What Are The Real Perks Of Having A Blog?

Asides from getting free samples and potentially earning a bit of money, I want to talk about the fundamental perks of building and maintaining a blog in 2015. Listing these pros will especially help to motivate those of who are at the early stages of blogging - that radio silence can be SO demotivating!

First and foremost it's a great hobby! This might sound like a no-brainer, but that section of your CV where you list your interests was always the most awkward part for me. Probably because before my blog I never had any activities that didn't include getting drunk at the weekend or updating my Facebook status! The majority of people list the usual crap like music or that sport they haven't played in two years, so imagine how fantastic it looks to an employer when you link your blog and they're able to browse your content and see firsthand what your interests are and what you do in your spare time.

Something which the lovely Hannah Gale has blogged about is the importance of building your own brand, you can read her post here. The core to her discussion is to make a name for yourself through the internet; when done right you create a buzz which can lead to being headhunted, and gaining an entire network at your fingertips. She states that "In many ways, having your own brand is more secure than having a permanent role in a big company, because you're not relying on anyone aside from yourself."

Show off your best clobber! We all own beautiful pieces of clothing which are worn once, tagged on Facebook/Instagram and then never seen again. However now they have a place to be featured. I own lots of embellishment and snazzy gear from my retail days with All Saints, and although I've worn them to death amongst my friends, there's still lots of people who would love to see them in outfit posts for their own inspiration! Wannabe stylists should definitely utilise this idea as an online portfolio or style diary.

If you want to write a meaty text blog then it's a great opportunity to brush up on your writing skills, reading other people's blogs can also really help with this (providing they have good grammar). Or alternatively if you're after a career in writing then it's a good example of work to link to your potential employer in a job application.

Having a strong presence online is an absolute must if you're seeking any form of social media, PR or marketing role. It's all well and good being an active user on every social media platform but having your own blog is taking it to the next level. Natalie Wall has written a fantastic blog post on how brands and bloggers use of social media will change in 2015, this could help give you an idea of the direction you may want your blog to take, you can read it here.

xo