Blogging has been a part of my life for quite some time now. I first started in 2007 as a way of expressing and sharing my creative endeavours. Throughout the years, I have enjoyed writing about a number of different passions and topics and I really enjoy the freedom that writing a blog gives me as well as having a documentation of my past. It’s like an online diary that’s not too personal and it adds value. There are more reasons why you should be writing a blog though… I’ve listed 5 reasons why you should blog below.
1. Become a better writer
We all know the saying ‘practice makes perfect’. It’s the same for writing. I never considered myself a writer until I started documenting snippets of my life and creative endeavours back in 2007 on my first blog. I’m slightly embarrassed at how terrible my writing was when I first started blogging but as the years passed and my frequency of blogging and expertise grew, I found my voice and learned how to write better and better. Writing is a form of communication and the better we can communicate the better our relationships, life and message to our audience will be.
2. Connect with others
Blogging is a way to be found and a way to connect with others. Everyday someone reads my blog they get to know me a little more. Every once in a while one of those readers will reach out and either comment, email me or book a session with me. Sometimes it’s because they read something that really resonated with them, other times it’s to simply say hello. Blogging allows me to meet new people from all over the world, building relationships and community that gives me purpose and support. My past blog has also brought me awesome friends and business partners, there are so many brilliant peeps out there.
3. Find your voice
The more you write from your heart, from the real you, the more you will find and develop your voice. Finding your voice is finding your take on things, it’s sharing your knowledge on something, it’s using your own words. For a long time I didn’t know how to write or what I wanted to write about. But I made a start and over the years I discovered what topics are meaningful to me. Years of practice have helped me develop and recognise my voice. I try to write the way I speak, for me, that’s the authentic me.
4. Share your work
Not only is a blog a great way to show the real you and your take on things, it’s also the perfect platform to share your work. I especially love seeing the ‘behind the scenes’ of beautiful creations. When we first started Ink & Spindle, we documented everything we did. We invited our audience to share in our story, in the way we built our business. It makes them feel like they’re part of the process, they’re a part of the journey. Think about things you could share that gives your readers a peek into your world.
5. Position yourself as an expert
Consider your blog to be your classroom, it’s where you get to share your expertise and teach your reader something. Share what you know how to do really well and what you love on your blog. Solving your readers’ problems by sharing your take on them will bring in more readers and it will bring them back if you do it well. They will view you as an expert in that particular field and you will build your expertise the more you write about it. Yay!
Bonus point: Attract new customers
Your blog acts like a magnet in the ever-growing community of experts and online resources. If you’re looking to attract your ideal customers, then you should be writing about something they’re interested in or help them solve a problem they’ve faced. With the right content, SEO, social-media shares and blog titles, your posts will come up when your customers are searching for the answer to their problems.
