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What are the 10 Secret Benefits of Blogging?

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Categories: Blog, Blogger, Blogging, Social Media, Social Media Marketing

Just about everyone is a blogger these days whether they realize it or not.What are the 10 Secret Benefits of Blogging

If you write something on Facebook and receive comments and feedback then you are a blogger.

Tweet a short sentence of 140 characters on Twitter and you are a micro blogger.

Upload a video to YouTube where you can obtain subscribers and elicit comments, then you are a video blogger.

Arianna Huffington said that “self expression has become the  new entertainment” and people are increasingly likely to participate online than just vegetate in front of the television.

It is creating an explosion of creativity and  expression that is opening up digital doors for invisible experts worldwide.

Formal qualifications such as a degree or a diploma are still vital in a knowledge economy and display good educational discipline. The fact though is that no longer do you have to wait 20 years to be declared a visible formal expert by an institution or mass media outlet who has picked or anointed you. Pick yourself and publish.

The democratization of publishing and marketing through self publishing (blogging) and self marketing (social media) are breaking down barriers to display invisible experts who previously would have been hidden from view.

Professional Blogging Platform

If you want to take a serious stake online to display your passion and knowledge then a self hosted blog with your own domain name is the clever way  to proceed. This is a professional blogging platform. If you want to play then Tumblr or a Facebook “page” can provide a simple home base for amateurs.

If you have an inkling or even a tiny thought that your online brand may become your day job and profession, or you may want to change your lifestyle in the future then building a good foundation with a WordPress blog is essential.

Any good home requires a solid base to build on that “you” own.

More reading:  How to Create a WordPress Blog in 5 Minutes 

The 10 Benefits of Blogging

I have discovered that blogging has many side benefits that are not apparent from an outsider looking in. This is what I have found to be the bonus benefits to blogging that you may find empowering and maybe enlightening.

#1. You will  become a better writer

Just the discipline of sitting down and writing will improve your writing skills. Thinking and planning doesn’t  cut it…action and doing does!

#2. Your video skills will improve

If you spend some time interviewing people with videos or even  recording yourself to provide online education and “how to”‘ tips via video, then your video skills will improve whether that is the lighting, the structure of the set or even the sound quality.

#3. You will learn

To write you have to read. There is a very distinct direct bonus from this activity. You will learn …a lot!

Stephen King the novelist summed it up well ”If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

#4. Visibility – People will hear about you

People discover information online today, so if you want to be a discovered and become a visible expert then blogging and social media will provide you with the visibility. Conducting a Google search is how we find people and information today not the library or the town square unless you are a stalker.

Geoffrey Rush the Oscar winning actor said “In my career two things have been vital.. Credibility and Visibility”

#5. Expert status

Perceived or real, the art of publishing online via blogging will transform you from an amateur to a  professional. Keep doing this with enough passion, purpose and focus and you will become “that” expert on your chosen topic if you persist.

#6. Become a champion researcher

You will also find the best ways to obtain information as you hunt down information and resources for your blog. You will identify global bloggers, resources and experts that will provide the insights and information you need to provide ongoing value to your readers.

#7. Power networker

As you start to become noticed people will want to connect with you and catch up for a coffee or invite you to their events and gigs. What a great way to meet your tribe who love your topic as much as you do.

#8. Your memory will improve

Exercising the brain through writing and learning will provide much needed exercise for the neurons. Keeping the body fit requires physical exercise. The mind needs stimulation and activity as well to be mind fit. You will be amazed by what you will remember from participating in mental gymnastics provided by blogging activities.

This will also have a the side benefit of looking more intelligent at cocktail parties and that has to be a good thing!

#9. Your creativity will increase

Nothing like a focused passion to improve your creativity.You will find that your brain will think more creatively as you move from conscious skills to unconscious and automatic activity, that frees up the thinking for out of the box thinking.

#10. Synergizes and Synthesizes Focus

The act of writing and expressing yourself online will provide you with internal and external feedback that sharpens the intuition and focuses your mind. The benefits of a social interactive web is that it taps into the global mind that will provide you with the feedback loop that will sharpen and amplify your purpose and passion if you are willing to listen.

 Blogging as Self Fulfillment

Blogging for me has been a path to not only to self expression but self fulfillment that has become a journey of self discovery. I have found what works for me and what doesn’t. I write about topics that resonate with my soul and purpose while keeping focused and relevant.

These elements combined have provided an experience that has both changed me and others around me, both in the physical and cyber world. It is an exciting time to live where you can connect to your global tribe with rich multimedia that transcends time and place.

We all now have the power in our hands to make a difference and maybe leave a legacy. If you embrace this global and interactive social mind by participating actively you will be surprised and amazed as to where it will take you.

