Many business owners, freelancers, and solo professionals wonder, “Should I have a blog? Is it worth the effort? What does a blog do for me?”My answer: yes, you need a blog. And here are 5 good reasons why:
- It's good for business. It wasn't always this way. When I started blogging, it didn't take long for me to realize blogging was building my business, too. I get a steady flow of new business from people who say something like, “Well, I started reading your blog and finally decided I would call you.”
- Self-expression. Once upon a time, I was a radio DJ. Highly-rated, successful, and loving it. Being on the radio was my own personal megaphone. It was my way of being heard. Now I get that same satisfaction from blogging. You can too. Now everyone's a DJ!
- Building a relationship with my readers. There's nothing like a blog to build a relationship with your readers. My blog is the source of most of the conversations I have with my readers.
- Marketing. I know there are many who say you can't “monetize” a blog. Really? My own blog has brought me… well, let's call it “a substantial amount” of revenue. And I don't even use Adsense (as of this writing). One of the very best Internet Marketers is a guy name Dave Winer. And you'd never categorize him as a marketer… but he is a consummate marketer, though most of his readers probably don't realize it.
- Research and testing. The quickest way I know to test a new idea, get some feedback, or get an answer is… make an appropriate post on my blog.
Those are just 5 reasons – there are dozens more.
How about you? Do you blog – and if so, why?