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Blogging is just one form of content creation and creative expression available to us all on the Web. The term blog, or weblog, has been around for twelve years. People were journaling and posting articles and other content on the Web long before that. People have been self-publishing in other media for hundreds of years.
Plenty of people have advice on the best ways to write a post, getting traffic to your blog, making money from your blog, and so on.
Some people will give you lots of advice on the topic(s) that you should focus your blog on.
It seems like we’ve got this whole blogging thing covered.
But then there’s one other little question that’s the most interesting of all…
WHY?
Why do we blog? Why do we write? Why do we spend hours upon hours slaving in front of computers? Why do we wring our brains madly on a regular basis trying to think of new and interesting things to say? Why do we get frustrated when the words won’t come?
Some people create content in order to make money directly off their blogs by selling advertising, using affiliate links to sell stuff (I do this through my book reviews but I try not to be a PITA about it), selling their own products, etc. That’s fine. It’s pretty obvious that some people are trying to make their living directly through selling stuff on their blog and that’s cool.
Then there are tons of us who aren’t focusing on direct monetization, including a huge group of people who aren’t in it for the money at all.
That is what I’m interested in learning about.
Why do we blog? More specifically, why do YOU blog?
Yes, it’s reader participation time and I’m writing this specifically for YOU. I’m being nosy today and I want to know why you do it. What are your goals, dreams, aspirations, hopes, and wishes from this powerful medium:
- Are you burning with the desire to get things off your chest?
- Are you trying to change the world?
- Are you bored and in need of something to occupy your mind?
- Are you communicating for someone who can’t speak for themselves?
- Are you using your blog as a platform or stepping stone for bigger and better things?
- Are you using the blog as a way to connect with like-minded people?
- Are you channeling an alien intelligence?
- Etc.
Many of the items in this list apply to me (although I can’t prove that I’m channeling an alien intelligence… yet…)
I’m really curious about this. I think introspection is a powerful tool and we can learn a lot by examining why we want to do things. I think we all learn from seeing these ideas in print.
Please share your thoughts in the comment section so we can all learn from this. If you write your own post about this, link back to this post and I’ll create a link back to you in this post.
Note: I guess Ian M Rountree and I are tapped into the same hive mind because he’s written a post about blogging as well.
Bill Wren wrote on this topic some time ago in a post called Does blogging need a reason?
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I get asked this one all the time! I think part of me is still figuring it out.
I started blogging in 2006 because I was interested in improving my writing. I thought that putting my thoughts online would be a good way to do this. I had a few false starts (I posted a few times then lost confidence for a while) but in 2007 started up again after being inspired by some amazing bloggers at a conference.
I blog mostly because I love to write. I am the type of person that will wake up in the morning with an idea in my head, sit down at the computer and crank out 1000 barely-edited words in 20 minutes, and hit Publish before I have a chance to think about it too much.
Blogging helps me sort things out in my head. The comments I get help me to see other perspectives. I absolutely love the interaction between blogger and commentor – it’s exciting and totally enriches my online experience.
Making money from my blog/online presence has been a pleasant side-effect for me. I didn’t start doing this to make money (and I think that people who go into this just to make money are barking up the wrong tree). As a result of my blogging, twittering, and other online interactions, I have been able to bring on new clients for my business, do consulting work, speak at events, and teach workshops. So do I make money from blogging? Indirectly, yes. But whether I was bringing in money or not, I’d still be doing it, for the pure enjoyment.
Susan Murphy´s last blog ..Is the Social Web Making Us Too Dependant?
For some people I think the answer to “Why” may change over time. I started blogging as a way to get things off my chest and to get some thoughts on “paper”. With the added benefit of social media, I saw that blogging could take me down a different road, where it is really just a stepping stone to new business. I have never blogged with the idea of direct revenue in mind, except for paying my hosting costs.
