Chances are you have heard of blogs and maybe have even read one, but did you know that there are over 100 million blogs on line today? Did you know that even more are starting each day? Blogs are one of the most effective marketing tools a business can use to drive traffic, attract more customers and dominate marketing positioning and if you don't have one yet, you should! Here are the top 5 reasons why you need a business blog.

1)It's a platform to showcase your knowledge and expertise

A Blog gives you a place to "strut your stuff" and demonstrate your knowledge and expertise. By providing insight, opinions and tips in your area of expertise, you also position yourself as a credible expert in your industry resulting in more customers wanting to work with you.

2)It is search engine friendly and drives traffic to your website

One goal for web optimization (meaning being found on the web) is to have a site that is dynamic and easy for the search engine spiders to find. A blog gives you this advantage because every time you update a post, it creates a new web page keeping your website updated. Search engines love refreshed content and if you are strategic and smart with your keywords and phrases, you can really increase your rankings and visibility on the web.

3)It is an interactive platform to build a community

Marketing is all about making an emotional connection and building a relationship with your customers and would be customers. A blog is a fantastic way to do this because it provides a place for two way communication - if your content is engaging enough, people can leave comments and feedback on your blog providing you a two way conversation. This interactivity is one of the best proven methods to build customer loyalty, gain insight into your target market and push out valuable information.

4)It helps you build trust & credibility

If you have been in business for some time now or have been part of the sales process, you understand that business is not conducted based upon having the best "thing" or "widget" out there, it is conducted based upon trust and credibility. Most people want to "test before they buy" and a blog is a great way to establish a relationship with your readership

5)It is a low cost marketing tool to promote products/services

Blogging does not cost you a lot of money. It is all about sharing your knowledge and educating your readers on a topic where you are the expert and you can start a blog immediately for next to nothing and begin reaping the rewards.