Blogs have come a long way from online diaries. What once was perceived as ramblings from a few anonymous people is now a necessary tool for any online business.

The term "blog" is short for "web log" and didn't join the popular lexicon until "bloggers" debunked a Dan Rather/60 Minutes story on President Bush's National Guard Service. Bloggers found many holes and impossibilities in the story, and within hours the internet and the national media was a buzz. These pseduo-journalists in their pajamas (as Dan Rather begrudgingly referred to them) had destroyed Rather's story and with it his credibility. Within days, RatherGate had led to firings at CBS, an apology by Dan Rather himself, and eventually his retirement. This moment in history propelled the "blogosphere" to national prominence and solidified blogging as a tool for political activists, prospective journalists, and businesses alike.

Now it seems like everyone has a blog, and there is good reason for that. From Hollywood celebrities to news personalities and captains of industry; anyone who is anyone has a blog or online journal. Far from "Dear Diary" musings, blogs are a tool where otherwise unheard voices can be expressed, experts can be discovered, and businesses can expand their markets. Those who have a targeted focus and blog consistently find that they often build an audience of regulars and develop a reputation online. With these regular readers and increased visibility comes increased traffic to your website and the ability to increase sales.

Blogs are important for other reasons as well; the largest being Search Engine placement and relevance. Partly because Google owns the most widely used blogging platform (blogger) and partly because blogs by their very nature are more likely to be topical; many search engines (Google included) place greater relevance on content from blogs than they do more traditional static web pages. This means that targeted blogging can help you build a larger audience faster than deploying a business website by itself. Traffic is the key to online sales and accessibility, and one of the keys to building traffic is with a good blog.

As a business manager or entrepreneur, chances are you have acquired vast knowledge and are somewhat of an expert in your field. You probably read trade magazines or articles online focused on your everyday business. You probably pay attention to pending legislation or economic factors that will affect your customer base and your operations. You are already gathering this information and disseminating it within your organization; why not blog about it and pick up some extra web traffic? Along the way you will likely also build your own reputation and trust amongst your potential customers and colleagues alike, which can only lead to increased opportunities for success.

If you are a real estate agent, we can help you create a real estate blog. Focus on your market and the factors that effect home sales. Write about how to improve a home's value or how to have a successful open house. Discuss when the best times are to buy and sell and what mortgage programs are available to first time buyers. Chances are you will gain greater understanding of the subjects yourself, influence the purchasing decisions of others, and likely improve your own credibility and client base along the way.

Maybe instead of being a service professional you are an inventor that created a new product. Talk about your product and why you thought there was a need for that great new widget you devised. Discuss the trials and errors you made along they way. Showcase real life testimonials of people who you've helped. You'll develop additional exposure for your product and increase traffic to your website.

Blogging in and of itself isn't enough. We can show you how to get the most of of your blog. From social networking links, tags, blog rolls, comments and RSS feeds, we can help you generate the most buzz and traffic with your blog which should translate into increased market penetration and sales.