It’s 2018. You want to have a blog. Your neighbour has a blog. Your local coffee shop has a blog. In fact, just about everyone has a blog. It’s the rise of bloggers and influencers, changing the way we interact with social media. There’s a whole new language of SEO, people learning to code and demanding to know your niche. So, what’s the hype? If everyone else has a blog, why should you blog too?
Anyone can do it
The opportunity for everyone to start their own blog can sometimes feel like the community is oversaturated. The accessibility of these sites and offer of free packages means the idea of blogging can feel overdone. But every blog online is the opportunity for expressing individuality whilst finding a like-minded following and making new friends.
Just because lots of different types of people have a blog it doesn’t mean your voice is any less relevant. Unique content will more often than not come from the heart – so trust yourself. It’s not all posing against pretty walls and leaving a cafe with 182920 photos but sometimes it is, and that’s fine. You also don’t need to follow everyone else’s plans for success but if you’re looking for advice, there’s a ton out there.
Get Rich Quick?
The concept of being paid to do what you love is enticing and often romanticised. People who make it work as professional bloggers and influencers didn’t grow their following overnight. In fact, more and more, platforms like Twitter and Instagram are discovering and deleting the bot accounts people buy to instantly up their numbers. This isn’t the get rich quick scheme you’re dreaming of, but finding your audience is fulfilling and fun. Done the right way, any blog could potentially become a profitable business.
Recently, a blogger received death threats over a photo she posted – because people felt it was unrealistic and staged. The difference is people often think an advert on TV or a billboard is allowed to be staged, and take great offence to a blogger… who is being paid to create content and promote products. Perhaps the accessibility of the platforms mean people en masse feel entitled to criticise and comment – because, in their minds, they could just as easily pose for a picture and post it online. It’s the hard graft behind the scenes, the hours of after-work research, editing and networking, that makes a blog profitable. Carrying the title of Influencer or Blogger shouldn’t affect someone’s respect as a self-employed entrepreneur.
Healthy Hobby
I’ve mentioned before that writing a blog is a healthy hobby to bring up in job interviews. It’s a hobby that helps you to connect to people, build a positive online profile and potentially earn you money. As I’m a passionate writer, it gives me practice in writing and refining my tone of voice. I often find I’m more critical of my work’s readability, not only from an SEO point of view, but because I want it to be easily understandable.
When I first began this blog, I posted about life as an Erasmus student in Paris. I was almost embarrassed to use the term ‘blog’ because I couldn’t see how my trivial posts compared to those of full-time or professional influencers. Having found more of the blogging community on Twitter, it’s increasingly clear that people can write about anything. People write about books they loved, a favourite cafe to visit, the misadventures of naughty pets, the joys and challenges of parenting. Imagine a bizarre niche and someone, somewhere, has probably written a blog about it. That’s the beauty of this hobby – the potential to grow.
Internet Friends
There was a time when parents would have warned us against making friends online. Don’t talk to strangers on the Internet was a mantra repeated in countless households, and yet, here in The Year of the Blog, making online friends is a pathway to progress. Finding a community can help establish an audience, develop your niche or even learn tips from other bloggers who’ve made mistakes along the way.
The reality is that not only are individuals learning to love the freedom of a blog, we’re now in a society where businesses and campaigns are seeing the value of the written word. Beyond snappy marketing phrases and enticing copy, organisations of all shapes and sizes are discovering how having longer copy – the ability to tackle an issue, draw proper attention to a product, to explain a process in-depth – is having a positive effect on their connection to consumers. Whether you love or shun social media (the latter is unlikely, if you’re reading this), society now connects in every way – I can’t take a photo of my brunch without posting it to Instagram and tagging the cafe in it. Blogging about that brunch is just the next step.
The Future?
It seems, although we can’t be certain, one thing is here to stay – the empowerment people feel from expressing themselves online. Whether you love photography or writing, the ability to build your own brand or the networking that comes with having a blog, blogging isn’t something to mumble anymore. My parents couldn’t be prouder that I write online – and the validation I feel in real life is genuinely heart-warming. I recently had a friend reach out to say how much a post connected with them and I thought, that’s why I love blogging. It’s a whole new conversation, where authenticity is one key ingredient to success.
