Journaling does a lot of positive things for a person. For example, you can express your emotions and better process them. You can reflect on your day and prepare for the one ahead. You can also talk about core issues to better your mental health and well-being.
Enjoying these benefits can inspire you to do more with your writing, like sharing your thoughts with the world through a blog. Blogging can add a lot of positivity to one's life just like journaling. But the two experiences are very different, and it’s important to know their similarities and differences if you’re interested in making the jump to publishing your thoughts online.
According to Web Tribunal, there are more than 600 million blogs out of the 1.9 billion websites that exist on the internet. And although this does illustrate the plethora of information there is online, it also shows the stiff competition you may have to deal with if your post your musings online.
Journaling, on the other hand, doesn’t involve competition. It simply involves the writer and their thoughts on paper (or computer, depending on your preferences). If you want to transition to blogging, you must outline your priorities and expectations with the format.
If you simply want to work through your thoughts or amplify your writing skills, it may be best to stick to journaling. However, if you want to adjust to a digital and democratic format that the internet provides, blogging may be a wise decision.
Making this distinction early on will help you adjust when competing for the same space with other bloggers online. Competition can be great for helping you finetune for writing style to fit what’s generating results for bloggers these days. However, blogging may not be the best choice if you’re adamant about sticking to your particular writing style.
Like all hobbies, you don’t have to stick to any rules when journaling. You write what you want, how you want, and when you want. Blogging is the opposite. If you want to be successful, you’ll have to maintain a certain structure, follow rules, and utilize certain techniques.
For example, you’ll need to publish blogs posts on a set schedule to gain traction. You’ll need to brush up on search engine optimization (SEO) and optimize your posts with specific keywords and phrases to ensure people can find them when they search for particular topics on Google and other search engines. You’ll also have to figure out which blog post layouts and designs resonate best with your readers.
There’s certainly a lot to learn.
Journaling is incredibly private. Most of the time, you’ll write about subjects you wouldn’t want your own loved ones to learn about — that's what makes journaling such a meaningful, fulfilling experience.
Blogging is the complete opposite. Once you hit the publish button, everyone in the world can have access to your content. This isn’t a bad thing, as you can garner a lot of feedback on your writing from regular readers. You can also advance your online presence, giving people another space to find and engage with you in online.
When you're writing for someone other than yourself, you have to consider what they want to read about and how they want the experience to go.
When you have to consider others when you're writing, you may not be able to write about what you really want to write about as often as you’d like. But it’s a way to stay connected with and help others.
For all the merits journaling offers, it’s not a lucrative hobby. However, t you can make a living blogging. You can do this by running ads, leveraging affiliate marketing, selling digital or physical products or services, and partnering with brands.
However, getting to the point of making money blogging requires extra work. For example, you must find a profitable niche. Then you’ll have to create quality blog posts, amp up their designs, and optimize them for search engines.
Don't forget to create a publishing schedule and promote your blog relentlessly. You'll also need to track the performance of every blog post to ensure you're making productive adjustments for better engagement.
Journaling requires none of this — unless you're going to try turning your journal entries into a blog.
When you decide to start a blog, you take a lot of risks in the decision. You open yourself up to criticism, and unfortunately, cyberattacks. Even a blog that's just a little bit successful can be enticing to a cyber thief.
If you have money, data, or something else a cyber thief wants, they are going to look for ways to get it. However, this shouldn’t prevent you from publishing online if you’re truly passionate about it. Instead, you should take preventative cybersecurity measures into account.
Ransomware, for example, is a form of malware that encrypts files and makes them unusable until a ransom is received. Some of the most common ransomware attacks are:
Anti-malware software is key in protecting yourself against ransomware. Investing in cyber insurance and adopting ransomware prevention best practices, like tightening access controls and improving password hygiene, are also critical protection measures.
Many people start blogs to receive some type of reward or recognition. For example, they want to build a standout blogging brand. They want to make money. They want thousands of eyes on their posts. They want to see people comment and engage. Ultimately, they want numbers and results.
You must decide if the numbers matter to you because, we'll be honest, gaining traction as a blogger takes a lot of time, effort, and intention. Big numbers and consistent engagement take a while to happen. Obsession over the numbers may also detract from your love of the writing craft.
So don't let the lack of quick results deter you from pursuing blogging. They will come if you’re dedicated.
Many people start blogging and it takes over their entire lives. It can be exciting to start a new passion project, and you may be determined to see results. In the process, you may spend all of your time on your blog.
This means less or no time for the other things in your life you love, like journaling. This becomes even more true the more successful your blog is. The last thing you should do is eliminate something so important to you growing personally.
Consider whether you'll still make time for journaling. Not only will this practice keep you grounded during the ups and downs of being a blogger, but journaling can also make you a better blogger.
Making the switch from journaling to blogging is a realistic, but difficult one. You must think about how the experience will be different from blogging. However, if you’re dedicated and pragmatic about the process, you’ll soon find the venture to be worthwhile.