Four Reasons Why You Should Start Blogging This Year

As January draws to a close, and February begins, it's not too late to begin a blog. Here are four reasons you should contemplate taking a leap online...

Have you ever thought about writing a blog?

If so, why?

What would it be about?

Who would it be for?

What would it look like?

How often would you post?

How would you publicise it?

If not, why not?

For many people, deciding to start a blog can be one of the most daunting decisions a person can make. Choosing to give yourself, or to be specific, your opinions, your views, your comments, a platform can be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking.

You can be loved and/hated.

You can be misunderstood, misconstrued and misrepresented.

Or worse still, you can be ignored.

So given the cons attached to the action, why did I decide to created my own blogs and why should you consider it too?

1. It is not as difficult as you might think.

Many people are put off blogging because they figure it would take too much time and even more energy to maintain. Wrong. Blogging no longer has to be a strenuous task, and your commitment level is completely up to you.

Do you enjoy writing stories? You can post small segments on your blog.

Do you enjoy taking snapshots of your day-to-day life? You can include tagged pictures on your site.

Do you like reading novels? Post a review on your blog and invite others to share their own.

When I first started blogging, I told myself (and my growing audience) that I would do one post a day....and it didn't take long for that to fail! After a few lulls and silences on my site, I endeavoured to blog consistently once a week, and allocated myself one specific day a week (usually Saturday) to tidy up my site and ensure my pages were correct.

Another beautiful thing about blogging is that you don't have to do it every day - unless you want to. Thank God for the wonderful developments in 21st century technology, because depending on your chosen host site, you don't even have to post straightaway, but rather schedule a series of posts for whenever you want them published.

2. Someone is waiting to hear your voice.

Just think for a minute about the life-changing moments that happened in 2016. Some may have affected the entire world, others would have affected your life and that of your community.

What if you had had a chance to speak on it? What would you have said?

Your narrative on life is so important, as although it may not always be agreed with by those who read/see/hear it, it must be respected and permitted to exist. Keeping a blog is a reminder that your opinion does and always will matter.

What is it you want to write about? Your content is so everything. I believe that the best blogs are the blogs driven by passion and my blogs are focused on my three main passions: faith, law and young people. Blogging allows me to speak on not only these three topics, but also how they overlap, because as well as being intertwined, they are sometimes in conflict. The second tip once you have found your voice is to think about your content. Think about what you have to say to the world - then write it.

3. You will grow.

Character is so important when blogging. From how we write to what we write about, these decisions say a lot about the type of person you are.

I decided to start a blog on New Years Eve 2013, and I had no idea how much I would change. My language, my stylistic choices, even my opinion on certain topics have completely taken a 180 degree turn to the other side. A blog allows you to grow, to develop your voice and learn from others.

4. If you don't, someone else will.

When I started blogging, I knew I wanted to write about Christianity and I knew I wanted to write about the Law, but I didn't just want to give another opinion - everyone was doing that. So how could I stand out?

Well first, I created two different blogs - one personal and one professional. One for those seeking scriptures, quotes and spiritual motivation, and one for those looking for articles, legal commentaries and case summaries. One blog that tells people more about me, and another that would tell people more about the law.

Rest assured, one thing you will learn from blogging is that no single idea is unique. As much as you may have a great idea for a blog or a post, someone else has (or will have) the exact same idea. They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, and social media is no exception to the rule. YouTube, Twitter, Instagram etc is full of very similar content, some recycled, some duplicates, because everything can be replicated.

Even as I write this, I know someone else may want to write about the same things I do do - but why shouldn't they? A fresh perspective merely helps us better understand any given topic. Whatever your idea is, someone else will have it in two weeks time - so make sure you get in there first.

I hope this post has been helpful. If you do decide to blog, bear in mind the four Cs - decide on your commitment, think about your content, build your character and be creative. If you get a moment, find out more by checking out my blogs at www.stephaniespeakson.com and www.lawlessons4life.com .

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Stephanie Solomon has been blogging since 2013, and currently runs two websites www.stephaniespeakson.com and www.lawlessons4life.com .