Another side of this is that I have found the blog being a way for me to explore ideas. I always thought I would give opinions on tech news, but that quickly gets boring. For example, when everyone was writing about the buzz launch I waited until I had a good feel for what it was. I realized that it felt incomplete, like it was meant for something bigger. So, almost two weeks after the launch I finally wrote something that was not a review or comparison to Twitter and Friendfeed, but more of a “why did Google release this” and “where is Buzz really going”.
Rob Diana´s last blog ..Web 2.0 Programming Language Job Trends – February 2010
I started blogging (officially) in 2008. I have a business that connects customers with a great green company. I wanted to write about being green, how to use the internet to build your business and random posts about what I was thinking.
I’m also a local journalist with my own paper – and wanted to create more readership and share some of the interviews I’ve done.
I was not in it for the direct money. Have I made money? Yes – but its an ontological processs – I tweet, facebook, blog — and somehow, have become a bit of an expert in it. Notice I said bit — because really, there are no experts. Things are growing to quick to be an expert in this web world. I have, since I started blogging, begun teaching classes at the local college on using social media tools, expanded my home business to include teaching small businesses how to use social media tools, speak at conferences – and now, have my own conference (www.smallbizsocialmediasummit.com).
All of that – because I wanted to write a few blog posts.
@debworks
[...] case of blog-meets-blog, Mark Dykeman at Broadcasting Brain just dropped a post asking “Why do you blog if not for money?” as this was being published. It’s a good question to ask, if you’re considering [...]
I blog because I think best aloud. It is a way of working out ideas – like an artist’s sketch book.
I blog because I have to write – again a painter has to draw.
I blog because it has given me a voice – I used to write memos or “papers” – but I have learned to be me – in fact nothing has done more to bring out “Rob” than this – so it has been a transformational process that has enabled me to kill off corporate Robert
I blog because it is more fun to have people interact – like sex – you can have fun with your self but much more with someone else – more good things happen especially with some of my more critical commentators
I blog because it also gets me money. Not directly – I will never have ads etc not will I promote stuff – but some people who like what they read, hire me.
I blog because I want to have a record of my life when I am gone
I blog – therefore I am? – Didn’t someone say something like this:)
There are of course the natural “improve my writing, improve my game” sorts of reasons, and those count.
But part of why I blog is to leave a permanent record. I have a terrible memory – at least, I perceive that I do – so having a record of how my thoughts progress from one month to the next really helps me make sure I’m going the direction I want to be going. In the post I just dropped this morning (below) I mentioned that looking over older posts can be beneficial to deciding future courses of content; that’s something I do almost monthly. I’ll pick a month I recall an event in my life, and judge my memory of that period by what I was writing then.
This doesn’t require me to write daily. In fact, gaps have meaning as well – at least on personal blogs like mine. I’m in the process of creating a professional blog as well (so many hats) which will have different reasons behind it. And you can bet I’ll be writing out the reasons for that!
Ian M Rountree´s last blog ..Why I’ve been blogging less lately (and why you need a break too!)
I took a look at my archives because I knew I had written about this. It appears I have a few times. In one of them I said (and still say), I don’t write because I blog. It’s the other way around. If blogs were gone tomorrow, I would still be writing. I had this post, “Does blogging need a reason?”:
http://writelife.net/2009/04/04/does-blogging-need-a-reason/
I think it’s my most complete answer. I’m definitely not a blogger who started with the idea of making money or even leveraging the Internet for business or career. However, it has done that to a degree and has created income in a very indirect way. I’ve said many times, I think out loud online. That is what the majority of my posts are. I’m trying to figure out what I actually think. I suppose one reason I blog is because I’m a writer, not a tech person, but I have a great deal of interest in technology. My biggest interest, however, is in how people USE technology. It’s behaviour I’m interested in and I think this follows from being a writer. Most writers are fascinated by people.
I think my post today is a good example of how I’m not really thinking in terms of monetization and so on. Given what my blog generally is, it’s from left field. But those are often the most interesting posts.
