Importance of Blogging

Do you want to communicate with potential customers? Do you want to be recognized as an expert in your field? Are you looking for an inexpensive way to promote your business? If so, blogging is for you.

The word “blog” is a short term for a “weblog.” The latter was coined in 1997 by Jorn Barger, an American blogger known for his influential blog Robot Wisdom which talked about James Joyce and artificial intelligence among others. Barger coined the term to describe the process of “logging the web.” Web designer Peter Merholz later shortened it to “blog” when he broke “weblog” into “wee blog” in 1999.

Photo grab from Google

A blog is a web site that is usually maintained by a single person who regularly comments on various things. It often contains text, images and links to other blogs. There are several types of blogs. The most common type is the personal blog which is an online diary that contains an individual’s thoughts or reflections on life. Corporate blogs are used for internal communication among people in a corporation, marketing or public relations. Other blogs talk about travel, fashion or politics. As of 2007, there were over 112 million blogs.

“A blog is essentially an online diary that allows you to make regular entries to your web site to keep your community up to speed about your project. The key difference between a blog and a normal web site is that most traditional web sites were static. The information was loaded once and then left or updated only intermittently. They tended to get old and stale very quickly. A blog provides the opportunity for a much more fluid, open and real-time interaction with the community,” according to Crispin Butteriss in “Nine Benefits of Blogging.”

No matter what your business is, a blog can help you succeed in many ways. It has many advantages over traditional forms of advertising like print, radio or TV. In the first place, most blogs are free. In many cases, all you have to do is to sign up or become a member of a blogging site to start writing your own blog. You can easily create one in minutes even if have little or no technical knowledge.

Secondly, good blogs are easily picked up search engines like Google and Yahoo. This helps you attract potential buyers and customers. If they are regularly updated and have the right keywords, blogs increase product awareness and eventually boost sales.

Blogging allows you to write about something you love. By sharing your expertise with others, you help people and develop a loyal following that adds credibility to your site. This enhances your online reputation. 

Finally, blogs give a human face to your business and allow you to communicate directly with your customers. By allowing people to comment on your blog, you give them the opportunity to ask questions or voice concerns about your products. Answering these questions candidly and honestly helps promote your products and builds a long-lasting relationship with customers.