Why do you (want to) blog?

Mr. R comment now seems to have become a series! If you are wondering what I am talking about, please refer to my previous post.

Mr. R somehow feels that blogs are meant to be personal and corporate blogs may not really work for companies (as a PR tool). He adds that neither are blogs to be seen as a tool for personal brand building.As you may have guessed, I couldn’t really agree with the views. Web blogs have not just grown in numbers but, also in terms of quality and sensitivity of content. Obvious examples are blocking of certain blogs when politically sensitive issues are talked about and of course, many people becoming full-time bloggers! Increasingly, corporates - B2C companies in particular - are taking things being said about their products/services in blogs and discussion forums seriously. Therefore, IMHO blogs could replace many companies’ PR department. Coming to the other point on personal branding, I thought I will let you folks give your verdict!!

We all take to blogging for several reasons. You could be fuelled by ;

1. Need to disseminate knowledge (you feel you have to start sharing your gyan)
2. Passion towards some topic (say, technical writing)
3. Personal brand building (get recognized by ‘virtually’ everyone around)
4. Hobby need (Its an easier hobby. Doesn’t make me sweat)
5. Community need (looking for like-minded geeks)
6. Me-too need (I write a blog, do you?)

In no particular order and could be more. My theory is that most people may be ’Hybrid’. i.e. driven my more than one kind of fuel As an example, I would say that I am primarily driven by 3 and 4. I also believe personal brand building is something everyone does everyday. There are only two possibilites: you do it conciously or sub-conciously. So, what are you driven by? why do you or would like to blog?

Please do share your thoughts on this…