You get home from work or from school, put your bag down, take a shower, dress up, and then plop right down in front of your computer. You take a gander at your blogroll, click on every one of your one hundred plus links, read all of your friends’ new blog posts: roll on the floor laughing because of friend number one’s funny story and cry your eyes out over friend number two’s dilemma. After hours of blog surfing, you finally get to start writing your own post, talking in lengths about your entire day.

Of course it’s an entirely different story if you own a money-making blog or if you’re a problogger. Owners of blogs centered on monetization take time to research and extensively study their niches and blogging for their web sites is most probably somewhere around the top of their priorities. Probloggers, of course, include writing blog posts in their everyday schedule. If they’re especially knowledgeable in their niche, it only takes a while to write posts but good probloggers are always on the lookout for the latest trends, news, and current events.

Which brings me to the question – why do you blog?

If blogging is a hobby, why do you blog? You could have just as easily kept a journal to yourself if you wanted. You could have called your “real life” friends if you had a problem. You could have told your joke at a party instead of typing it out. If you don’t earn anything from blogging, why do you blog?

I’m sure I’ll be hearing a lot of answers akin to: “I love blogging!” Yes, I know you have a penchant for blogging, there’s no contesting that. BUT, what is the reason behind that predilection? Have you ever asked yourself that? Thinking about it, here are a few reasons I could think of.

1. Everybody Wants a Small Slice of Fame

Perhaps it’s human nature that’s taken over most bloggers. A lot of people crave fame at some point in their lives. It’s an affirmation of existence and to a certain extent, could be classified as a sub-type of Erikson’s “generativity” phase. Immortality has long been the subject of human beings’ fascination. Why else would many fictional stories revolve around the subject and many mythical objects such as the “fountain of youth” be conjured from people’s imagination? An American writer, Chuck Palahniuk, once said, “We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” Novelists, journalists, painters, directors, and now, bloggers – everybody wants a piece of that immortality pie, no matter how small it is (heck, for some, even crumbs would do).

2. Some People are Just Shy

There are many people who are extremely timid who have a way with written words. For people who can’t seem to open their mouths in front of other people, writing is a major form of catharsis. Perhaps they seek companionship (or at times, even friendship) in their blog communities. Perhaps, they just need to write about what they feel without having to do it in person. After all, even if you post controversial entries, you would not have to answer to anyone personally. There are people who have no fear in stirring arguments – hiding behind the keyboard could only be so convenient. And then, of course, there are those who are natural loners, who would rather type their everyday experience rather than socialize.

3. Some People Seek Others of Similar Interest

I personally know bloggers from several different niches who blog because they don’t personally know anyone who shares their interests. These bloggers have made real friendships with some people in their community and even took this friendships offline. Sometimes when the things that interest you don’t interest your peers, you seek others sharing your interests and passion. Perhaps it’s human nature that’s urging you to do so – the need for peers and company. In the end, the desire to be able to share and learn with others compels some people to blog.

Everything written above is for all those who blog for hobby. But what about those who blog for money? We know how profitable a blog can be for businesses. Frequently updated, it could rake in high traffic. Sufficiently informative, it could be recognized as an authority. Monetized properly, it could actually make money. The possibilities of blogging for business are endless. Probloggers, of course, get paid for their entries. They research their posts, ensure that everything’s timely and well-written, and keep abreast with new trends. Yes, it’s true, money provides a major drive for blogging, no use denying that. But does it end with that? Is money enough to compel a problogger or a company owner to blog? The answer is “YES”, but I don’t believe it ends with that. Even someone driven by money holds a certain degree of affection for blogging.

In the end, through this analysis, we go full-circle. The main reason we blog is because we love it – no matter what our underlying intentions are.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 15th, 2007 at 10:12 am and is filed under Uncategorized. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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