This is a question I have been thinking about a lot over the last year. So why do people create blogs?
You will see from the story of these bloggers how different each person’s goal is from a blog.
Imagine doing something you love and replacing your income from this.
When I wrote my first post back in the summer of 2017 I had no idea what to expect from blogging. To be honest, I didn’t really know it was still a thing!!
One thing is for sure though… People that know WHY they are creating a blog get much more “success” with it and keep it up for much longer those that don’t!
I hope reading these stories will help you to wonder what the possibilities are from blogging.
So sit back, relax and take in these amazing bloggers wisdom.
14 of My Favourite Blogger’s Reasons “Why”
I figured this question is so different for every person and just hearing my opinion may not be relevant to you! So I asked some fellow Tweeters 3 questions:
- Why did you start blogging?
- Has this reason changed over time?
- Do you monetise your blog?
Please note I asked them to keep it brief otherwise I’m sure all of them would have developed their answers!!
Reading their answers certainly made me smile so I hope it does for you too.
Name: Mohammed Mulla
Blog: Live Daily Mo
1) I found that I had a passion for writing and I dabbled a bit with blogging just over 2 years ago. As I was living an unconventional lifestyle, I thought sharing this lifestyle and the thoughts I had during my mini-retirement would inspire others.
2) The blogging has definitely taken a course of its own. I now write about whatever I want to write about.
3) I don’t monetise them. It is a hobby of mine.
Name: Anonymous
Blog: That Frugal Pharmacist
1) I started blogging because I had more to say than would fit on twitter! Also, I was seeking a place to express myself and have something to focus on outside of a job I was getting really burnt out while looking for like-minded community.
2) I don’t think my reasons for blogging have changed much. I have begun to think of it as a potential to learn new skills and network, maybe someday I can build some business or work for myself related to or because of the blog that would help me in a semi/early retirement.
3) I don’t currently monetize. I’ve considered it, but my readership is still low. I don’t think I would want to do it until I had lots of readers, not sure what that # is. I’d rather make money, if possible through my writing or other networking opportunities. Until enough readers
Name: Natalka Antoniuk
Blog: I want to buy a house
1) I started blogging because where I broke up from uni for summer, I found myself spending a lot of time in my flat on my own. I was quite bored, but the only way to get out and do anything always involved spending money. Blogging seemed like a great thing to do to stop me spending frivolously. But it also acted as a way for me to prove that the media hype isn’t real. Young people can buy houses. No matter how many avocadi’s we buy. Yes, house prices have gone up. And yes the living wage isn’t rising at the same rate. This means it’s harder. Not impossible. And I’m a single, female, 24-year-old waitress. If I can do it, I want everyone to know that they can too.
2) Yes, of course, it has. I was excited at first. Posting sporadically, whenever I wrote a new piece of content. My time and effort went into writing new blogs. And now I know that I need to adopt an 80/20 mindset to actually grow my platform. So now I spend a lot more time promoting my blog, be it on social media or other methods. I take it more seriously and am hoping to see a huge growth over the next couple of months with blogmas and other things I’m participating in.
3) I don’t at the moment. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to. But right now, it doesn’t seem right for me to give people money saving advice whilst encouraging them to buy things through my affiliate links. Of course, there are some great products and brands out there that I’d love to work with eventually! And making money from my blog is something I’m really keen to get started on as soon as possible. But for now, I want to grow my DA (Domain Authority), my traffic (visitors to the website), and my social media following and really build a community platform.
Name: Bonnie
Blog: 43 Blue Doors
1) I started blogging at the request of my friends and family. My husband and I left the USA two years ago to travel full-time and they wanted to hear about our adventures
2) After starting the blog I fell in love with writing and the opportunity to make an impact on others. While my blog is travel stories it is focused on helping us all think differently. More understanding is more freedom
3) I didn’t even consider monetizing during our first year, but that all changed in Ecuador. We stopped in Quito to volunteer at a safe house for girls rescued from human trafficking. I wanted to help give these girls freedom. So I monetized the blog and 100% net proceeds go to this Charity.
Name: Anonymous
Blog: Divvy Dad
1) I originally started blogging back in 2006, and the intent was to build my blogs as a side hustle to my day job. I eventually built up to the point where I was earning approximately $10,000 annually, however, it was consuming far too much of my time outside of my job. Eventually, I decided to step away from blogging entirely as it was taking away from the ability to spend time with my family. This year I decided to re-enter the blogging world and launched DivvyDad to chronicle my journey to building a dividend portfolio. This time around I started simply to have a place where I can enjoy writing and connect with like-minded people about dividend investing and personal finances.
2) As noted above, my reasons for starting a blog have changed over time although not with the same blog. I initially started with the intent to earn a side income through my blogs, however now I have changed my intent to be purely around my enjoyment for writing and having a dialogue with people interested in similar topics.
3) With DivvyDad, I am not actively monetizing the site and don’t currently have any plans to do so. There are a couple of affiliate links on my blog resources page, but I do not have any ads or sponsored content. That might change over time, however, is not a driver for me like it was at one time.
Name: Andrea Joy
Blog: Saving Joyfully
1) Why did you start blogging? I started Saving Joyfully to introduce my future readers to some of the great resources I have discovered over the years that have helped to stretch my budget.
2) Has this changed over time? My goal has still remained to help others learn how to better manage their finances and save money. It has however broadened a bit to include more of my own personal story. I have also found that I enjoy Introducing other great bloggers that I have connected with since I started and their stories.
3) Do you monetise your blogs? Yes, I do and have since I started. I only use advertising and affiliate links so far. My goal is to someday be able to blog full time and share more deals and ways that I have discovered to make money and save more money.
Name: Sigrid Chu
Blog: Life Notes To File
1) After going through the initial challenges of motherhood and approaching mid-life at the same time, I started contemplating the meaning of my life and what really matters most. I’ve been an avid reader and researcher most of my life but I’ve always dreamed of being a writer and storyteller. I started blogging to find out if I could write, to express and put in order all the thoughts running through my mind. I continue to hope that my blog can be of help to others, in the same way, that it’s been helping me.
2) My reasons for blogging hasn’t changed since I first started blogging in August 2017.
