In the scheme of things, blogging is a labour of love. It takes a lot of time and effort to consistently generate posts that provide value.

So it was interesting to read Mitch Joel’s blog post about what blogging has offered him over the past eight years, which seems like an eternity in the scheme of things. It got me thinking about this blog, which I started on a whim in 2004 (originally using Blogware).

At first, the goal was to simply understand the buzz about blogging. But it quickly became more compelling and time-consuming. And while the focus on the blog has evolved from VoIP to Web 2.0 to social media and start-ups, it has never lost its appeal.

So what does blogging offer that keeps me going after more than 3,700 posts? Here’s a few ideas:

1. A love of writing. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and spent 15 years as a newspaper reporter, which meant writing articles on a regular basis. After leaving journalism for good in 2006, blogging has kept my hand in the game and provided the opportunity to write about things that interest me.

2. Content marketing: As a believer in the idea that content is king, I see content as a powerful marketing tool. A blog offers a platform to show existing and potential clients what you’re interested in and your insight. It gives people a good sense of how you think, which hopefully sets the stage for them to reach out for more information or a conversation.

3. The ability to participate in interesting conversations: The fascinating thing about the tech world is that change is constant. One day, the BlackBerry is the king of the world, the next it’s struggling to stay viable. HP is in the tablet game, then it’s out. Having a blog provides a great way to be engaged and involved as opposed to sitting on the sidelines.

4. Blogs are more rewarding intellectually than Twitter or Facebook. I’ve always contended that blogs are dinner, while Facebook and Twitter are dessert. Blogs are substantial and filling, while dessert is something you taste rather than get nutritional from.

5. Blogs are a body of work that can repurposed into a variety of things. The content can be used for a book, newsletters, magazine articles and presentations. Blogs generate a lot of editorial goodness.

It is difficult to sustain a blog, which explains why so many are abandoned. But they generate so many benefits that it has never dawned on me to walk about from MET. In many respects, a blog is part of your personal and professional journey, and it feels like there’s a long way left to go.