What makes you a successful blogger?
Can’t anyone blog?
Why do you blog?
I heard the age-old questions coming my way across the GQishly decorated gazebo at a reunion over the holidays.
This time though I had my answer.
In the past, you may have struggled with this question — I know I have.
But as members of the blogging community, we have to defend our work or risk looking like total hermits to people, who though educated, just don’t get what we do for the web.
So in this post, and in typical Dear Blogger form, I’d like to offer 9 potential concise answers to the above.
I really hope this helps next time you’re interrogated at a party.
Note to readers: As usual I’m curious to hear your best/worst answers to this question because I bet they’re way better than mine. Let us know at the end!
Why do you blog?
- You’ve always loved writing
Thoughts flow confidently on paper as speech, English class was a breeze, you have notes littered all over your room and you might have aced the SAT writing.
- You take pride in helping people
You’ve been a tutor, trainer or coach in your time on Earth.
- Corporate life ain’t for you
Doing work for a boss’s benefit until eternity is unthinkable and you’re dead sure that blogging beats a day job.
- You’re curious, driven to learn more
You want to know what makes the web keep turning and position yourself amid the action.
- You’re unhappy with your surroundings
You’re unreasonable for all the right reasons, constantly editing and tweaking, but it’s important because the world needs change with you at the helm.
- Your an introvert (and proud)
The extroverts have spoken over you for years, but now you’re army of subscribers and commenters speak louder.
- You’re a creator at heart
From Play Doh to Legos, science fairs to history day to shop class, you create and damnit you take pride in the result, even if it takes you forever.
- You’ve found your audience
After months of hunting for blog traffic, you’ve found it, and you’re going to keep growing it because this is finally your time.
- You want to see the world!
You’ve seen folks like Pat Flynn, Leo Babauta and Glen Allsop travelling the globe on their blogs and know that if you play your cards right blogging is your ticket too.
Conclusion: Is a brief answer best?
I put down my appetizers (but not before one more bit of my petite sandwich) and turned to my adversary:
“It’s my platform. It’s where I get to learn from lots of people and where I get to share my own version of art.”
That was all for my response. I like leaving ’em hanging a bit, because giving a full explanation often undervalues your work. How about you? Which number above is your response? Got a totally new one? Now’s your turn. Share it in the comments below.
Hi; I lov these answers. I had thought of 1 and 2 and i have always ben a good writer. but I love the last one about traveling the world. but the truth is i started blogging because people told me it was a good way to promote my business and website. Its a way to help establish myself as an expert and a leader in my field. and yes i’m hoping it will help bring in more income. I am struggling with advertising and sponsorship. I approached the robert graham company a while back. they sent me two shirts. i did a review and it got a lot of good traffic. I don’t know if it generated traffic to them though. I had an ad for a company called sippers by design but they declined to renew after the 30 day trial i gave them. my primary market is the amusement industry. Its a small and tough niche. I have done my best to expand it by including agri tourism zoos and aquariums museums etc. will appreciate your suggestions. thanks, max
I think you could be sitting on a gold-mine Max, say if you could become THE GO-TO for amusement park reviews. You have to make it so they really want you though.
I’d reach your net out and try to interview park owners who need more business this summer. Everyone likes hearing about an amusement park in their town. Happy to help you share the word thru the blogging niche.
I have been asking myself this question since I started my holidays, so it is timely.
I believe I needed to do this as a cathartic exercise. I wanted to document my sickness journey and always look for the positive even when I felt there was none.
Hope it helps you recover Becc 🙂 Definitely helps me stay positive too when the real world is being unreasonable.
I blog because I enjoy helping people and educating people. I have been in some interesting situations in my life. I want to share them with people and help motivate them as well.
Glad you’re being open with it Jason.
I initially started blogging for fun and to express my thought son a variety of topics. Then I got serious and starting writing about my areas of business interest. Then I found I had a business, almost by default. I thought of monetizing my blog and even took a course. But I recognized that most people don’t make money blogging. My blog has become my writing portfolio and evidence that I am adept at social media. So I write blogs and work on social media projects for money. I think many bloggers are going to be disappointed if they think they are going to start making a lot of money quickly and actually support themselves solely by blogging. To them I say Good Luck!
