With the popularity of Facebook, Twitter and other forms of Social Media I consistently get asked the question is there still value in blogging.
At first blush, I got to admit to you it does seem a little "old world" in comparison, but a waste of time it is not.
Blogging is alive and well and it has its place in the panacea of Social Media options.
In fact, it provides benefits that can not be found or leveraged through other Social Media channels.
I would actually place blogging at the top of my list and here is why.
What's The Difference: While there are several differences from other forms of Social Media, probably one of the most important features is that you directly control the content, the branding and the frequency of release.
It is all yours.
The data is also all yours.
And if you set it up correctly from your own Website, it can have a significant impact on increasing your unique visitor traffic and improving your search engine ranking.
It can be a valuable tool that not only benefits your search engine optimization efforts but it also plays a role in search engine marketing.
Think about the conversion opportunities? You are creating a vehicle that brings visitors directly to your site and potentially into your own direct sales process.
Hub and Spoke: While it might seem like a lot of work to be your own author, it allows you to become your own publisher.
Customers gravitate to companies they like and feel a connection with.
If you are viewed as a "thought leader" people will be attracted to your blog and this can translate into a more positive image about your brand.
In addition, if people like your "words of wisdom" they will share your blog on Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon and many other sites.
You become the hub and spoke.
You become the publishing engine that attracts, grabs and ensures a steady stream of readers visiting your Website.
10 Tips for Success: Here are a few tips that can help you with your plans.
Blogging does require a commitment, but if executed correctly the benefits are many.

1. Develop a Plan: What is your purpose for starting a blog? As with any new program you should first define your goals, objectives and decide how you are going to measure its success.
   Have you benchmarked your competitors? Do they have a blog? Without a plan, it's easy to get off track.
   
2. Test the Water: Take time to review other people's blogs.
   Which ones are the most successful and why? Try your hand at leaving a comment and getting engaged in a blog dialog.
   If your competitors have a blog, spend some time to evaluate their content, their style and their frequency of posting.
   
3. Define a Passion: Select a topic and an area of interest that you have a passion for.
   If you are blogging for business, decide what type of new content you can provide.
   Is there a different angle you can take? How broad or narrow should you go with the topic you have a passion for? Does it reinforce a key attribute of your brand or a point of differentiation for the product you offer?
4. Give to Get: Remember blogging is still a Social Media activity.
   You need to give value to the community first before you can benefit in return.
   Provide free advice, data or research that can benefit the crowd.
   Provide helpful links to other experts.
   You must give to get.
   
5. Show a Personality: People gravitate to people who are transparent and who show a little bit of personality.
   This makes you more real to them.
   The more they relate to you the more they will trust you.
   
6. Create a Network: View your blog as your publishing engine (hub).
   Your network represents your spokes.
   You still need to create a network of social media sites to get your content out to the masses.
   The more places the better.
   
7. Create Compelling Hooks: As with any type of communication, before someone will read your blog you first need to grab their attention.
   Look for provocative ways to structure your blog headlines.
   Take time to look at other blog headlines or look at headlines used in advertising.
   Look for a hook that is compelling and has some stopping power.
   
8. Use Multimedia: The use of a visual or an imbedded video can make your blog more interesting.
   Consider using visuals and other multimedia to enhance your content and the messages you want to emphasize.
   
9. Don't Use a Ghost: Do not use a ghost writer to develop your blogs.
   As with tip 5, people gravitate to people they know.
   Having a ghost will not allow your true personality to show through in your blog.
   
10. Find Your Rhythm: Start off slow and commit to a regular schedule.
    As you become more comfortable with your skills you can increase the frequency.
    Consider developing a publishing calendar in advance.
    People who decide to follow you like to receive regular updates and content.
    Consistency is good.
    

Blogging can be very beneficial.
As your publishing engine, it can improve your search engine ranking and drive increased levels of traffic to your Website.
It can also provide a competitive advantage if your competitors are not blogging.
You should benchmark their Web 2.
0 Marketing activities to find out.
Don't get me wrong, blogging does require time and a commitment.
However, if you stick with it and provide valuable content it can provide benefits not inherent in other Social Media activities.
Having a successful blog can bring you significant results.
It is worth the time.