Why Do I Blog?
To be honest the biggest reason I blog for a living is the freedom. Although I have quotas and deadlines, I also have choices on who I work for and when.
photo credit: antigone78
To be honest the biggest reason I blog for a living is the freedom. Although I have quotas and deadlines, I also have choices on who I work for and when.
This interesting article from David Evans specifies 7 other reasons which I would also include as my blogging motivations.
- Blog to make money. I need money and I earn money from what I write everyday. The plan is to earn more and more over the next few years.
- Blog to influence. I enjoy writing things that will help other people. This is surprisingly a big motivation.
- Blog for fame. It’s nice to have your name splattered throughout the net. When I see the same writers around different sites I feel like I would enjoy that for myself.
- Blog for reputation. It would be nice to be known as a bit more of an ‘expert. Sadly I’m generally a little too scattered to stick one niche out and focus on it.
- Blog to enhance another business or sell another product. Using this blog as a portfolio, not only for writing jobs, but also audio production work actually works and I’m glad to use it in that way.
- Blog for information. I heard someone say after they stop learning at a job, they quit. Writing jobs are so good because you can’t really help but learn more and more. Building websites, advertising and writing on specific topics keeps me motivated to learn.
- Blog for interactions. There are some clever people out there and it’s great to be in contact with them. As well as learning more about writing and the web from these people, the chance of making new friends is always there. I’ve never made friends through the web, but it could happen!
The article covers a lot of ground from these motivations to where blogs can go financially and socially as well as how popular blogs start and where big business comes in.
To ignite a catalytic reaction, a blog has to start with provocateurs. They must attract reactors and passives. If they don’t the provocateurs will have no one to influence or converse with and will lose interest in the blog. The blog is dead. If they attract enough reactors and passives not only will the provocateurs realize value from the blog, they will attract more provocateurs to the blog. As more provocateurs come on board and provide more material, more reactors and passives will join. Blogs don’t have to be enormous to stay viable: but they do have to reach critical mass of the three major groups to sustain the reaction.
Economics of the Blogosphere - [TheCatalystCode]
Tags: Blogging, motivation
