It’s a simple question that may have many, many answers, but when it comes to blogging we all have our own ideas on why we actually do it.
Some may blog on the personal side while others may find it as an avenue to promote their business, some may even blog just to make money from their posts, while may even just enjoy blogging about anything and everything on their blog to have a laugh.
But when it comes to blogging, what does it mean to you?
Do you take it so seriously that you’re blogging about everything and even posting more that one post a day, or are you just blogging for fun and posting when you feel like it. I’ve been blogging for a while now and my blog is known as a mixed bag, though lately it has been mainly for Blogging Tips and since opening the blog up to guest posters it has been getting a good collection of posts for a “mixed bag” blog.
It has crossed my mind from reading up on blogging that a lot of people say stick to a niche and you will get more readers and hits to your blog which in turn increases the popularity and Google ratings, but does it, I’ve seen many blogs that are not in a niche and they have a good collection of comments as well as good ratings in the search engines and page rank etc.
Take a second and leave a comment with what blogging means to you.
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{ 67 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi, Very nice to see this topic here. I had a big fight with one of my friend few days back regarding Blog. He was saying that if we are not earning from Blog then that blog is not considered as Blog. What is your input in this answer?
.-= Kevin S @Free Vector Graphics´s last blog ..Orple Wallpaper =-.
@Kevin S @Free Vector Graphics,
I can’t agree with your friend. There are many reasons to write a blog and making money is only one of them. Some examples would be; to express yourself and use your creativity, to persuade people to your point of view, or to build your image or sphere of influence.
.-= Ned@Real estate investing´s last blog ..1099s Are Due! Have You Sent Yours Out? =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Kevin S @Free Vector Graphics, I would say that blogging is personal to everyone so to your friend it means making money, but a blog is for information on any subject not just for making money.
Twitter: moralde_lyontwitter.com
@Kevin S @Free Vector Graphics, Nowhere in the original meaning of ‘Web Log’ was there anything that says a site should be earning some money in order to be called a blog. I’ve got a site that is earning money and I don’t even call it a blog. I just refer to it as my ‘business site’. On the other hand, I’ve got a ‘mixed bag’ blog that barely earns anything as I prefer to make it a personal site so I could just write anything on it and not be limited by a niche boundary of sorts. Perhaps it’s time someone coins a term for a blog that earns and another for a site that doesn’t?
.-= James Moralde´s last blog ..Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga =-.
@James Moralde,
Thanks to everyone for your valuable inputs.
.-= Kevin S @Free Vector Graphics´s last blog ..MyOffice for Wordpress =-.
Twitter: AlisonMSmith
January 1 was my 7th anniversary of starting my first blog. It’s still around and is a popular group blog now.
I see blogging mostly as a venue to store and present information. If I’m passionate, concerned, interested in something, it usually goes on a blog. There’s ebb and flow, but I’ve been generally consistent at it all these years.
.-= Alison Moore Smith@Start Blogging in 1 Week´s last blog ..Blogging: How to Make Money =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Alison Moore Smith@Start Blogging in 1 Week, thanks for your input Alison
>people say stick to a niche
I wonder this myself. My blog is mainly about real estate. But my interests go into marketing, business, blogging, motivation, success etc. I wonder if it would be better to include all of these or just focus more on real estate.
Hopefully other commenters will give me some insight.
.-= Ned@Real estate investing´s last blog ..1099s Are Due! Have You Sent Yours Out? =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Ned@Real estate investing, I’ve never stuck to a niche, though I have tried a few times, I just blog about what I want, it’s more fun
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Blazing Minds Interviews Tyson Chaney from Life 2000 =-.
Twitter: jsinkeywest
Blogging to me personally is a give and take between two people.Blogs that the owner doesn’t interact with people is a sales page.The act of blogging to me is when you go around visiting blogs and think of something to add to your own blog.
prob not LOL
HINT Peace thanks
Ultimately blogging let’s you meet people from around the world and in the process everyone benefits.I know I do and I hope people get something for what’s on my mind
PS that comment luv link is some generous post
Karen I have a lot of respect for your work Nice post
.-= John Sullivan´s last blog ..Do follow Comments with page rank for YOU =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@John Sullivan, Thanks John, I’m trying to improve my blogging via Guest Posts and the input from fellow bloggers is much appreciated
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Snow Causes a Standstill in North Wales! =-.
Twitter: jmclary
I originally started my blog to make money, but as time as passed, its the interaction with other people and the personal satisfaction of creating something that has taken over my motivation.
