Of course, I have an answer.
I wouldn't be asking the question if I didn't have an answer.
There are a lot of thoughts here, so I hope that I do them justice.
It's our perceptions that need to change.
There is this narrative that blogging is dying, and whilst I can see where that comes from, it is not the case.
In fact, it is a surefire way of connecting with your readers. Depending on your industry and reasons for blogging, blogs can be short-form or long-form writing. I would say that short-form content or writing is anything under 1000 words, and long-form is anything above that.
From the perspective of a reader (and your interest), they are a very good way of keeping your website active. Most people will create a website to represent what they are about. For example, at the moment, my website is about being an author and my writing journey; whereas in the past it has been about my freelance copywriting.
Whilst a website is better than no website, it is best to keep it active, so that it maintains its position within the Google rankings, and so that the content maintains its relevance in general. There are a few ways to do this, such as adding content to the page(s) that you have on your website (essentially bulking it out), or keeping up a regular blog. The blog will encourage readers, who are also visitors to your site, which will then compound on the level of site activity. Hopefully you can now see how this will grow exponentially over time.
I have a few points to share on why I blog, and hopefully that will help you figure out whether or not you want to give it a go for your yourself — for business, or for pleasure.
Consistent Writing
First and foremost, blogging is very useful in keeping my writing habit consistent. If I'm aiming to publish one or two blogs a week, I have to write at least four days a week. Then on my ‘days off’ I am either editing, publishing a new post, or coming with new ideas.
It's a way of nurturing my creativity, as well as keeping going. Regardless of a blog posts word count, I consider them short-form writing in my mind, when compared with my longer projects. This is because I know that I can get a blog post edited, written, and planned within a week. That turn around results in an ongoing sense of satisfaction and achievement — this builds up and boosts my inspiration for my longer projects. With my longer projects, I can sometimes be stuck for days or weeks on the same bit, so it's ‘blocking’ my ability to keep writing (hence the term, 'writer's block’).
I also have an affinity with blogging, because this is where my writing and mental health advocacy started, and so many opportunities have come from it. If I keep going, who knows what opportunities will crop up?
Increased Freedom
Blogging definitely feels more freeing than, say, writing a novel, because there isn't always a set theme of subject needing to be written about. Obviously, I like to keep my blogging confined to writing, disability and mental health — but it is nice knowing that I can stretch the parameters (set by myself), and write about something completely different should I feel called to. It feels like a break, and full of opportunity; especially in terms of seeing where my expanded thoughts take me.
To the reader, blogging is almost like reading a news article (depending on how formal or informal you like to keep it). For example, my writing is conversational; the purpose is all about building a relationship between myself and my readers (you!), with the mindset that overtime my readership will increase (that's the theory, anyway).
Not Everyone has Social Media
Not everybody has social media, so a blog is a good way of connecting with (potentially) anyone who has access to the internet. In some ways, I feel like blogging is more consistent and reliable than traditional social media. I find, on social media, it can be days or weeks before the algorithms show you another post from certain people — therefore, it can be hard to build the necessary rapport. Whereas a blog and website allows there to be a concrete channel, between the writer and readers, in which to share information.
My target audience is 'older generations' because it seems like thy are more likely to be self-aware. I feel like people who like writing and reading are more interested in making the effort to read, not only other people’s writing, but learn and take on new perspectives as well. This feels most likely to happen as we are surfing the internet when linking in the reading of an article, as mentioned earlier. However, a target audience does not mean they are the only people allowed to access the content. This is where the older and younger generations converge.
It Helps Keep the Self-doubt at Bay
It may or may not surprise you to learn that all writers doubt themselves at some point or another. Consistent writing helps maintain my confidence in ‘showing my face’. Here are some examples of my self-doubt, raw and unedited:
Why do I start something, then immediately stress that I'm not going to succeed?
Give me a chance, brain! I know my blog won't explode overnight, I'm not naïve and I'm very much prepared to put in the hard work (as you'll know if you've ever read any of my work), but I do worry.
What if no one reads it?
Am I wasting my time?
I just worry, because when I was writing The Sanity Mentality blog, I had built an audience — the thought of starting this again is daunting. But it's going to be an exciting journey. I am most definitely not wasting my time, because I know many people who like to keep updated on my progress and work. And even if they didn't, I enjoy writing blogs; for my own catharsis, and the hope of helping others. Writing about writing, mental health, and chronic illness is very important. They are topics that can educate, inspire, and entertain. As well as being subjects that are relevant to a lot of people.
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