Bill´s last blog ..Things seldom mentioned about hockey
(I’ll respond with regards to my funny blog YourDoseofLunacy.com ) I write it because I like making people laugh – and for a quite selfish reason: Because I like people to consider me funny. Sure, it’d be nice to get performance work, or other that relates to my wackiness, but that’s not really why I write it. It’s wonderful to feel that I have people who respond to my sense of humor. What I write is somewhat “inappropriate” and often “odd” and it’s tremendously comforting and exciting to know that there are other creatures like me.
Monica Hamburg´s last blog ..Madam, I am a Dunce
I use my blog as a journal of sorts. I put it all out there in hopes that someone else is in the same boat. i try to talk about things that other people aren’t. I am not the best writer but I have met some great friends and learned a lot about people and myself.
I also do reviews-books and products-but I don’t make any money off anything other than the products I receive.
Jenera´s last blog ..When They Come Running
Good question. And I am asking myself that too. My first answer would be, because I love to do that. I really love blogging.
But if you would ask why I love to do that, then I could not answer that so easy. The closest I could say, is that it is a way to get my thoughts in some form that is understandable.
Going straight to words is not possible for me, so writing is not an option. But with blogging I can easy use graphics that I can adjust all the time to make myself clear.
And it makes my own thoughts less static because of the interaction with others. I would like that even more, to have critical but respectful discussions, and I think that certainly will be something for the future.
I see blogging as the middle between discussion forums and books. Less static than books, and more authentic, centred around individuals, than discussion forums.
Really difficult to describe, but that is what I more or less see as the reason why I blog.
Annemieke´s last blog ..The Meaning of Values
I started out thinking I was going to make money and it was more business related but then I realized I wanted to write about life, about things that were good and things that were bad. I think we all in life seek to find others who will say “hey I know how you feel” I changed my blog to be more about me, things that strike me as funny or wrong, pretty sure no one reads it but I still like doing it. I’m not a writer bit I like to write, so it’s for me only now, don’t really care about the money I have a business that takes of that.
Erin OBryan´s last blog ..I Think I’m a Vegetarian
I wrote a post about that a while ago. Here’s a link: http://www.dirtandnoise.com/2009/02/birth-of-writer-on-why-i-blog.html
And here’s the whole thing so you don’t have to click around:
I’ve been blogging at Dirt & Noise a little over a year now. I started just to have an outlet to write and get thoughts out of my head and onto paper. Well, proverbial paper. I missed my gig at the local newspaper and figured a blog was the next best thing. Soon I learned that blogging was even better. My readers are my editors. And my fans, my cheerleaders, my challengers.
Then blogging became a part of me. An addiction if you will. It also transformed me.
I think it’s safe to say that all the crazies having a dance party in my head were causing a fair bit of anxiety in my overall being. I often felt overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time; a strange paradox of an existence. I was full of energy and ideas. And admittedly full of piss and vinegar. I was a veritable rolodex of zany ideas and blasphemous thoughts. I was all dressed up for the dance, but there was no high school gym decorated for the big event. And so there I sat alone with my thoughts, billowing tulle falling at my ankles, patent leather slingbacks slung through my manicured fingers.
And so I created my own dance party.
I blog for the obvious reasons. It’s fun. It’s an exercise in writing. It’s a storytelling wonderland. It’s a walk down Memory Lane. It’s a way to share out of the ordinary anecdotes with friends and family. But it’s so much more.
Blogging is therapy, but a whole lot cheaper. And thankfully for Mac Daddy, it’s also way cheaper than retail therapy. Blogging forces me to dig deeper than I would otherwise let myself go. I come face to face with some buried emotions and experiences. I reflect on my own brand DNA, my shortcomings of motherhood, my worries, my celebrations, my fears. Some things I’ve seen crop up in my head are still too painful or controversial to manifest into words. But thanks to blogging, they’re there, off the so called back burner and poised for capture and introspection.
Blogging also makes me think. I see life’s events great and small through a different lens now. Rather I see them through various lenses. I can leverage my words to share ideas, heartaches, causes, or simply reflections. I can even use my words for good. Through my writing I vent, rant, judge, wail, and whine. I also use my cyberspace real estate to inspire, promote, tease, and tickle.
