How Can Blogging Transform Your Life?
You have probably heard the expression before. “Being a doctor has transformed my life” or “being a cop has changed my life.” Now a few folks say that just for the sake of saying it, but blogging is one of those careers that can transform your life in more ways than one.
Blog for Change
Blogging can not only change your life but the life of others, if done properly. Here are a few so-obvious and not so-obvious ways that blogging can change lives.
Communication Skills: blogging can help you hone your communication skills to develop the ability to communicate with others in a more effective way. A lot of us feel that we are good communicators, but you’ve got to see someone like Barack Obama to see the gap that exists with those of us who want to be great communicators and those of us who are great communicators. Hybrid bloggers (those who do a mix of video blogs and text blogs) have a greater challenge as they will also have to face the camera and show the right body language. Blogging will test your strengths and weaknesses, and if you are a student of the game you can hone your game to become a better communicator.
Networking Skills: few folks believe that bloggers don’t need to network that often. That can’t be further from the truth. To make it in the blogging business, you will have to network all the time. You can network online with others, but it is good to get out of your home once in a while.
Reputation/Status: the online world is not a big part of our kids’ lives. They are on FaceBook, Digg, Reddit, MySpace, and … Blogging can help you improve your reputation in your niche. If you manage to become a superstar, many doors will open for you. Who says blogging isn’t fun?
Raise Awareness: blogging can help you raise awareness in your community and around the world about the cause(s) that you are passionate about. You can write about cancer, AIDS, and other diseases that are taking precious lives every day. You can talk about Darfur and how folks can help others around the world improve their lives. At the end of the day, it always pay to be a bit unselfish and talk about issues that DO matter.
Rally the Troops: Barack Obama’s success with the Internet has opened many eyes about the potential of this channel in rallying folks around a common interest. Blogging is a great way to build communities about the smallest niches. By gathering around folks that are interested in your topic, not only you can learn from them, you can discover new ideas and solutions.
Create a Bank of Knowledge: going back to the last point, if you get enough people engaged with your blog, you can gradually start to create a wealth of knowledge on your blog. Let’s say you are running a blog about mortgages where people come and talk about their issues and experiences. Think about all the valuable information that will be stored on your blog for all the folks who may be interested in your topic.
Blogging is truly a transformational career. But not everyone can become a transformational blogger just as not everyone is a transformational figure (e.g John McCain). Guys such as Darren Rowse transformed the way people make money online blogging. But not everyone gets there. You have to be dedicated to your cause and have your readers in mind all the time. You can be selfish and still make a decent living, but when you are unselfish and give, you are going to reap the rewards in the end.
How has blogging transformed your life?
I am interested to know about your blogging experiences. Have you become a better person due to your blog? Please feel free to share your stories.
You may also be interested in reading:
- Why You Should not Give Up On Blogging In These Tought Times
- Blogging Skills That Pay!
- What To Do When You’re Stuck
- How Much Money Can You Make With Blogging?
- 5 Best CMS For Social Blogging