Spot on Jeannette. I’d bet the community is enjoying that tidbit. The indirect earning opportunities blogging generates are often the best.
This is exactly the question I have been trying to answer for myself! I was so happy to see you tackling it with such confidence. And I loved the part about being a hermit. 🙂 I think for me, it’s a combination of most of the answers you gave, but it really comes down to I JUST CAN”T STOP, even though some days it would be much easier to go get a regular job. Glad to find that I’m not alone…
Not alone? Pft. Welcome to the blogging promise land! I think I put that hermit part in there for both of us 🙂
I blog because of so many reasons, probably all that you’ve listed in varying degrees. I was lucky enough to be able to devote myself full-time to writing and editing, and blogging was an inevitable part of the mix in the dubious game of branding myself 😉
Jeri! How wild is this discussion here? The simplest topics, the best answers, I tell ya.
Go you, full-timing it.
Bet you’re good at branding. I love the self discoveries we make in our feeble attempts at it 🙂 What I don’t love at “branding experts.” Jokers, right? All they are doing is branding themselves and bragging!
Thanks for taking the time to visit the site Greg, I really appreciate that. A bit more about by blog (Life Through The Storm – Daily Insights & Inspirations). While I remain consistent in daily posting, speaking engagements, workshops & comments are solid – but, far & few. I do remind readers at the end of each post that they are “free to leave thoughts & wisdom). Stats are up & down, growth is slow and steady. I try not to depend on numbers too much, yet – it’s good to know what keeps activity going.Tags are in place, SEO as much as I am aware of…lots more to learn, I am sure.
The rewards from writing/blogging are wonderful spiritually & personally. Financial rewards are not yet in place. I am working on creating/completing product (ebooks). Currently, I am, researching which direction to take. What you are in blogging expertise – Mark Coker comes across as in the ebook publishing arena.
Any thoughts~
Storm
Mark Coker? Great guy. Wait what?
I’d definitely launch that eBook because for me, that was a top moment. Lots more subscribers, who I could talk to, learn from, exchange comments with, fly on private jets with (jk) but made lots of friends.
Think 80/20!
20 – writing, design, being into your own blog
80 – promotion, networking, being into other blogs
Thanks Greg!! You are amazing gift! Exploring your site/links & taking your advice step by step!
Hi Greg, Thanks for the twitter follow, and the invite to this community! Wow! I’ve been writing for 5 years now – I enjoy writing, sharing insights & encouraging empowerment on personal & spiritual development, inner-healing forgiveness and relational health – issues close to my heart. I initially started posting articles on my main site 2009 (stormdanceempowerment.org). This worked for nearly 2 years – then, I created a blogspot with Google. A year of much learning, patience, trial, error & frustration eventually led me to weebly (stormiesteele.weebly.com). I’ve been with them for nearly a year, it’s fun, exciting & I post daily – tweet blurbs from my daily post. Just started using instagram (lots of fun too!) – and recently connected with goodsreads. I am still learning – open and available to continue learning. I really appreciate your energy, insight, passion, charisma & knowledge! ~Storm
Hi Storm,
No prob, doin’ my thing.
That’s a cool journey I think everyone should read.
Hope you find a lot of support around here, and maybe even try WordPress 😉
I too believe life’s greatest treasures are hidden within!
Let me know any questions you have on blogging…feel like we can learn a lot from eachother!
Cheers,
G
I started blogging because I love writing and it was fun to create something new. I kept blogging because it’s an incredible way to connect with like minded people, I didn’t anticipate meeting so many people online!
Ditto Lisa. I remember the thrill of uploading a photo and getting 100 visits.
What’s the first thing new thing you created way back?
I blog for many reasons. the primary one was to build my “author’s platform.” the rationale is that more people will buy your books if they’ve heard of you and have connected with you via your blog or social media. I started blogging nearly 5 years ago (Feb/09). It’s hard to believe! But I now run 3 blogs and really enjoy it as it gives me a chance to have some great discussions with like-minded people (particularly on my writer’s blog.)