3) I currently do not monetize my plan but I plan to do so in the future.
Name: Mariem
Blog: Millenial Money Struggles
1) I wanted to pay off my debt (and work toward Financial Independence). I thought a blog would help me and maybe others would find it interesting?
2) Nope
3) Does $0.09 count?
Name: Joan Senio
Blog: Kindness Compassion and Coaching
1) I wanted to create a positive place for people to visit when they need encouragement and ultimately change the world!
2) Now I also do it because of the wonderful comments and writing is helping me learn more about myself, too.
3) I wish!
Name: Dillon Rhodes
Blog: @dollarrev
1) Just building out my blog now. I’m starting because I haven’t seen many in the PF/FIRE w a similar voice to mine (really humble beginnings, climbing out over decade+). Want to help those get out and hope others can learn from my experiences that differed from theirs.
2) N/A
3) Yes, plan to monetise but initial goal is to mostly cover expenses. Some affiliate marketing, some through the creation of products. That’s secondary to the message though.
Name: Jay
Blog: Budgets are Sexy
1) It looked fun!! And I wanted to be better with my money.
2) Yup – I’m now better with my money 🙂
3) Yes – and it’s the worst part of blogging…
Name: Shaun
Blog: Project Palm Tree
1) As a bit of self-help (for me) and to see what I learn to help others. Motivated by Eventual Millionaire
2) I am still new, but the reason remains as strong or stronger
3) I have affiliate links but yet to make a brass razoo
Name: Matt Spillar 
Blog: Spills Spot
1) I originally started my blog as a portfolio for my writing, to help build my resume for job applications.
2) Yes, the reason has changed significantly. I quickly discovered a passion for personal finance and wanted to pass along that information to others in an effort to have a positive impact on people’s financial literacy and money management. I’m passionate about helping others learn to pay off debt, save money, and build wealth.
3) Yes, but it’s not currently making very much money. I’ve been blogging for close to 3 years and have only made a few hundred dollars. I have some ads and affiliate links on the site. My main focus right now is growing traffic.
Name: Lissa
Blog: Roots Wings and Travel Things
1) I started blogging for two reasons. One is that I love to write but I haven’t focused on my writing since I became a mother nine years ago. Come to think about it, I haven’t focused on myself much at all! So starting our blog was a way to focus on me and something I love to do Also, our family loves to travel but we don’t have the financial resources to go everywhere we dream of going. I wanted to start a travel blog in hopes of it someday helping us travel to new places!
2) So far, no- nothing has changed. First and foremost, taking the time to do something for myself has been incredible. I’m so happy I took this leap and am carving out time to do what I love, which is to write! We’re not travelling off our blog yet, but I’m working hard at getting it to a point where we can someday!
3) I just started using some affiliate programs. I want to be really careful because we do hope to make money off our blog, but I really dislike blogs that are just straight up advertisements. I want to keep our content meaningful and our ads even more meaningful. I don’t want them to take over our blog- I want the main purpose to remain the content! It’s a balance that I’m just starting to figure out!
Name: Cara Lisette
Blog: Cara’s Corner
1) I wanted to carry on raising awareness and breaking down the stigma around mental illness
2) Kind of, I initially wanted to talk about my journey as a newly qualified nurse but soon that didn’t feel relevant to my writing
3) I did used to have adverts but the money I made from it didn’t justify how annoying I found them so I turned them off. I am open to collaborations though.
These are some of the bloggers that have really helped me to stay focussed and continue with what I have been doing over the last year or so.
I’d highly recommend checking out their websites. The best way to learn about what interests you and what writing style’s you like is by reading other people’s work.
Why did 13 Wealthy Affiliates Start Blogging?
The same questions were asked to some of the community inside Wealthy Affiliates. The first question was added as I thought it would help to see how long each blogger has been blogging.
It’s important to note that it is not the length of time that each person has been blogging that is important, but rather the amount of time they put in each week and more importantly what they spend their time doing.
- How long have you been blogging for?
- Why did you start blogging?
- Has this reason changed over time?
- Do you monetise your blog?
Name: Riaz Shah
Blog: My Internet Quest
- I’ve been blogging since college so it’s been 4 Years now.
- Back then Internet Marketing was viral so I wanted to see if I can somehow leverage that and use the knowledge I’ve learned to apply to local businesses here. It worked, my business grew and I received a lot of calls and emails online.
- Now, no but initially, I wanted to give up.
The difficult part of growing a blog is that you won’t see an immediate result and you’ll have to put in your time and energy for several months and that really tested me. I wanted to give up halfway but having friends who supported me, I decided to give it a year and within month 6, I began to see results. I never looked back ever since. - Definitely, every blogger should.
I manage 3 blogs altogether – An SEO blog, an event company website, and an esports website. I monetize through affiliate programs and services I provide and altogether, I make about $1000-$2000 monthly.
October 2018 is my best month ever where I make $7000 in total ($600 from my SEO blog, $1,300 from eSports, and $5,100 from events)
Name: Nathaniel
Blog: One More Cup of Coffee
- 8 years
- I started blogging to supplement my income as an ESL teacher in China. I knew the strong American dollar would have more value overseas, so even if I only made $1,000 per month ($12k per year), I would basically double my Chinese income.
- Yes. Now I see blogging and online marketing as an investment in my future. Online shopping is growing, so I know that I’m positioning myself to have a strong foundation for any future business ventures I want to do.
- Yes, I monetize. I don’t share exact figures or publish income reports because, for me, it always made me feel bad when I read how rich everyone else was. I’d rather leave it to people’s imaginations of what’s possible online (anything is possible).
Name: Loes Knetsch
Blog: Work At Home Future
- In July 2014 I published my first blog.
- To get my children’s book out there. I ran into walls with publishers. After struggling for over a year, I decided to publish my booklets for free on the World Wide Web.
- Yes, once my booklets where out there, I started up new websites, one about kids art, about superfood, sharing pictures, and my experience with WordPress and Wealthy Affiliate. At the moment, I maintain 8 websites, I love to write.
- I monetize my website with affiliate income through partners, and with the earnings, I make at Wealthy Affiliate. I am not sharing my exact income, but I can say I make a profit and it’s a very nice addition to the life I like to live 🙂
Name: Leo Emery
Blog: Net Wise Profits
- Since 2003 – but it was not a blog back then it was a one-page sales letter on individual URL’s selling one product.
