5 Reasons To Start Blogging That Are Not Monetary

Many people have one blog, if not more than one. WordPress.com indicates 467,926 people have a WordPress site today. I am betting that number is significantly higher next week. I am one within that group, as I began my blog Poetic Parfait in 2011.

Many people begin blogging as a way to earn money, whether by posting Google AdSense ads on the site or by using other avenues. I have found many advantages to blogging that are not monetary in nature. For five reasons alone I give a thumbs up to the advantages of having a site.

Bloggers read other blogs. It is a truth of the writing world.

Although you may have few readers when you publish your first blog post, readership will grow with time. Comment on other blogs and leave a link to your own site. An "I follow you, and you follow me back" approach ensues. Remember there are benefits that are not purely monetary.

The connections with other bloggers are valuable beyond monetary gains. The comments left on your posts will help you immensely. Remember, people who comment are great judges of your work as they are writers themselves.

Positive comments support you in your writing, letting you know what you have done correctly and what are the highlights of the post. Positive feedback from other people pushes you to continue on your online journey; you are are affecting readers and your words make a difference in their days.

Criticisms from readers, whether received as post comments, within an online forum, or by other venue, are also valuable to enhancing your writing skills. Take the feedback about your writing objectively and learn how to improve your posts. You are receiving help, not being attacked. Many bloggers want to support each other as writing online is hard work and support is important.

Blogging requires spending a significant amount of time on the computer. There are many social networks that bloggers join as a way to circulate their posts around the Internet and gain readership.

Given the amount of time online, bloggers are likely to develop new friendships with their followers by way of post comments and through social networks online.

The friendships can extend beyond the platform of your own site. Even if the new friend does not live close to you, you may choose to correspond by personal email as a way to leave longer messages and have ease of communications. Perhaps you begin to interact with each other on Facebook, for example, as well as through your site.

You may find you have much in common with these new connections. I have personal emails with many of my followers and we communicate on many social media networks as well. While it is not in-person communication, I still feel I know some of these people well and I do consider them my friends.

Gaining new, supportive friends is a great reason to start blogging that is not monetary. You are sure to gain more friends as you continue to publish quality posts.

Another reason to start publishing posts that is not monetary is to get used to regularly submitting online content.

Set yourself a goal of how many posts you will publish each week. Many bloggers post three to four times per week. You will then have deadlines to meet as you must publish a certain number of times per week on your site.

You are preparing for the world of writing online. Whether writing for content mills or private publishers, there are deadlines for assignments. You are practicing for these deadlines with your site. You are getting used to writing within a certain time frame.

At the end of a month, you should have a good sense if the deadlines are realistic for you. You will be able to judge if you are likely to be able to continue the blogging journey on a long-term basis. You will be more prepared to ask yourself, "Is writing online something that I want to pursue as a long-term activity?"

Starting your own site is also a great way to add to your own writing portfolio. Perhaps you are having trouble getting freelance writing work. That benefit is more valuable than monetary gain

Create your own platform to showcase your work with a blog. WordPress offers a free basic template for you to start your own site without any money needed.

Along with listing your site on your resume, you can add a slew of skills you attain from blogging. Skills include:

• Ability to use WordPress (or other company) software; technical ability to create site
• Creativity to put together posts with visual appeal (post photos, select font..)
• Photography skills
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) knowledge

These are just a few of the skills you attain. Be sure to include these skills in your resume and attach links to the blog posts that you are most proud to have written in your portfolio.

Having your own blog gives you publisher appeal.

Many publishers who are interested in your work, or are considering you for a vacancy, check to see if you have your own site. If your name is queried online, does you site name appear close to the top of the search page?

Publishers like writers who have blogs largely because the skills earlier mentioned are assumed to be possessed by these writers. As well, the writers demonstrate responsibility and independence as they run their own platform. The writers are serious about contributing quality content online and are dependable. The blogger's online presence is also confirmed.

Perhaps you have recently started blogging and are disappointed that you have not made a lot of money, if any at all. Chin up.

There are many advantages to create a site that are not related to money. The benefits include developing new friendships, enhancing your writing skills, and building your portfolio.

Enjoy writing your posts, and your enthusiasm will show through to your readers as well as to publishers.