WritingThoughts

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There’s been a lot of talk about blogging lately. Some online personalities have stated publicly that as social media becomes more mature and starts to offer more features, there’s little reason to continue with their own blog.

Others haven’t made any such statement, but have constructively abandoned their own blog (not posting for weeks or, in some cases months) while keeping up with a steady social media presence.

I certainly understand why a writer (or anyone else for that matter), might feel this way. After all, I’m busy too.

But (as I’ve said before), I think this is a mistake–especially for writers.

6 Ways That Blogging Improves My Writing

Blogging actually makes me a better blogger. Here are six examples of how blogging improves my writing:

1. Blogging keeps me in practice. They say that practice makes perfect, and in the case of writing it’s really true. The more you do, the better you get.
2. Blogging keeps me in touch with the writing community. I met many of my current contacts through my blog. In fact, several of them eventually became clients.
3. Blogging provides a way to give back. Where else could you share what you know? Your blog is the ideal place to help other writers who are just starting.
4. Blogging gives me the chance to experiment. You don’t want to experiment with a client’s project (unless they ask you to), but with your own blog you’re free to take chances.
5. Blogging gives me a voice. When you write for a client, there are typically some constraints on what you can write about and how you can write about it. The client needs to project an image. Your writing blog, however, can be in your own voice.
6. Blogging serves as an example of what I can do. Sure, I have a portfolio of work that I’ve done elsewhere, but my blog also serves as an example of what I can do.

An Additional Benefit of Blogging

Of course, there’s one other reason to keep up with your blog.

It’s this: when you have a blog, you own something. You can do whatever you want with it:

• You can sell it–several freelancers have made good money by selling their blog.
• You can advertise on it–advertising can provide another income stream for you.
• You can publish stories or photos on it–I can’t say it enough. You can take complete creative license with your own blog.

No matter how much you share on a social media site, that social media site will never truly be yours. It’s like the difference between renting a house and buying a house.

If you rent a house, it may feel like home–but it’s not really yours. There’s a limit to what you can do with your rented house. Plus, even though you live there, your landlord could make changes at any time. They could raise your rent. They could sell the property. They could even decide to tear the house down.

However, if you own a house, it’s yours. You can make whatever changes you want. You can build a fence. You can put in a garden. You can add an addition.

Your Thoughts

Do you invest more time on your blog, or on social media?