- As marketing evolved it was the natural transition from a 1-page sales page.
- No, having a blog (website) allows you to build relationships and authority. And with how SEO has changed so much over time content is more and more relevant to building a solid online business.
- I earn 6 figures per month from my sites.
Name: Leahrae
Blog: Beach Travel Destinations
- I have been blogging for about 2 1/2 years.
- I started blogging to earn an extra income.
- The reason has sort of changed, I am retired and this gives me something to do that I am passionate about.
- Yes, I do monetise my blog, but it is not a “huge” amount yet.
Name: Irma
Blog: Fearless Affiliate
I have been blogging 1.5 years. I had a workplace injury and lots of spare time, so it helped me focus on something besides my physical pain and feeling sorry for myself.
2. I was thrilled to discover blogging because I have always wanted to write, and blogging gives me a platform. I love it and nothing gives me more satisfaction in my day to day life. I believe that it has helped lift my injury depression.
3. Now that I have been blogging for a while, I find that I am deeply loyal to the concept. I try to encourage others to blog, but of course, they look at me like I have something in my teeth lol. If anyone has ever wanted to write, then blogging is the best way to start. Try a free blog and just write about anything. It is therapy and many people think that it gives their lives a new meaning and direction. I know it did that for me.
4. Yes, I monetize and have since day one pretty much. And I earned my first commission on day 22 of my blog, with no prior experience. So yes, you can make money as a new blogger. Not a fortune, but it motivated me to keep going!
Name: Alex Owens
Blog: My Camping and Hiking Tips
- Right now, I have been blogging for a year now. I started back in October 2017.
- I started blogging after a life-changing trip to Kenya for a study abroad program at De Anza Community College. We spent 10 days camping in the bush of Northern Turkana picking fossils off the ground. Each evening we would watch the sunset and every night we would stare up at the stars. It was an experience like no other. A big scorpion scared the heck out of me and I helped advance anthropology by finding monkey teeth. When I came back, life seemed a lot more boring by comparison. I wanted to do something like that trip again in the future. In short, blogging offers me the time freedom to do a trip like that again.
- Nope, it has not changed one bit. I still want freedom.
- Yes, I have monetized my blog. Unfortunately, though, I have not really made much money with it as of yet, only about $5. LOL! I call myself a blogger, but I do not make any money! That is okay. I know these things take time. I am juggling school and responsibilities while working on this. After I graduate and get my Bachelor’s Degree though, I will jump into this full time, probably 6 articles a week until I start to make a sizeable amount of money. I want it bad. Blogging is a long-term game. It takes time before you see the money come in.
Name: Tricia
Blog: Care Free With Komboloi
- For about 8 months part-time.
- I love researching and learning and I wanted an outlet for that and have something that could hopefully bring in some money for my children’s medical expenses.
- No, but I’d say that the outlet/sharing aspect has evolved from just regurgitating facts to a desire to share something that will hopefully improve the reader’s life in some way.
- I’m in the process of monetizing but haven’t made anything yet.
Name: Dan
Blog: Supplement Reviews Lab
- I have been blogging for approximately 6 months.
- I started because I was feeling really frustrated with my day job and wanted an outlet to express myself and find others in the same field.
- Yes, the reason has changed a bit in a way. I have started a second blog about my love and interest for nutritional supplements. While I am still doing it because I love the subject, I also am planning on making money from the supplement blog and I would say that after helping people, my primary reason for the blog is to earn an income.
- The first blog that I created is a personal one and I have not monetized it. I just recently began to monetize my second and primary blog (Supplement Reviews Lab).
Name: Suzanne Stoddart
Blog: Legitimate Affiliate Training
- I’ve been vigorously blogging for just over a year now. I had started years ago, then let life get in the way. Everything just sat there for a couple of years. Last August, I started taking it seriously, and have been publishing every week since then.
- I started this because my husband and I are approaching retirement, and we weren’t ready, haha. He’s worked in the private sector all our lives, with no pension other than the gov’t. And we’ve realized our RRSP savings aren’t going to be enough. Thus… my business from home!
- My reason for online marketing remains the same, though now I’m eager to help others create their own income streams as well. Anyone can do this. Some just need more encouragement!
- I haven’t monetized it so far. Waiting for enough traffic to make it worthwhile lol.
Name: Jason Ong
Blog: Chillax Easy
- I have been blogging for about one and a half month.
- I started blogging because I was really bored. I want to do something else so I tried to make a website. I studied how to make a website 2 years ago but failed. Since then I forgot about that, but 2 months back, I really want to try it out so I search the internet again. I created a website to share my experiences and learnings. I share what I think about Financial advice, Stress management, Productivity tips and many more. Overall, my website’s goal is to help people improve their lifestyle to the next level.
- As of now, it didn’t it is still the same.
- I do have some advertisements on my website but that’s it. The earnings are not that big because I only have few visitors since I have only been making posts for 1 and half month.
Name: Mike
Blog: No Web Experience
- I have been blogging for a couple of years.
- I really liked the idea of sharing content with others and helping them with a problem through my opinion and experience. My first blog was on Google Blogger and was fun, but wasn’t what I really wanted, so in February I started a new blog with WordPress about my hunting passion and monetized it with affiliate offers. I absolutely love it, and have found a way to bring my passion to others and offer helpful content and earn at the same time. It’s great!
- Yes, the reason has changed over time and was the catalyst for starting a new blog called No Web Experience.
I found that people I know and people I met online were asking me about it and were interested in a way that they could get started as well. I was fielding questions left and right, and decided to start the second site to pass along what I was learning, as well as let people know about the training I received at Wealthy Affiliate. I decided to only promote what I truly believe in so Wealthy Affiliate is the biggest of a short list of recommendations I make. - I do monetize my websites. My hunting site is earning an average of $220 per month right now, but grows a little every month. That site has 33 posts on it and only 4 posts with affiliate links.