What About You

Has blogging changed you. What are the benefits you have discovered on your blogging journey?

Look forward to hearing your experiences and stories.

More Reading

Image by daniel_pfund


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  • http://twitter.com/michelerkearns Michele Kearns

    I’ve noticed all the above except for video. I have not tackled that one yet. However the biggest one for me is self-fulfillment. I educate people about widowhood by sharing my adventures through my grief journey. My readers have been touched by my stories and my blog is the only grief recovery blog a reader (and fellow widow) will follow. It is the only one she came across that is not dark, dreary and depressing.

    • http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

      That is great to hear Michele.
      I think the benefits of blogging are not readily apparent to most people. It is fabulous to hear that you are making a difference.

  • http://www.techetron.com Mushfique

    All of your 10 points, just inspired me to blog more ! And of course inspire others to blog. Trust me, I was a little bit sad about my performance but hey I have to patient…this article just gave me a spark. Maybe I should start video blogging ! Sounds interesting!

  • Pulin

    You have touched my heart!what a useful post. I agree with your point-You will learn. I myself learnt lot by writing and i know I need more practice.I also agree with you that writing stimulates our mind and improve the memory!I am bit new to this blog world but certainly want to make a worth impression!Thus i have my own domain site and want to pursue in this field.Feel free to visit my site:http://pulindave.com/blog

  • http://twitter.com/deepfootprints Joel Chudleigh

    Doing my first video interview in 30 minutes time. Hopefully will make a success of it, but as a minimum I know that i will learn something new that will help help me to make the 2nd one better. Good, thoughtful post.

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  • http://hotblogtips.com/ Brian D. Hawkins

    Nice post Jeff, I like that your list of benefits from blogging didn’t focus of the sales aspect. There is still a trend among a lot of bloggers where blogging is nothing more than another tool to funnel traffic to a sales page. People are getting too smart for that and even though there is a potential for profit, no one wants to be “sold” something every time they read an article, watch and video or attend a webinar. If a blogger gives true value in their content and build real trust among their readers and doesn’t take advantage of it, I think profit potential becomes long term and will increase with time. The guess the same could be said for social sites, even though most of us consider those a tool as well. Just my two cents. :)

  • SantaTatiana

    Hi, Jeff! Great thoughts! Thanks to you, I realized that two years of blogging gave me 9 of your benefits. Except, video skills because I haven’t tried yet. Have a nice weekend!

  • http://twitter.com/scottkingston Scott Meyers

    When my wife battled cancer (in remmison now) during her treatment she started a blog, she wrote everyday even when the effects of Chemo were at its worst. It helped her put her feelings down and kept family and friends informed thus keeping phone calls to a minimum. http://www.21daystimes6.blogspot.ca/

  • http://www.wonderoftech.com Carolyn Nicander Mohr

    So true, Jeff. These are great reasons to start blogging, plus it’s fun! The biggest unintended benefit is to meet other amazing bloggers. The blogging community is warm and supportive.

  • http://www.beyondthesinnersprayer.wordpress.com/ Barb

    I really like the first two – it makes blogging worth it right from the beginning because at least when I’m practicing my writing skills I get to actually write to real people – even if it’s just a few of them! Haven’t started video blogging yet but hoping too as soon as I work up the courage and the techie skills all at the same time!

  • http://www.facebook.com/harold.jenkins Harold Jenkins

    Jeff, you’re helping to promulgate two of the most popular prejudices of blogsnobbery. One is that to be a “serious” blogger you have to own your own domain. That’s nonsense. There is no “pay to play” requirement for blogging. It’s like saying you’re not a serious writer unless you’re jotting down your thoughts in a Moleskine notebook. The true test of whether a blogger is “serious” or not is in the blogging. That’s it. Anything else is bigotry and prejudice. Blogsnobbery.

    The other tenet is, of course, that the Blogger/Blogspot platform is unworthy of being mentioned. That’s been going on since at least Chris Pirillo’s famous 2005 tantrum “Kill Blogspot Already!” It’s also nonsense, as much now as it was then. Blogger/Blogspot is the easiest jumping-on point for new bloggers, and an excellent way to develop and customize blogs without a great deal of technical expertise. Perhaps this is the reason why there is so much contempt for this platform: it lets the unwashed masses (like me) into the party.

    You do not mention one of the biggest benefits of blogging: community building. It’s not just a matter of finding a “tribe.” Once you establish a voice for yourself, you may locate other like-minded (or differently-minded) bloggers with whom you may find yourself exchanging comments, trading links, or exploring each other’s blogrolls. Starting a blog can open up whole worlds that you never knew existed.

