A few years ago all the gurus were screaming “You’ve got to have a web site” and they were right. Now we are being told “you have got to have a blog”. But is this true and are they really worth the effort?

At least blogs are easier and cheaper to set up than web sites thanks to the likes of Blogger.com and Wordpress. But is it worth the time and effort writing the posts and keeping them updated ? My answer to this question produces a typical fence sitters reply. They can be.

Sure if you just want to let the world know what an exciting life you lead or let the world know your views on the burning issues that is fine. You should not really expect to make much profit from your blog. It is a hobby, something you are just doing for fun but if you want to make it a marketing tool of your business then you must adopt a professional attitude regarding your blogs.

Before you post anything you must decide exactly what you hope to achieve with each blog you post. So what are the options?

You might want to sell something either your own or an affiliate product.
In which case you might consider a review or an explanation of how to use the product and or the benefits a buyer would receive. Your one purpose with this type of blog is to pre sell the product and get the prospect to click the link to the full sales page and hopefully make a purchase.

A blog can also be a great way to establish you within your specialised niche.
It can help you get your name known and increase your credibility. But this will only work if you write fresh thought provoking copy. A rehash of others work or hackneyed ideas will do little for your standing especially if your niche is small and close knit.

Another option is to write a series of “how to” blogs giving your readers information on specific aspects of your niche. This can often be a good introduction to offering them a complete “How to” e-book or program. I look on these as very similar to the e-courses that many Internet marketers offer.
Instead of setting them up on your auto responder you post them to your blog at regular intervals.

The bottom line is that if you are to make posting blogs a worthwhile option then you need to have clear in your mind exactly what you want to achieve with your blog before you even write one word.