Blogging can Offer New Opportunities.
Blogging opens up new opportunities mainly because a blog can be read by anyone in the world. Who knows who discovers your blog? If you have concrete goals from the beginning (e.g. to use your blog as a resume or establish yourself as a credible expert in an industry), then you will naturally take steps to reach those goals.
In some cases, you may be invited to speak at conferences, write a column for a large publication such as Forbes or US News, or establish yourself as a community leader. You may even find a career that you are passionate about and is better suited to your skills and talents.
Lastly, a new job may not be directly correlated to your blog but, as we’ve discussed above, blogging can help you develop a number of transferable skills needed to succeed in a professional setting. For instance, almost all employers look for writing, communication, presentation, critical thinking and leadership skills – all side effects of writing a blog.
You Can Make a Difference in Other People’s Lives.
Yes, you starting a blog can certainly make a difference in other people’s lives. No matter what you discuss or how unique your situation, there is always the chance that someone else is experiencing a similar challenge, dilemma, or situation. Your blog posts may connect with readers on an intellectual or emotional level, help them cope with a traumatic event, inspire them to try something new, and/or make a decision to improve their life.
For example, one of the blogs I built is geared towards helping people make better financial decisions. I started it to provide money, career and education advice, and it always makes me smile when I get emails from readers who have used my blog to improve their lives.
Although you might think that your blog’s potential won’t live up to “changing the world”, to that one person you may have been the catalyst for a life-changing event, making all the difference in his or her world!
You Will Develop Healthier Habits.
Blogging is an activity that requires a certain level of discipline, commitment and time. Sure, you can ignore your blog when you feel like it but, if you do have goals and want people to actually visit your blog, you will need some degree of organization and time management.
The best part is the positive reinforcement. As more people begin to read, comment and share your blog, the more motivated you’ll become. That’s how most amateur bloggers transition into full-time, professional bloggers.
You Will Become a More Organized Thinker.
Writing gives you time to organize your thoughts as well as re-think, re-phrase, delete, edit, and change your beliefs. That’s the beautiful thing about writing – it allows you time to analyze the coherence and logic behind your thinking.
This exercise can eventually become a part of your mental thought process in everyday life, leading you to become a better thinker.
You Will Have a Healthy Emotional Outlet.
This is especially true if you are looking to blog for personal purposes. While your blog may not be meant as a “secret diary”, it can still serve as an emotional outlet.
Studies have shown that writing helps people heal emotionally after a traumatic experience. Even if your experiences may not be considered especially traumatic, writing can serve as a way to overcome mental and physical hardships in life.
You Will Hone Your Writing Skills.
Writing is a very valuable skill. Although there are some who think writers are born with such talents, most bloggers will confirm that the art of communication is learned through consistent practice. And contrary to popular belief, some of the most high-traffic blogs are written in a conversational tone.
As you consistently blog, you will begin to pay more attention to word-choice, sentence structure, tone, and writing copy. Learning how to write good blog posts will certainly refine your writing skills in the process.