Why blog or Y Blog
Having looked into the origins of blogging, the Fingertips team starting wondering just why it’s become such a universally popular phenomenon. People from all walks of life enjoy participating and the subjects which can be covered seem limitless – how could anything be un-bloggable? But what are the benefits of blogging?
Share and increase knowledge
Many blogs have been started for the pure fun of writing about something the blogger feels passionate about. Whether you’re an avid phillumenist (matchbox collector!) or an experienced skydiver, if you have a hobby you love, you are sure to have the makings of a blog! Someone’s bound to be interested in what you have to say and you might well be able to help others who share your hobby. Not only that, but you might well find there are people who can help you so there’s also the potential to expand your knowledge.
Creativity
In addition to the pleasure of sharing your knowledge with others, you’ll also be able to enjoy the creative process of writing. And it’s true what they say: the more you write, the better you will become!
Clarify your thoughts
So often we have ideas which seem quite clear and straightforward (as well as brilliant!) until we try actually transcribing them into writing. Blogging – whether for business or pleasure – means your thoughts and ideas need to be clear enough to explain to others.
Networking
Writing a blog is a great way of meeting like-minded people online, and whatever your blog’s subject, it’s always good to be able to discuss your interests with people who share them – and you are not limited by any geographical boundaries, you can connect to anyone, anywhere; the online world is your oyster!
Stay in touch with friends and family
As well as giving the opportunity to make new contacts, a blog also helps you keep in touch with existing ones.
All of us have at some point spent time apart from friends and family – a best friend from primary school might have upped and moved to America, or you might decide to travel the world, or your work might mean a move to a different part of the country. Whatever the reason you’re apart and however good the intentions, it can be very hard to stay in touch. But by starting a blog, you can share your experiences, pictures, videos – all your news – with your loved ones, however many miles might separate you.
Marketing
In business, blogging can be an excellent marketing opportunity – you can make your company name more widely known, and you can also advertise your new products. More than that, you can share information about new products, explain their features … and also get reviews and feedback from your customers, and that has to be good for everyone!
Make money
Although most bloggers don’t earn much money directly from blogging, it is possible to make an income from a blog. Advertising is obviously one way of doing this, but merchandising, product reviews, or even simply asking for donations to continue your blog are other ways of using a blog to generate an income.
And, of course, it’s always possible that writing a successful blog will give you the confidence to write that book you’ve always known was within you! And, you could always write an e-book and offer it for sale through your blog!
These are just a few reasons why people enjoy blogging – there are many, many more; there might be almost as many reasons as there are bloggers! If you have a blog, we’d love to know how and why you started.
We at Fingertips blog because we relish the opportunity of sharing what we know, particularly about transcription – so much more can be covered and explained in a blog than would be reasonable on web site.