5 Reasons To Blog.
I think about my blog a ton- sometimes for the right reasons, sometimes for the wrong ones. It is a labor of love, a passion project that- as with any passion, let’s be honest- ebbs and flows as I go through the seasons of my life (which also, if we are being honest, can, in any given day, be akin to summer, spring, fall and winter all within the span of an hour).
Recently, several people have reached out to me to chat about blogging life and learn more about the reality of it all as they consider starting their own. As always, I am brutally honest. To monetize it, to make it into a brand, to become an “influencer” on a national- or global- scale, is freaking WERK. And it is “werk” that I, at this point in my life, am just not able/willing to put in. BUT- that doesn’t mean that at some point I won’t feel differently…
Here are 5 reasons that- even though the sun is out and I really want to go for a run (currently obsessed with the new Peloton outdoor running audio classes- have you tried?)- I sit my butt down at my desk every day and work on my blog:
1- I blog to keep my options open. To finish the thought started 2 paragraphs up… Often I realize that for many moms I know, the ability to have “the option” is much of the driving force to sticking out a freelance/part-time career. Our kids will grow up, “empty house hours” will be longer, and, seriously, how many workouts/school volunteer things/lunch dates can you really do before you kind of feel over it? Plus, life situations and financial situations can change on a dime. Keeping a few toes in the door- or in my case- fingers on the keyboard- is never a bad idea.
2- I love to write, and blogging keeps my brain in shape for it. When I start putting words on the screen, most of the time I have no idea what direction they will take. And nine times out of ten, even if the post doesn’t end up being about the thing I initially intended, it ends up being about the thing I needed to get out of my head and organized or recorded somewhere else. Maybe one day I will write a book- maybe not- but again, it all comes back to options- if I want to write a book someday, I need to be able to muscle through it.
3- It makes me better at my other work. The blog doesn’t pay the Amex bill (it doesn’t even contribute- again- all honesty, all the time folks). However, when I am engaged by brands to do copy writing, spokesperson work or content creation, having this platform helps me to service their needs much better than I would be able to otherwise. I have inside knowledge and an informed perspective on what is happening in this world- from the back-end logistics of putting up a quick site to the most compelling campaigns I am observing- or being asked to be a part of- on various social platforms. It is invaluable for me- since I hate few things more than being the last to know.
4- It motivates me to record moments and milestones. Sure, I have my one-line-a-day five year journal, and countless photos on my phone, but keeping up with it all is a pipe dream. Embedded in my fashion and beauty posts- and blatantly laid out in my personal ones- are little tidbits that hint at what is happening in my world right now- what I am doing, what my kids are doing, the things our family is trying to figure out gracefully as we fly through this phase of life. I imagine reading these 5, 10, 20 years from now (and on that note, my kids reading this), and thanks to those little clues I unintentionally dropped at the time, transporting myself backwards and being able to go back to those days that felt too damn long and finally realizing that yes, everyone was right, the years were too damn short.
5- YOU. I am always surprised- and overjoyed- when someone emails me after a post that they related to, or sends me a pic wearing something I wrote about. When I randomly meet people who learned about my blog from so-and-so and then inquire in a panic what the best product is for chapped lips (THIS and OMG it is on Amazon Prime now!), which brand of jeans should they buy (THESE), or what the heck should they be packing their kids lunches in to make a crappy meal assembled from leftovers look well-planned (easy- THIS)? Checking bounce-rate stats and which shopping links you guys click on, which headlines spark the most interest, which newsletter emails (sign up HERE if you don’t get my posts to your inbox, ‘k?) get the most engagement- it makes the left side of my brain happy and fulfilled- even if/when said stats aren’t what I hoped they would be. This blog allows me to cut through the small talk (both IRL and online) and connect with people in a way that is so unique and, even if it is just about a cream blush or a white t-shirt, meaningful.
If you blog, or are thinking of starting one, what is your #1 reason? Please drop a comment below! xx