Advantages and Disadvantages of Blogging

A blog is a chronological collection of thoughts, pictures, videos, quotes, stories and anecdotes published for the world to read. Currently, the Internet hosts hundreds of millions of blogs. Anyone with an idea and some free time can run a blog. There are many benefits to blogging, but disadvantages do exist. Make sure that blogging is the right choice for you before you start your site. 

Your Blog Is All About You 

A blog is a public display case for your ideas and passions. When you share your knowledge and thoughts with like-minded people, you build a community of contacts who have similar interests or goals. Online communities form organically around a blog, and the conversations that arise from comments fuel new ideas and propel you deeper into your own passions. If you run a business, a blog attracts new customers by offering insights and expert opinions. As you blog, you demonstrate your expertise in your field. Unlike a website, a blog is interactive, and your customers engage with the content on a personal level. They feel compelled to follow along. Subscribers freely provide valuable demographic information, and willingly give email addresses that can be used for marketing campaigns. 

A Blog Can Earn Income 

When your blog gains a sufficient following, you can monetize it by including relevant advertisements. Systems like Google AdSense automatically read keywords from your blog text and customize advertisements that are fed to your page. You are paid a small amount for each view or click on these advertisements. You can also add affiliate links to your blog from online shopping sites such as Amazon or CafePress. Each time a reader clicks through your affiliate link and makes a purchase, the affiliate company rewards you with a commission on the sale. 

Blogs Must Attract and Hold Interest 

If you are blogging for an audience, you are making a commitment. Readers expect regular updates. If you post irregularly or infrequently, your readers will move on to competing sites. Additionally, if your blog posts become repetitive or boring, your community will find something more interesting to read. You are competing with hundreds of thousands of sites. Yours has to continually offer something new, exciting and enticing to keep readership afloat. Blog followers come to expect a certain level of quality. If you post erroneous or misleading information, your online community will not hesitate to let you know. Comments from dissenting readers may be defamatory, insulting or even threatening. Be prepared, don't take it personally, and know when to remove comments or block readers. 

Protect Yourself From Online Theft 

A blog is a potential source for identity theft. Protect yourself by using a pen name and business contact information. Use contact forms instead of providing a direct email address. Keep your personal information off of your blog, and never post your children's names, schools or other family information. By virtue of copyright laws, your online content is your property, and it cannot be used without your permission. Always include a copyright statement on your blog, but be aware that the statement itself does not protect your work from theft. Consider using a service like Copyscape to actively monitor the Internet for potential copyright violations.

Posted in: Blogging