I have always aspired to be a writer. When my hopes were dashed to get into medical school, I turned my dreams to writing. Then the real world whacked me upside the head and forced me to get a job. A paying job. After years of building a retirement nest egg from the tender age of 22, funding an obscenely expensive graduate school run, and starting a family, I have decided that now is the time. The time is now to put my writing goals in overdrive. So my blog provides me with fodder for that book deal I covet. I won’t see my name embroidered on a lab coat but I just might see my name on a book jacket. A girl can dream, right?
And so, my blog gives me a voice.
ilinap´s last blog ..Project Enlightenment Saved My Family
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Why do you blog if not for money? | Broadcasting Brain – different …: Blogging is just one form of content cr.. [link to post]
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@Everyone – I am amazed by the responses! Great stuff! I’ll read through in more detail and comment.
I blog to become the famous.
Actually, I was literally just discussing this with a friend in Gchat, wherein I said:
‘I blog for work because A) I get paid, B) I hope to improve the social media workspace, and C) by writing about these topics, I understand them (and myself) better. Ditto my personal blog, but trade “get paid” for “use it to network” and “expand my awareness and reputation.” Whatever that’s worth.’
Bottom line: I enjoy writing. If I stop enjoying the act of being read, I’ll still probably write for myself.
Justin Kownacki´s last blog ..Do You Have a System for Social Media Success?
I started to blog when a couple of my revenue streams dried up and I wanted to carry on writing and being creative. I hoped it would be a journey that would take me to interesting places. So far I have learned a tremendous ammount and have published a lot of material on my own and other peoples’ blogs. It has given me an archive that I can use for potential clients and employers which is great.
As the journey went on I realised that I did need to make some money out of this in order to be able to afford to carry on, which has been the hardest part.
To hear some people’s stories you would think it was like opening a tap while you fill your bucket. Either they are not being honest or there is a trick I am missing somewhere !
Lucy Thorpe´s last blog ..Lady Gaga London 02 Find your tribe.
I’m gathering materials for lectures and a class I’m planning to teach on life’s best practices. Blogging provides me with a forum for explaining some of my theories and findings and receiving feedback.
Ted´s last blog ..Blogs Addressing Creativity
Writers write because they go insane if they don’t. They have to. They don’t have a choice. That’s what makes them writers. If they want to make money doing it, there are new skills and information to learn which are separate from the art and act of writing, and these are what many writers struggle with.
Michael Martine´s last blog ..Never Face Writers Block Again (and have Fresh Ideas Every Day)
Mark, as you may recall, I started blogging many years ago as a way of replacing the “morning pages” exercise that I used to do after reading Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. I have tried (and generally failed) to blog on a regular basis, according to a given theme, etc. I think I am basically just a writer of short pieces, I have always written short stories and one act plays and so on, so when I have an opinion piece or whatever that I feel like sharing, it winds up on a blog.
As for blogging for money, as someone who writes for a living (more or less), I think blogging is just like any other writing in the sense that you would have to be insane to go into writing for the money.
@everyone – your comments have made this blog post a damned interesting and insightful look at the psyche of the blogger (or the writer or the online content creators or…) I am very pleased that so many people took the time to respond. Everyone brought a valuable insight to the post.
I do see some common themes here that I want to explore in my next post.
Thank you, everyone!
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I blog for various reasons (which I explain in my blog post today at http://johnmclachlan.ca/2010/03/03/why-i-blog/ ) but the most important one for me is that it helps me focus on what I think about regarding my work and that makes my work better.
John McLachlan´s last blog ..Why I Blog
Here’s another variation on the theme for you, Mark: blogging and journalling have a great deal in common. As someone – E.M. Forster, perhaps? – once said, “How do I know what I think until I see what I say?”
Rebecca Leaman´s last blog ..28+ Free Webinars for Nonprofits – March 2010
@Rebecca – you are right on that… the journaling connection…