The word blog refers to a web-based journal or diary whereby people used to record their personal experiences and unforgettable moments be it good or good. The only difference between it and a normal diary is that they can upload images and videos as well apart from simply text for the world to see.

That was how they got started in the early days of internet and great for introverts who are not uncomfortable to voice out their thoughts and feelings for fear of offending others and not knowing to handle unnecessary conflicts or even confrontations. But overall their main reason for blogging is one word.

Fun.

As internet advances rapidly, more and more people – especially the younger generation began to recognize it as a potential money making tool. The primary reason is not everyone knows how to create a website. Even if they want to, it will take some time for them to understand certain html codes in uploading their sites and images. Getting an experienced web designer to do for them will cost thousands which most of them will not want to spend even if they can afford to.

Blogs are a great alternative to websites. In fact major search engines like Google love blogs especially those with updated content regularly and rank them even higher than websites. They can be used as a landing page or even e-commerce websites into promoting various products and services be it their own or other merchants’ which they market as an affiliate.

Being in internet marketing for 2 years, blogging is my earliest method to drive traffic to affiliate products I help to promote for merchants. I am also fortunate to know 2 most successful bloggers Alvin Phang and Rob Benwell. Though one is an Asian from my country Singapore and the other from UK, they are both earning 6 figure paychecks via creating multiple streams of income in their blogs.

What they have done is truly extraordinary. It goes to show earning $1000 or $2000 monthly is possible let alone 5 or 6 figures. Whether it is e-commerce or internet marketing, more and more people began to recognize the blogs’ potential and use them to drive laser-targeted traffic to their sites.

What started out as their passion or hobbies now became their business which they promote through blogs. Apart from making money online, I have seen people sharing their love for model assembly kits like cars, jetfighters and even robots. Or those who like cooking and display some of their signature dishes.

With these in mind, you can meet many people who share your interest or in your niche. Just from these, you can establish a network or an online community for long-term businesses. The reason I used the word long-term businesses is that some of those people will want to buy your stuff or even do joint ventures with you.

Though there are a few places where you can get a free blogging account, I only know 2 most popular ones. They are Blogger and Wordpress. I for one prefer Blogger as I find the functions easier to understand and am allowed to place affiliate links.

But before you even think of making money, you need to ask yourself 3 key questions.

First of all, do you like blogging? If you don’t, then all those reasons I have given you are meaningless and doesn’t make sense at all.

Secondly, are you blogging just for fun, business or a mixture of both?

If it is out of your passion which can be used to guide people like learning how to bowl, cook, drive, play golf etc, you already have both as this passion can be turned into business.

If it is playing video games, watching dramas, movies entertainment shows and sports, you may want to go to online marketplaces like Clickbank and Paydotcom and look for products related to those.

For instance video games, young people are looking for strategy guides or even videos to help them defeat certain boss enemies or bypass certain obstacles along the way.

For movies and entertainment, you may consider software which allows people to upload them on their PCs.

Lastly, how committed are you to blogging? If it is solely for marketing and making money, chances are your commitment will not last. But if it is about sharing with people and building relationships from there, you will certainly be committed to adding new posts and keeping them updated regularly. New posts like free valuable content or even weekly videos will be great.

Not only can you upload videos and images, you can also ping them through a site called Pingomatic for search engines to know and rank your site. The same goes for RSS feeders and syndication.