Jorn Barger coined the term “blog” in 1997.  It was one of those happy mistakes when he referred to something as a web log, the term was put together (weblog) and then separated out again as “we blog”.  The rest is history, but this history is recent history.  Blogging has only been around for 14 years!  It seems like forever.  Check out 10 reasons why people start blogging and maybe it will inspire you too.

1. Online diary: Many blogs start out as online diaries because it is more convenient for some people to type out their thoughts on the computer versus writing them out long hand in a journal.
2. Moneymaker: There are books out there that can tell you how to make money from blogging.  The more popular your blog is the more subscribers you have and the more likely you are to cultivate vendors and make money from ads posted on your blog.
3. Activist: Some people have an ax to grind and they not only post their own opinions, but they link to other blogs that agree with them.  They may also repost news articles that relate to whatever subject they are blogging about.
4. Sharing a hobby: My favorite blogs are those that share information about their favorite hobby.  They may even include how-to videos so that you can learn how to do it too.
5. Setting a goal: Remember the movie about Julia Child called Julie and Julia?  Julie wanted to learn how to be a better cook and challenged herself to cook every recipe in Julia’s book in a year and then she blogged about it so that she could stay accountable.
6. Helping others: Quite a few blogs start out as a catharsis for the blogger to share something painful that happened to them with the world.  These often turn into blogs that help people in similar situations deal with their own similar issues.
7. Fund raising: Blogs can bring important issues to the forefront and educate thousands and even millions of people about a particular charity.  People can read about the charity and it’s history and then if they want they can donate to it.
8. Creating interest in a business: Sometimes blogs can serve as advertising for a business.  For example, you love to take photos and you blog about it.  This can be just a hobby blog, but if you start taking pictures for people then you can turn it into a business and people that are interested in your work can follow your blog.
9. Discussion forum: Not all discussion forums are blogs and vice versa, but some are.  The big difference between a website and a blog is the interactive aspect of blogs.  Followers of the blog can comment on what the blogger is writing about.
10. Coping with change: When you are forced to cope with a major change in your life sometimes it helps to tell people about it and see what they offer in response.  An example of this one might be Pioneer Woman, she moved from a high-powered job in the city to living on a ranch.  She shared her story with the world and ended up writing a romance novel and a cookbook about it.  She even challenged Bobby Flay to a throw down on his Food Network show.