I just started this blog last year, but I already feel like I could be doing a lot more. In fact, it’s right here on my list of New Years Resolutions:
“Blog More”.
Yep. 
But you know, those two little words really aren’t motivating me all that much, but here I am, at the keyboard. So I may as well use this time to whip a list to spur myself on, AND YOU should be blogging more too.
So let’s get on that together - whoa, I made a bona-fide list! Weird – I’m not usually that together. It must be that whole food diet. Thanks Acai Berries!!
1. SEO – Duh. More pages on the site means more pages in the index. More pages means better rankings. Fresh content means better rankings.
That’s kind of the whole point of the blog.
2. Traffic – Outside of the daily readers you can build up when you blog frequently, most people overlook the MASSIVE amount of recurring traffic you can build up through your old content. If you write good articles that stand the test of time, they can live WAY longer than you might think.
3. Familiarity – If you know me (sigh), two things become apparent very quickly. I talk LOUD, and I talk OFTEN! I blame secondhand smoke. I’m also pretty friendly and outgoing (depending on my BAC), so it goes without saying that whenever I go anywhere, I make an impression (and carry bail money). A blog will help me do that virtually, and with much less rug-burn than in real life. And the more people that know me (sigh), the more people I can help. Or at least cause them to count off their own blessings because they are NOT like me (Cue James Horner Soundtrack).
4. Frequency – In marketing, we know that repeating a message has a cumulative effect on response. Now, this blog isn’t all about marketing all the time, but I DO want my readers to pay attention. If there’s something new for my visitors every time they drop by, they’ll keep dropping by.
That’s good for business long-term.
5. Exercise – Besides going on a physical health kick when I moved to the West Coast, I’ve found that I’ve had an amazing resurgence of creativity and my “business brain” is practically exploding with new ideas. Must be the fresh air. Or dang! What if it’s all those Acai Berries! They truly ARE a miracle food!
… So anyways.
Just like the body does, the mind loses its edge if you don’t use it often. Since my “job” is thinking up new ways to make people more money in business, I can’t let that happen, right? The back and forth of blogging here and getting comments really keeps the old noodle in fighting shape. (Ew!)
6. Preservation – I talk fast, and I think even faster. The problem with that is that often, I don’t actually put those ideas down anywhere, and I’ll lose them forever.
If I put them here, I get to actually USE them at some point AND hopefully you can benefit from seeing some of the “raw materials” that I think about as I grow my own businesses. Plus, writing helps me KEEP coming up with new ideas.
And ever I run out, I can go back and read stuff that I forgot I wrote. Once I’m not in the moment anymore, I can be objective and tell when I actually have a great idea and when I’m just running my big mouth to fill space. (No, that is NOT what I’m doing right now!)
7. Lumber – In addition to simply preserving ideas, blogs can actually help you craft the materials to make your own information products out of. If you build up a decent audience, you can get instant market research. That same audience can help you refine your ideas, and as a bonus, you’ve got built-in prospects if you develop any premium information down the line.
NOTE: Have you seen that movie “Julie and Julia”? There’s an example of how a blog turned into a book, and then into a MOVIE. And they aren’t even in the IM industry! All I know is, when they make a movie of this blog, I want Meryl Streep to play ME. 
8. Networking – An active blog gives me a way to connect new people I’m meeting with what I do. Not that I’m applying for jobs or anything. But your blog can serve as a more impressive example of your work and values than any kind of resume ever could. It lets me connect more deeply with my customers, potential clients, and even potential future partners. But it only works if I update it.
So there’s 8 reasons off the top of my head why I should quit worrying about it and just BLOG MORE ALREADY!!
And as Dick Van Patten said, “Eight is enough!”
Until Next time, GO BLOG!
Andy
P.S. Are there any reasons that YOU update your blog that I didn’t name? Any advantages that I’m not aware of? Let me know in the comments!
