You may have noticed a different layout on the blog. Late last week, I began changing everything around, creating a fresh look for OnlineMarketerBlog. (And of course, feel free to let me know what you think of the re-design!)
But this process got me thinking about why I blog. I started this re-design almost 10 months to the day since I started blogging and I wanted to figure out why I blog and if it’s worth it. There’s a substantial investment in time, energy, and money. The URL cost $15, a year’s hosting about $100, plus all early mornings, late nights, and weekend hours when I could be sleeping or hanging out with BG and the dogs. So why do it?
In this blog post, I will outline the reasons I blog and give some reasons why I think the medium will be around for a long, long time. It will be from a personal perspective - I hope this post helps those of you already blogging or thinking about starting a blog.
What Has Blogging Done For Me Lately?
Here are some quick reasons why blogging has been beneficial to me. If you’d like to hear more about any particular topic listed below, just let me know.
- Developed my writing skills - Writing for at least two hours per day must have helped my chops.
- Made connections to other bloggers - I’ve connected with amazing bloggers, authors, thinkers, and doers through this blog. (This may be the most surprising and rewarding result of blogging.)
- Discipline of thought and action - Forcing myself to get up earlier, think about complex matters, and produce content on a regular basis has forged great discipline that has crossed over into other aspects of my life as well.
- Developed personal/professional brand - Like Chris Brogan and others have said, a personal and professional brand is a new essential.
- Helped other folks - I really get a kick out of it when people tell me a particular blog post really helped them. ‘Nuff said.
Of course, these are just a few of the ways that blogging has helped me. These benefits are possible for anyone thinking about blogging, if they’re willing to work for it. So is blogging hurting anything? Maybe journalism?




















