5+ Surprising Ways Blogging can Change Your Life

Good morning lovely dreamers, and welcome to another blogging and self-improvement post here on the Dreaming of Butterflies blog! Yep, this one is double trouble! 

Today’s focus is on the effects of blogging on you, the one who takes the time to write it and share it with the world.

As our small blog turns 5 this month, we’re going through our history as a blogger (me - Maya), and the inspiration/accountability partner (Andy).

And we’re analysing what we did good, what we did wrong, how we can improve, what we need to focus on next and of course, how it affected our lives, and how it changed us as individuals.

We’re firm believers that self-improvement is the most important thing you can do for yourself as an adult, and keeping a journal of your experience is great. 

But when you turn that journal into a blog, and your experiences get known (and help) thousands and thousands of people, all of this also has its effects on you.

The person you were before you started a blog, levels up. It’s as simple as that.

But how far up you go, and what shapes these changes might take are totally up to you. All we can say is trust the journey, and don’t be scared if your plans change.

Related:

Can you make money blogging without blogging about blogging?

What the Hell is a Blog Hosting Service? (and how to choose one)

Are you sure Bluehost is the perfect web hosting service for you?

10+ Important blogging lessons you learn when you start a blog

Crazy simple time management hacks that will save your day

Here’s how starting the Dreaming of Butterflies blog changed us and our lives in the past 5 years.

But enough with the chit-chatting! Let’s get to it!

Is it true that blogging can change your life? How?

You learn ( A TON of) new skills

As a blogger, you get to wear many hats, because you’re not just a simple writer.

You’re also a researcher, an editor, a social media manager, a Pinterest VA, a photographer and videographer, photo and video editor (for all of your social media posts), the one responsible for your marketing and email marketing, and the CEO behind the “business” part of your blog. 

When you put these in a list like this, it sounds like you have to split yourself or call your duplicates from the Multiverse to help, but it’s not that crazy if you take it one step at a time. 

As long as you create a manageable system for you to work weekly on building the blog and expanding your audience and revenue, you’ve got this (even while working a full-time job)!

Is it tiring? Yes. But is it worth it? Hell yes!

Just know that you don’t need to do everything at once. You can set a few hours per day or days for writing, days for creating your social media content for the month, and learn how to use tools like Canva and Tailwind to create and schedule what you for Pinterest and Instagram.

But you’ll learn to do all of this. It takes time, trial and error, and finding the right teachers and mentors.

Just take your time. 

You meet new people

Even if you’re an introvert and do so well on your own in general, if you want your blog to be a success, you will need to help it get there. This means you will have to get social, baby (no matter how terrifying that is).

Use Facebook groups, ask to join Pinterest group boards, join Tailwind Communities, research, read and comment on other bloggers’ work. These are some of the ways you can grow your blog, find your audience and even make some new friends.

People in the blogging world are often like-minded, and even introverts, they are happy to create bonds and help each other with advice, accountability, and even collab for work.

You heal your wounds 

I read somewhere a few years back that writing can be a real way to help your brain destress because you dump all of your random thoughts somewhere as Dumbledore does with his memories in the Pensieve, in Harry Potter. 

And when you blog about sensitive subjects like dealing with the loss of someone dear, body positivity, neurodiversity, self-improvement and everything in between, you do heal yourself and encourage others to follow and do the same.

You help others

When you take it one step further, and organise your dumped thoughts into categories and articles, you are very likely helping someone else with your story, maybe even more than you think.

As you go through life and experience things, you get to a point where you want to share those feelings and how the process of getting from point 0 to now helped you, so you can aid others to improve themselves - and this is valid for EVERY niche, not just lifestyle.

You turn your passion into profit

Combining “useful” with “loving” is something that you can definitely do through blogging because with a blog it is possible to actually make some money, not just learn stuff and heal.

It’s true, it’s not always easy, or instant, but it’s something you can do.

There are several ways you can make money with a blog, and depending on your niche, you can expand into even more areas. The “classic” ways blogs make money are:

• Ads, through Google Adsense and Media.net, to start, and moving on to bigger and better-paying ad providers when your views increase,
• Affiliate links, from affiliate markets and programs, like Amazon Affiliate Program and ShareASale,
• Sponsorships, by collaborating with your favourite brands
• Products, by selling your own digital or physical products, like printables (like our Daily Planner), calendars, various designed bundles, ebooks, online courses, photos and even art,
• Services, with giving your audience your expertise in different areas, like design (graphic, logo, websites), to web development, to marketing services, to coaching, photography and art, and anything in between.

What you need to keep in mind is that you don’t have to do them all at once, if you don’t want to. Start with one or two, and build up from there. 

Of course, this is unless you already offer some services as a freelancer or through a creative agency, and use your blog as a way to educate your clients and market your skills and portfolio.

A money-making blog can make anywhere between 500$ to 120k$ per month (yes, MONTH, not year), it just depends on what you do and how involved you are in the business side of your blog.

The important thing to remember is that your blog can be so much more than just a place to share your thoughts.  

Bonus

You broaden your mind

One other thing blogging does to you is it opens your mind to all the possibilities out there. 

You end up learning about so much, you get to know new and inspiring stories and people, and you find out things you never even knew existed.

If you’re open to it, you end up going through a great journey of self-discovery and self-improvement like no other.

You find other profitable passions

Through blogging, you might find that you have other passions you can monetize, that are totally crazy and unrelated to what you previously did in your life. 

I, for example, was just a nightlife photographer but discovered that I like creating websites (design and development), writing, and helping other “muggles” and newbies learn how to navigate the magical world of blogging (and reap its benefits). 

Andy opened up to the idea of managing an online-only business and projects, and immersed himself in design, especially brand design and 3D design. 

So yes, blogging can take you places you’ve never thought you could be. Like I’ve said before, trust the journey (and thank us later :) ).

Aaaaaand that’s all for today, lovely dreamers! We hope you enjoyed our picks for today’s list of ways blogging can change your life. If you did, please don’t forget to share it, pin it, tweet it! For the world to know that blogging, despite all madness, is not dead, but very much alive and kicking.

QOTD: How did blogging change your life so far?