To Blog or Not to Blog?

When I first decided I was going to be a work at home mom, I made a list of everything I would need to set up my home office. At the top of my list was to buy a personal computer. Of course, I had experience using computers before for office work, but I was a total newbie when it came to the Internet. I clearly remember the first time I surfed the net; I felt like a kid receiving an early Christmas present.

One of the first things I did was try to set up a website using a free web hosting service. My initial website was actually more of a family website; I created it as a way to keep connected with my family and friends.

Then, I noticed that my website was getting a decent amount of hits. So, I decided to create an online journal and linked that to my website. My online journal featured some of my writings as well as the services I offered (writing, editing, translation, etc.) and my contact info.

Several months later, I received an email from someone asking me to edit his manuscripts. We conversed via email, agreed on a fee and deadline...thus began my journey as a work at home mom.

Since then, I shifted from running a website to blogging. Blogging is much like online journaling, but it isn't limited to personal musings. In fact, for people who work from home or run a home business, blogging can be a great tool. Here are several reasons why you should consider blogging:

The Benefits of Blogging:

1. You can use your blog to showcase your abilities, talents and areas of expertise. For example, if you are always traveling, you can start blogging about your adventures, informing readers at the same time of the best travel destinations and deals. If you like taking pictures, you can start a photo blog, or if you like to cook, you can start a food blog.

2. You increase your visibility. The difference between websites and blogs is that you can update your blog as often as you like. It also takes less time to do update your blog. Blog posts are often short and updated regularly. It's a good idea to blog at least once on a daily basis to keep your content fresh. Another reason to blog regularly is, blogs that are updated often gets picked up faster by search engines like Google.

3. You can create a fan base. Eventually, as your blog is picked up by search engines, your blog pageviews will increase. The more people who read your blog, the higher the possibility that someone will find you and avail of the services you offer. Also, your readers can refer you to other readers, thus increasing your blog traffic and the possibility of landing an online job or gig.

4. It makes you human. Websites have a tendency to look impersonal and potential customers or employers are sometimes turned off by this. On the other hand, blogs; although less personal than online journals, are a great way to get your "voice" out there and give people a glimpse of who you are and your abilities - without getting too personal.

5. It disciplines you to write regularly. Even if you're not a writer, updating your blog regularly disciplines you to set aside time each day to write. Even 3 to 5 sentences are good. Blogging can help cure writer's block and keep you aware of common spelling or grammatical errors. It also helps develop research and fact-checking skills.