a blog? in 2024?

January 31, 2024, marks not only the end of the longest month in the universe but also the 11th anniversary of this blog. I say "this" because there was another one before, which maybe someday I'll share again, perhaps not, it doesn't matter. What does matter is having a blog in 2024. You might say, "But Flor, there's Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, so why bother with a blog?" And I'll tell you, "Blogs never died, in fact, they fuel a significant and valuable part of the information on the internet." Yes, it still works.

Here are my favorite reasons for having a blog in 2024:

✨ Personal Branding

A beautiful way to create your communication channel, showcasing your personal brand. You can add your CV, portfolio, display your work, and generate relevant content to achieve your goals. Plus, you have full control over everything: fonts, colors, images – you name it. Social media is fantastic, but a blog or website is 100% yours.

✨ Generates Opportunities

Wondering how I landed my first job as a journalist in Patagonia? Through my blog. Wondering how I got my first gig in Buenos Aires? Again, thanks to my blog. It shows the world what you do and how you do it. You may be studying or, like me, starting fresh in a new place. Perhaps you're sending resumes, perhaps you're offering services for free to showcase your skills. Well, you can do it on your blog without compromising your mental health or self-worth. Advice: I get it, you want to start, but it's tough for someone to pay for something they already had for free.

✨ It’s SEO, Baby

You can position yourself in search engines, reach more people by posting regularly, and check out relevant topics and trending keywords. Eventually, you can monetize with ads. Google has a fantastic system, and even when I post nothing, the visits keep coming. Literally, I had months of 10,000 or 20,000 visits without doing anything new. Yes, I need to step up my game, working on it.

✨ Because What You Say Matters

If work, motherhood, or life makes you feel less like yourself, write. Write about what happens, what you like, what you did in the day, and share it. You have valuable things to say. A blog also serves to help you realize it. Not to mention that many people are in the same boat. What you say matters, what happens to you matters, what you do matters. I have to remind myself of this often.

✨ A Blog is Forever

Even if social media disappears or becomes obsolete, your content is safe. Unless there's no internet forever or we find ourselves in a zombie apocalypse – but in the last case, there will be other priorities. Social media can disappear, stop being used, etc. A blog, a website, endures. You even have free spaces, so it's not about paying for a domain or hosting – though I highly recommend it.

✨ You Can Do Whatever You Want

Want to write 30,000 characters about a bus trip? Want to upload 15 close-up shots of a pigeon? Want to create, create, create without caring if someone comments or likes? This is your place. I loved blogs with just images or seeing how someone curated content. I still love entering old blogs and enjoying the pre-boom era of social media. It seems super fresh and genuine.

✨ Because You Learn A Ton

Having a blog is 100% "be a punk rocker, do it yourself". You learn to register a domain, set up DNS, build or install a template, create content, and edit and curate photos. It requires reviewing processes, finding the best way to do things, and seeing what works. If you're starting, studying communication or marketing, interested, or if you're working full-time but still want to, it's great. Get out of your comfort zone, create, make mistakes, learn, and create better. It takes time, but it's the best investment.

You can check the Instagram post here. And follow me for more ✨stuff✨