5 Reasons Why You Should Start a Blog
In just a few short months I will be celebrating my 5th year blogging anniversary! I can’t believe I’m already at 5 years blogging with what started as just a hobby. I had a personal family blog for a few years before this blog, and enjoyed sharing our family members there, too. There are so many different ways you can use and implement a blog, here’s 5 reason why you should start a blog.
This is a sponsored post in partnership with Bluehost. All opinions are my own.
5 Reasons You Should Start a Blog
Share Your Family With Relatives – With our ever-increasing online world, having a blog is a perfect way to keep a digital journal that can be shared with friends and family. Our world feels increasingly more distant from our family members, but checking in on family blogs and seeing what our loved ones are interested in and watching them grow helps keep those connections special in our lives. Not only is a family blog a wonderful way to connect with your family members, it can become a priceless record for your own family too.
To Share What You Love – Blogging gives an outlet to share your passions and interests. It doesn’t matter what it is that you love to do from DIY to fitness and everywhere in between. You could start a blog to share homemaking resources or gluten-free recipes or anything else that inspires you.
To Start Your Own Business – A blog can become your very own business with some hard work. You’ll have complete control of the direction of your own blog and business. It is absolutely wonderful to be able to be your own boss – whether you are able to support your family or supplement your income with your blog.
Build Friendships and Connect Online – You can create amazing friendships and bonds through an online community. I’m still friends to this day with the friends I made as a brand new mom in a new mommy forum. When you build a community to rally around your interest you are surrounded by friends with similar interests. I have built great friendships among the blogging communities as well as we learn and grow together.
As a Personal Escape – Being a mom can sometimes be lonely as you spend your days or your evenings talking with little children. The same can be said for men, after a long day at the office working towards someone else’s dreams, a blog can be a place to escape and do something that is just for you. A blog has become for me a place to have something completely my own.
Start Right – Start Self-Hosted
If there’s one thing I have learned about blogging, is that regardless of your reasons to start a blog, the key is setting up your blog right from the start in the proper format. Many people start with a free .blogspot or .wordpress blog, but you never truly own your blog if you go that route. Free blogging platforms own and control your content and can actually delete your blog for any reason at any time, it’s unfortunately happened all too often in the blogging world.
Make just a small investment in yourself as you are starting out will be worth the investment in spades. You absolutely want to start your blog with your own domain name and on your own hosting with WordPress. This will save you all the headache and worry of having to transfer to your own platform as your blog grows which can create problems with links and pictures and other areas of your blog when you move.
Bluehost offers a variety of hosting options that start at just $3.49/month. Their shared hosting plans will work wonderfully for you when you start a blog and you can size up your hosting package as needed. When you need to scale up, Bluehost will be able to easily move your site among their hosting packages to keep up with your growth. Even if you’re just hosting a family blog with a small audience, take pride in the ownership of what you are creating to truly own that content.
With Bluehost you’ll also get automatic daily, weekly, and monthly back-ups to keep your data protected. You can purchase your domain name or transfer an existing name to be managed with Bluehost as well so all of your products are right there in the same location easy to manage.
Visit Bluehost’s website to find the right hosting package to get your blog up and running!
I love blogging. It has meant so much to me. I wish I was self-hosted when I started. There was just so much that I didn’t know that I didn’t know.
I agree with all 5 of these! I never thought blogging would lead me to my 2nd career in life!!!
I think sharing what you love is always a great reason to start a blog. These are great reasons, thanks!
Great post! I started a blog in 2010 and it was a great decision – I love blogging!
I started my own blog to keep in touch with family originally, I was horrible at updating it though! These are great ideas1
I started a blog well before I knew what blogging was. I was 12 when I began writing my first “online journal” which is what I called it at the time.
All great reasons. I believe the personal escape is what keeps me going.
These are all great reasons to write a blog. I will have to share this post with my sister. I am trying to get her to start a blog.
Great ideas. I think it is funny when people hear I have a review blog and think it is easy work. HA! Yes, it is fun, but it is still work. I am so grateful for blogging. It has totally changed my life!
I started one to kill time when my kids went to college. It just morphed its way into a business.
I got into blogging because I read a lot of blogs, and they looked like fun. I’m so glad I did!
I dont know if anyone would rea what I write. I also am on the ‘other side’ of it and am more of a reader than writer. I like reading and visiting blogs … and although I understand the world of blogging through following many for years (you are one of them) I dont know if I want to learn wordpress and everything. Also there is a million bloggers I would get lost.
Right now honestly I am somewhat dissapointed in some blogs as recently I found out some were less than honest. (not yours nor any I have followed a long time) The newer ones are not as ethical.
I am ranting I know, but heck I figure I can here as you have always been one of the safe places to visit!
It’s totally okay, too, to stay on the reader side of blogging as well as your escape! So glad you stop by and read my blog and are brave enough to leave comments!
7 years ago I started mine as a way to share family life with family and friends, as well as great deals. Now, It’s so much more – a business and still my passion.
Blogging is a great way to connect with tons of new people. I’ve met so many interesting folks since I started blogging.
I’ve been kicking around the idea of a blog. I already put in a ton of time as a VA. I might as well put that time into a blog that’s all about the stuff I love.
4 years ago in March I decided to start a blog. I had no idea I would be so successful and get so many great opps! So glad I took the leap!
I wish my family would read my blog LOL. You have lots of great reasons here.
Still seems like work to me so will have to wait until I think it would be fun
Making blogging fun is all about sharing things you are passionate about. If you’re forcing yourself to write about something you don’t love, it definitely can become work!
I started a blog when I won a trip to Chile and wanted to share my travels. Have not kept it up. Perhaps when I win another trip.
Nice post. I have been considering for a little while now