By Kevin M
“Everyone” is one of those absolute words we should generally stay clear of, but I’m violating conventional wisdom, sticking my neck out and saying everyone needs to have a blog!
You can beat me up for violating protocol, but before you do, consider the seven reasons why I’m making such a bold declaration…
1. To CONNECT with the rest of the world, 21st Century style
There are nearly seven billion people in the world and most of us connect with a handful who we’ll connect with in any meaningful way. With a blog we can add hundreds or thousands more—do you think there might be some value in that?
A blog is the cornerstone of finding like minded people in a world that seems to be pulling apart socially even as it gets more crowded. Though it often seems that people are the nexus of our troubles, we can’t overlook that they’re usually the source of our solutions as well. After all, who couldn’t use a few more friends, a few more intelligent opinions or a few more business contacts?
Most of the people we’ll meet through blogs will live in another part of the country, or another part of the world, but that’s pretty stinking exciting, wouldn’t you say?
2. To have a VOICE and advance your IDEAS in the world
A blog is an opportunity to get your voice and your ideas out on the information superhighway. Express your opinions at work—to the degree you’re even allowed to anymore(!)—and a few people will hear what you have to say. Put it out on a blog and potentially thousands will read it. Some will forward it to others.
We all have good ideas—ideas that could potentially benefit many people. With a blog you have the venue to express those ideas. Unlike the traditional print media, your ideas don’t need to make it past the editing bureau where they may be modified or killed. And you can put your ideas out there in real time, enabling you to weigh in on events as they happen—you become a part of the grass roots media.
3. To build a national and global NETWORK for any future purpose
We can’t possibly know what the future holds, but we can prepare for it in a very general way that can payoff big later. By building connections now—with hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people—we’re setting up a built in stage for what ever we decide to launch, whenever we’re ready to launch it.
A blog gives you a foothold on the information superhighway, a springboard for all that you might do. Even if you don’t have message or a business idea right now, with a blog you can begin building the contacts that will have the marketing in place from the get go. And best of all, it doesn’t have to cost a thing!
4. To MARKET any product, service or business you can conceive of
Do you know with certainty what you’ll be doing to earn a living in five or ten years? With the job market being so unpredictable, it’s best to be prepared for anything. One of the best ways to do this is with some form of self-employment, even if it’s only as a side business right now.
You can test business ideas with a blog and add new ones or drop old ones as circumstances warrant, but you’ll have that all important flexibility that every entrepreneur needs. Even if you’re not thinking in this direction right now, you can be ready for a change of either heart or circumstances.
5. To create an additional INCOME STREAM
Even if you don’t know what product or service you might want to market, there are opportunities to start earning some money almost immediately. Google Adsense as well as various affiliate marketing programs can enable you to generate a small revenue stream even without having any business ideas of your own.
Your site doesn’t need to be a business site for these programs to work either. Any site topic that draws in a steady stream of visitors can make ad programs work for you, though certain topics do work better than others. And sometimes a small income stream is all it takes to motivate you to take things to a higher level.
Ultimately the solution to career, income or debt problems may lie not so much in a new, higher paying career as much as in the development of multiple income streams, which not only increase income but also provide diversified sources for greater stability.
6. To draw OPPORTUNITIES to you
As you broadcast your ideas and peddle your wares on your weblog, and people begin visiting your site, it will open the doors for others to contact you about what it is they’re working on that might be a good fit with what you’re offering. Business and marketing ideas, job opportunities and advertising arrangements are all possibilities, and they will come about without any special effort on your part.
Create a compelling blog, and people and opportunities will find their way to your email. Think of your blog as your own personal billboard, take it seriously, and put out the best you have to offer. Work into a niche where you have above average knowledge and skills and have at least some passion about. People who are interested in the same things you are will find you, and good things will happen from there.
7. To TAKE PART in the democratic process since that voting thing really isn’t working
Whenever we vote, we’re accepting a given platform, a package of ideas we can either vote up or down on based on our vote for or against a candidate. That system usually leaves us with just two choices, and we can’t remove certain items from a platform and replace them with others we feel are more important. Charles Hugh Smith (link also in left column) refers to this as a “simulacrum of democracy”, and it has much to do with why the political system is often so unresponsive to changes in world or national circumstances or even to public will.