The Year of the Blog – potentially. I’m sure that I’ll keep this on, erratically posting, for the foreseeable future. Not everyone needs a blog – but it never hurts to try.
Soph Isobel 
magnificent publish, very informative. I’m wondering why the opposite specialists of this sector do not understand this.
You should proceed your writing. I’m confident,
you’ve a great readers’ base already!
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I’ve learned so much from blogging; photography, writing, editing photos etc. and meeting bloggers all around the world who are passionate about blogging is a blessing.
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I never thought to add blogging to my cv but you’re right is a great hobby to showcase your skills!!
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I was looking at roles involving writing so it definitely made sense to highlight it but I think it’s a great hobby to bring up ☺️ x
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Thank you so much for being real! I enjoyed reading this. As a new blogger myself, this encouraged me so much! Excited to start this new journey and make new friends! Thanks for the follow. I look forward to reading more of your posts. ❤
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This is all so true: there is space for your unique voice in the blogging community and yes, blogging is fun!
I was also super surprised by how supportive the blogging community is! So when you start, it’s great to have such a supportive community to help you grow and to connect with!
I made some friends in here 😊
Laura
https://peanutsandcacahuetes.com/
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It’s a fab space to be, I completely agree with you – we’re all very like minded and I love how willing people are to share tips and advice, especially with the technical stuff. So glad to have met you on here! X
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I am a believer in being the star of your own blog. With that being said bloggers should express and post what makes them who they are and what makes them happy. My prime philosophy is to keep on blogging because its awesome!
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Such a great post!✨
Sometimes it’s hard to feel like your own blog is going to be interesting to anyone, but we obviously have our own reason for doing it, mine is because I just love to write! 💖
Chicaparelle.wordpress.com/
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Such a brilliant and informative post. I’ve just started my blog back up after a lengthy break. Blogging is what I love to do and I can’t stay away from it.
I loved this post because sometimes I feel like what have I got to offer that’s not already been done you know? But I have to keep telling myself that no one has experienced the world like I have, and that’s what I have to get across in my writing ☺️
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Exactly!! Everyone has a unique perspective and regardless of whether or not you think content is similar, it’s your blog to express yourself. Welcome back after your break! ❤️x
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I just started mine this year. I love sharing something I’m passionate about. Owning a blog also makes me want to keep going and aim for even more goals.
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Thank you for your comment – I’m so glad that you feel the same way too! X
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This was so interesting to read, I loved reading it in fact! Beautifully written 💗
Leah x | leahsaffron.wordpress.com
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This is beautifully written. It’s really heartwarming to read something so uplifting for the blogging community as a whole 💜
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Jess you’ll make me blush! Thank you ❤️
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Wonderful post. I started my blog 10 years ago but I truly embraced in 2015. Taking one step at a time.
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Congrats on 10 years! I really hope to still be blogging for years to come ☺️x
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Soph, I especially loved your point about blogging being a healthy habit. When you start blogging all of a sudden you find inspiration everywhere and feel the need to share which then, in turn, makes you and your readers happy to have stumbled on this lovely post 🙂
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Thank you for your comment! I think once you start you’re properly converted – I had no idea how positive it could be until I started! So pleased you liked this ☺️ x
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This was a really interesting post. I joked when I first started my blog I was jumping on the bandwagon, as suddenly a lot of “cool kids” from when I was back at school were writing blogs. Needless to say they were only starting blogs because of how much fun it is! I love the community and I love writing, so I don’t regret a thing.
Megan // https://pixieskiesblog.wordpress.com/
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This was such an interesting post to read, I totally agree with everything you say. It’s so true that while anyone can blog, each blog is still unique and you can write about whatever you want. X
https://www.iamstephaniejay.co.uk
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Thank you so much Stephanie! I found it initially daunting to join the community but I’m pleased my points came across ☺️xx
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Such a brilliant post! The whole concept was just great, really agree with the points you make. If you go into blogging with a positive outlook, you’ll find it such a great thing in your life💖
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I’m so pleased you liked this – and so glad we’ve both found the blogging community and each other! Thank you for all your support ❤️
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💖💖💖
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