Today’s analysis is on the reasons for blogging.

• Money. For some people their blog is a job. They aim to earn money from ads and/or get free stuff. At a fundamental level, their blog is about increasing traffic and publishing based upon maintaining their audience/customer-base. They will write what attracts the most traffic (within reason).
• Reputation. Blogs can be used to develop and support a personal brand. If you aren’t on the internet, then you are out of the game. They will write to build their authority and influence.
• People. Blogs can be a way to engage with like-minded people; to build communities.
• Journal. Some people really do seem to be sharing their diaries online. Others are more like a news feed. I was here. This is what happened.
• Collections. Building an online record of things you are interested in or like. Sharing your collection with others. Sharing your art/ your writing with an audience.

If you aren’t blogging for the first two reasons (money, reputation), then at some point the question will come up – why publish? Why not keep your journal/collection private? Why engage when there are so many trolls?

I have been thinking recently about my reasons for blogging. I really like having this list of things I like. I read my own blog. I like the activity of looking for things that I like. But why publish?

This thinking is related to my previous post about frames. You can frame the world in many different ways – in terms of power, influence, ideas, connection. The value of a blog depends upon which frame you look through.

And then, I get a comment or a like on my blog… and it is nice. But blogging in order to get more likes or comments is a very different game to an online gratitude journal.

So, I’m back again to the question, why am I doing this?