Hey Doreen,
Your comments always make me smile. 5 years, you’re a pro! What moment do you think made you say “I’m sticking with this blogging thing?”
— G
Originally, I started blogging to learn WordPress. That worked well – now I build websites for clients in WordPress.
Now I use it as a way to convey what I do, what I’ve learned, what I hope to learn. I enjoy the process of blogging and connecting to others. I’ve even given blogging workshops. I certainly didn’t plan that blogging would be part of my career. Maybe your reason #7 is close.
Me neither but then there blogging was. The connecting power is awesome and I think some bloggers take it for granted.
Question Leora – how did you start up your blogging workshops? One of my goals for 2014 is to get into live blogging demos more so maybe I could even attend one! 🙂
I admit I had to laugh at “English was a breeze”…that’s a pretty funny comeback for an interrogating question. A lot of these would apply to me, but specifically I’d like people to get acquainted with my writing so that they might feel compelled to buy my novels:)
I still remember in 9th grade my teacher destroying all my formerly A quality papers. She actually tore one up in class to embarrass me but now I see it was worth it’s weight in gold.
Have been a journalist on and off throughout my life. So when writing started moving online it was natural for me to start blogging. Hence started an international blog focusing on issues of interest to people all over the world, no matter where they live. It’s read in 99 countries and I get a lot of positive feedback. It’s about 130,000 on Alexa because I focus on issues such as international relations, business, politics and leadership. If I had written about clothes, health, celebreties or any other light subjects it would have had much more readers.
Always a pleasure to have you visit and share Cat. But to me it sounds like you kinda want that lighter niche blog…run any others? What would it be?
Most of these reasons fit me, in particular #6 – after all, it is the introvert who I blog for primarily. But I am also a baby boomer and love blending that in.
But my main reason for blogging is to let my 7th grade English teacher know that her discouragement of my writing only has begun to blossom! LOL
Over from LInkedIn BHB
What years are baby boomers again? Is it weird for them to blog? Hope your 7th grade teacher has had the privilege of reading!
I was never driven to write. I have always been a teacher at heart so I rarely include that. When I really think about it.I would say it’s #7. Blogging has brought me full circle to what I loved to in the past and am now doing again and that is to create: to draw again, to do my photography and tell my stories. So if nothing ever comes of my efforts but that I have won hugely. 🙂
Hey Susan — Yeah #7 seems to be the champion. I love the creating and constant problem solved in blogging and on WP especially. You’ve clearly had a fulfilling journey, what’d you start out doing in your career? I read your bio twice 🙂 but what moment told “Darnit, I’m going to keep blogging?”
— G
To answer your questions; I was an executive in marketing and advertising for over 20 years. As far far as blogging/writing, I think it wasn’t an aha moment. It was simply because I’m dyslexic, and that was big enough driver all by itself. 🙂
Impressive and intriguing all in one. The places I work could use more executives like you 🙂
Great post. I blog because a number of the reasons that you listed. “The corporate world isn’t for me” I don’t want to have to work for someone else. I am also an introvert and blogging gives me a way to communicate ideas, in a way that I am comfortable. I am a creator. I love creating (especially musically even though it has nothing to do with my blog) Also I am a traveler at heart and blogging has the potential to one day make my life location free.
Thanks Ryley! Ditto 🙂 Where would you travel if you were to “live from your laptop?”
I’ve always been quite interested in Asian cultures. I have already been to China before. I really want to go to Japan though. I’m also interested in Holland and Germany.
As a writer my blog contains information about my books and writing. I like to think it entertains the odd person and might even convince them to check my books out!
I think so too Pat. Which book would you like us to focus on right now though?
I blog to log my thoughts, share ideas and build my personal brand. As a young person, I am trying to build a reputation. A blog is a small, but important part of building that brand.
Great post!
Small??? Grr. What’s your personal brand Gabbi? Bet some folks here could be in need of your business.