I went to a blogging event last week. One of my good friends that I met through book club is a local food blogger and she gets invited to fun events all the time because of her blog (and she’s got some sort of Yelp status? I dunno. I don’t “Yelp,” so I don’t know what that means). So, she invited me along and it was fun. It was also strange because I wasn’t exactly there as a blogger, just as my friend’s “plus one.”
For some reason, being at the event made me take a good, hard look at my blog and what I am hoping to gain from it. Why do I blog? What’s my purpose? Why do I spend hours and hours of my week writing posts and responding to emails and reading other blogs? Do I want to make this more of a career? Should I be concerned about SEO-friendly blog post titles and figuring out my “brand” (god, that word makes me cringe!) and seeking out ways to monetize?
I feel like, since my main love is writing, I should want to use my blog to establish a freelancing side hustle that allows me to someday quit my job to pursue that full-time. But the truth is that working for myself isn’t appealing to me. I don’t yearn to work from home (I actually think, as a shy introvert, working in an office is good for my social development skills) or to be able to make my own hours or any of that. I actually enjoy the office atmosphere, and I like the steady paycheck, benefits, and experiences I wouldn’t get working by myself. So, no, I’m not looking to turn my blog into a business.
My blog is my hobby. It’s not about building a brand or making money. I don’t give two hoots about SEO. (Since I work in SEO content writing, I understand it’s important, but for a personal blog? Ehh.) So if it’s not about that, what is it about? Why do I care so much about my blog that I spend so much time on it?
I blog to have a space to open up about my life. To give voice to my feelings, insecurities, triumphs, and failures. To gain knowledge, to give knowledge. To let others know they aren’t alone, and to have other people tell me I am not alone.
I blog because I love it. It’s fun for me. It’s exciting to write blog posts and connect with other bloggers.
I blog because I have met some of the most amazing, inspiring people from it, people who get me and who I considered some of my dearest friends.
I blog because it has made my life fuller and more open to new experiences. I honestly don’t think I would have ever joined my book club if I didn’t have blog friends pushing me to do so. And joining that book club? Hands down, it is one of the best decisions I’ve made in the past few years.
I blog because writing is my passion and I need a creative outlet for this passion.
I blog because I have to. There is a pulsing need inside me to get my words out, even if it’s as mundane as a “Five for Friday” recap.
I blog for my readers. Because there’s no point in having a public blog if you didn’t want someone to read it. I blog for the ones who challenge me, the ones who push me, the ones who give me hope and guidance and advice. I blog for the camaraderie and the thrill of finding someone you click with so well, you forget that you’ve never met them face-to-face and that they live hundreds of miles away.
That is what blogging is about for me. It’s not about sponsored posts or advertisements on my sidebars or money. It’s about the pure love of the written word, about writing my story down, about the connections I have made. I probably will never get involved in the local blogging scene in my area, mainly because they write the kinds of blogs I don’t read. The blogs I love tell me their story. They tell me the good and the bad, they are vulnerable and share their hearts.
My whole purpose with this blog is to share my heart. That’s all I’m here for. That’s all I want to be known for.
Why do you blog?
I share your sentiment! I have never made a single penny from my blog and I doubt I ever will which I am more than OK with. I blog because it gives me a creative outlet. I blog to record memories, emotions and experiences. But the #1 reason I blog is to connect with others that I wouldn’t have otherwise. I have made so many deep and long-lasting relationships thanks to blogging and I can not imagine my life without the friends I’ve made through blogging!
Totally agree. Over the past year or so I’ve questioned sometimes why I’m blogging because so much was going on in life and it was starting to feel a little selfish to write about myself so much. But I’m so happy I kept up with it, even if the posting was minimal, because when my Dad died, blogging/writing was something that allowed me ( still allows me) to work through feelings. Without getting into the blog world, I wouldn’t have met so many people who have helped me through this tough time with kind words and support. It really has been a savior for me, though there are times I wish my family didn’t know about it so I could really open up!
I totally agree. I know my blog has kind of morphed into a business.. but I don’t make money from blogging in itself. I don’t have any ads or care about SEO or anything like that. I love blogging and do it because, like you, I just feel drawn to it. It’s just an added bonus that clients find me/get to know me through my blog 🙂
These are the BEST reasons anyone could have for blogging! I used to be wrapped up in stats and all that, then I stopped caring and just starting doing my own thing. Sometimes I wonder if people will stop reading it because it used to be all about books and now it’s more personal, but then I realize I don’t care. It’s my blog and I talk about the things that are important to me and that I want to remember. 🙂 Your blog is one of my favorites to read. I love how real it is. Keep it up!
I have made a bit of money from my blog over the years but not enough to be considered a “side hustle”. I definitely view my blog as more of a hobby especially over the last couple of years as I’ve started blogging a bit less and less, not because I don’t love it but just because I have other life things going on and don’t make as much time for it. I definitely value the friendships I’ve gained from blogging A LOT though! And I personally love your blog!!
Agreed! I keep making the conscious decision to keep my blog as a hobby. When I start to think of it as work it becomes way less appealing to me. But just because it’s a hobby doesn’t mean I can’t keep improving on it! It’s fun to make it better and better.
I blog pretty much for these reasons. Just to share and connect and have fun. Although I have never really had a lot of comments on my blog and sometimes I don’t think it’s that great for connecting… Makes me sad sometimes. 🙁 I’ve been a professional blogger and it’s stressful! It’s not as fun as people think it will be. It’s just like any other job.
Love this. I have been thinking about this a lot lately, asking myself the same question. What do I want to get out of my blog, what am I putting into it? I’m still figuring it out, but for now, it’s just for me and my random way of babbling on about whatever I want, ha.
I started blogging as a way to record my life. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone back to read through my blog posts from the last ten years. Over time I started to develop friendships with readers and other bloggers, and that’s been an invaluable result of blogging. I’m not going to lie, I wouldn’t mind making a little money because blogging doesn’t feel like work to me. I would never, ever want to become someone that blogs solely to make money, though. I read some blogs that went from just-for-fun blogs to money-making blogs and it’s not fun to read them anymore because there’s no heart behind the words. I do want to go self-hosted and grow my blog a bit, but I don’t want to sacrifice me in the process, if ya know what I mean. I agree with previous commenters – your blog is one of my favorites and I look forward to reading your posts every week.
I love this post. I blog for the same reasons. I’m not here to make money or get page views. I’m here to write about what I want and share what I want. And make some friends along the way. It’s just a hobby for me. A fun hobby!
“My whole purpose with this blog is to share my heart.”
AMEN!!!
I love this, Stephany. These are the reasons why I blog, too.