Blogs have certainly come a long way since they started to gain popularity over a decade ago. I’ll be the first to admit that I did not think blogs would catch on and become mainstream. Boy was I wrong. Needless to say, blogs have become the powerhouse platform of the web and I can guarantee you that your favorite sites are blogs whether written personally by individuals or larger brands. Heck, even Secret Entourage is part blog. Every brand or person has a story to tell and if you don’t have one yet, here’s 10 reasons why you should start a blog in 2014.
1) Connect with your audience – They often say entrepreneurship is lonely because some people may never see what you see in vision. If you feel this way they there are certainly thousands of others in the same position. By using a blog as an outlet to share your passions and experiences, it allows you to connect with your audience and find ways to connect at a deeper level than you’d never thought possible. Think about how people always find ways to relate to musicians and the lyrics to their songs. It’s no different than when people overcome tough times with the support of their favorite artist.
2) Learn to be consistent – We always preach that consistency is key to being successful. A blog will not succeed if you do not actively publish content on it. Have you noticed that some of the top blogs on the web are updated daily and even hourly? It’s no coincidence. Others will argue that quality over quantity is fine and that’s ok as long as the content itself is of extreme value time after time. Regardless of your stance on that, the key lesson here is that without consistently taking action and publishing content, your traffic, sales, leads, and exposure will diminish.
3) We are all story tellers – At a recent conference I attended, there was really one thing most people had in mind: networking. You honestly will never know who you will meet and its incredibly stupid to judge a book by its cover. We are all story tellers in our own right and the people I happened to meet had incredible stories that I would not have known without sparking up a conversation. What I’m trying to say is that everyone has a story worth sharing and hearing and that voice can be heard if it’s put in print for people to see.
4) Give and you shall receive – As a business or entrepreneur, it’s ok to share your experience and even sometimes vent your frustrations. But at the end of the day, your blog should not be all about boasting yourself but rather should be focused on helping others. By impacting someones life in a positive manner, the rewards will come naturally. Good karma goes a long way.
5) Make more money – Let’s be honest here, who wouldn’t want more money? If you create a blog, you put the processes in place to help you gain incredibly more exposure online. It doesn’t even matter if you are a brick and mortar business or an online retailer. Of course it’s easier said than done and takes a little bit of strategic planning to get solid traction but if you play your cards right, you can increase your overall revenue from increased exposure and even alternative revenue streams that will only present themselves when you have a blog.
6) Get out of your comfort zone – A blog is meant to be social hence why every one has a comment section at the very bottom including ours. However, social engagement won’t happen unless you set that in motion first. What better place to go be social than your favorite spots like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Blogs these days make it very easy to have your content shareable across these different social networks which is great but you first must actively try to promote it as well and that can only begin by outreach to others. As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats.
7) Meet new friends – Aside from the people you meet that are readers of your blog, the blogger community is one that is always welcoming of others even when in the same industry. Assuming your blog is of quality, other bloggers can occasionally help promote you by sending you traffic to your blog. It’s more than establishing partnerships, its about creating friendships.
8) Have fun – Bottom line is blogging is fun. All you need to do is hit up your favorite spot to work, sit back, and type away your thoughts. It’s a refreshing feeling that allows you to decrease stress and find a sense of calmness. The rewards we seek differ for all people but to be able to capture an audience, have them listen to you, and then continue to come back because they are fans and want to read your content is a feeling like no other. Inspire others, meet people, and be the change you wish to see in the world.
