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31 Unexpected Perks of Blogging You’ll Never Want to Give Up

Posted By Guest Blogger 15th of January 2012 Miscellaneous Blog Tips 0 Comments

This guest post is by Uttoran Sen of traveltamed.com.

You’ve got it! You’re officially a Have in a world of Have-nots!

What do you have? It’s probably not money, fame, or tax-write-offs disguised as corporate jets. It’s something more powerful.

You have a blog. And a darn fine one at that.

If you’ve said before that you’ll never give up blogging—surprise! You’re probably right!

Giving up a good thing is next-to-impossible. So it’s not a surprise to discover that blogging isn’t the sort of thing you just stop doing. In fact, anyone would be hard-pressed to give up blogging once they’ve discovered just how rewarding it can be.

1. You have freedom of expression. We all claim to want to be able to say our piece, but most of the time we’re just lamenting to our journals or blabbering on to a significant other who probably agrees with everything we’re saying. But with blogging, you can say what you want to say as often as you like without censure. You’ll reach an audience, too.

2. People listen to you. Good or bad, once you start blogging, people start tuning in. It’s amazing to feel like people are paying attention to you and that they consider what you have to say valid.

3. Your thoughts are more developed. People who think their thoughts have fuzzy ideas of what they believe in and why. But bloggers have to fully develop a thought and include support if you’re going to put it on a blog. This helps you formulate concrete ideas and opinions. Skip the fuzzy thoughts forever.

4. Your education continues indefinitely. In your cube-based job, you learn how to do your job and you might catch some gossip on the front page of the paper. Bloggers, on the other hand, are surrounded by news and ideas all of the time. They are constantly growing and learning—if not to keep up with the niche they enjoy, then to ensure that their blog continues to grow.

5. You learn to type more quickly. It’s a small thing, really, but the moment you realize that you type faster than all of your friends, you’ll feel that sort of pride that threatens to overwhelm you with a sheer manic force as you yell, “Ha! I am so much better at this than you!”

6. Your ego can take a beating, and keep on ticking. Putting your thoughts and ideas out there for strangers can be daunting. But as others tear your ideas apart, you get to argue back and strengthen your own viewpoint—or you can change your mind as your knowledge grows. Either way, having someone knock your ideas makes you a better, stronger person.

7. You take risks and see rewards. Being online is risky on a good day. Being a blogger and courting public exposure makes you practically a rebel when it comes to risk-taking. You’re not hiding behind an email address and fuzzy cube walls. You’re out there sharing and growing—building a community. Your risks online pay off, and that’s heady business.

8. You meet new (real) people. We’re in a global community here, but how many of our neighbors still just exist in the block where they live and work? Bloggers are out there in the global environment interacting with other real people who enjoy the same thing we do. No fake profiles and pictures—this isn’t a dating website, after all. We’re the ones who are really doing the work of globalization.

9. Creativity regenerates. It’s sad, but true—creativity is beaten out of us as children. As we grow, we lose almost all of our creativity through standardized tests, college courses and work programs. Blogging is an excellent opportunity to take back your creativity once and for all—to get serious about being original. Of course, you probably are already.

10. You think more clearly. Not only do your thoughts become stronger, the more you blog, the more clearly you begin to think the thoughts that appear in your head every day. It’s as if you mind converts itself to WordPress and you’re able to compact thoughts, provide some bullet points and provide a catchy headline for every mundane thought that passes through your head.

11. You can amuse yourself. There’s nothing more powerful than humor, and bloggers are some of the funniest people around. Perhaps it’s the global exposure or maybe it’s just the type of people who enjoy blogging, but you’ll become so good at finding humor in the world around you for others on the blog that you’ll soon realize just how much there is outside of your homepage as well.

12. Your vocabulary will improve. While blogging is really just a form of internet journaling, the amount of reading you do in your favorite areas will provide you with the newest lingo and as you start to revise your blogs, you’ll catch areas where you can improve your word choice. Often, this is just the opportunity your brain is looking for to start sucking in some new words and phrases.

