I’ve been pretty active on my blog since March of this year and I have to say it’s renewed my love of blogging. The reason why I originally got my blog in 2010 was to connect with authors and readers, promote my books, and share fun writing-related stuff. The overall purpose has stayed the same, I’d say, though now I’ve added promoting other people’s books to my agenda. Blogging is a great hobby that feels very rewarding to me. What are my favourite aspects of blogging?

It’s A Great Way To Release Your Thoughts. Blogging is a platform where you can share your ideas on longer form. While apps like Twitter or Instagram can be used as micro blogs, they aren’t as writer friendly as blogs are. You can write on a variety of topics – and some people will want to hear your thoughts. It’s a great medium for that.

Discovering Others Who Post Cool Things. Connecting with others in the blogosphere is one of the best things about blogging. There’s nothing like stumbling upon a new blog with posts you can’t stop reading because they’re so good – and returning to visit bloggers you’ve already met.

It’s A Great Way To Promote Your Books/Brand/Business. Writing engaging posts is one way to get more people interested in your business, art, books, etc. Unlike ads or promotional posts, blogging is a more intimate way to get to know the person behind the “brand.” Since a lot of sales are based on feelings toward the person/brand people are buying from, having a well-run blog that inspires people can really get people more interested in what you’re selling. While this isn’t the only reason why I blog, the reality is many of writers want to earn extra income or eventually write full time – and attracting new readers to your books is a big part of accomplishing this.

It Improves Your Writing Skill. Reading other people’s blogs is a great way to see how others write and compose their thoughts. If you like the way someone else writes, you can channel some of that into your own writing. I’ve also found that devoting time to keeping up this blog has improved my writing skills. You learn how to write in an engaging, but tight way to keep people coming back for more.

I Enjoy Being Productive. Having a hobby outside of your main job gives your life more meaning and I enjoy organizing and scheduling the posts. When I have a good day for stats, it scratches that little itch I have to be productive. I’ve also found that this type of productivity is transferrable to others jobs, too. It’s a win-win situation.

It’s A Healthy Challenge. Setting goals or challenges for yourself adds a little tension that we all need. I enjoy keeping up a schedule for my blog and I set little targets for myself – and if I reach them, it’s like a reward. Some people enjoy playing board or video games. In a sense, blogging is a type of game where if you reach certain milestones or goals, you get to “level up.” 😛

I hope you enjoyed today’s post! Tell me, what do you love about blogging? 🙂