2. Direct traffic to your articles

If you've written an article and published it online, use your blog to post a teaser, perhaps describing what made you write that particular article, and then link to it so you get your readers to also visit your website and check out your other offerings.

3. Direct traffic to your ezine archives

Post a few paragraphs or editorial of your ezine or newsletter issues on your blog and link to archived issue on your website so that your readers can read rest of issue there.

4. Talk about what's going on in your life

People buy from those they like and trust. As an online journal or diary, a blog is ideal medium to share details of your holiday, things that made you laugh (or not), your own humorous take on life, anything to let your prospective customers get to know person behind website better.

5. Comment on developments in your industry

A blog is an ideal place to post your personal opinions, favourable or not, about developments in your industry. If you are not happy with someone's customer service, or have been defrauded, they are also a good way of warning other potential victims. Becoming a source of industry information is part of process of branding yourself as an expert.

There are many more ways that you can promote yourself, your products and services using a blog, but ones above should get you started for now.

Just remember to use your blog for purpose it was meant to be used. To brand, to communicate, to connect.

Leave selling to your sales letter.

2. Write in a conversational tone

Forget what your English professor taught you. Write way you speak, or you'll end up sounding uptight and unnatural. And no one reads tightass copy... even from CEO of Microsoft.

3. Be opinionated

Your blog is not a company brochure or a press release, but a way for people a.k.a. your target audience, to get to know real you. The worst sin you can commmit is to bore your readers. Most people respond better to an honest airing of views than pleasant platitudes. And if you get a few rude or nasty comments in response to your posts, just accept fact that you can't please everyone

4. Be funny

Infuse your posts with your natural wit for a better response from your target audience. And if not everyone appreciates your particular brand of humor, read last sentence in point above.

5. Stay informed

If you're writing about your profession, you'd better know what you are talking about. Word spreads at speed of thought in blogospere and if you're trying to become an authority on something you know very little of, prepare yourself for brickbats.

6. Stay current

Write about latest developments in your field. No one wants to read stuff that has been around for a long time, or that hundreds of other bloggers have chronicled.

7. Update frequently, but don't burnout

Most blogs die because of blogger burnout - bloggers trying to update too frequently. Stick to a publishing schedule that is humanly possible for you. If you've just updated your blog and find a story you want to share, save it for later.

On other hand, don't post just because you think you have to stick to a schedule. Going a few days or even weeks without posting is fine if you really have nothing worth sharing.

So are you still wondering if you should blog?

If you think you can meet requirements above, and know your why, then like shoe people say - just do it.

Resistance is futile.