaningful that, in small ways, allows me to make a difference to others.
I hope this inspires you to join us to start a blog in 2021. Reserve your spot in our FREE Ultimate Guide. Start a Blog course that starts on Friday, January 15th.
The course guides you in 7 steps to start and launch your blog – from clarifying the purpose of your blog to defining your niche; choose your domain name and set up hosting; until the launch of your blog and thinking about your social networks and email marketing.
Throughout January, I will host live check-ins and question and answer sessions for course students who are working to start their blogs.
Next Sunday, February 7th we will help you launch your blog to the world with International Blog Starting Day – where we celebrate all of our students’ new blogs, giving them exposure to the wider ProBlogger audience and their first views of the page.
