Blog Basics
Introduction to Blogs
Why blog?
As you saw in the infographic on the last page, most bloggers consider blogging a hobby. It can be a fairly time-consuming hobby, as many bloggers spend several hours each week writing blog posts, replying to comments, and more. So why do they do it?
For their State of the Blogosphere 2011 Report, the people behind Technorati.com conducted a survey of more than 4,000 bloggers. Here are some of the most common responses bloggers gave when asked why they blog:
- To share my experiences and expertise
- To speak up about an issue I care about
- To become more involved with my hobbies and passions
- To be part of a community
- To advance my career or start a career in writing
- To keep my family and friends updated about my life
No matter what their main reason for blogging is, most bloggers have at least one thing in common: They're passionate enough about a topic to write about it over and over again, usually for free. If there's a subject you care deeply about, you might enjoy blogging about it. When you have your own blog, you have unlimited space and freedom to express your opinions and discuss the things you care about with others.
Blogging for money
Another reason some people blog is to earn money. People earn money from their blogs by hosting advertisements, selling products, or publishing their blog posts in the form of a book or printed articles.
The media often reports on bloggers who have done this successfully, turning their blogs into careers and even a book and movie deals. While it's fine to try to earn money from blogging, you should be aware that these success stories are very rare.
You may see advertisements for services that promise to help you make your blog profitable with little effort. However, making money this way is not as easy as it may seem. Many bloggers write for years without ever earning a cent from their blogs. Keep this in mind as you begin blogging.