.-= Jim Clary´s last blog ..Why Do You Blog? Part 4 =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Jim Clary, I’ve seen a few blogs that started blogging for money and then slowly developed in to a blog of all sorts instead, which are far more interesting
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..How to Take Control of your Twitter Followers =-.
Blogging is my passion, its a mode of interaction with peoples and making friends who has interest in similar fields.
Now that I have gotten into the habit of blogging, I can’t imagine life without a blog.
if I have enough enemies, I can even start a blog to scold all of them.
.-= scheng1´s last blog ..What is blogging? =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@scheng1,
but do you think you’re addicted to your blog 
Twitter: FamousBloggers
I like your mixed bag Karen, I see that you are active on blogging, more wishes for your to gain the success!
I am so serious about my blogging life as it’s my source of income, so there nothing else to say!
.-= Hesham @ FamousBloggers´s last blog ..5 Tips To Boost Your Guest Blogging Success =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Hesham @ FamousBloggers, Thanks Hesham, I think it’s my mixed bag style of blogging that brings the readers in
Twitter: FamousBloggers
@Karen @ Blazing Minds, You are so successful on making it true!
.-= Hesham @ FamousBloggers´s last blog ..Join The First Making Money Online Social Network and Bookmarks website =-.
Blogging to me is an addiction! :high:
I started blogging to promote a business locally, it worked so well I never looked back. Now I write about a mixture of topics including SEO, blogging, time management (which I am not very good at) wordpress stuff, etc… And I also blog about fences on my fence products site.
For the last 2 years, blogging has kept me going….
.-= Keith´s last blog ..Are You Getting Things Done? =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Keith, I’ve spoken to a few blogger and it seems that a lot start blogging mainly for business and then went on from there.
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Photo A Day Update! =-.
I find it easier to offer a variety of subjects and wouldn’t mind generating a little money from my efforts although that is not the primary reason for my blogging. Now I do it to share a bit of my life and experiences, interact with others, and [hopefully] hone my writing abilities.
.-= Anne´s last blog ..Auto Speak with Dip Stick =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Anne, you certainly sound like you are enjoying blogging and that’s important
Twitter: tycoonblogger
Hi Karen – nice to see your post here. I started blogging several years back as a way to promote my resume writing business. It sid not take me long before I was addicted. I have since started and sold several blogs and in the process discovered that what I love blogging about most is blogging. I enjoy the sense of community that exists between bloggers and I love the give and take as well. I think it is very cool that I can visit a dozen blogs in a day and learn new things. It is also cool when peole stop by my blog and thank me for teaching them something or highlighting something they did not know about. For me blogging has changed over time and know it is something I look toward to doing daily. It is a serious hobby that I get paid for doing. Pretty cool as I have many hobbies that have cost me a Lot of money.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Tycoon blogger @promote your blog, I must admit that I must start commenting on your blog a bit more often, I visit a lot and have learned many things from your blog
When I first came online in a business capacity, blogging was very new; I think Blogger and 1 or 2 other freebies were running at the time. I was one of those that was quick to say that blogging was for the ultra egotistical…and I was right at the time. LOL
I was also very lucky to find myself a mentor within the first year or two of my online business life; Wordpress had recently begun (first blog, 2.0.4) and I was trying desperately trying to get traffic to my e-commerce site I had at the time.
She said, you must blog! I floundered a bit until I got the hang of it and I hit upon the specific niche purpose I continue today…coaching others in direct sales with both online and offline marketing.
Why? Without making this comment even longer, specific “company” training, well…sucks.
I believe you both (Karen/John) can expect backlinks as this is a real good question I will be asking my readers as well.
.-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..Updates – Latest $10 Domain Winner, Latest Move News, and more. =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Dennis Edell, Thanks for the comment Dennis and for been an active blogger over on my blog, it would be interesting to see what comments you get back from your readers with the same question
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Saturday Six – Blogging Tips =-.
I think blogging is just awesome. You have the chance to write to the world, literally. People from all around the world can read your thoughts and views on your blog. Hundreds of years from now (assuming your web host is still around, though I’m sure wordpress in blogger will push through the ages) your blog could be a historical mark that aracheologists read to try and better understand people of the past. Wouldn’t you like to read Benjamin Franklins blog? Or Abraham lincoln? Or just some regular folks that lived in the 1700′s or earlier. Maybe in a hundred years we will record the blogs on the web for historical purposes. I dunno, just an interesting thought that came to mind about blogging.
.-= Kaja@Kajanova´s last blog ..Ingenious Mosquito Vaporizer =-.
Twitter: extremejohn
@Kaja@Kajanova, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I am curious just how much digital is too much digital, when does it become too much? If ever?
Let me add another comment. Long before I had a blog I would go to real estate investing forums and leave comments. I enjoyed sharing my knowledge and answering questions. My blog now gives me my own forum to share my ideas, and beliefs.
While I created my blog for business purposes the business benefit has been modest, the creative outlet is more important to me.
.-= Ned Carey´s last blog ..1099s Are Due! Have You Sent Yours Out? =-.
Twitter: extremejohn
@Ned Carey, I love the creativity and endless canvas of learning, or at least what seems to be.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Extreme John, I say that was a bit poetic, the “endless canvas of learning”, I like that I’ll have to try and use that somewhere
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Blazing Minds Interviews Tyson Chaney from Life 2000 =-.
Twitter: extremejohn
@Karen @ Blazing Minds, haha I have been called a lot of things before, but “poetic” certainly never made the list. Let me know if you tie it in somewhere, and EXCELLENT job on the communication in your guest post I appreciate it.
Twitter: myblog2day
In my thought, blogging can be separated to two field, one is personal and one is business. Many people blog because of money while some of them blog for interest or hobby. People who blog for interest, says blogging about their personal life, when they get decent traffic to their blog and they may try to make money from their blog too.
For me, I have few blogs, some blog built for make money while some of them just for interest (I do have a food blog and personal rant blog).
Karen, glad to see your guest post again.
Cheers,
Lee
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Lee Ka Hoong@Make Money Blogging, Thanks Lee, glad you enjoyed my guest post
Twitter: ComplaintMan
Great post, Karen.
I started blogging as an outlet to share personal experiences and let others comment on them. And like others have shared above, the people you meet is one of the best experiences you can imagine.
.-= The Constant Complainer´s last blog ..The Party Life =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@The Constant Complainer, Thanks for the comment
Twitter: CellPhones09
For me blogs are regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.
Twitter: ShotOfCoffee
In my opinion not only does a niche blog get better traffic, but it also has lower bounce time and attracts better advertisers. It may not be like that for every site, but that’s the results I’ve personally seen.
.-= Mike @DailyShotOfCoffee´s last blog ..French Roast From Eight O’Clock Coffee Review =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Mike @DailyShotOfCoffee, now that’s because your site is probably a close subject to all us night owls, coffee
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Why I Decided to do a Photo A Day =-.
Twitter: extremejohn
@Mike @DailyShotOfCoffee, your opinion is shared my friend.
Twitter: zxxxt
I started blogging to know the ins and outs of blogging and to learn about internet marketing. Now I think I am getting the hang of it but sometimes I still find myself not knowing what to write or post.
.-= ZXT´s last blog ..Online Faxing =-.
Well I’m doing it for sake of my interest,
just to quench my own desire and I’ve zeal to do everything which makes me feel good. In fact so far I lived my life in this manner
If once I come to know, the way I’m going is right then I care fig for others.
.-= Anna Hayward´s last blog ..Microsoft Launches Natal – XBOX 360 – Hands Free Gaming =-.
Twitter: element321
Great post karen
For me, blogging is a fun time, but I take it serious. I have a set rules, that I try and follow. I my blog is mostly new media, SEO, and about blogging tips. But I like to add my personal life into as well. So basically I blog about whatever I want and when I want, trying to keep it mostly about the above topics.
.-= element321´s last blog ..New Computer Has Arrived! =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@element321, I think breaking a blog up with other things such as you do is great for your readers as it bring a little freshness in once in a while
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..How to Take Control of your Twitter Followers =-.
:high: Impressions mean the count of the banner loads on your website. You see when you go to a website the banners are being loaded and when you go to a subpage they load again.
Blogs such as these by Extreme John are my favorite types. They are non-niche and explore a variety of topics. I like not knowing whether I might be getting a post about Emenim, Tanning, Blogging, Business Tips, or whatever. Life is about perspective and niche blogs lack that. If you don’t approach things from a big picture and wide range of experience and thought, your contributions are not as insightful. For myself, I write about niche “how-to” topics on my home page and then just let it flow on my blog Live Your Way, where I write about everything!
.-= Richard@How To Videos´s last blog ..How To Make Money On eBay =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Richard@How To Videos, now that’s a good outlook, I must make my over to your blog and have a read
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..How to Take Control of your Twitter Followers =-.