13. Internet shortcuts become your highways. How long does it take you to update your blog? If you were to line up three of your closest friends and all try to find a picture to go along with an article, who would win? You would, of course! You know all the good photo spots, the best places for graphics, for themes and for videos. You’ve got the inside track.

14. You grow cocky. Being online, being read by others, and knowing that we do a good job with words and phrases turns us into the worst kind of internet animal—we’re cocky. We know what we’re doing and we’re not afraid to let others know it. And, quite honestly, this level of confidence and coolness isn’t something you’ll enjoy losing.

15. You learn how to make money. Growing up, you probably learned the same things we all did. To make money you 1) finish school. 2) Get a good job. 3) Work there as long as possible. And perhaps 4) Change jobs a few times and play some politics to earn a good raise or two along the way. If you were lucky you might get a bonus every so often. Those of us with blogs, however, have learned the ultimate truth—you can make money any time and any way you want. Just write something and throw up some ads.

16. You are your own boss. This is a biggie—it’s hard to become a humble servant to another boss when you know that at home your blog is generating some nice revenue and gathering up a few good visitors. Being your own boss, even if it’s just in the evenings, is confidence boosting and might be just the outlet you need to go back and live in your window-less office again in the morning.

17. You can monetize anything. If you can make decent money with a blog, you can make money with anything. Once you figure out the perfect combination of traffic, visitors, ads, and upsells to turn a profit on your blog, you’re on your way up.

18. The cutting edge comes to you. It only takes a few weeks of blogging to realize that being online in a meaningful way—not watching videos or just tweeting with your best college buddies—makes you a leader in the ways of trends. You know the trends before they ever arrive. You see the blog posts and the conversations between those in the know, and it amuses you when suddenly the public is wild for Snuggies, ShamWow, Pillow Pets, and Acai berries a few months later.

19. You’re brandable. Blogs are definitive and you develop a certain style over the months and years through which you add material. As your blog grows and becomes more branded by you, you become more branded yourself. It’s nice to be able to explain yourself in what amounts to a slogan (perhaps even the same slogan you have on the site right now).

20. Change is constant. Every so often you just know it’s time for your theme to change. And with that constant change and improvement online, you’re more comfortable making changes to your personal life as well. Blogs are never stagnant and neither are bloggers. Ask someone who’s retiring after 35 years in the same job if he can say the same.

21. You get freebies. It may be beta invitations or perhaps some new products to try for a review. Whatever it is, blog long enough and the freebies start coming your way. And who doesn’t love free stuff?

22. You feel productive. We know productivity is a good thing, but most of us turn off the productivity engine as we step away from our desk at five or six in the evening. Not so with dedicated bloggers. We’re productive almost every waking hour—adding to the blog, finding new features for the blog, or just reading up on other blogs to stay current.

23. The blogging network is deep. There may be millions of blogs out there, but there are only a handful of dedicated bloggers in a particular niche or area. Once you’ve been around for a while, you’ll be impressed with how knowledgeable and approachable these bloggers are. Your network is not only wide, but deep as well.

24. You can justify cool stuff. When you blog online, you need to be connected. Being connected means you need important things like new computers, tablets, iPads, and plenty of accessories for all of the goodies. Even if you don’t actually need every single gadget and gizmo you bought last year, you can put them all to use and even write the cost off if your blogging is part of a business or even remotely profitable.

25. You’re never lonely. Bloggers have friends in every time zone, and when you feel like reaching out to someone, you can—no matter where you’re located.

26. Your passion is worthy of notice. We all have passions and things we enjoy, but many people don’t have the opportunity to really dig into an area of interest and allow it to enrich life in a meaningful way. Bloggers are able to indulge in passions every day—even if just by reading and reporting on new areas of development.

27. You’re motivated. How often do you drag your feet going to your office or trying to figure out how you’re going to make it through another Monday? Start your day with a quick blog post and you’ll be off and running in no time.

28. You can build up from a blog. A blog is an easy way to get started with a new idea. Then, if you like your new idea, you can build out from your blog to develop a more comprehensive business or just continue to use the blog as a marketing home base.

