Apart from if you’re actually a professional blogger, what’s the use of having a blog?
Why would you want to blog at all?
Portfolio cover of color plates by Charles S. Graham. Field Museum Library
- Because you enjoy writing (or making videos, in case you’re into video blogging).
- Because you don’t mind (or love) the attention.
- Because you don’t mind the kind of work involved: writing, getting or creating pictures or videos, making sure your content is properly tagged so people who don’t know you will still find you by searching for the topics that are on your blog.
- Because you need a portfolio. You need to create content for whatever purpose.
Even if you don’t start blogging for that purpose, posting fresh content on your blog will eventually build a portfolio of your content. What would you like to do with it?
Why would you want an online portfolio, and of what?
What goes into your portfolio – that is, onto your blog – shows a couple of things about you as a blogger which may be of interest to a potential client or employer:
- That you can write – in a language of your choice. (In my case I might have written in Dutch, but I chose English instead).
- That you’re able to create content to a schedule. That may mean posting daily, but it doesn’t have to be that intense. Once a week can be enough. Keeping it up for any length of time and consistently producing good or at least acceptable (although you should aim higher) content costs time and energy. Can you keep it up and still enjoy blogging?
- That you’re able to build a community around your blog. You may do so on your blog, or off – I know people who have little interaction on their blog, but much more on Facebook. In my case, readers react on my blog, on Twitter, or on LinkedIn.
Your blogging portfolio as a (first?) step in your career
A potential employer or client may be interested in one aspect of your blogging efforts or all:
- content creation as a creative process
- regular content production
- community management on or off your blog
And of course depending on what you blog about, they’ll get some idea of you as an expert on one or more topics – and as a person.
What kind of portfolio is your blog turning into – and could it support your chosen career?
Content Rambler 
Thanks for asking us these questions. I blog to practice writing and build readership. One day I might have a book out, or a television show, or a movie, and my blog readers will be part of that journey. I do think some (not all) of my posts could make a portfolio of some kind, but for what, I’m not sure. All I know is I love to write it, and love interacting with folks. I wish I had more expertise to share, but maybe one day I will. For now I think it’s about the journey.
That’s as it should be 🙂
The portfolio is just something you build as a result. And it could end up helping you in unexpected ways.
Excellent post, really excellent. True, a potential employer could like to look at a portfolio of your work on your blog – a great thought here.
As for why do you blog – “because you don’t mind (or love) the attention” – that made me laugh 🙂 Me, I do love videoing when I can.
Videos give such a great impression in just seconds. They do need editing like every medium.
It’s amazing the amount of time and effort people put into their blogs. How then can your blog not show something about you as a blogger and as a person?