???

The obvious reason is because you enjoy blogging. But Why?

Some bloggers begin with a “fixed agenda”. They have a product to sell or they are part of an organization and have a message they want to get out into public awareness on a professional level.

For many of us, it just seems like a fun thing to start doing.

Currently I’m writing a piece on how to promote your blog site so I recently visited quite a few bloggers and read the various reasons given for why they blogged. (When I was active in the marketing world one of the first questions I would ask a client was what they hoped to accomplish with an advertisement or promotional campaign.)

So the question “Why do you blog” seemed like a good place to start.

The answers were interesting because they were multi-layered and the reasons for blogging morphed or changed a bit over a period of time. The first reason.

• It makes you feel good. The creative process, writing the words/or creating the artistry, displaying the results; photographs, illustrations and videos, music etc.

The second reason was also obvious.

• Wanting to share your words, ideas, (creativity, thoughts, images sounds and moving action) with others. And to share theirs. Learn about their world and what they were/are doing!

The third reason was the most interesting, however. And the reason I think many of us feel a sense of addiction, after awhile, to the blogging world.

• validation. Or more to the point, connecting with others, creating awareness of yourself outside of the world you live in. Being liked and appreciated for who you are and what you’re doing.

In summation, many people set out to blog, to find their own identity, to explore themselves (unaware, to a degree, that this is what they are doing). As soon as we’re old enough to recognize our need for other’s approval, we consciously or subconsciously continue to look for it. And whether we receive it as a child or not, a part of our adult makeup continues to want and need that approval. To be well thought of. Validated as having purpose, value, a worth.

The blogging world is excellent for this purpose. With very little understanding of the how and why of the online technology of today you can create your own blog and connect with others.

The ‘like’ button lets the blogger know his/her current post has been “liked”. The ‘follow’ button let’s the blogger know their posts “in general” are liked and the other blogger wants to “follow” them. The ‘comment section’ allows a blogger to share their feelings about any given post that has been written. The additional ‘multi-media options’ (such as twitter, facebook, linkedIn, google+ and so on) allows others, (visiting your blog), to spread the word (further endorsing that they like what you are doing).

And there you have it. Approval and validation. And don’t think it isn’t important. How many of you are unaware of the numbers of how many visit you, and who they are? And why is it important to you? Just think on this a bit.

So we’ve come full circle back to the question. Why do you blog? It’s for all of the above reasons.

I believe, for most of us, blogging is exceedingly healthy. You reach beyond where you are or where you’ve been, or even perhaps where your going. You set your sights a little higher. You bring potential goals a little closer.

I’ll venture a guess and say that most of the emerging bloggers -including myself – (in the last year or two) as well as those coming out right now, don’t have much of a clue about the technology they are using to communicate with others. They just know they want to.

And that – all by itself becomes an enriching learning process. The global communication system now available to so many of us is an excellent way to learn and grow, share and connect and become more than you’ve been.

So ask yourself, one more time – Why do you blog? Is it to connect and communicate with yourself and others? To share, learn, grow while being creative and interactive? To achieve a greater awareness of who you are and feel good about those discoveries? I’m guessing for most all of us the answer is yes to all the above!

Happy blogging, enjoy the process and create, share, learn and grow, I know I am.

~ Have a great day,

And yes, after a year I decided to change the “theme” of my blog page, I hope you like it!

~ Penny