Blogging, or weblogging, is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds, and is not going to go away anytime soon. It's free (or cheap), and so easy that your average third-grader can have his or her own blog up and running in ten minutes. There are millions of blogs, but basically, there are three main types of blog: One type is the personal blog. It's basically an online diary. Most personal blogs are the author's own observations, ideas, rants, recommendations, - whatever one wants to write about is fair game. You can use a personal blog to keep up with your family, record your travel journeys, discourse on politics, anything. The second type is the business communication blog, or intra-company blog. These are used by companies big and small to facilitate communicating with others working for the same company or on the same project. It's easier than sending forty email messages. Companies can use a blog as an online newsletter, a project notebook, a place to highlight accomplishments, or even as a "what's up today" alert. The third type of blog is the marketing blog. The marketing blog is used to promote a company's products or services, communicate with customers (and hopefully prospects), and to help in relationship building in the impersonal online world. A marketing blog can also increase web traffic (and thus increase revenues). It can help with branding, or creating an identity for your company. If you have a small or home business, you can promote it with a blog. You can let visitors to your blog know when you've posted new content or added new products, and they can link right to your website to see for themselves. You can also use newsfeeds like RSS or XML feeders to notify your readers when your blog has a new posting. Those little orange boxes you see on websites, like this are newsfeeds, and basically, if you use newsfeeds, you can pick your favorite sites (no more bookmarking) and receive updates on a regular basis, either via My Yahoo! (Google and MSN also support free newsfeeds), or via free news readers. You can also self-promote your blog by telling people about it in emails, ezines, and your website. You can create your own blog, truly in just minutes, at any blog service. They all have a guide that explains things and step-by-step instructions. And, if you don't like it, there's a delete button and you can delete and start over!

Hi Kenneth, Thanks. I love blogs..LOL. They are very fun and can defiantely help your business Kat

Thank you Kenneth, I was just thinking about checking into this. I have allot that I thought could really put up on something like a Blog. I did not know much about it until recently. Thanks a bunch,

Hi Kenneth, Thanks for the invite and the good information. I will be checking this out. I would like more info on RSS. I'm still not sure what it's all about. Will you please do a forum on that for me and everyone who does not know? That would be great. Thanks so much! Have a great day! Karen

Hello Kenneth, Thanks for invitation to this forum. You have done a great job of explaining blogs. We started a blog this past summer and are still learning as we go, but enjoy it very much. Your right about blogs growing in popularity. Almost everyone we know has one now or is thinking about a use for one. We started one with MyBlogSite.com. Like Blogger.com, the step-by-step building instructions are easy to follow. Although our blog falls primarily into the first (personal) category, we do have a link to our home-based business. Also, while discouraging blatant business ads, we do encourage visitors to include a signature line, if they wish. The biggest asset of our blog is that it has led to strengthening many of our existing online friendships by sharing more personal interests and thoughts than in other online communities we both belong as members. Kenneth, you didn't mention whether it was ok to include a blog site in this forum. But, if you or anyone is interested in visiting our blog and giving us some feedback, just send us a message and we will gladly give you the address. All the Best, David and Margaret