    I’ve spent the past six-and-a-half years promoting and popularizing blogs and blogging throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. I find the notion that you must own your own domain name to be considered a “serious” blogger, and the snobbish contempt for one of the most popular and accessible blogging platforms available, to be antithetical to my efforts to encourage people to explore established blogs, create blogs of their own, and build and strengthen the local community of bloggers.

    http://nepablogs.blogspot.com/

    http://anothermonkey.blogspot.com/

    • http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

      Thanks Harold for your comment and opinion.
      This was never meant to be a complete list of the benefits of blogging hence the title, which relates to the often unspoken benefits.
      In reference to owning your own domain. I consider it vital because on a quickly evolving web, blogging platforms that were considered permanent 7 or 8 years ago are now extinct or on the verge of disappearing. So I don’t consider it snobbery but vital in protecting your online assets from death, especially when you have put so much work into all that content creation and community building.
      Also it is important from an SEO standpoint to build up your organic optimisation for search for your domain not someone else’s platform. If you move your blogging platform from one site to another that you don’t own then your visibility to Google and hence online search will be severely diminished.
      It is about control, flexibility and taking a long term view rather than the easy way out.
      I am in no way denigrating using other platforms but pointing out that owning is better than renting your online presence if you can! Cheers Jeff

  • Will Hacker

    Great post, Jeff. I have experienced many of these benefits first hand. One particular benefit for me is blogging forces me to constantly look critically at my profession and industry to find new topics of interest to other UX practitioners. It’s an exercise in continual learning. Feel free to visit my blog at http://willhacker.net

    • http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

      Great to hear that you have experienced them yourself. For me one of the “biggies” is the learning benefit.

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  • http://twitter.com/walterm Walter Mason

    I am just always amazed by who is reading and noticing my blog. Sometimes it feels like I am screaming into space, but we mustn’t forget the sheer quantity of lurkers out there – almost all of my friends fall into that category.

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  • http://twitter.com/stooni stooni

    very good blog post, and a nice picture!!!

    Thanks

  • http://www.techvowel.com/ Rohit Agarwal

    Very Nice post…. As we are blogger, we must know the indirect benefit of blogging.

  • http://twitter.com/kacie_phillips Kacie Phillips

    Blogging has become so much more for than a simple outlet to share my viewpoints. It has provided the basis of what I want to do with my life. It allows me to combine all my passions and develop a brand for myself. I cannot begin to explain the personal benefit it provides, and the professional benefit I hope for it to provide down the line. Blog on!

    • http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

      That is awesome to hear. Go Kacie! :)

  • http://twitter.com/WordNerdGuy WordNerdGuy

    Really enjoyed the post. Good stuff. Thanks.

  • janewpeters

    Great blog

    • http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

      Thanks Jane. Thanks for the kind compliment. :)

  • http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

    Thanks for the insights. Any blog will evolve and having a blog with a title that is either self titled or not too tightly named can provide a flexibility to change as the author and audience grows. It sounds like your current blogs are following your own interests and growth but still focused and relevant.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002656997072 Emily Jones

    Absolutely correct. thanks

  • Bubu

    Thank you for your article!As for me, blogging has improved my logical capability and writing skills .Besides,I also make many new friends through blogging.

  • http://drewfrey.com/ Drew Frey

    Thanks for the great post @jeffbullas:disqus .

    I haven’t considered some of these benefits before but they seem so obvious now! The more you write, the better writer you’ll become and naturally the better researcher you’ll become.

    I’m excited to get back into blogging personally and professionally. Like many out there, I’ve had the classic ‘stop/start’ blogging career. It’s difficult to produce quality content that people will enjoy and that people WANT to come back to.

    Thanks for the post and inspiration.

    Cheers,

    Drew Frey

  • QueMeansWhat

    Yes, I read more. I am in action more … I need topics to write about so I go and do new things! I am learning how to express myself fully … using words. And I am not as afraid of looking ‘bad’ or silly … I can be authentic with others. Thanks for a great post!

  • strongmandigital

    it gives you name & fame world wide
    Strongmandigital

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  • http://jabbacrombie.tumblr.com/ Janet Abercrombie

    I’ve realized I know more than I thought I knew. It’s been one year since I began my blog – and I’ve started consulting. It’s amazing how writing makes you an instant expert.

    Janet | expateducator.com

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  • http://twitter.com/felicelam Felice Lam

    Thanks for sharing your post, Jeff, and for including one of my all time favourite writing quotes by Stephen King: ”If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

    Blogging has been such a great way to connect with people all over the world, online and offline.

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  • Elizabeth Sheppard

    These are great. I agree, the more you blog, the easier you can research, and the easier it is. Great posting!

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  • http://bloghands.com/ Chris Barber

    You’ll learn the inner-workings of the internet and you’ll become the internet know-it-all to your friends and family. :)

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  • http://www.peachyspot.com/seo-glasgow/ seo services glasgow

    Great.

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