29. You can flesh out a real resume. Jobs can be tricky right now, and if you happen to be an expert in a particular field, you stand a far better chance of finding a job that is well suited to you. Additionally, having a long-running blog is a sign that you’re all the things employers look for—dedicated, knowledgeable, hard-working, and passionate.

30. You have a useful following. Those who have subscribed to your blog or who are faithful readers often can be counted on for many other things. They can help you win contests. They can help you find new jobs or interview subjects. They suggest topics. Those same followers can often be convinced to try new things—especially if it’s something you’ve made and are considering selling.

31. You can scratch what itches. Everyone needs to vent from time to time, and having a blog and a bunch of willing readers is a great place to do it. What’s the fun of complaining about terrible service at your favorite store if nobody cares? Your dedicated readers will care and they might even take action on your behalf. On the other hand, if you’re just dying to get feedback for your stab at song lyrics, scratch the itch and let others check them out amongst your other posts.

Blogs and bloggers are understandably varied—some are in it for the money, some for the entertainment and others just because it feels good. But whatever the reason you’re blogging, if you’ve been doing it long enough, you’re probably in it for good. It’s just too hard to walk away from something this rewarding.

Uttoran Sen is a travel blogger who likes to travel places from around the world, and write about his journeys on his travel blog. Follow him on Twitter or join his Facebook page and stay connected.

About Guest Blogger
This post was written by a guest contributor. Please see their details in the post above.
Comments
  1. I think the ultimate perk of being a blogger is to have the key to so many possibilities. Blogging isn’t a straight road, and for many people, it leads them to newfound goals and perspective in life.

    I started blogging when I turned 16. At an early age, blogging taught me that productivity and continuous learning and discovery is very important. More than that, it made me challenge myself everyday to be better :) -well that’s the best perk of all.

    • thanks Liane for your comments,
      Great to know that you started blogging at an early age, imagine trying to improve yourself and be more productive at that age when others around you would be busy wasting their time with non-constructive works. This is surely one of the best perks of blogging.

    • Main perk according to me is whole world will be your office.

      You just need laptop and internet connection and your platform is ready to perform.

      • hi JK, great to see you here, and thanks for your comments,
        Absolutely agree with that one, it is so easy for us to get going with our business, a laptop or a high end smartphone… or even an internet cafe is sufficient to access and run the entire business.

  2. Interesting list. Surprised I didn’t see “you’re more responsible” as one of the points. Once you feel that your blog is providing value to a hungry audience, a responsibility to continue can keep you at the keyboard.

    • hi Matthew Iscoe, thanks for your comments,
      thanks for the addition, yes, being responsible will be a valuable point here. Most good bloggers do maintain a blogging schedule, was reading on johnchow the other day, how in all these years he has maintained the posting schedule, something that other good bloggers like Chris Guillebeau does as well.

  3. Wow, I haven’t seen a travel blogger post here yet, but I’ve been doing this for just a few months so consider me really new.

    Anyway, I loved reading those 31 benefits of blogging. I especially like the one about being able to monetize anything. It’s true, and it’s really great to be able to do that with your blog.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, Uttoran. Have an enjoyable year ahead of you filled with amazing travels around the world.

    • hi Josh Sarz, thanks for your comments,

      Actually No, there are quite a few travel bloggers here, for example:
      Nomadic Matt
      Chris Guillebeau
      Craig and Caz Makepeace

      Am glad that you liked the post, a very happy new year to you too. Keep monetizing and keep traveling.

    • So Josh according to you which is the best perk ?

  4. Wow! Thanks for the great post Sen!

  5. The perks of blogging are definitely numerous and since starting my blog I have enjoyed a few of the ones on this list. But I feel that as my site grows older and gains a loyal following the other perks I’m missing will begin to show up. Thanks for the post, Uttoran.

  6. Freedom of speech baby! No caged bird!

    Sam
    The Yakezie

    • This is not true in all countries my friend.

