Five Good Reasons to Start a Blog as a Professional

Can’t think of any good reasons to start a blog? Let’s see if I can change your mind, shall we?

I remember the first friend I had who started blogging. This was back in 2002 and it seemed really strange. Keeping your journal online? Sounds like a good way to attract stalkers to me.

Now that it’s become mainstream, I’ve come to embrace the idea. It might just be that I’ve found a lot of good information from blogs in the past. Or that if you find the right person to follow, your day can get just that much brighter when you see a new post.

I might not be the best at keeping up with it, but I do get why it is worthwhile. Especially for those who are working toward a long-term career.

Benefits of having a blog as a professional:

1. You practice your writing. Often. Writing is a skill that is useful in just about any professional position, whether you are writing for an audience or just shooting off an email. Blogging might be extremely casual in comparison, but the repetition will help make you a better writer in the future.

2. You have a web presence. No matter how big or small, you can be located online and use your blog as an opportunity to connect with other professional bloggers. This is networking in the early 21st century.

3. Your work is published. Self-published maybe, but you’re ahead of those who aren’t. You’ve taken a leap and put yourself out there, and you never know if your next opportunity might come from one of your published posts.

4. You share your wisdom. Maybe you learned a quick tip that made your life a thousand times easier. Share it. Someone, someday, will be grateful. You also get the perk of becoming an authority on your passion or topic of interest.

5. You establish yourself as someone who knows what they are talking about. This can give a potential employer the little nudge to choose you over the other applicants for a job, or potential clients to reach out and hire you.

(By the way, to any potential clients or employers reading this: I am always looking for a great opportunity, should you think we might be a good fit. You can contact me here.)