An Inside Look at Blogging, How to Find a Blogging Sites for Free Use, Using it for Personal Uses, Finding a Topic to Write About, Using it as a Marketing Strategy, and Using Your Company Web-Site or Social Media to Promote It

Over the course of the past few years, blogging has become more and more popular for both personal and business uses. Blogging for personal use is a way for some people to discuss hobbies, promote a cause, or express their opinions in online form. For business purposes, blogging is a great way to promote products and services, discuss seminars and workshops and provide advice for current and potential clients. Either way, blogging is an effective form of communication that can be done for free and used effectively as a marketing strategy.

If looking to start up a blog for free, one of the most popular web-sites available to use is WordPress.com. With WordPress.com, users can simply sign up, create a profile, choose a pre-made template for their design, and start typing away. Users can sign in anytime and anywhere to create new posts and can also add pictures, video, connect to their Twitter account or even have it appear on their LinkedIn page. WordPress.com is simple to use and does not require web-site design or HTML experience.

In addition to WordPress.com, there is WordPress.org, however, there are differences between the two in terms of use, design and cost. WordPress.com is web-site that hosts the blog for you where WordPress.org requires a download of free software and finding a server to host your blog. In other words, the blog created with the WordPress.org software will need to be hosted by another web-site. Most web-sites that host blogs typically have a monthly price tag attached to them. The price to have a blog hosted on another web-site is usually a pretty low monthly fee. WordPress.org does allow users to create a blog from scratch and create their own templates and designs but also requires HTML or web-site design experience. WordPress.org is still an effective tool to use but does require a hosting site and web-site or HTML design experience.

For those who enjoy Google and its service, another blogging web-site available is Blogger. Owned by Google, Blogger is very similar to WordPress.com in terms of use. Users can simply sign up, create a profile, and start typing away. Blogger can be accessed from any computer with Internet connection and can be updated at any time. Blogger also does allow for photos, video and other features to be uploaded as well.

When writing a blog for personal use, the big question that always arises is the following:

“What do I want to write about on a daily basis?”

This question is a lot simpler to answer then you would think. If you are really having trouble picking a topic, try looking in the following places:

1) Hobbies- hobbies are typically easy to write about because you are already interested in the topic, have knowledge about the subject and are willing to spend more time researching and learning more. Being an avid sports fan, I created my blog, “Sports With Sabo” as a way for me to discuss what was going on with my favorite sports teams on a daily basis. In my blog, I cover the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Browns, Ohio State Football, Columbus Blue Jackets, Lake Erie Monsters, Pittsburgh Penguins and many other teams because I enjoy following them and want to learn more about them on a daily basis. I typically always have something to say about these teams on a daily basis and makes the blog experience more enjoyable and easier

2) Causes/Clubs You Are Apart Of- people are usually pretty passionate about certain causes or clubs they take part in and usually have a lot to say. People who are apart of different causes or clubs often have several reasons why they participate in those organizations and research the topic extensively. Writing about a cause or club you participate in can give you something you are passionate about to write on a daily basis and will motivate you to continuously write.

3) Pets- whether you have a dog, cat, frog (which I do have), gerbil, hamster, etc., pet stories can be fun to write about. Pets also bring joy to our lives and sharing these joys with other people who love animals can provide fun material to write about on a daily basis.

When looking through these ideas, write down a list of your hobbies, clubs and pets (if you have any). After writing down all of the possibilities, there will probably be one idea that keeps catching your attention. If you keep coming back to a particular idea on your list that will be the topic you will want to write about.

In addition to blogging for personal use, businesses have begun to see the benefits of using a blog as a marketing strategy. As a way to discuss certain topics to customers and prospects, some businesses have started blogs to provide advice, address issues and supply information on the company. For example, at SageRock we have blogs about Social Media, Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search and more so prospects and current customers can learn more about our organization. This allows visitors to our blogs to learn more about key topics they are interested in and gives them a reason for them to trust us. We establish credibility by writing blog posts on these topics and provide reasons for prospects and customers to trust our services. By using a blog for your business, you can establish credibility, address several different topics and provide ways for customers and prospects to utilize your products and services.

While having a blog for personal or business use is a great way to express thoughts and information, no one will know it exists unless you promote it through your company’s web-site or social media. One of the best ways to let people know you have a blog is to tell them about it on your company web-site. Having a simple “Click Here For Our Company Blog” or some other information near the top of the home page is a great way to drive traffic to the blog. People will see it when they first log on and will have a reason to click through to find out more information. This and using social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others work as well. Facebook will allow you to post links to a blog on your profile or fan page, Twitter will allow links to your blog as a tweet, and LinkedIn does have features that will connect your blog directly to your profile. Using social media will reach people within your network and help spread information on your blog quickly.

Whether it’s for personal or business use, blogging has evolved into one of the most effective ways to communicate and has become an efficient and effective marketing strategy. Finding places to blog without having to know HTML or web-site design can be found at WordPress.com and Blogger. Finding a topic to write about is easier when you look at your hobbies, clubs and pets and businesses can establish credibility with prospects and customers by using a blog as part of their marketing strategy. The only question now is what is stopping you from starting a blog?