      • True JK, sadly yes…
        Sam, it will be great when the freedom of speech is truly available to everyone… currently this freedom, in most Asian countries have a different meaning. In India, as long as you say good things about the Government, please others, keep content moderated, etc. you got freedom of speech… otherwise you are a caged bird.

        Am planning to write a longer article on it, worried though about it’s consequences… planning to write on China first as it will be a safe thing to do as an Indian… will write about India next.

        Without going into the details, this is about the “Internet Censorship” issue, chances are that facebook/twitter and other social sites might get banned in India soon. Looking foreword to a “Caged bird” life in the future… a caged freedom… where your freedom of speech will be moderated.

  7. I think these are some good points that you’ve made. I’ve found that the more I blog, the more I just want to get out there and do it. It can become quite addicting if you know what I mean. It is something that gradually becomes more natural the more that a person uses those skills for themselves. It allows us to do things that we thought we were never capable of doing before.

  8. Lots of positives here. Thanks.

    I totally agree that creativity regenerates. When I started my blog I decided that I would only use my own illustrations because it’s too easy to find good pictures online.

    Therefore the blog gets me out of the house snapping,. and while I’m out there I get new ideas for the blog.

  9. Oh yeah! We definitely have the inside track especially with those short cuts. Plus we really KNOW how to make money ;)

  10. I think each and everyone of these points is absolutely true. I’ve only been blogging less than a year but I already feel the benefits!

    Maria xx
    http://www.cheekypinktulip.blogspot.com

  11. This is a fantastic list. I used to be really sensitive to criticism and today I accept that not everyone is going to agree and everyone has a right to their opinion. Blogging has been fantastic for character building. And I can’t believe how much I’ve learned over a short period of time and it just keeps on coming.

    Love this post!

  12. Very good points!

  13. I agree that there is no better way to shake out the morning cobwebs, after a cup of Starbucks, than writing a blog post. Gets your creative juices flowing and gives you a feeling of accomplishment as well. Not a bad way to start your day.

  14. As i could not find a direct mention of it, I think you missed recognition. Blogging brings to you lot of recognition and personally; this has been the driving factor for me when I blog. I do not care about the money but just recognition and fame

    • hi Tushar, thanks for your comment,
      recognition is basically mentioned on most points, however, the “brandable” point pretty much covers it. It’s great that you are not in it for the money, and surely fame and being recognized is one of the most important perks of blogging.

  15. I agree.. I love blogging! .. I think I’m addicted..lol

  16. Amen to all this! Loving it. Publishing your own online magazine internationally whenever you feel like it is extraordinary, empowering and so much fun.

  17. Love the list. I have really noticed that my writing is getting quicker and much better. … it probably had a long way to go. I have never been a good speller or very good at grammar. Now I am correcting my own mistakes faster or not making them at all just from the continued practice.

    • Thanks Lorilee for your comments,
      Glad you liked the list. Blogging does tend to improve our writing talents, one can clearly see the difference by checking the initial posts and comparing them with the new ones… the older posts on most blogs will seem very childish, like written by a school boy, which proves how much you have improved during your course of blogging.

  18. Lots of good reasons!

  19. Hi Uttoran,

    6 might be #1 for me.

    Blogging helps me develop confidence. I feared writing before, let alone writing for an audience.

    Hitting the Publish button for the first time created a change within me. I decided to open myself up to praise and criticism. I receive a bit of each which of course has helped me grow but as I learn to simply blog to help others I get less caught up in the opinions of others and more concerned with serving.

    Thanks for sharing your insight.

    Ryan

  20. Awesome post.

    While reading the list, I felt that someone is expressing my mind. Nothing beats when a reader sends an email saying their life changed based on my ideas, suggestions from the blog. That motivates to keep blogging.

  21. In today’s time, blogging is the best and awesome way to make money online but it is necessary that every blogger should work consistently in order to generate long term good results. Other thing that I like most about blogging is that we can improve our writing skills too and in blogging writing a good and effective content matters a lot. So blogging has tons of advantages and it is up to different individuals, how fast they will going to realize this.

  22. Sometimes I wonder what people are doing looking at facebook 24 7. Blogging is by far better than facebooking right !

