Today actually marks the one-year anniversary of my daily blog's first ever installment (proceed with caution if you'd like to read that first post in another tab). And now that I've been officially blogging for one year now, I can say with total confidence that everyone should have a blog of their own.
Owning a blog is such an inexpensive way to self-host your posts and pictures all in one, centralized location. Not to mention, writing's extremely therapeutic – but if you don't enjoy writing, you don't have to blog that way! (Plus, there's even some opportunities to earn money if you'd like to go that route. Who doesn't love that?)
I'll go into more detail below, so if you need more convincing, keep on reading!
Here's why everyone should have a blog of their own
There are many, many reasons why I think everyone would benefit from starting their own blog. But here are the five main reasons!
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1. Blogs are way more inexpensive than you'd think.
Before starting my blog, I assumed hosting a website was super freaking expensive – but I was wrong. You can buy the domain for just a couple dollars a year (gets twelve months starting at $12.99 on Bluehost!). And from there, you can then host a blog on WordPress or something completely for free. When compared to other hobbies, one that provides hours upon hours of entertainment for only $12.99 a year is nothing.
2. You own everything.
A few weeks ago, I came across this interesting YouTube video (embedded below) that shared reasons why everyone should own a website. In the video, the creator made some pretty good points. Among them, she pointed out that when you own a blog, you own everything.
Unlike other forms of social media, the lifespan of your blog is completely up to you. For instance, remember MySpace? Remember Xanga? What happened to all your content on those platforms? Your pictures, your posts? They're gone, right? Right. Never a problem when you self-host your content.
3. If writing isn't your thing, no problem. Don't write.
There are no rules about what you must or must not do with a blog. So if you want to write on your blog, go for it. But if you'd rather post cat memes, you're able to do that, as well. (Then tag me so I can see them.)
4. There are opportunities to make money.
Maybe this is the American in me – because as Americans, we're so ingrained to monetize every single thing we do – but you really can make money on a blog. Although it may not be much, it's nice to earn a couple bucks here or there just to post about your interests.
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5. Writing is super therapeutic.
While writing isn't a hard and fast blogging requirement (see above point), there's a lot of research showing the connection between writing and improved mental health. So if you choose to go the writing route, blogging is a two-for-one: you get to have some fun and improve your mental health at the same time. We love that.
Read More: Writing Can Help Us Heal from Trauma
My advice? Go forth & create your own blog!
If you've ever thought about starting a blog of your own, this is your definitive sign to get started right now! I'm giving you full permission, and I'm throwing my support behind you.
💡 Tip: Because you'll need a website, I'd recommend checking out Bluehost. There, you can buy a domain with pricing starting at just $12.99 for an entire year.
P.S. The Bluehost link is an affiliate link, which means I earn a tiny bit of commission at no additional cost to you if you decide to purchase your own blog URL!
If you decide to start your own blog, make sure to let me know either in the comments below or on social media. Which leads me to my...
P.P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want more content like it, why not go ahead and follow me on Instagram, share this post, and/or subscribe to the blog? I would appreciate it and you greatly. 🙏🏼