Here Are 3 Reasons Why You Need To Have a Blog

I’ve read more than enough stories by people who have made and are still making lots of cash online without having personal blogs. And that's true.

So, you don't necessarily have to blog before making money online. But having a blog will boost your chances of success because it's like a platform for any online business.

I’ve never heard anyone claim that setting up a blog reduced his or her online income. Rather, a blog will fetch you even more money (especially in the long term). And that explains why you should start out with a blog by the side.

Aside the fact that sharing your knowledge and expertise with others — through a blog — would make you feel fulfilled in a way, there are other reasons why you should have a blog. These reasons further drive home the point that blogging can boost your earnings from online business.

Here are three reasons why you need a blog for your online business:

1. A blog attracts repeat customers/traffic

A blog is the online version of a showroom, which helps you display the value you have to offer to people who might be interested in it.

If you render your services as a freelancer, your blog can serve as your portfolio. If you sell other people's products or services (affiliate marketing), you can use a blog as your catalog. Even if you’re just sharing your knowledge, expertise, or some gist, your blog is your megaphone. So, a blog can serve to promote any online (or offline) business.

An online marketer without a blog is a like a sales rep without a catalog; potential customers won't flow to him spontaneously. But by running a blog, you can attract tons of potential customers by osmosis.

And they’ll take whatever action you expect from them, even without you telling them. (And remember, the more traffic you attract, the more money you’ll make.)

2. A blog proves that you're credible

For example, I'm a freelance blogger. And the truth is, I started making more money after I created a blog for my freelance business than I was doing before that. The reason isn’t cryptography; I made more money simply because the blog boosted my credibility, made clients trust me and my skills the more, and portrayed me as an expert writer.

If you're an affiliate marketer, for example, blogging can be a very good avenue for recommending and promoting products or services to potential buyers. As an information marketer, you’ll make more money by creating a blog that features loads of information on how visitors can benefit from your product — rather than create a static page website and slap up a sales copy that may not convert.

So, having a blog will make you even more money than you will make (or may already be making) from freelancing, information marketing, affiliate marketing, or whatever online business you’re into.

3. Blogging rakes in profits from different channels

Regardless of your main purpose of starting a blog, it can fetch you income from additional channels, such as sales of ad space to advertisers, contextual ads (Adsense, etc.), sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, consulting, and so on.

This will provide you with other sources of income should your main income channel crumble unexpectedly.

(But bear in mind that it takes time to build a blog that earns good money consistently from multiple income channels.)

Bottom line

If you’re of the mindset that you can make money online — or you’re making the money already — without your own website or blog, that’s cool. However, if you want to start making big money online sooner than you ever imagined, I strongly recommend that you start a blog.