    • hi Dzulhelmee, thanks for your comment, i absolutely agree with you,
      blogging is a constructive work, you are building something good for the future… when i see others wasting time on facebook, doing non-constructive work, we do realize how much wasted their online hours are.

      As bloggers, when we use social media, our target is networking or learning something new… not wasting time on facebook for chatting,

  23. soubhik says: 01/15/2012 at 9:19 pm

    really… 31 ways to be proud at being a Blogger.. …. great blog uttoron

  24. Great points – and I agree with the responsibility comment, above.

    Another unexpected perk is the ease with which writing comes, with practice. When I first started writing online, years ago, I had to think and work at it. Now, it just rolls off my fingers.

  25. Great points, couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve been trying to blog 1-2 times per week minimum on my site (environmental consultants and sustainability consultants), and this has led to others asking me “how I do it”. I find it easy to do, but I have found that many seem afraid to get out there and be heard. For them, this is an empowering list of benefits – I’ll be sure to pass it along.

  26. This article is so spot-on, I love it! The part I loved the most is # 10 – “It’s as if your mind converts itself to WordPress…”

    I can’t tell you HOW MANY TIMES I’ve been walking around in public and an idea just shoots in my head for a post. I’ve taken to carrying around a notepad with me everywhere I go so I don’t lose those ideas!

    Thanks for this post – so supportive!

  27. Every once and a while I read a post that re-inspires me about being a blogger all over again. This was one of those posts, cheers!

  28. So true! I’m so speedy at typing now and oh how I love the freebies. I’ve definitely expanded my vocab, met new people and I love love love working for myself. I really don’t think there are many things not to like about blogging.

  29. Great article. I agree with Ryan, number 6 really spoke to me. I can remember how very scary it was to hit that “Publish” button a year ago. I still get a few butterflies in my stomach even today.

    I also agree with Raghu, the most rewarding part of blogging is knowing I helped others. When I hear from a reader that he or she was helped by my blog, I have been richly rewarded.

  30. What a great article. Totally inspiring. It was nice to read how COOL I am :)

  31. Along with the perks there are many disadvantage as well … Like weight gain, no time table but yes with little determination you can overcome from it.

    • Yes ZK, weight gain and many other side effects of blogging can be a part of a blogger’s life. I remember covering that topic in detail on a health article.

      Though it is avoidable, if you maintain a few rules… ofcourse enforcing those rules can be difficult, one just have to be a bit disciplined. For example, not working late night, eating food at the right times, putting a stop to un-timely and excess or unhealthy snacking… taking out time for exercise etc. however, on the whole, it is up to the blogger, after all, it is his own health he has to look after.

  32. These are wonderful observations but I really really like 3. “Your thoughts are more developed”. In many respects, this is the greatest value add from blogging for me, in that it impacts upon everything else, whether it be professional or otherwise. Great post!

  33. I think I’m going to print this post several times and hand it over to people when they ask why I’m a blogger!

    • hi Jamie Northrup, thanks for your comments,
      You know, i actually did this. I showed it to my father, and looking foreword to show it to my friends and relatives. The off line people will never truly appreciate the brilliance of blogging… hope this post helps them to understand that blogging is really cool.

  34. Gotta agree with everything, especially the typing faster one!

    A great post that reminds me of why I do what I do :)

  35. Thanks for a fresh opinion on something that can get a little boring time to time..Without blogging I would just have facebook..blah

  36. I think the only perk in that list that applies to me would be number one! :P

  37. For me, #s 1, 6, 7 and 19 really applies. However, #1 stands out most because blogging gives you the voice you knew was “in there” but were afraid to speak. Fortunately, this makes you move upfront and center. Unfortunately, people will soon expect you to speak on their behalf.

  38. Never thought one could get so many things (except the monetary factor of-course) – by just blogging! Thanks buddy for bringing new perspectives into the domain of blogging. Just like fresh air!

  39. Great stuff you have over there. Makes me wonder why businesses today are still behind in taking up blogging. There’s no reason not to especially with the SEO perks with the new Google algorithm update.

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