[INFOGRAPHIC] This Is Why You Should Start Blogging

Since 1997 when John Barger first coined the term “blog” by calling his site a “weblog”, blogging has gone from being the newest form of self-expression to a whole new industry. The practice of using your blog as an online journal for sharing thoughts, interest and hobbies has largely remained; the difference is in the fact that blogging has gone from being a hobby to becoming a powerful tool of advancing one’s career, and finally transforming into a full-blown career. Blogging has become an indispensable part of companies’ web presence and is not longer a prerogative of lone enthusiasts. Through blog, companies are informing users of values they stand for, leading them through the sales funnel, offering post-sale support and displaying their thought leadership and expertise. Our recent survey that included 15 072 people, showed that only 4% of them have personal websites, out of which 65% of respondents have a blog. There proved to be several distinct goals our respondents are using their personal blogs for: - 88% of respondents are writing about personal interests and hobbies. Blogging about your interests challenges you to learn more, to grow with your blog in ways and direction you cannot imagine and to interact with likeminded individuals, to form friendships; - 62% of respondents are using their personal blog to grow their career. Blogging about things that are related to your industry can set you apart and position you as a thought leader, or at least signal that you are following latest news and trends and that you know how to express yourself in written form; - 35% of respondents are using their personal blog for promoting their company. A large number of people are using blogs to promote their businesses, which is not surprising considering that people will always put more trust in people than in impersonal companies. As if that is not enough, blogging is also a lucrative business – our survey showed that 61% of bloggers have received job offers as a result of their blog while 60% of them said that they have found new clients.Read less