My second website is at around $280 per month but has just hit the 6-month mark and is starting to see some increased traffic. It should be doing much better by the end of the year! This site has 101 posts on it and only 6 posts with affiliate links. But there is a lot of internal linking. It’s best to keep the number of affiliate links down until you start getting really good traffic because Google isn’t fond of affiliate links.
Traffic is the real key, and the patience to get the traffic is a must, but it’s fun as heck at the same time!
Name: Adel Cheffi
Blog: Your Dreams
- Since I joined WA in July 2018
- Initially to write contents for my coaching website
- Yes, I realized how much I like writing in English which is not my native language and I started writing about subjects that passionate me
- No, and I am not counting on monetising my blog. I just dot it for fun and I am enjoying it
Does it Have to Provide an Income?
Will Qatar win the World Cup in 2022?… (in case you don’t follow football the answer is absolutely not!)
Many people create blogs for themselves to look back on in the future or to document thoughts that they have each week.
In fact, this is exactly why I started blogging.
If you can blog for your own enjoyment or to clarify your own thoughts then it will never feel like work.
I blogged like this with at least one post every week for a year. There were times when I had 7 “in the bank” and I didn’t feel the need to write anything for weeks!
However, there are definitely disadvantages to starting a blog that is not made to be monetised. If you are thinking about monetising it at a later date it is possible to do this from a free domain… but (how did you know there was a but!!)
It is just 100% easier to monetise a blog if the website is set up for this from day one.
Imagine if suddenly you start spamming your website with adverts or promoting certain things. Your audience would feel as uneasy as a child left alone in a room with Gary Glitter.
A paid domain is much easier to get ranked higher on Google and, therefore, create free monthly traffic.
There are also more options available when the website is hosted by a platform that allows pop-ups, (everyone loves a pop-up… as much as they love Gary Glitter… Ok I’ll leave him alone now) adverts or sign up forms etc.
If you are creating a blog with the idea of monetising it at a later date, it is important to consider how serious you are about doing this. If you’re not fussed about the income levels then just go for it on a free domain and see where blogging takes you!
If you think you would like to monetise it at a later date, then spending $15 on a domain and using a good hosting platform is going to be important from the start. See my hosting recommendation below…
Why Do I Create Blogs?
The reason I create blogs has changed over time.
Originally, Sarah and I wanted to document some of the things happening in our lives.
We became aware that our life as an expat was something slightly unusual for a lot of people. We also didn’t know exactly how long we were planning on being an expat for.
It seemed like writing blogs would be a great way for us to look back at our time abroad in the future (plus my Mum always wanted to know what we were up to!)
The reason for my blogs now is that I would love to help as many people as possible that want to make money online to free up their time.
The blogging world can seem pretty daunting when first getting started as the more you learn, the more you realise you don’t know!!
But it doesn’t have to be daunting! Just focussing on creating some great content, whilst reading and commenting on others blogs is pretty much all you need to do. All the technical jargon can cause confusion early on…
So What is the Answer?
So let me explain this through a story about this guy Bill:
Bill didn’t like the way that people just accepted living this rat race lifestyle of waking up, going to work, coming home, sleeping and repeating. He wanted to help them get out of this race as he knew people didn’t need to be doing this.
He had a house, a great family and in general, really enjoyed his lifestyle…
He just always knew there was more to life.
He wanted to travel more, see new things and be in control of what he did with his time.
More importantly, he just wanted to give more back… to his family… to the community… and to leave a legacy.
Bill had always been interested in starting his own business. He had read a lot of books on the topic and thought he would have the growth mindset to learn and be stubborn enough to stick with something to make it successful.
However, there was a slight problem…
He had no idea what business to start… let alone help others to get out of the rat race!
Ok so I lied it’s not a story about Bill. This is me…
This is exactly why I have found Wealthy Affiliates to be so useful in fast-tracking an online business to be set up in a much better way than I ever could by myself.
Click here if you want to see more about Wealthy Affiliates training and website set up.
Pin this for later so you can come back to it.
The Make Time Online Summary
There are so many personal and different reasons as to why people create blogs.
It absolutely does not need to generate an income. However, it’s important to realise that it absolutely can generate an income. Read some ways to make money through a part-time blog here.
The reasons for creating a blog can change over time and it’s pretty likely that they will if you blog for long enough. For me, it helps to clarify thoughts and can actually help me to be more productive.
I always want to learn more about what I am writing about, and the more I learn the more productive I become.
If you have a blog I’d love to hear about your reasons for writing. If you don’t blog but would like to it’d be great to hear some of the reasons on what’s holding you back.
Keep changing for the better,
Mike
If you are interested in making money online to free up your time, have a look at my #1 recommended program here.
Personally, I think a lot of people create blogs because they hear success stories – it’s all down to the money side of things (sadly). But, this is also why so many blogs fail – you need to have a passion and love for what you are writing about or blogging about BEFORE you even think about any sort of money return!
How do you feel about this – do you think the majority of new bloggers are starting out for the wrong reasons?
Hi Chris,
Thanks so much for your comment. I cannot agree more! It’s really the same for anything that we pursue. If we can love it internally and it provides meaning and value to ourselves and/or others then it will never feel like work.
I believe I got lucky with the way I started, I had no intention of monetising my first blog (or even realised this was possible). Posting regularly got me into the habit of writing and putting my thoughts on paper.
Now that I have this website, which my aim is to provide a passive income from, it still doesn’t feel like work. I have just set it up much better thanks to Wealthy Affiliate and I don’t intend to stop. I’m fully aware I may be in the honeymoon phase still but I am enjoying it all the time currently!
It’s great to connect with people like yourself who appear to be on the same path, and it’s great to hear how others are getting on.
I don’t believe any of the bloggers I have spoken to are starting for the wrong reasons. I believe they will all do very well from it whether it is personal fulfilment, creating an additional income or replacing their income.
What do you think?
Mike
From reading your post it appears that most people didn’t get into blogging for the purpose of making money, that makes sense though because if you look at video blogging sites like YouTube most people aren’t monetizing their videos either. It’s a hobby, a hobby with the potential to make revenue.
I started a blog back in 2016 and making money was the only reason why I did it, it’s not a journal but a business to me, nothing more. If I were to create a journal I would just get a notepad and write things down on a piece of paper, I don’t like the idea of putting my life all over the internet.
