In last week’s post, I mentioned my blogging project I started over the summer. After comparing notes with a few friends with blogs too, we agreed that there are many glorious benefits of starting your own. Here are just a few little nuggets of our wisdom.
1. It’s fun and creative!
Focusing your entire energy on work and academics can sometimes feel lacking. Adding a little creative control into your day is sometimes all you need. A blog is a very personal project for every individual, yet it’s the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in something you actually love doing. For example, if you love cooking, then share your tips and favorite dishes. When people start reading and responding what you do, you find yourself positively reinforced to continue doing what you love. Who knows? Maybe it will help lead you to your dream job? [Check out Scripps’ most famous blogger, alum Emily Schuman (author of “Cupcakes and Cashmere.”] Whatever you are passionate about, there’s a place out there in the blogs-o-sphere for you.
2. It boosts your personal branding.
I did a lot of research on different job opportunities online. Regardless of what field you are interested to work in, I found that many employers are very interested in your existence on social media platforms, not just on LinkedIn and Facebook. Blogging is like a living portfolio that gives readers a clear insight on your personality, passions, ethics, and lifestyle. For a future career in PR and marketing, blogs are considered a must. A strong online presence can easily be a double-edged sword, but it’s definitely skewed in your favor since you have a lot of control about the way you want to be perceived.
1. It helps you learn important skills.
Believe it or not, blogging is now considered a marketable skill. Not only are you constantly writing and copy editing, you are also developing a lot of self-discipline since you have to hold yourself accountable for original content, deadlines, and supplementary materials (photography, research, etc). Plus, there are always opportunities to generate revenue through attracting blog followers and advertising firms. If you have the entrepreneurial spirit, then you have the potential to be your own BOSS and run your own small business through blogging. If you manage a successful blog in one summer, I guarantee that employers shall be very impressed.
4. It adds perspective.
On a personal note, blogging about what makes you happy or about what happens in your daily life adds a wonderful sense of accomplishment and appreciation in what you do. It took me a month into blogging before I realized that my life is pretty darn packed with incredible tiny adventures. In all truthfulness, blogs are vanity projects. Yet the point is: everyone has an interesting life. Sometimes it takes something like making a blog for people to realize that fact.
I can go on and on with this list, but alas! This is where I shall stop for now. Blogging has a very strong online community, so if you have any questions whatsoever, shoot me a heads up or just figure it out on your own. Be brave and have fun!
Happy blogging! Allons-y!