The internet is the new place for the exchange of free ideas, for the average citizen to come forward with small ideas that may have no other way of becoming big ideas except that we put them in a public place for others to see. In the absence of the public square or of an objective media, a blog may be the single best place to present those ideas. You could launch ideas and concepts that will start on your blog then crawl their way into national policy. Can you do that with your vote?
How do you create a blog? Since I’m relatively new at this myself, I’ll defer to the opinions of some more seasoned bloggers, and highly recommend that you check out the following:
How to make money with a blog by Bob Lotich at ChristianPF (link also in left column)
Blueprint For How To Make Money With A Blog: Advice From Successful Bloggers from Bible Money Matters (link also in the left column). Some free advice, but most is in a paid e-book that’s worth every penny of the $29.95 purchase price.
Do you have a blog? Do you agree that having one is well worth the time invested? Can you offer any other advantages to having a blog?
To meet people like Kevin!
Great post. I just convinced a buddy to start a blog. Does that make me cool? No. I didn’t think so.
Matt´s last blog ..Who Is Your Boss?
Hey Matt! THANKS for the plug. Yes, I think convincing a buddy to start a blog does make you cool. You got him to do something that has real potential to make a positive difference in his life.
A lot of us need a prod here and there, especially if it’s in regard to something we’re unfamiliar with. He may thank you one day. Or stop speaking with you if it doesn’t go well!
Yes, I have a blog and I wholeheartedly agree with all the reasons listed. I would caveat by saying if you are going to have a blog, then you need to be able to properly express yourself through your writing. While spelling and grammar does not need to be perfect, your content should be “readable” without many errors.
Lakita (PFJourney)´s last blog ..Will You Take Advantage of the Homebuyer’s Tax Credit?
Lakita, good point about writing ability, that’s something that’s getting lost in this age of text messaging!
You don’t need to be an expert writer, but so true, you do have to know how to express yourself in a way that most people could clearly understand.
Kevin@OutOfYourRut´s last blog ..7 Reasons Everyone Needs to Have a Blog
I agree with you! However, I don’t think #5 is entirely accurate. There is a potential for money, but with all those blogs on there, it isn’t a realistic to start a blog, imho.
Jen – Legal Weed´s last blog ..Passing Drug Test: Myths Exposed
Jen – I agree. Building an income on a blog is a long term process, but you can make some money while you’re busy building your blog and doing other things with it. I made a few dollars from Adsense the first month I put it on, and that was on pitifully low traffic volume! It’s like found money, and that’s always worth going after.
I find that blogs have become quite an advent over the past decade. It’s changed the face of writing in such a manner, and offers a completely new medium for aspiring freelance writers.
In comparison to print and professional writing, even in the case of self publishing, blogging is nothing like it. At the expense of the professional touch, you become the writer, publisher, and editor, all solo. You contribute to the information superhighway.
But I also like to think that this particular medium could be saturated with bad quality, due to it’s distinct lack of quality control. Conversely, there’s various types of blogs tailored for menials to downright verbose sophisticated lectures.
This comment can be best described as bloody pointless, but I think if I WERE pressed to make a point, let me conclude by saying that blogs are certainly an interesting literary medium!
Aury (Thunderdrake)´s last blog ..Hoarding Dragon Basics – Investing in Precious Metals
lol I agree voting is not working. Our current president and administration is doing what they want, not what the people want. Can you say Socialized health care? America is heading in the wrong direction
I wouldn’t limit it to the current president, this has been developing for a long time. It’s hard to know if it’s being caused by an oversized bureaucracy that insulates leaders from the voters, or if voters are so consumed with other pursuits that they no longer care.
Either way, a blog is a solid way to begin affecting change in a world that often buries good ideas in an editors office. If we don’t take an active role in representative government, we’ll lose it; that would be a real tragedy.