Why do people blog?

In my view (you may wish to add to the list), there are 3 main reasons why people blog:

To get attention, to make money and to influence others.

Blogging for Attention

Blogging is an attention-seeking platform by nature. It is positive and negative - just as you seek attention for positive causes (raising money for charity), you can also seek attention for negative causes (as an extreme, attacking a religion).

If you're a new blogger, attracting attention may seem like your first (and most important) step but it can't be your end goal. All that attention is useless unless you have the means to convert it to your advantage, whether you are looking to make money or to change people.

Blogging for Money

Blogs are publishing platforms, and information publishing and networks are always a good source of income if you have mindshare and a profitable business plan.

We have talked a lot about making money and attracting attention here at Performancing - see the Blog Monetization and Blog Promotion sections in the Best of Performancing section.

Mind you, as Ryan said earlier, that blogging doesn't scale well as a source of income unless you outsource it and focus your time on management.

Blogging for Influence

Attracting attention and making money off your blog is, in comparison, simple. Influencing public opinion, whether you are trying to change the views of an industry or of a society, is a different game.

While attracting attention and making money are themes that are often discussed in blogging, we don't often talk about acquiring the power to influence others. Simply put, very few people / bloggers have the means to influence a mass audience, and it starts with the most basic of things - getting attention and holding peoples' interest.

So tell me - why do you blog?