Yeah, you can make a lot of money blogging, but who really does anything solely for the money? You were probably making decent money at your job and now you’ve either quit or you’re thinking about it. Even Donald Trump is in it for more than just the big bucks. There’s a lot more to blogging than just making money. Here are five rewards of blogging that aren’t usually mentioned when you read those $7 guides.
The Freebies
Once you become recognized as an authority in your niche the freebies start flowing in. I’ve received hats and T-shirts, promotional thumb drives and even a tablet. A friend of mine with a recipe blog has received a coffee maker, a blender and tons of different food samples.
It doesn’t take long for freebies to start rolling in, either. Pay attention when you’re on Twitter or Squidoo or your favorite blogs. Somebody’s always giving something away and they might as well give it to you.
The Ego Boost
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called bullsh*t when somebody says, “I don’t worry about promoting my content. I don’t care if anybody sees it. I just blog because I love writing.” And then they turn around and complain because they got bumped off the index!
Nobody writes in a public forum simply because they love writing. If that were the only reason they could use a journal and tuck it under the mattress every night. We blog because we love to have people read what we write, and we love the attention and recognition.
The Invitations
I’ve been invited to submit guest posts to other blogs and articles to online magazines. I’ve been a guest on several podcasts and radio programs and I’ve been invited to conferences. When I was younger I couldn’t buy an invitation to the popular kids’ pool parties and now I’m the one who’s popular.
The Increased Opportunities
Once people start seeing you as an authority in your niche your business opportunities skyrocket. People who’d never talk to you before are asking you to partner up. As your experience working online increases you also start to recognize new avenues you can pursue that will broaden your market and increase your reach. The sky really is the limit.
The Feeling Of Accomplishment
All that fun stuff aside, there’s something to be said for the feeling of accomplishment you have when you turn off your computer at the end of the day. Think back to the days when you were trudging to work. Did you ever think you’d have your own successful business? Sure, it has its ups and downs, every business does. But this is your business. And you built it all by yourself. Even if everything else disappeared, that’s reward enough for me.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below!