Many presenters have approached me for suggestions on how to blog, yet nobody has mentioned to me why I should have a blog. Without the why being answered, I slowly found myself falling asleep during the presentation and leaving confused.

To define the reasons why we blog, we need to look into the past. Wikipedia reports that a blog is a web log. It is a website that is maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other materials such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order.

The fact that Google purchased blogger.com in February 2003 tells us that blogging must definitely be rising in popularity. There are now international blog expo’s and there must be a reason for all this media attention. TV shows are now being produced that talk about blogs, i.e. TV shows like Ugly Betty- and movies like Julie & Julia.

The fact that Google purchased blogger.com in February 2003 tells us that blogging must definitely be rising in popularity. There are now international blog expos, and there

must be a reason for all this media attention. TV shows are now being produced that talk about blogs — such as TV shows like Ugly Betty — and movies like Julie & Julia.

The reasons why we blog are as follows:

• To be used as websites;

• To be used as online diaries;

• To provide the possibility to leave comments;

• To create podcasts;

• To display one’s products and services;

• To show one’s articles;

• To advertise one’s books;

• To interact with one’s audience;

• To rank higher in search engines; and

• To test products.

One of the reasons why blogs have become so popular is that they can be maintained by individuals with limited HTML or programming skills. As a customer, you need less technical skills. Businesses can just log in and make changes to the pages themselves without a monthly fee. You are provided with free or paid templates. They can be hosted by the blog company, or you can host them yourself on your server.

You are able to respond to comments and build relationships. Individual’s comments provide insight and give feedback in regards to potential products or services you may be selling. They are definitely a test market. Blogs are a quick way for media to search for much needed content. As a writer, you can see if your idea generates interest.

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