Write what you know.
Write what you love.
Well, I love blogging, and as it’s what I do for a living, I conveniently know a bit about it.
And while writing a blog about writing a blog may seem a little meta, I’m going to go for it anyway on the basis of: I care.
As in: I really care about writing blogs, because I find them to be a wonderful source of information for the audience, and empowering and fulfilling for the author.
So, why write a blog?
1. It shows you know what you’re talking about.
You have a product, a skill, a knowledge set, some really great advice, and you want to share it with others. Good on you—a blog is a great place to do it. It doesn’t matter how many other bloggers are out there writing on the same topic, this is a demonstration of your expertise.
This is especially true if you are in the world of small business, where a lot more hangs on your personal credibility. Show your clients and customers that you are keeping up with the topics relevant to your industry, and that you have something intelligent to say about them.
2. You become better at your profession.
When you get in the habit of thinking ahead about blog topics, you become more observant of your work and your industry. It trains you to keep a sharp and critical eye open for possible blog topics—something you constantly find yourself on the hunt for once you establish a routine.
3. Validation.
It feels good to have something to show at the end of the day, and if you’ve written something good, that can be a confidence boost that lasts a while. What’s more, validation is cumulative: each post builds a sense of achievement, and once you get a few months in, your backlog will be something to be proud of.
4. It helps you organize your thoughts.
You’ve had an idea bouncing around the back of your head for years. It’s small, but you like it, only you’ve never thought it through. Writing a blog post on that topic will either free up some mind space to think about other things, or advance your thinking on a subject to allow you to forge into deeper mental territory. It can also motivate you to research your topic so that you can make more decisive, better-informed decisions.
…which will, again, make you more knowledgeable and relevant in your field, increase your competence, and boost your confidence.
5. It boosts your SEO and social media channels.
Yes, there are a lot of great intangible reasons for writing a blog, but there’s also a readily-quantifiable one: SEO. Search engines pay more attention to websites that update regularly and that have active social media channels. But social media channels are hard to keep engaging if you don’t have good content to share, and most sites aren’t in need of weekly updates. However, a blog not only gives your social media channels something to share around, but it’s also a clear sign to search engines that your site isn’t vacant: the lights are on.
6. It’s fun.
Yes, it can also be a chore, but if you don’t enjoy at least part of the process, you shouldn’t be doing it. Your audience will know you’re writing from some deep-down, grudging, reluctant part of your soul, and they won’t enjoy what you give them. So while having a blog is a great thing for practical reasons, if in the end you find yourself avoiding it, find someone who will enjoy the process, and have them do it for you.
Convinced? Get out there and write a post.