Hi Kent,
Thanks so much for your thoughts.
Yeah I think you’re right too, most people blogging do seem to do it for another reason than to monetise it. I must say these bloggers are people that have stood out to me over the last year as being very genuine and helpful so the selection of people may be a bit biased. But I think it really proves a point!
That’s great that you started it as a business I’m sure it will serve you in the long run. Do you ever find it hard to create content or find it hard to find the time for it? What strategies do you use to monetise it?
Thanks again,
Mike
Hi there,
Your article is great about why do people create blogs.This was the question which take me to internet for search and i came by your article. Which is beautifully written. I came to know about many new things and the reviews that are given are the great way of learning because these are the real experiences.
Thanks
Hi Eric,
That’s great, may I ask what search engine you used to find it?
Thanks so much for your kind words, I hope it is helpful to see different people’s points of view in one place.
Mike
Why do people create blogs is a good article .
This article gives you Insight on other people’s reasons for creating blogs and reasons they had to stop reading blogs and various other reasons or ideas with doing blogs . I created my blog to become successful in the online marketing industry, but as of now things are going pretty smooth and it’s taken a lot of time away from my family and it’s really noticeable. So now I’m standing on the fence of whether to continue my dreams or step down and continue the life I had.
But all in all I really love this article and it gives me something to think about and hopefully to lean more towards my affiliate marketing career. Thank you again
Hi Quinn,
Thanks so much for sharing. It really is a hard one to answer and I’m sure so many bloggers have been through a very similar dilemma!
My first thought is that family always comes first. I’m sure the reasons you started were to try to spend more time with your family (this was a big reason for my URL make time online)
However, I really do believe that doing this can eventually create much more time and create an income.
I don’t want to throw advice at someone as it can be different for each person but I’ll let you know what I have done recently:
Sarah (my wife) and I have sat down and thought about what we want. We have agreed how much time I can put towards this and set boundaries for what happens when I can’t find that time on certain days (things popped up/ something changed).
I have not set monetary goals, but goals such as how many posts to write a week (2) and how many posts to comment on each week (50). My other time goes into interacting on social media (currently I’m not giving this as much time as I’d like).
I’ve found these goals have provided a focus and helped me to be more productive with my 2 hours a day, whilst not taking family time away (obviously I keep stretching this and Sarah has to give me a talking to every now and then!!)
I hope that helps, please do let me know if you have any questions. If you’d like to chat on the phone/ skype just let me know. I always enjoy speaking to people on a similar path!
Take care,
Mike
Thanks so much for sharing this post with us, Mike. It was interesting to read the other bloggers answers to your questions, and to read your story as well. I enjoy your blog very much and thanks again.
Joan
My Best Friend Adeline
http://kindness-compassion-and-coaching.com
Hi Joan,
Thanks so much for your answers and I hope other people’s answers helped you. They have certainly helped me!
It’s amazing at how many people have a similar reason to start and how the majority really want to help others.
Mike
Hey Mike,
This is a great article that explains a lot about blogging! It is different for everybody that blogs and of course, for different reasons. I really liked the Twitter “briefs” that again showed different reasons for blogging.
If I would have to identify myself to one of them I would have to say that the last one “@budgetsAreSexy” would be the best fit for me except that the answer for no. 3 is not the worst part for me. It’s actually how I get myself to push myself even more. I would also have to add that “helping others finding a solution to their problems” is also a big part of No. 1. just like you describe!
It is all about sharing ideas and ideals!
I have bookmarked your website for future inspirations!
Hi Denis,
Yeah, it is amazing how everyone has a slightly different reason but as you say most come back to help others find a solution to their problems.
What systems do you use to monetise your blog? I always find that interesting and personally I think it’s a side to blogging that is not talked about enough. As you can see from most answers to Q3, most people are interested in it. I think it’s great to share ways to do this and it’s something I am looking to find out more about all the time.
Thanks for stopping by!
Mike
Mike,
To be honnest, I started blogging because of the writing. And soon confronted with the reality of webbuilding and hosting I had to seek a platform that helped me with the learning and technical stuff. It leaded me to the wealthy affiliate platform. To become a fan, just like you. The program also teaches how you can earn from your writing on the long term. And for those who are interested do not miss the black friday offer…
Thanks for sharing!
I think that’s such a good reason to start with Wealthy Affiliate. It really is a platform for people interested in writing and not that interested in the techie stuff, I’d never thought of that! It allows you to spend your creative time writing rather than having to figure out all the tech to get your site working better.
I heard about this offer, can you explain what the Black Friday offer is? I believe it’s a discount for the paid version?
Thanks again,
Mike
Yes, Mike. The Black Friday is indeed a huge discount. I took advantage of it last year, and I was refunded the difference with my previous payments. I had gone yearly before. Meaning, my renewal is the black friday offer. Hope this helps a little
Ah awesome!
The reminder on my phone will make sure I’m ready! Thanks for letting me know!
Mike
Thanks for that useful information about blogging. I have started blogging for my website with Wealthy Affiliate, but until then had never had any experience with it. Your post has really enlightened me about other reasons to blog not necessarily to monetize a website. I don’t consider myself a good writer, but I guess if you have a story or experience you want to share, then it is easier.
The benefit of being involved with Wealthy Affiliate is that you are part of a large community of like minded people who provide guidance along the way, and all the training needed to build your website.
Thanks for a great post.
Hi Greg,
Great to hear that you’re using Wealthy Affiliate too. I find the community is amazing as well and the training is superb. I really like that it allows me to spend all of my time creating content and interacting with visitors and reading other people’s work, rather than having to figure out how to do the techie stuff as it walks me through it!
I actually think the best bloggers or books I’ve read are not necessarily the best writers. They are usually the most honest and open.
Have got any tips on how to monetise a website?
Thanks for stopping by,
Mike
Hi Mike,
The best advice I can give is to follow a guy named dylanrieger on Wealthy Affiliate. I came across his trainings, in particular, one called ‘How to create a 6 figure website’. It really turned things round for me, and many others in WA.
Hi Greg,
Thanks so much!! I checked out his training and it looks like such a good one thanks for the recommendation!!
It has been bookmarked because I think it’s one I’ll have to keep referring back to along the way.
