Six Reasons Why I Write A Blog

Why do I write this blog?

This question was asked the other day by someone who is considering taking on the commitment of a blog (yes, there is a commitment involved). His concerns were many, and he pointed out that there are too many blogs already in existence. He thought he would just be part of the noise. He was wondering about how many readers he would get initially. He feared writing his blog and nobody would show up to read it. He wanted my advice how to gain traffic fast.

There was no answer provided, as I do not write this blog for statistics. I write this blog as a conduit to share ideas, focus thoughts, improve my skills, to promote my speaking career, and to create a body of work. My own reader statistics are all over the map. Some posts are barely noticed, others are widely read and shared.

Do not get me wrong, I like having people read my blog (thank you, by the way), but I did not create or continue the blog for numbers. I am not "famous", so people do not flock to my every word. That is okay.

I write for several reasons. Below are six reasons (in no order):

1. Blogging makes me be a better writer. Writing is a skill that needs to be practiced. In the end, a writer is not real unless he or she writes. If one just thinks about writing they are a thinker, not a writer. By committing to this blog, it forces me to fine tune my abilities.

2. Writing helps me focus. I customize every speech I give to an audience. The presentations I give are constantly morphing from week to week based on what is happening in the world, the experiences I have, and the people I meet. Thus, many of my blog posts are directly related to crafting a presentation for an upcoming speech. It also makes me think about what is important to the audience, and not only about the things important to me.

3. The words might help someone. I get a lot of emails and other feedback from people who have read my blog and said that they needed to hear the message I wrote that particular day. If in some way something I put on here helps another person, then the time it takes to write is worth the effort.

4. Search Engine Optimization. I started the blog before the release of the first book. There was a lot of "buzz" about blogs 5 1/2 years ago, and I wanted to make sure I was getting all the online love that was available in cyberspace. It worked. People have discovered my books by finding my blog via search. A client recently contracted my services as a sales meeting facilitator after having found me via a "Google Search" that lead them to my blog.

5. Creating a library of rough drafts. My blog serves as a farm for other products. Speeches, articles, books, videos, etc... have all had their birth on the pages of my blog. When I am asked to work on any type of information product I can go into the archives of this blog and find nuggets of an idea that I can then develop further.

6. Keeps me reading and learning. If you want to write you must be exposed to new ideas, thoughts, points of view and perspectives. Because I write this blog I must force myself to observe the world around me more. It is easy to get myopic and not seek inspirations. Wanting to write makes me read other blogs, books, and follow the news in the areas that I cover.

Have A Great Day.

thom singer