BloggersWalk

Blogging is definitely a growing hobby these days. However, some people might wonder what the point of blogging is. After all, it is quite time consuming to be an active blogger, as it blogging is not all about publishing new posts on your blog. As (already) the first half of my summer vacation is over, I’m starting to worry about the amount of time I will be able to invest in my other blogs, as I’m sure that most of my time will be spent for BloggersWalk.

I am really beginning to think about whether keeping my other blogs alive will be worthwhile (again, don’t worry, BloggersWalk will be constantly updated no matter what), which led me to writing this post… I figured that some of you may be wondering the same thing, as many people these days live very busy lives. So, what do you get out of blogging? In no particular order…

Voicing Your Thoughts
Isn’t this one of the more popular reasons behind blogging? Blogging gives your an opportunity to say what you wish. Now, the size of your audience may be unknown, but at least it is a place where you can deliver your voice. Had a fight with someone? Don’t like a certain political move? Did you get a 4.0 GPA in the hardest class but don’t want to brag about it in front of others? Well, a blog is your space!

Metacognition: Thinking About Thinking
One of the most important things about blogging is proofreading. This is to avoid flaws such as spelling mistakes, punctuations errors, and of course, illogical thinking. By looking over your work once more, you are thinking about what you wrote. This helps in increasing your level of thinking. Note that this also happens when you are commenting, as you want to look over what your wrote in the comment box.

Your Writing Gets Better
I’ve said this so many times, but I’ll say it again. The core of blogging is writing. I mean, that’s what blogging is! You can’t blog without writing. So, the more your blog, the more you are writing. Consequently, your writing can only get better. Practice makes perfect. Personally, I believe that such things like writing can’t be perfected. However, constant blogging (writing) can help you reach perfection.

A Window to Knowledge
Unless you’re a splogger (SPAM blogger), you’re learning something while you blog. Wait… Maybe you can learn to SPAM… Anyways, whether it is a niche specific blog or a general blog, you are bound to learn something while you blog. With BloggersWalk I’m learning about the blogosphere and making money blogging. With my other niche blogs I am learning new things. You really can’t avoid consuming new knowledge if you are a blogger.

You Develop an Online Identity
The Internet is a big part of our world today and having a presence on it is a fantastic thing. It is different from those Facebook profiles and an MSN/AIM/YIM account. As a blogger, you are establishing yourself as a potential Internet celebrity. Your thoughts and ideas are widely accessible around the globe. You are not only known in your local community, but you may also be known by someone on the other side of the world.

Your Network Grows
An integral part of blogging is commenting on others’ blogs. What is interesting about blogs is that more blogs are run by one person rather than a group (although group blogs are popular). However, the success of a blog is not dependent on the author, but dependent on other bloggers. It’s like social networking while working by yourself. Through commenting on others’ blogs, you meet new people and expand your network. Man is considered a social animal by nature for a reason!

You COULD Make Money
A blog has the potential to earn quite a bit of money. Search engines like blogs because of the new and unique content. With a good ranking for even a decent keyword, there is a potential for some massive search engine traffic. Not to forget, a blog can also receive traffic through link exchanges and various advertisements. This traffic can then be monetized to earn quite a bit of money. Some people even make a living through blogs. Note that nearly everyone, with some effort, can get some extra pocket money through their blogs too.

You Learn to Look Back
A “web log” (the extended term of “blog”) is a log. Weeks later, months later, and even years later the content you wrote will still be there assuming that your data is not deleted. If you currently run a blog, see the very first post you made ever or the very first post you made for your blog. After you’ve done that check out your current posts. See a slight change? As time goes on, everyone grows in their own ways. A blog grows with the author(s). You can reflect on the mistakes you made or relive the moments that were wonderful. A blog post is like taking a snapshot without any expensive equipments!

These are eight benefits to blogging. There are more and the list can go on and on. I only took a few from quite a long list that I made while on a bus ride. The benefits are really huge if you think about it! Anyways, I don’t want the spotlight to only be one me!

What benefits do you see in blogging?