5 Reasons I (still) Blog

This month marks the third anniversary of my blog, Seams Like a Story! My debut post “Creating a Space to Write and Sew”  was published on January 4, 2021.  Since then, I’ve published 104 posts (59,201 words) and generated 13,885 views. 

Some influencers and social media experts say blogging is dead. You’ll get no traction. No one reads blogs anymore. Go to Tik Tok. That’s where the cool kids hang out, they claim.  Yeah, maybe.  But here are 5 reasons I still blog.

  1. Through my blog I share my writing with others.

The bio on my sidebar reads : I designed this site to feel like a cozy conversation with a friend over a cup of tea or coffee. It’s a place where you can read articles that you can relate to, stories that make you smile, think, or encourage you on your own writing journey. I remind myself of this each time I sit down to compose a post.

2. My Blog is a creative outlet.

Composing, editing, and sharing 104 posts has helped me hone my writing skills in creative ways. Now when I’m out and about, I use my writer’s eye to zero in on things I might have passed by, and find ways to bring these stories to you. Using my own photographs to enhance my posts,  I see the world with a photographer’s lens as well. Though sewing isn’t the main focus of my blog, I share snippets of projects that I’m working on.  Creativity takes many forms and you, my readers, are a talented bunch.

3. My blog posts generate fertile ground for future writing projects.

Though I like to keep the content of a post concise, many of the ideas can be further developed into stories, magazine articles, or books.

4. Writing my blog helps me discover my audience.

Believe it or not, writing for you through my blog helps me discover my audience and my voice as an author.  Each post ends with “Threads of Thought”, a place where I encourage you to respond or think about something. When you leave a comment, when my words reach you in a specific way, when we make a connection, my heart sings and I know I’m on the right track. 

5. Marketing

There, I said it. The dirty word.  Full disclosure, I began my blog prior to the release of my first book in hopes that I would gain exposure as an author.  Blogs travel not only to subscribers, but out into the world on the wings of the SEO (search engine optimization) gods, thus expanding my reach. This is crucial for a self-published author.  Pretty soon, friends and family tire of buying, or hearing about my book. To take the pressure off of you,  at the end of each post, I add a link to direct new customers to my author’s page.

So my friends, I’m not going to TikToc myself.  I’m happy right here, blogging for you, and for myself , for as long as the mood strikes me.  Three years! Wow!  Happy Anniversary, Seams Like a Story!