Thanks again,
Mike
Hi Mike,
Love your content and I would also like to share a little of my past. I started to learn how to make a website a few years back and failed. I got serious about 2 months before this and actually made my own website and owned a domain of my own. At first, I started blogging for fun and to share some thoughts I have and then later, I thought of monetizing it to pay for my site maintenance and domain ownership.
We blog for different reasons and you are right. Our reasons change overtime. I love how you said that as I know that I am not alone. Maybe there will be time that we need money to monetize our site, but I also know that the main reason I started blogging is to share my thoughts, ideas and ultimately to help people.
Once again, thank you so much for your blog post, I definitely got an idea and some more motivation to continue blogging. I rarely read other people’s blog post recently because I am busy.
Thanks again for sharing, I really took a lot from this
Jason
Hey Jason,
Thanks so much for your kind words!
I took a lot from reading other people’s reasons too! I found it amazing how many people do blog to help other people rather than to make money. Great to hear about your story, your website looks great too!
I have realised that most people are interested in making money through their blogs though so this is something I am going to keep learning to try and make this a place where people can get tips and advice on how to monetise a blog.
Have you got any advice on this/ have you found anything that works particularly well?
Mike
Hey Mike,
The way I found that would work is to continue making original content. Content that would help people, if you could help people, more will come. Just press on. As a saying goes: If the car gets slower, press harder.
If you are a starting blog, just continue working on it. You learn and at the same time, those content you have made will climb up to the top.
The tip I could give is never ever give up easily. The Jouney will be hard but is surely worth it.
Jason
Hi Jason,
Thanks so much for this!
I genuinely believe it is impossible to fail if you don’t give up. So it seems like an obvious thing to do… keep going!
Mike
That’s a REALLY awesome question Mike!I’m a veteran internet marketer and recently, after two decades of IM I’ve decided to create my first blog … And as you said everybody has different reasons and motivations … Money, self-expression, community building, lifestyle, etc, etc … Or it could be just a simple hobby.This is why I like to say that defining “blog” is a fool’s errand. A blog is whatever you want to be … And usually, a blog is whatever you are! And in my opinion this is the real answer to your question. Why do people create blogs? Because, they can create their own virtual kingdom where they can act as almighty rulers and infallible “prophets”.
Let’s face it: deep in our hearts we all want to have our own kingdoms and we all want to be kings over our realms …
Hi Zed,
Thanks so much for your thoughts!
I do think the question “why do people create blogs?” opens up completely different views. I like your take that a blog is whatever you are!
How have you been using internet marketing without a blog then? I’ve read a lot around email marketing and using an opt-in page I’m just wondering what you’re personal experience has been?
Thanks for stopping by,
Mike
Thank you for the feature Mike. Thee is some great info here and the input of some awesome bloggers.
Hey Andrea,
Thank you for your answers, I’ve learnt a lot from speaking to you! There really are a lot of awesome bloggers here, I really enjoyed learning more about each of them.
Thanks for stopping by!
Mike
Hi I found this article very absorbing. I’ts very well laid out and informative, many people have different reasons for blogging and I thought most people did it for financial gain. Maybe not. Thanks for this post.
Hi Stephen,
Yeah, I think you are completely right. Not many people do seem to blog for a financial gain, but to help other people out with certain problems.
What are your reasons for starting your website? Do you currently monetise it?
Thanks for your thoughts!
Mike
Hi Mike,
This is a good piece. I really like the idea of your simple twitter questionnaire.
I think blogging for the love of it is really what motivates a lot of people and the money part really comes in later depending on the purpose of the blogger.
Thanks, I enjoyed the piece
Isaiah
Hi Isaiah,
I found the answers and speaking to each “Tweeter” really interesting. I certainly learnt a lot through it!
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. Something I have learnt is that it makes things harder to monetise a blog that hasn’t been set up properly from the start, plus it can be confusing/ concerning for your readers if you start advertising things all of a sudden.
Supposedly things like an actual domain, certain keyword plugins and the speed of your website contribute to how well your website will feature on search engines. Plus the honesty from the start of your website explaining some adverts and affiliate links helps to build trust with the audience from the start.
This was the main reason I started a new website (this one!) when I wanted to monetise my blog! Wealthy Affiliates has really helped me set this up better and allow me to focus on writing and engaging with others.
Thanks for your thoughts,
Mike
Hello Mike,
Thank you for writing this post and for inviting me to be a part of it. It’s an honor.
It’s really an eye-opener to find out why our blogging friends started their blogging journey. It’s heart-warming to see that most of us really just want to help others as we grow into blogging. This will remain to be a strong motivation for all of us.
Best,
Sigrid
Hi Sigrid,
Thanks so much for your answers. I learnt so much from reading everyone’s and you’re so right, it is heartwarming to see each person’s main reason being to help people!
I’m looking forward to reading more of your work!!
Mike
Great post! I love blogging because it has helped me achieve focus in my life and because I love networking with other bloggers from around the world.
Reading your survey results has been quite interesting and I am surprised by all the ‘hobby bloggers’ out there, since many of my blogging friends blog professionally, and I do not know any hobby bloggers.
I was surprised by @BudgetsAreSexy saying monetizing is the worst part of blogging! I suppose that is why many are not doing it?? I monetized immediately, and made a sale in the first 3 weeks that my blog was live so I do not get this lol.
Hi Irma,
That’s great to hear!!
Yeah, it really surprised me how many people blog without a monetary incentive. It’s how we started so I completely understand but as you can see with almost all of them, they would like to monetise it at some point in the future (if they aren’t already!)
I’m guessing @budgetsaresexy means all the extra work put into the blogs to ensure it can be monetised is the worst bit? I’d guess he likes the writing side of it, but I can imagine other bloggers would love the techie and networking side of it!
That’s amazing to hear you made a sale in 3 weeks, have you got any advice for a blogger looking to monetise it?
Thanks again,
Mike
As someone who has a blog, this definitely struck a chord with me – in a positive way. After browsing the comments, I agree most people start blogs with the sole intention of generating a profit. It doesn’t need to be that way. A good blog stems from passion for a subject that you want to share with an audience. Monetization is an afterthought. Helping people is always first in my opinion. If the blog helps people and is valuable, money will come. Great post!
