Do I Really Need A Blog?

I’ve heard it asked many times.

Some ask with excitement and others with trepidation.

While creating a blog might seem like a huge undertaking, it is almost vital to the success of the online marketer. It is no secret that every business owner, small or large, needs to establish themselves online.

Take a minute to do a quick Google search on ‘internet marketing statistics’ to see just how powerful it is take your business online.

There are many ways to market online effectively, but blogging offers a unique opportunity that other marketing strategies do not. Yes, there are many successful people who do not blog, but they implement other strategies that usually require a greater financial investment; strategies like paid advertising and webinars which most new internet marketers are either unwilling or unable to do.

Creating and maintaining a blog can be done relatively inexpensively. I pay about $70 per month to maintain my blog and it didn’t cost me anything extra to create it. I use an internet marketing training system which includes a Word Press blog plus complete training in my monthly membership.

Remember that running a business requires making investments back into that business. If you’re concerned about how much it will cost you, you should really focus on how much it will make you in the long run. To expand on that statement, let me explain the unique opportunities that make blogging a necessity.

3 Answers to the “Do I Really Need a Blog?” question:

First, a website (where your blog resides) is your online “brick and mortar” business.

A blog is your piece of fixed real estate on the internet where anyone can visit at any time of day and from anywhere around the world. Visitors go to websites in search of information. They go to learn more about you, your business and what you have to offer them. A blog will allow you to “do business” 24 hours a day.

Now, it’s true that most of us are skimmers. Rarely will anyone take the time to read every word in your blog posts, except for this one of course, but if you have a well-structured website that is easy to navigate and offers value to your visitors, they will return for more. Don’t you return to your favorite stores?

The second reason that you should consider blogging is so that you can earn an income even without being “on the job.”

Unlike social media, where people go to be social, websites are where people go to actually shop. Yes, I said shop and no, you do not have to be a major retailer to have a blog that turns a profit. You just need to understand how to monetize it and set it up to make sales on auto pilot.

Blogging does not offer a quick return in most cases, but it can be a very fruitful stream of income in the long run. Since your blog is your piece of real estate on the internet, your visitors have access to all your blog posts at any given time. If you are monetizing correctly, this means that they can purchase products from your hot-off-the-press post as well as one of your posts that is several years old.

In addition to monetizing your blog with direct offers, you can use your blog to build up your email list by creating a pop-in that will allow your visitors to input their emails in exchange for something free. You could offer a free PDF download, a coaching session or a newsletter in exchange for an email address. This will help you to stay in front of your followers to secure future sales.

A blog is a great way to earn money off of the affiliate programs that you are a part of as well. You can make a separate page just for affiliate offers and you should always include your affiliate link(s) throughout your posts when it is relevant to do so.

If you are going to have a blog, you might as well learn how to monetize it!
The third reason why you need a blog is that blogging is part of branding yourself.
Branding yourself is one of the fundamentals of online marketing. To be recognized as a blogger in the online community creates legitimacy about you to your followers. Blogging can play a major role in establishing a recognizable brand.

Bloggers gain near-instant authority status simply by using this platform to let their voices be heard.

A blogger realizes that he/she is putting themselves out there for criticism, debate, slander (and hopefully some praise). At the same time, this is exactly how you establish your presence and influence online. Exposing yourself to criticism online is a risk well worth taking. Actually, it is necessary.

Blogging says that you are a committed leader in your niche. Not only does a blog require a commitment to maintain, but it also requires that you do your research. Researching for a blog doesn’t have to take long, but it is a part of the task. So, by blogging, you are offering a service to your readers as well as to yourself.
With research comes more knowledge. With more knowledge comes more value that you add to the marketplace.

I’ve heard it said that the greatest commodity we have is information. When you share that information, you are helping to solve problems and that is what business is all about – solving problems. A blog is the perfect format for doing this on a consistent basis.

Other reasons for blogging are that you become a better writer and communicator. Like with anything else, the more you do it, the better you get. Also, blogging gives you the opportunity to connect with your readers in a more private and safer environment than social media.

Blogging is not for everyone, but it is certainly for everyone who wants to succeed in their online business.

Thanks for your time!
~Traci

Traci Adams is a Social Media Marketing Strategist, Blogger and published poet. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Traci has resided in Honolulu, Hawai’i for more than 20 years. Traci is a mother of 2 children. Her passion is to teach struggling network marketers and home business owners how to master the art of internet marketing including branding, automation and strategies for online success. You can read more of Traci’s blogs at www.traciadamsleads.com.