I am questioned from time to time, mostly by my non-bloggy friends “Kristin, why do you do that blogging thing? Don’t you already have enough to do?”
First off, yes, I already have plenty to do. Between my full time job, being a wife and mom (to two active teen boys and two precocious cats!), and running the household, I am pretty much at capacity. So, trust me, I am not blogging because I have time to kill!
The second question I usually get is “Do you make any money from blogging?”
Well, I am not in it for the money, which is a good thing, because at the moment I am not really making any money over and above my expenses. But, I am able to cover my expenses for the most part by running ads on the site and by doing sponsored posts from time to time. And, you never know what might happen down the road. If I start making some real money at some point, great, but if not, I will still be blogging, because there are lots of other reasons that I do this!
Reasons for blogging can vary widely from blogger to blogger, but here are some of the main reasons I love to blog:
1. Blogging = constantly learning
O-MY-GOSH, I had no idea I would learn so much! And I am still learning all the time. The blogosphere is constantly evolving and changing, so there will always be more to learn. I love the challenge of learning new things and I love being able to share what I learned with other bloggers. And you never know when some of these skills will come in handy! For example, I now know more about social media than I ever thought possible, and I haven’t even scratched the surface.
2. Blogging provides a creative outlet
Blogging has really sparked my creative side! Whether I am thinking about blog design and color schemes and buttons, or the next recipe I want to develop, or how to style and photograph a dish I just made, I am exercising the creative part of my brain. During my down time, it is the perfect way to unwind and forget about all the corporate frustrations I encounter every day at work.
3. Blogging is a great way to meet new friends
I admit that, when I first started blogging, it was a little bit of a lonely endeavor. I sat at my computer, published my blog posts, and watched my stats to see how many views I would get. Back then, getting 10 or 15 a day was pretty good (and they were probably mostly from my mom! Hi Mom! *waving*). But as time went on, I started meeting other bloggers and networking and now I consider many of them friends. It is so much fun to connect with people that have the same interests but different perspectives. They have helped me immensely and I hope I have helped some of them too!
4. Blogging is extremely satisfying
I am the boss of my blog. I own it and I control it. I make all the decisions. If I need to slow down a little because life is getting crazy, I can do that. If I am inspired and have some extra energy, I can start a new initiative. It is all up to me and I can tailor it to my life and how I am feeling at the moment. I am the CEO, CFO, and CIO, and I love it.
5. Blogging is a great conversation topic
Talking about blogging is a heck of a lot more fun than talking about the latest political scandal or some of the other topics in the news, that’s for sure! When among bloggy friends, we chat about tips and tricks and strategies and share successes and frustrations. When among non-bloggy friends, they are generally curious about how certain things work, such as how those ads get on my page and things like that. While I try to be careful to not appear self-absorbed by over-focusing on myself and my blog, it is definitely a point of curiosity for a lot of people and in moderation can be a fun conversation topic!
6. FREE STUFF!
It took a while before this little perk kicked in, but now that I have been blogging for over a year, I have had the opportunity to get some free food samples, free cookbooks to review, and free cookware. Most of the free items have not been worth huge amounts of money, but it is so fun to come home and have a package to open! It is like a mini-birthday! I don’t get things every week, or even every month, but from time to time opportunities arise and I try to take advantage of as many of them as I can.
So, after reading all those reasons that I love to blog, are you thinking you may want to start your own blog? I hope so! It really is rewarding and enjoyable.
There are many aspects to blogging that are actually a lot easier than I thought they would be. And a few that are harder (like food photography! Still working on that one!). But overall, if you are thinking you want to start a blog, it is not too difficult to get up and running.
What if you have no idea how to go about getting a blog set up? Don’t fret, I had no idea how to do it either when I started! But I found out that it does not require all that much technical knowledge. Plus, there are tons of articles and tutorials online that have great step-by-step directions to get you going quickly and easily. Just search on ‘how to start a blog’ and you will have no shortage of results to explore.
To narrow it down a little, you might want to decide first off what platform to use. I started with Blogger, which is free, but quickly realized that I wanted to have my own domain name. I recommend that route, even though it costs a little bit of money. You will need to purchase a domain name (about $10/year) and pay to be hosted (prices vary, but are generally less than $10/month). There are lots of companies out there that you can use for hosting, one of them being Web Hosting Hub. They offer great service at a low price and their customer support will help you get all set up!
If you do decide to get started with a blog, you are in for a fun ride! Good luck and feel free to contact me for any suggestions or advice and I will be happy to help based on what I have learned so far!
Subscribe today and never miss a new
Dizzy Busy and Hungry recipe!
Email*
Emails by Mad Mimi
FTC Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
You might also enjoy...
Easiest Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice
Seashore Mac and Cheese
Turkey Rotini Bake
Cashew Sausage Basil Pizza
Banana Oatnut French Toast
Zemanta
The full post for 6 Reasons to Love Blogging can be found on Dizzy Busy and Hungry!.