Hi Dave,
Yeah, I think it is clear from all of the bloggers in this post that their first thought is to help people or to do it for enjoyment. That makes sense seeing as I have followed most of them over the last year and they all seem to be improving with their content and audience.
There have been many other bloggers I have followed throughout the year who have just disappeared and I believe the reason behind blogging plays a big part in this!
Thanks for your thoughts,
Mike
Hi Mike,
I really enjoyed this article. I too used to think that blogging was a thing of the past but I didn’t realize how big of a thing it still was until I started about 6 months ago. I have one personal blog with no intent to monetize and one that I created with the sole purpose of creating a second income. The one thing I noticed is that I tend to write far more openly on the one that I do not plan to monetize. Not sure why that is but I think it’s the feeling that you have nothing to lose so why not say what you want. When you have potential “customers” it’s definitely different. Money can sure change things. Thanks for writing this.
Hi Dan,
Thanks so much for this! I do think it’s good to have a place where you can write anything and everything that comes to your head. Sometimes this will inevitably stray away from your monetisation niche so it may not be appropriate to post in that blog.
I think ideally the best blog to have is one where you can write anything you want but then link it back to the niche in some way. Maybe disperse these in-between the “money maker” posts?
Just a thought I definitely don’t have all the answers, but it’s something I’ve tried to do on this website when possible!
Thanks for stopping by again,
Mike
Hi, Mike!
I enjoyed this article, and it was so interesting to read other people opinions about blogging. It made me think about my reasons to do so. In fact, your article gave me an idea for my own future post. Thank you!
I always wanted to help people, and I believe that now with my blog I help people deal with stress and find answers to their questions. But I started my own blog when I found the site that you are promoting. The other reason for my blogging is to reach financial freedom.
Thanks for sharing this post and for your great website!
Hey Linda,
Thanks so much for your kind words, it means a lot!
I do think it’s really important to reflect and remember why we do what we do. It’s something that I am struggling with at work at present as I’m finding it is not aligning to my vision and purpose as much as it used to.
This website completely aligns with this, so it is a way for me to centre myself and hopefully help others trying to do the same thing.
As you can probably guess from the website URL, it is all about freedom for me and I’d love to help others achieve it too!
Thanks again,
Mike
Hey Mike,
Interesting to know that many of these bloggers create blogs out of passion and not because of money, hard to find people like those nowadays and I’m sure they’ll reach success pretty soon. You know what they say, work hard and money will come when you least expect it.
Hey Riaz,
Yeah so true!
I have spoken to a lot of bloggers over the past year but these ones have stood out for me. I don’t think it was any surprise what their main reasons were for starting to blog and I’m sure they will only find good things out of doing it!
Thanks for stopping by!
Mike
Really interesting read for someone who’s just started blogging and has no idea why they’re blogging!
Hi Hannah,
Yeah, I found it super helpful to clarify my own reasons and really think about it more clearly.
I do think to be successful at blogging there has to be a deeper “why”. I hope it helps. Have you thought more about why you started?
Mike
Hi Mike!People are writing blogs for many reasons. As they stated in your post. After my opinion it is best way to promote yourself, your business, your talents, your skills, knowledge, etc.Sharing information on internet is what search engines want. Yesterday only people around the world wrote more than 3 millions blogs. And this number is expanding. I call it “blog culture!” Not all blogs are of high quality and interesting. That is normal. Contrary, there are many valuable and high-quality blogs presented out there. The biggest question is: “how to stand out?”The answer: write regularly and write valuable stuff and overdeliver! How else, right?I like to write as well. With every blog I write I get better, so other people as well.Therefore, I can only recommend, start writing!Thanks for sharing your post!Stay well, maket better, convert best!Igor
Hi Igor!
I think you have hit the nail on the head…
write regularly and write valuable stuff and over deliver!
As far as I can tell what makes the best “bloggers” stand out is these 3 things. Everything online is really a blog from a news article to information on stocks and shares…
The best ones find solutions for their readers and keep them coming back for more!
Why did you start blogging?
Mike
I am a blogger and an affiliate marketer, for me, blogging is all about helping others and sharing your knowledge about a subject that you love. If you don’t have a passion for what you write then your readers will see right through that and you probably will never see them again.
Here are my answers to the questions that you asked and feel free to use them in this great post of yours so hopefully, more people will understand that not all bloggers are out to scam them.
1) I started my blogs a couple of years ago after suffering from a heart attack at the age of only 38, I was in the construction business for 20 years so needed a calmer job that I could take my time with. I never thought I was any good at writing but it just came natural talking about something that I loved and being able to help and educate people that came to my blogs and websites.
2) The reason hasn’t changed whatsoever, I still love to write and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I was, of course, a bit rusty at first but writing just comes naturally now and I have found a new passion in life.
3) Being a family man with a wife and 4 children, all boys, I needed to make some money from this new found passion of mine so I have been doing some affiliate marketing and also have a few advertisements scattered around on my blog, as much as I love writing and sharing my thoughts about things, I still have to look after my family and make sure they are taken care of.
I really enjoyed this post and being able to share my experiences with you, keep up the great work buddy.
I will send you an email with my details if you want to put these answers up on this post 🙂
Hi Matthew,
Thanks so much for your response! It’s great to hear why you started blogging. I hope you are alright now and it’s great that you’ve found something to suit your lifestyle.
You sound like a great guy, I’d love to put this into the post!! Please do send me an email and I’ll get back to you right away.
If you have any other thoughts or questions please do let me know!
Mike
I found it so interesting to read that there were so many people blogging, just because they have something to say. With all the articles you find around the web, you get the feeling that everyone is blogging to make big piles of $$ and that they are succeeding as well.
This article gives a refreshing insight into the world of bloggers! I have tried different things in the make money online side of things and haven’t succeeded yet and mostly because my heart wasn’t really in the topics. So now I am going in a totally different direction and write about what makes my heart sing because I have a lot to share. I’ll figure out if and how to monetize it later.
Linda… you are so right!!
If you don’t have a passion for something then it will always come across in your writing.
