40+ Ways Blogging Leads to Success

As we were preparing to start the 31 Days to Building a Better Blog project. I introduced the project by writing

I believe blogging is one of the best avenues to achieve success.  Whether your dream is to lead a great church, build a great company, bring lots of people to faith in Christ, fight an injustice, or anything else, blogging can help you accomplish that.

That intro begs the question (which I didn’t have the real estate to explore it in that post)

How does blogging lead to success?

Ah, let me count the ways…

Personal Branding/Connections

1. 1. Blogging enables others to get to know you.  As people read your blog they will start to understand what you do, how you think, and who you are.  They will feel a sense of connection with you.
   2. Bogging builds a sense of trust.
   3. Blogging builds your credibility/brand. Readers will see you know what you’re talking about and come to see you as an authority on the topics you write.
   4. Blogging demonstrates your commitment & passion.  Anyone can say they care about a certain cause or industry, but if you write about it several times a week for more than a year, you’ve proven it.
   5. Blogging demonstrates you care about others.  Great bloggers write for their audience – to inspire them, teach them, and help them.
   6. Blogging can enable you to get that book publishing deal.  Having a personal platform and following is important to publishers.
   7. Blogging builds your social media following because you’ll be distributing good, original content through it.
   8. People in the media love to quote and interview bloggers.

Better External Communications for Your Organization

1. 1. Blog posts are indexed by search engines & will bring new visitors to your site as a result.
   2. Blog posts may be written about and linked to by other blogs, which will bring new visitors to your site.
   3. As people link to your posts, that will improve your blog and other websites’ search rankings.
   4. Blog posts may be shared through social media by your readers, which will bring new visitors to your site as a result.
   5. Blogging can generate revenue by selling advertising or participating in affiliate programs on your blog.
   6. If you blog for a business or non-profit, you can write about your products/services, not in a hard-sell promotional way but in a way that builds a positive image.
   7. If you blog for a business or non-profit, you can share customer stories and testimonials.
   8. If you blog for a business or non-profit, it provides a forum to receive feedback from customers.
   9. If you blog for a business or non-profit, it can humanize your company.

Better Leadership of Your Team

1. 1. If you lead a team, you can use the blog to teach the team.
   2. If you lead a team, blogging can help unify the team, recast vision, remind them why you’re doing what you’re doing, praise successes
   3. If you lead a team, blogging provide an additional “relational touch” between meetings, especially if your team doesn’t work in the same physical location every day.
   4. If you lead a team, blogging can give a forum for brainstorming or discussing ideas as a group.
   5. If you lead a team, blogging can provide a forum for communicating  information – posting meeting notes, agendas, announcements, etc  Keeps everyone on the same page.
   6. You can provide all these same opportunities towards success to another team member or mentee by giving them the opportunity to guest post on a regular basis.

Serving Others

1. 1. Blogging provides a forum to meet people you can help.
   2. Blogging enables you to serve others by sharing your knowledge with them.
   3. Blogging enables you to serve others by encouraging them individually in comments.
   4. Blogging provides a place where you can raise awareness about an issue.
   5. Blogging provides the opportunity to rally readers to take action or serve in some way.
   6. Blogging provides the opportunity to raise funds online for a cause.
   7. Blogging enables you to bring readers along with you when you blog about a missions trip, event, or serving opportunity.

Developing Relationships with Peers

1. 1. Blogging provides a forum to develop relationships with peers.  Those peers may be able to help you with a problem only someone else in your field could help with.
   2. Peers you meet through blogging could give you an inside track towards getting hired at their company.
   3. Peers you meet through blogging may want to partner with on a project.
   4. Peers you meet through blogging you may recruit to work for you.

Personal Growth

1. 1. Blogging forces you to learn. You have to read if you want to be a leading voice in your field and have new things to write about.
   2. Blogging forces you to really think through and refine your understanding of the topics you write about.
   3. Blogging improves your writing skills.
   4. Blogging provides the opportunity to learn from others who post their insight & perspective in comments.
   5. Blogging saves time by providing a place for you to answer common questions & then can refer people to in the future with a link rather than having to answer the same questions over and over.

Misc Perks 😉

1. People give you free stuff because they want you to blog about it.
2. People you admire and write about occasionally stop by, thank you, and say, “You rock!”

Which of these ways blogging leads to success have you experienced personally? Are there any that jump out at you as ways you’re going to use a blog to be more successful?

Add to the list

This list is incomplete!  Those of you who blog can probably think of many other ways blogging leads to success.  I’d love to hear them, so post ’em in the comments.  Can we get to 50?  75? 100?

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication.