Blogging is a great starting point for your inbound marketing strategy. It can help you produce a lot of good content that your customers and prospective customers want to read. Even though it can be hard to get started, you'll find it's always well worth the effort. In addition to reaping clear business benefits, you will benefit from it personally. Not convinced? Here are 5 ways blogging can benefit you and your business.
1. Build Your Reputation
Writing about relevant topics can automatically enhance your credibility and establish trust. For example, when consulting on website projects, I can answer customer questions with links to the articles I've written. When a prospect is talking to me and I happen to be the same person who wrote an article they found helpful, I get an instant credibility boost.
2. Make a Difference
Nobody else knows your business and the industry better than you, so you should be anxious to share your knowledge and expertise with the rest of the world. Your customers are craving this information, your prospects want it, and even your colleagues will enjoy hearing what you have to share. Blogging can also inspire others, introduce you to new people and give you a rewarding sense of importance in your industry. And you'll feel a sense of accomplishment every time someone finds your article useful, quotes it on social media or leaves a positive comment on your blog.
3. Grow Professionally
When you write, you think, you read what others write and you do research. All of this not only makes you a better writer, but it also keeps you updated with trends in your business and industry. With every article, you'll learn something new, get new ideas, and find better ways to express yourself. All of these experiences will help advance your career and develop your skills in communications, marketing and sales – just to name a few. In short, you will grow as a professional.
4. Discover and Express Yourself
Writing is a great way to learn about yourself and express your inner thoughts, ideas and feelings. Spending some alone time with your thoughts is also very therapeutic. It's like meditating and getting work done at the same time. The act of writing unleashes your imagination, nurtures your ideas and taps into the farthest corners of your brain. As a result, you will become more flexible and creative in your thinking.
5. Broaden Your Horizons
Writing something as simple as a blog can lead to bigger things. I started blogging as an experiment for inbound marketing for my company and my first blog posts were so bad I am still ashamed to show them to anyone. But I kept at it, and five years later and I am a published book author. My writing has also led to writing opportunities in other publications outside of my blog. Plus, all of my articles supplied the company with invaluable content that we use everywhere - from marketing literature to sales presentations. In short, blogging can help you enhance your reputation, grow your business, develop professionally, express your creativity, and open up new horizons. And once you get your ideas and creative juices flowing, it can become addictive. With all of these benefits, blogging just makes sense. So, what are you waiting for? Get started blogging today! Next post: '4 Ways to Get Help Writing Your Blog.' 