Personally I think it’s quite hard for people to have a real “passion” for something they blog about initially. I have found from my own experience is that I have an interest in it… People read it and I feel like I make a difference… then the passion starts to come in. I think this would be amplified if there were monetary incentives too!
I have learn that creating the habit of blogging and interacting with others blogs has to be the first step. Until this is in place there is no point in trying to make money from it!
What is your new website about then?
Mike
Awesome article, nice to read about so many valid reasons which can lead different people to blog. I just loved it when I read about people who can just blog to help people and don’t monetize their blogs that’s awesome. I have, no website I call my own right now but your article inspired me so much, I will have to start blogging right away, but I will be monetizing my blogs though :). My question on blogging is what is needed to start blogging, do I need any capital?
Thank you so much for a great article
Hi Ngonidzashe,
I find the term “blogging” can come with negative connotations with it. However, anything you read online is a blog pretty much.
Great question! The short answer is no you don’t need any capital. You can make a free website with wordpress right now and away you go…
However, if you plan to monetise your blog you will want certain things set up to allow this.
Most websites that monetise “blogs” will have their own domain name (can be bought for around $15) and hosting (can range from $2-anything per month).
This makes the website more official and ranks better on search engines, making it easier for more people to find your website, hence click on things or buy things you are an affiliate of (hence make more money from it).
The best advice I can give is to try writing about a topic that you’re interested in and post at least 1 article a week. If you enjoy it then at least you know you could stick with it…. If you hate it then maybe blogging is not for you.
What would you potentially write about if you were to start?
Mike
Happy to find this article.
There are so many people who love writing and not even have ideas on how they can monetize their work. Or sometimes they simply don’t want to earn money because they think: “My mission is to help people, not to earn on them”. Personally, I don’t see anything wrong in monetizing writing skills. Anyhow the readers will continue searching and will end up buying some products. However, they will buy from those bloggers who monetize their blogs and helping to answer their questions… All those blog writers are in love with writing so why not to monetize their work and be financially independent. It’s the same as loving physics and becoming a physics teacher…you are just monetizing what you love…
Great thoughts!
I actually heard an exact opposite argument to what you said before the other day.
Someone was saying how they never played football for money because it was their “hobby”/ “passion”. They thought that after monetising it they would find it more like work so never wanted to do it.
Personally I think if you enjoy something and can help others and you can make money from doing it then you should. Generating enough money to not have to work would mean you could spend more time on this project, hence help more people and therefore make more money.
This extra money can be used to actually help more people again!! There’s very little we can do in this world without some financial input so, for me, it’s crucial if people really want to help people to monetise it.
Do you currently have a website that you monetise?
Mike
Hi Mike. I started blogging about 4 months ago due to the fact that my finances had collapsed . Working 9 to 5 for 30 plus years has proved to be a complete waste of time. I have less money now that then I started. The world has changed and this way of doing things seems to give me a different option as I am trying to free up my precious time .
Do not believe anybody that says this is a get rich quick scheme. I was sold that. It is somthig that takes hard work and a lot of dedication. Do you agree with me on these Points?
I am continuing to do this as it gives me a voice and a hobby . I enjoy writing about football, something o am passionate about. Will I make any money out of it? Who knows only time wil tell me that.
Thank you for sharing this article.
Best wishes to you
Matthew
Hi Matthew,
Thanks so much for your honest comments.
I 100% agree with you, if there is a course selling it as a plug in a play money box… it’s a scam. It’s as simple as that. Making money online through “blogging” is just the same as any other business.
If you want it to do well you will have to spend time and effort on it.
Will football make money? Well yes it definitely can, but you need to think how you are solving people’s problems and what “sub-niche” you will choose.
A quick 2 mins research shows me that football has up to 150 million (too many) active users on FB that look into football. However only 250,000 (too few) monthly users are interested in beach football.
You would need to decide what sub niche you would focus on i.e. goalkeeping/ football betting/ coaching females etc.
I wrote more about this here (check out the youtube video- this could save hours on deciding your niche!!)
https://maketimeonline.com/how…
I hope that helps.
Please let me know if you have any more questions. You sound like someone that really wants to do well in this!
Mike
Hi, Mike!
After reading your article, l came to a concluded most blogger created their first blog for the sake of hobby or help people to solve their problem. But as time passed by, they started to monetize their blog hoping to gain some financial gain in return. I think this ethical as we spend our time and money in maintaining our blog.
Honestly, l started to my blog for the sake of making money but unfortunately it doesn’t materialise as l was too rush into affiliate marketing. I need to have enough audience before monetizing my blog and this has been emphasized by Wealthy Affiliate, time and time again.
And with the affirmation from your eye-opening article, l change my plan towards my blogging strategy.
Best regards
Zayn
Hi Zayn,
Thanks so much for your comments. It seems like a very common problem that people have with blogging and it’s a problem I intend on solving.
From what I’ve learnt, it seems like it does no harm to have affiliate links and adverts in your blog from the start. This way if your page ranks on Google’s first page a later date people can still click affiliate links that are on the page.
The traffic and engagement is definitely a big part of blogging but the thing that will always matter is the QUALITY content.
Nothing can beat this over time and if you find solutions for your readers it will only do better and better.
How long have you been blogging for?
Mike
This was a very interesting read and I got some tips out of it. What surprised me was the fact that many bloggers aren’t monitizing their sites… One was saying that she wanted to grow the DA (Domain Authority) first and create a community. This was an interesting fact, but like you said, it will be a lot more work to monitize the site afterwards. However, Google ads or another ads platform is something that is quickly added. Going over all the articles and start adding affiliate links is a whole other story…
Hey Laura,
Thanks for your great comment!
Yeah I 100% agree with you. My first blog that I started was very similar to what you are saying. My focus was to improve DA and grow interaction. The more I learnt the more I realised it was going to be a monstrous task to monetise it efficiently and it would take a different path altogether.
I’m so glad that I found Welathy Aaffiliate which has focused my website on being set up correctly from the start.
Do you monetise your website in any other ways other than affiliate links/ ads?
Mike
This is a really nice post with a lot of different views to think about. I’ll be coming back when I need some inspiration to keep going. Thank you!
Hi Tricia,
Thanks for your comment.
I learnt so much from doing this so I hope it can help others too!
Mike