Well me I belong to a range of late newcomers to blogging. I blog because I like blogging and on the other hand I also want to earn a little money with my blog so it seems my liking of blogging is a mixture of both: Creativity + Interest in Earning Money
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Alex@Forum Indonesia, as long as you remember that blogging will never make you a millionaire and you enjoy blogging then that’s important.
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Blazing Minds Weekly Round Up – Twitter Websites, Wordpress 2.9, Muppets =-.
Twitter: onesuite
Very good guest post Karen. I can see your post are getting lots and lots of comments. A+++
.-= MichaelR´s last blog ..OneSuite Has Canada Covered! Up to 50% Cheaper =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@MichaelR, thanks, it’s a lot more popular than I thought it would be
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Why I Decided to do a Photo A Day =-.
As a full time blogger I always expect money but the motivation factor is – how much I can share, how much skill I can show and how much place I can achieve on average people mind?
.-= Arafat Hossain Piyada´s last blog ..Get Windows 7 GodMode Right On Your Desktop =-.
Twitter: techfreaks
Blogging for me was giving away information. But as I grew, I started changing. I started posting about my experiences and other stuff, but I dint move from my niche. I love that part!
.-= Rohit Sane@SEO Tips´s last blog ..My 3 Biggest SEO mistakes of 2009 =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@Rohit Sane@SEO Tips, so would you say you have a niche blog with slight dusting of a mixed bag to it
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Photo A Day Update! =-.
Twitter: kikolani
I think of blogging as speaking to an audience about the stuff I want to talk about, without the awkwardness of public speaking discomfort. In my more personal blogs, I look at it as sharing my thoughts and feelings with friends all over the internet. I also think of blogging as a personal discovery tool, finding yourself through writing.
.-= Kikolani@Blogging´s last blog ..Reasons to Love CommentLuv Blogs =-.
I originally started my blog to make money, but as time as passed, its the interaction with other people and the personal satisfaction of creating something that has taken over my motivation. Now is a pleasure write
I originally started my blog to have something to do while looking for a day job (I got laid off).Once things started to take off I decided to blog full time instead and now work from home blogging.However, it is a lot of work and sometimes I think it would have been easier to work for someone else.
.-= Tom – marketing tips´s last blog ..How To Use Twitter As An Education Tool =-.
Blogging to me means adding useful content to the world that helps people and means that they are a more informed person than they were before reading the blog.
Twitter: blogsterblogsire.com
I first started blogging because I heard Google love that sort of thing and it would improve the PR of my website. It wasn’t too long after that that blogging took over my online life and now I blog for the sheer pleasure if it and I no longer give a stuff about PR!
.-= Sire@WassupBlog´s last blog ..The Best Way To Do Weekly Roundup Posts =-.
Twitter: thuesen
(Haven’t read all 30 comments so bear in mind if this has already been said)
I can understand how a niche blog can have more loyal readers since they know what to expect (topics etc), but bloggers like you and me, we just have too much different stuff to write about, so sticking to one niche is just not gonna cut it
Opening up several blogs could be a solution, but boy does that take sooooo much time!!
I tried to open another blog to seperate things a bit. I found that I spent much, much more time blogging and by the end of the day, I would have published less and commented less on other blogs, than when I only had one blog to maintain. After a month, I decided to shut down the 2nd blog.
.-= Klaus @ TechPatio´s last blog ..Zooming In With The Tamron 70-300mm & Nikon D5000 =-.
@Klaus @ TechPatio,
That is kind of what I am struggling with. I want to write on several subjects. The question is not whether to write about them or not but whether to write about them on one blog or separate them into different blogs. Thanks for the insight.
.-= Ned Carey´s last blog ..1099s Are Due! Have You Sent Yours Out? =-.
I use blog as all the solutions of problems i solved myself, which i was suffering.
Twitter: zxxxt
Wow the comments just keeps on coming. Great post Karen. I find it very interesting.
Blogging is already part of my routine, my life but I must admit I’m still in the very early process of being a blogger.
.-= ZXT´s last blog ..Blog Monthly Stats =-.
Twitter: BlazingMinds
@ZXT, Many thanks, I think this post has been one of the most popular posts I’ve ever written
.-= Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Project 365 Photo A Day: Window View =-.
thanks i am Totally impressed wow really intrested.
Blogging can be whatever you want it to be these days. Most sites, whether they’re personal or retailer sites have a blog attached to them. Each blog is tailored to the visitor, giving the visitor the opportunity to engage in discussion relating to the original topic.
Natalie@Vampire Diaries Merchandise´s last [type] ..Last Sacrifice available for Pre-Order
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