If you have a website already, and it doesn’t include a blog, you’re missing out on one of the fastest ways to build a list and drive traffic to your site. You can have a great product or service, and even a great website to match, but if you don’t give your visitors a reason to come back, you’ll miss the opportunity to build a quality relationship that can lead to more sales. Below are just a few of the benefits of starting your own blog:

1. Establish credibility.
   Maintaining your blog allows you to share valuable information with your clients, while at the same establishing your position as an expert on a given subject. If you consistently provide your readers with quality content and access to the tools and resources they need, then you create a sense of trust with your readers.
2. Build a list of subscribers.
   Blogging makes it easy to stay in contact with your target market and to build a list of regular visitors to your site. As the readership to your blog grows, your ability to effectively market your product or service will also grow.
3. Develop a relationship with your readers.
   How well do you know the needs of your customers? What exactly are they looking for and how can your product or service best meet their needs? Blogging is a two-way channel of communication! Not only is it possible to share information with your readers, but with a blog they can also provide valuable feedback.
4. Market your product or services.
   There are several ways to make money with your blog, even though this shouldn’t be the only reason you publish content. Once you’ve established credibility through your blog and built a list of subscribers that you have a relationship with, you can effectively market your product or service directly on your blog. Additionally, you could also incorporate Google AdWords or other forms of advertising that may be of interest to your readers.
5. Network with other bloggers.
   Blogging helps to create a diverse, online community of individuals, otherwise known as the blogosphere. This loose social network ultimately leads to stronger ties that wouldn’t exist without the currency of the internet, links to other websites. Posting fresh content on your blog helps you to create this network, as other bloggers begin to link to your site.

Still undecided about the benefits of blogging? Check out this article, “To Blog or Not to Blog” by Jenn Givler at Success.com.